The group stage of the World Cup is gaining momentum, and the 11th day of the tournament delivered fans with exciting matches, unexpected results, and historic achievements. The matches on June 21 became a true celebration of football: goal festivals, dramatic conclusions, and the first-ever victory by one of the teams.
Spain crushed Saudi Arabia
The match in Atlanta became a tribute to the Spanish national team, which removed all doubts about its leadership in Group H. "Red Fury" crushed Saudi Arabia with a score of 4:0.
Already on the 10th minute, the young talent Lamine Yamal, making his debut in the starting line-up, opened the score, elegantly finishing a cross from the left. This goal was the first for the 18-year-old player at World Cup tournaments. Then, Mikel Oyarzabal scored a brace, netting on the 21st and 24th minutes. The second half started with an own goal by Hassan Tamberi, who sliced the ball into his own net after a cross from Marc Cucurella. Spain dominated the field, and Saudi Arabia could not find a response to their attacking power. This victory allowed Spain to take the top spot in the group with four points.
Iran and Belgium drew
But the match in Inglewood turned out completely different. The expected easy victory for the star-studded Belgium over Iran turned into a tough battle and a 0:0 draw. "Red Devils" controlled the ball and created pressure, but faced an impenetrable defense from Iran. The Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made several key saves and became the main hero of the match. The situation for Belgium worsened on the 66th minute, when defender Nathan Ngong received a straight red card for a last-ditch foul against Mehdi Taremi. However, remaining a man down, the Belgians not only did not concede but also created several dangerous moments, which they also failed to convert. In the end, both teams earned one point each in Group G. Belgium, with a world-class squad, has not scored a single goal so far in the tournament, and their position before the decisive matches becomes shaky. >
Cabo Verde pulled off a surprise against Uruguay
Another surprise of the day came from the Cabo Verde national team. The debutant at the World Cup, already surprising the world with a draw against Spain, took points from the formidable Uruguay, drawing 2:2.
Cabo Verde opened the score on the 21st minute: Kevin Pina brilliantly executed a direct free-kick, scoring the first goal in their country's history at World Cup tournaments. However, Uruguay quickly took the initiative: goals by Maximiliano Araujo and Agustin Canobbio allowed "selce" to go into halftime as the leader. But in the second half, Cabo Verde showed character: on the 61st minute, Helio Varala, capitalizing on a mistake by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, equalized the score. This draw leaves Cabo Verde with two points and keeps real chances of advancing from the group.
Egypt secured a historic victory over New Zealand
The main historical event of the day took place in Vancouver, where the Egyptian team secured their first-ever victory in World Cup history, beating New Zealand 3:1. New Zealand took the lead early on the 15th minute after a goal by Finn Surman. However, the pharaohs did not give up and turned the game around in the second half. First, Mostafa Ziko equalized on the 58th minute, and then the main star of the team, Mohamed Salah, put Egypt ahead on the 67th minute. The match was concluded by Trezeghe, who scored the third goal on the 82nd minute. For Salah, this goal was his 68th for the national team and was met with applause. This victory moved Egypt to the top of Group G and gives them excellent chances to advance to the playoffs.
Tournament standings
After the matches of the 11th day, the standings in Groups G and H look as follows: Egypt leads with 4 points. Iran and Belgium have 2 points each. New Zealand is at the bottom of the table with 0 points. Group H: Spain and Uruguay, both with 4 points, share the lead. Cabo Verde is next with 2 points, and Saudi Arabia is at the bottom with 1 point. The 11th day of the World Cup proved that there are no weak teams in this tournament, and the battle in the groups will continue until the final whistle.