World Cup 2022 RECAP: England were handed a huge boost with Harry Kane expected to be fit following an ankle scan, while Germany LOST to Japan in a shock result
Ā
Follow Sportsmail's live blog for all the latest World Cup news and updates with Germany, Spain and Belgium getting their campaigns underway TODAY.Ā
Thanks for joining us today, in what was another massive day of World Cup action.
England revealed they expect Harry Kane to be fit for USA on Friday following a scan on his ankle.
Japan also beat Germany 2-1 in a shock result, while Morocco and Croatia shared an uneventful draw earlier on.
You can keep up-to-date with Spain vs Costa Rica HERE. But otherwise, that's all from us!
We'll be back tomorrow... see you then!
That's it for the first half, and Spain lead 3-0 at the break!
Goals from Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres give Spain a healthy lead, and they will most likely move to the top of Group E tonight.
It comes after Japan beat Germany 2-1 shortly beforehand.
Gary Neville has admitted he's still worried about Harry Kane's ankle, despite England insisting the forward is expected to be fit for USA on Friday.
'I am a little bit worried, they are being a bit coy on it,' he said on ITV Sport.
'I don’t think Gareth is a manager who wants to play mind games. I am worried about it. There is no replacement for him directly, no one can replace the quality he has.'
Read more below...
Well, that hasn't gone down well at home. Newspapers in Germany are already slamming their nation's shocking defeat to Japan.
Germany appeared to be in control at 1-0, with Gundogan then hitting the post, but a spirited Japan fought back and claimed a truly historic win.
Leading German outlet Welt insisted that Germany had once again made a 'fool out of themselves' at the start of a major tournament, having lost 1-0 to Mexico in their opening match of the 2018 World Cup.
The four-time champions crashed out in the group stage four years ago as a result and could well do the same in Qatar, with crucial matches against Spain and Costa Rice to come.
Read more below...
Spain have doubled their lead! It's going rather well for Luis Enrique's side, who are totally dominant so far.
It was Marco Asensio with the goal, diverting a cross home with a peach of a left-footed strike. Perhaps Navas could have done better, though.
We have a goal in the game between Spain and Costa Rica, and it's the Group E favourites who have taken the lead!
It was Dani Olmo who scored it for Spain, controlling the ball delightfully in the the Costa Rica box, swiveling and slotting part Navas in goal.
England are fully focused on the job at hand, but there's still some time for fun and games, with the players getting an opportunity to enjoy themselves this afternoon.
Declan Rice, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford were among those seen shooting some hoops, while Jordan Pickford was on the darts...
Of course, there was also a more intense training session beforehand, which Harry Kane was involved in.
After their stunning win over Germany, Japan fans were seen collecting garbage, just days after tidying up another stadium.
They were seen armed with bottles and waste as they left the stadium. Footage shows them going row by row picking up the rubbish and placing it into plastic bags.
The video was taken by influencer Omar Al-Farooq from Bahrain who shared it on Instagram.
You can see the footage below.
The celebrations are likely to continue for some time in Japan, after what was a truly historic win for the nation.
It's absolutely bouncing at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, where it's currently 12:40am!
Football fans have slammed Germany's players for 'only focusing on politics' in the build-up to their shock World Cup defeat by Japan.
Germany's players made a statement in their pre-match team photo before their opening World Cup game as they covered their mouths in protest at being blocked from wearing an anti-discrimination armband.
Of course, we all know what happened next, and some fans have been quick to criticise the nation.
Read more below...
What a stunning finish we had in today's 1pm kick-off - but the action doesn't finish there, with less than 45 minutes until Spain and Costa Rica go head-to-head.
You can follow all the action below!
Japan have produced another World Cup upset in Qatar after coming from a goal down to beat four-times world champions Germany!
What a massive result for the Japanese and it's fully deserved.
Germany lost their opening game at the 2018 World Cup against Mexico and have now suffered another defeat in their opening game four years later.
Read the full report below...
Sceptic football fans have theorised that Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia on purpose to avoid facing Brazil until the final of the World Cup.
The South Americans suffered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history on Tuesday when they were beaten 2-1, a result which means they will now probably have to win both their remaining games to top their group.
But it could mean they miss their rivals Brazil in the semi-finals if all went to plan.
Want to read more on the fan theory? Click the link below...
OH MY GOODNESS! We have another World Cup shock on our hands!
Japan have completely turned the game on its head after Takuma Asano races through on goal and superbly puts it past Manuel Neuer!
Six minutes, plus stoppage time, to go in this one...
Japan have their equaliser - and you can't say they don't deserve it!
Manuel Neuer is forced to parry a cross back into his crowded penalty area which is turned in by Ritsu Doan.
The goal sparked wild celebrations with the Japan bench racing to the corner flag to celebrate with their team-mates.
GAME ON!
France have reportedly taken the bizarre move of arranging a friendly - just 24 hours after their 4-1 win over Australia at the World Cup.
The deadline has now passed to call up additional players and with France having already had four pull out - Lucas Hernandez the most recent after he went off against Australia - and so there has been a feeling around France of wrapping players up to prevent further casualties.
But that appears not to be the case with RMC Sport detailing that boss Didier Deschamps has arranged a friendly with Qatari first division side Al Gharafa on Wednesday night.
Click below to read more...
One lucky Japan fan has hilariously thanked his boss for '2 weeks off' as he attended his country's first World Cup game against Germany.
Not a bad way to spend a fortnight!
Kamal Miller has worked his way up through the Canadian youth academy system and it now a part of the national team setup in Qatar.
It's a huge achievement for the centre-back who had a somewhat unconventional route to the World Cup.
Click the link below to read Sportsmail's exclusive interview with the Canadian star...
The Swansea City star has been sidelined since September with a hamstring injury, but gave Wales boss Robert Page a huge boost by joining the rest of the squad for Wednesday's session.
Allen, who was compared to Spain legend Xavi by Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, could now play a part in Wales' World Cup campaign after returning to full training.
Wales fans will be hoping those comparisons will ring true if he does get on the pitch...
Click below to read more...
A solid half for Hansi Flick's side but they'll be wary of the threat the Japanese pose, given how they have nearly got a goal themselves in this Group E encounter.
They thought they had doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time through Kai Havertz but the Chelsea man was correctly ruled to be in an offside position when he tapped home.
But it's Ilkay Gundogan's penalty that separates to two sides at the break.
Click below to follow Sportsmail's live blog on all the action from that match...
And Germany have the lead against the Japan with Man City's Ilkay Gundogan converting from the penalty spot!
Left-back David Raum made a darting run into the area before being fouled by the keeper, leaving Gundogan with the task of breaking the deadlock from the spot.
Nearly half-time in that game...
Germany's players have covered their mouths in their pre-match photo before facing Japan in protest against FIFA.
The action was taken after FIFA threatened sanctions against teams and their captains if they went ahead with their plan to wear the LGBTQ 'OneLove' armband.
All German players took part in the gesture in front of dozens of photographers on the pitch in Qatar - where homosexuality is illegal - ahead of the kickoff.
Click below to read more...
Son Heung-min will be fit enough to feature for South Korea in their World Cup opener against Uruguay on Thursday.
Head coach Paulo Bento confirmed the Tottenham attacker will play with the black protective mask he has been wearing in training since he sustained a fracture around his left eye in a Champions League match against Marseille on November 1.
South Korea captain Son underwent surgery days later to fix the issue and despite not appearing at his country's pre-match press conference in Al Rayyan, he will be involved in the Group H opener at Education City Stadium.
Read more below...
Denmark have now proposed a blanket withdrawal from FIFA alongside other UEFA nations over the OneLove armband row.
The federations of England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark decided to drop the pro-LGBTQ+ gesture amid threats of sanctions, which included an automatic yellow card for anyone wearing one.
Now, Danish officials have revealed they are considering leaving FIFA over the row and are willing to discuss the dramatic move with fellow UEFA member states.
Read more below...
Moving away from England, and Germany vs Japan is now underway!
And Japan have had the ball in the back of the net already... only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
You can follow all the action below.
'I think everyone will take their chance,' Pickford said. 'When Harry came off after about 70 minutes, Callum (Wilson) came on and played really well (against Iran).
'Everyone's training really hard, they're here for a reason - to play football.
'But Harry's an unbelievable player. He sets the example in the squad. He's a leader, the captain, and we all look up to him.'
Jordan Pickford is currently addressing the media, and he's had some encouraging words to say about Kane following the positive news.
He said: 'I think he’s good - a bit sore but he’s out on the grass today, he’s our captain and I think he’s fine.'
Now THAT is some good lunchtime news! England fans can breathe a sigh of relief, with England believing Kane has NOT suffered serious damage to his ankle.
The England captain has scored a staggering 51 goals in 76 appearances for the Three Lions, and he can now continue to chase down Wayne Rooney's record tally.
The 29-year-old is just two goals short of Rooney's total of 53, a milestone firmly in his sight.
What a huge result this is for England! Harry Kane has undergone a scan on his ankle... and England are hopeful he is FINE!
Wales are showing their support for the LGBTQ+ community at their training facility, as they gear up for next match against Iran on Friday.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has slammed FIFA in the House of Commons, insisting the World Cup does NOT belong to the organisation, or indeed the host nation.
He said: 'During this tournament, gay football fans are unable to acknowledge who they love, and players have been threatened with suspension if they show solidarity with those fans. Shame on FIFA.'
Wow, this story really is starting to develop now.
FIFA allegedly sent six officials to the England football team's headquarters before the Iran clash and threatened them with drastic sanctions if players wore their 'OneLove' anti-discrimination armbands.
England's football team had been planning to wear the LGBTQ+ armband along with other European teams such as Germany and Denmark before the campaign was dropped when FIFA threatened to hand out yellow cards to players.
The German Football Association (DFB) yesterday claimed that England and other teams were faced with 'extreme blackmail' or 'massive sanctions' that led to them dropping the gesture.
Read more below...
Football fans will be hoping Germany vs Japan offers more entertainment, but at the very least it gives us an opportunity to look at one of the tournament favourites.
And the teams are in!
Germany XI: Neuer; Sule, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan; Gnabry, Muller, Musiala; Havertz.
Japan XI: Gonda; Sakai, Itakura, Yoshida, Nagatomo, Endo, Ito; Kamada, Tanaka, Kubo; Maeda.
Well, that wasn't the best of games... Morocco and Croatia share a thoroughly unentertaining 0-0 draw in their opening Group F clash.
Croatia, of course, finished as runners-up four years ago in Russia, but they looked somewhat limp against Morocco today.
Next up, Germany vs Japan!
The World Cup is typically one of the most profitable times for any pub that shows live football, but there are now a growing number overlooking the financial rewards in light of the bigger picture.
Qatar bans same-sex sexual activity and an estimated 6,500 migrants have died constructing the seven new stadiums for the World Cup.
And, in protest, more and more pubs are now opting out of showing the games live.
Read more below...
Rashford has become the latest player to speak to the England Diary Room.... Big Brother is coming back next year, after all.
He chats camp life and scoring shortly after coming on against Iran. Worth a watch!
There's just over 20 minutes to go in the clash between Morocco and Croatia, with the score still 0-0.
We will have three more games to come, however, and they each include a potential World Cup winner.
Germany vs Japan - 1pm
Spain vs Costa Rica - 4pm
Belgium vs Canada - 7pm
Of course we're all waiting for the all-important Harry Kane news, but while we are, why not check out what some of the British WAGs are up to?
Paige Milian, the girlfriend of Raheem Sterling, and Tolami Benson, the girlfriend of Bukayo Saka, have been tagged in social media snaps with refreshing cocktails.
The England WAGs are staying on a luxury £1billion cruise liner, dubbed a 'floating palace', comes complete with six swimming pools, 30 bars and the tallest slide on a ship, while their Welsh counterparts are being housed in a hotel.
Germany and England appear to be heading in different directions regarding their battle with FIFA over the use of the OneLove armband.
The German FA confirmed yesterday that they are exploring their legal options, including taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after FIFA threatened 'sporting sanctions' for captains who wore the armband at the World Cup, which led to all seven European nations abandoning plans to do so ahead of their opening matches.
The FA have indicated that they will not go down the legal route however, and have reluctantly accepted FIFA's diktat.
Read more blow...
Just a quick update from today's opening fixture, with Morocco and Croatia all square at 0-0 at half-time.
It's been anything but a classic, with 2018 runners-up Croatia struggling to cope with Morocco's pressing.
Morocco have looked the more likely to score of the two.
The controversy in Qatar continues, with England fans now potentially facing being silenced after Qatari police clamped down on singing in public.
We all know England fans can be, well, rowdy, and they could now face sanctions from local officials after noise complaints were raised on the Gulf state's public transport network.
Read more below...
We'll bring you the latest on Harry Kane as soon as we have it.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will be speaking at 12.30pm, and he'll no doubt be asked about his captain then.
Of course, he'll also be previewing the upcoming clash against USA on Friday.
Not that most of you will need reminding, but it's worth pointing out again that we're still awaiting the result of Harry Kane's scan on his ankle.
The 29-year-old was involved in an indoor recovery session on Tuesday, a development that was viewed as positive news.
But he did leave the Khalifa Stadium on Monday with light strapping on his ankle and with a slight limp.
Southgate afterwards insisted Kane was fine, but it's an anxious wait for the fans nonetheless.
Arsenal legend Martin Keown, speaking to Daily Mail's Oliver Holt, compared Kane to David Beckham.
Keown said: 'He is adapting really well because we're becoming much more of a team now. If you look at Bellingham making runs from deep, Mount getting in the box, Kane dragging people out.
'Kane was almost looking like Beckham in wide positions the other night, which is about the best compliment I can give him because he's the best crosser of the ball I've ever seen.
'Kane's matching him now with those assists. It's vitally important that he remains fit for the rest of this tournament. I just hope it's a preliminary thing, they just want to check, make sure everything's okay.
'I know he's been doing a lot of rehab work on those ankles, he's been doing that throughout his career now, strengthening all the time.
'He got up and looked okay so let's hope it's precautionary and Harry Kane takes to the field again because he is super important to what we're trying to achieve.'
In case you need a reminder of just how good elite footballers are, here's a clip of England stars Jack Grealish and Phil Foden messing around as they prepare for USA on Friday.
I'll bring you any noteworthy updates throughout the match, but you can also follow our dedicated live blog below.
The Foreign Secretary has claimed Qatar has made progress in ensuring 'gay football fans are safe and secure' despite growing criticism over the Gulf state's repressive response to rainbow-themed attire.
He told the BBC: 'I've made it clear that we feel very strongly about this issue and, actually, one of the advantages about having a strong relationship with other countries is you can have these difficult conversations.
'The Qataris know how seriously we take this issue and they have taken real steps to ensure that gay football fans are safe and do feel secure and can enjoy the football.'
Read more below...
Everton winger Andros Townsend, who has made 13 appearances for England, has weighed in on the OneLove armband row.
He insists he feels 'uneasy' about upsetting a culture who are 'minding their own business'.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to miss Portugal's final press conference before they get their World Cup campaign underway against Ghana on Thursday.
Read more below...
Ronaldo will get his World Cup campaign underway tomorrow, as Portugal take on Ghana at 4pm UK time.
The 37-year-old is most likely competing in his final World Cup, and he will be desperate to impress, particularly now being without a club.
Portugal come up against South Korea, Ghana and Uruguay in a highly competitive Group H. And though favourites, Portugal's progression to the knockouts is not at all guaranteed.
We're in the midst of a World Cup, and yet Cristiano Ronaldo still manages to dominate the headlines... even though Portugal haven't played yet!
I suppose with 500 million Instagram followers, you could say there is a fair amount of interest in him.
The bombshell news, as we all know, is that Ronaldo has left Man United, having agreed to terminate his contract.
And in more bombshell news, the Glazers have since put United up for sale!
You can follow all the latest updates below!
The 'OneLove' anti-discrimination armbands have become a symbolic protest against the laws in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
England captain Harry Kane was forced to step down after initially intending to wear an armband against Iran - but BBC pundit Alex Scott wore one during the coverage of the game.
Since then, a Danish reporter has refused to remove his 'OneLove' armband ahead of his live TV report when a Qatari official ordered him to.
Read more about it below...
MOROCCO XI: Bounou, Hakimi, Saiss, Aguerd, Mazraoui, Ounahi,
Amrabat, Ziyech, Amallah, Boufal, En-Nesyri.
Subs: Hamdallah, Zaroury, Sabiri, Mohamedi, Chair, Aboukhlal, Ezzalzouli,
El Yamiq, Dari, Cheddira, Tagnaouti, El Khannous, Benoun, Attiyat Allah, Jabrane.
CROATIA XI: Livakovic, Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa, Modric,
Brozovic, Kovacic, Vlasic, Kramaric, Perisic.
Subs: Stanisic, Barisic, Erlic, Majer, Grbic, Livaja, Pasalic, Petkovic, Budimir, Orsic, Vida, Ivusic, Sutalo, Sucic, Jakic.
Daily Mail Chief Sports Reporter Oliver Holt has given his assessment of the England situation, and he thinks we should be very nervous indeed.
'I think we should be biting our nails and I don't think we can cope (without him),' Holt confessed.
'To a level we can cope but I don't think we can win the World Cup without Harry Kane. I think we can still progress in the competition, but I think he's our most important player, I don't think he gets the credit he deserves.'
He continued: 'He's a really clever player and I think it would be a really heavy heavy blow if he were ruled out of the tournament. I think we could cope without him for a couple of games, but it would be a heavy blow if he were to be ruled out.'
As a Tottenham fan, I can tell you there's nothing worse than seeing Harry Kane rolling on the floor, clutching his ankle... within reason, of course.
Now, England fans are experiencing the same exact fear, with their talisman set to undergo a scan on his ankle.
Southgate initially quashed fears of a long-term injury, but news of an impending scan is not what we wanted to hear. Of course, we'll bring you updates as soon as we have them.
Gareth Southgate is not messing about. He's come so close to claiming silverware for England, but it's not been quite good enough.
Now, according to The Times, Southgate has implemented a 'bubble rule' with England's players isolating from their partners until the final group match is concluded next Tuesday!
Read more below...
We'll be focusing on Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo and the latest news in Qatar in this blog, but we'll also have plenty of live action for you today.
Morocco vs Croatia is getting underway in a little over an hour, and you can check out our dedicated live blog below.
We've all heard the Qatari stadiums announcing their attendance figures throughout the tournament, but they haven't quite tallied with the swathes of empty seats at the games.
Argentina’s shock loss to Saudi Arabia yesterday had the tournament’s biggest attendance so far with a reported 88,012 fans at the Lusail Stadium.
That is despite the venue’s capacity being listed as 80,000 at the start of the World Cup.
Read more below...
Now, Budweiser will reportedly seek around $47million from FIFA. They are, understandably, furious about the U-turn decision on allowing alcohol to be sold inside stadiums at the World Cup.
Read more below...
Well, this story isn't going to go away, is it? The latest development in the Qatar-Budweiser dispute is now in...
Sportsmail now understands that Qatar officials not only banned Budweiser from stadiums – they also tried to boot it out of the American firm’s own hotel.
It left Bud execs, employees and VIP guests - who have travelled to the far east en masse - facing the embarrassing prospect of not being able to sink their own beverages in their own headquarters.
Click below to read more...
England fans breathed a sigh of relief when Harry Kane seemingly brushed off an ankle injury in the 6-2 win over Iran, but the story isn't over yet.
The Tottenham talisman and England captain is now set to undergo a scan on his ankle. Whether he will be able to play against USA on Friday is now unclear.
Kane was involved in an indoor recovery session yesterday, though, which is good news.
Welcome to our World Cup blog, where we have FOUR matches taking place in Qatar today.
Spain, Germany and Belgium all get their campaigns underway, while England fans face an anxious wait for the results of Harry Kane's scan on his ankle.
Meanwhile, the controversy at the World Cup continues, with Qatar and Budweiser still locked in an ugly dispute.
Sportsmail will bring you updates on it all across the day.
Most watched Sport videos
- Giants fans burn quarterback Daniel Jones' jersey after loss
- Montenegro fans create distraction from football with fireworks
- Las Vegas Raiders fan body slams a woman during brawl
- Awkward moment footy great can't pronounce NRL player's name
- Johnny Gaudreau's wife Meredith announces she is pregnant
- Moment Miami Dolphin's Tyreek Hill is arrested by police
- Jason Kelce bares all with ex-Eagles teammate in revealing beer ad
- Shocking bodycam of Tyreek Hill arrest released by Miami-Dade PD
- Woman exposes NRL boyfriend for leaving her for another
- Ireland fans mock Queen's death aiming chants at England fans
- John Hunt makes a poignant return to the commentary box at Brighton
- Tyreek Hill speeds by police before cops aggressively pull him over
Host commentator