Belgium were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite dominating possession and creating more chances. Mehdi Taremi had a goal ruled out for offside, while Alireza Beiranvand produced a standout goalkeeping display. Nathan Ngoys red card further complicated Belgiums night, as Iran earned a valuable point in a tightly contested Group G.

Netherlands secured a 5-1 victory over Sweden in their second World Cup group-stage match on Saturday night, but the triumph was clouded by significant fitness scares for Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool's captain revealed a frightening moment during the clash where he temporarily lost feeling in his upper leg following a heavy blow to the hip. A Frightening Nerve Scare Despite Oranje delivering an absolute masterclass on the pitch to brush aside Sweden in a comprehensive 5-1 blowout, Van Dijk did not emerge from the intense battle completely unscathed, picking up a severe knock that sent a brief wave of panic through the Dutch technical staff. Speaking directly to NOS after the final whistle, the Liverpool defender detailed the bizarre and alarming physical sensations he experienced immediately following a heavy collision. "I took a hard hit to my hip and I couldnt feel my upper leg anymore, so that was a little bit crazy," Van Dijk explained, recounting the immediate aftermath of the challenge. "But it was probably just a pinched nerve." Van Dijk Downplays Injury Fears The Oranjes next match, against Tunisia, will see Van Dijk break the record to become the Netherlands captain with the most appearances at the World Cup. Van Dijk is currently tied at seven World Cup matches as captain, alongside legendary figures Johan Cruyff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Frank de Boer and Ruud Krol. Despite the knock, he does not expect any major issues moving forward. He believes he will be able to simply join the training sessions in the coming days and be available for selection. "I think it is not too bad, but we will see shortly," Van Dijk concluded. Another Threat For The Oranje Van Dijks scare was not the only medical concern troubling the Dutch camp, as midfield anchor Frenkie de Jong also faced uncertainty about whether he could even start the match. The midfielder revealed that his fitness issues stemmed from an incident earlier in the week during team preparations. "We had a collision at training, and I was also involved in that," De Jong explained. "I had sustained some damage from it, but in the end, it was okay." Although De Jong managed to feature in Saturday's victory, he admitted that he was far from pain-free during the game. He noted that he definitely felt pain during the match, though it was still manageable. While it remains a question mark whether he will be able to train over the coming days, the midfielder remains optimistic about his recovery. "We're going to see what the reaction will be, but I have confidence in it," De Jong concluded. The Oranje Eye Top Spot After a sluggish opening draw against Japan that drew criticism for coach Ronald Koeman, Netherlands bounced back with a devastating attacking display to dismantle Sweden. Cody Gakpo spearheaded the emphatic victory by netting a brilliant brace, while Brian Brobbey also found the back of the net twice to put the Oranje completely out of sight. Although Anthony Elanga pulled a goal back for Sweden, Crysencio Summerville put the final seal on a hugely impressive Dutch performance. Having effectively neutralized a Sweden side that previously thrashed Tunisia 5-1. Koemans men are now firmly in the driving seat to win their group, needing just a victory over Tunisia in their final fixture to guarantee top spot.

SportsLine's Jon Eimer reveals his New Zealand vs. Egypt best bets for the FIFA World Cup 2026 match on Sunday

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a mound visit with Chuckie Robinson #52 during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesAfter five consecutive one-run games, the Dodgers on Sunday closed out the homestand with a literal one-run game on offense. Unfortunately for them, the Baltimore Orioles scored a dozen runs, romping through Los Angeles in a 12-1 victory.Emmet Sheehan allowed half of those 12 runs while recording only 10 outs. The big blows were solo home runs by Taylor Ward and Colton Cowser.Relievers Jonathan Hernndez and Chayce McDermott also each allowed a home run and combined to allow the other six runs.Not much else to say about this one, other than its the first time the Dodgers lost consecutive games since May 9-12.Sunday particularsHome runs: Taylor Ward (4), Colton Cowser (8), Pete Alonso (18), Blaze Alexander (3)WP Brandon Young (6-2): 5 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 5 strikeoutsLP Emmet Sheehan (3-5): 3 1/3 IP, 8 hits, 6 runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts Up nextThe Dodgers continue their dalliance with the American League, heading to Minneapolis to face the Twins beginning Monday night (4:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), the fourth consecutive interleague foe for Los Angeles. Left-hander Eric Lauer starts on the mound for the Dodgers in the series opener.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold -- tasked with slowing down Kylian Mbapp and the 2022 World Cup finalists France on Monday -- had an idea that might have worked.

The positive noise around Josh Fraser continues to grow louder after the interim coach secured his fifth consecutive win in charge of the Blues.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI AT SHINNECOCK HILLS: The detail behind Wyndham Clark's victory boils down to one fact - he coughed and often spluttered but he did not choke, despite everything he faced.

Cape Verde's magical start to its first World Cup isn't over.The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain in last week's opener took a 1-0 lead over Uruguay early in their match on Kevin Pina's free kick. It was Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the World Cup.After Uruguay's Rodrigo Bentancur was given a yellow card, Pina blasted a shot past diving goalie Fernando Muslera in the 21st minute, sending the Cape Verde fans in an excited frenzy as his teammates hopped on him in celebration.That came one week after Cape Verde held Spain's superstars scoreless in a 0-0 draw in their opener in Atlanta behind a stellar performance from goalie Vozinha, who quickly became one of the biggest stories of the tournament. After celebrating his squads historic performance in their World Cup debut without his mom in attendance, the goalie's mom was in attendance on Sunday.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Cape Verde's magical start to its first World Cup isn't over.The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain in last week's opener took a 1-0 lead over Uruguay early in their match on Kevin Pina's free kick. It was Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the World Cup.After Uruguay's Rodrigo Bentancur was given a yellow card, Pina blasted a shot past diving goalie Fernando Muslera in the 21st minute, sending the Cape Verde fans in an excited frenzy as his teammates hopped on him in celebration.That came one week after Cape Verde held Spain's superstars scoreless in a 0-0 draw in their opener in Atlanta behind a stellar performance from goalie Vozinha, who quickly became one of the biggest stories of the tournament. After celebrating his squads historic performance in their World Cup debut without his mom in attendance, the goalie's mom was in attendance on Sunday.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Wyndham Clark secured his second US Open championship at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday, edging out Sam Burns by a solitary stroke in a nerve-shredding finale to the year's third major.The American, who claimed his maiden major title in 2023, carded a closing 73 to finish the tournament at four under par.It proved sufficient to hold off a determined Burns, despite Clark watching his commanding overnight advantage evaporate during a tense final round.The victory represents a wire-to-wire triumph for Clark, who never relinquished his position at the summit throughout the week at the storied New York venue.Clark had begun the day holding a six-shot cushion, yet found himself clinging to a single-stroke advantage as the afternoon unfolded.Burns mounted a remarkable assault that threatened to become the greatest final-round recovery in US Open history, having started seven shots adrift of the leader.The world number one, Scottie Scheffler, also remained in the hunt as he sought to complete the career Grand Slam, adding further pressure to Clark's shoulders.A stuttering outward nine of 38 saw Clark's grip on the tournament loosen considerably, with the American unable to wrestle back control as his pursuers sensed opportunity.The pivotal moment arrived at the par-five 16th, where Clark drained a 25-foot putt for birdie just as Burns and Tom Kim appeared poised to draw level.Yet drama persisted as Clark three-putted from 70 feet at the 17th, surrendering a shot and reducing his advantage to the bare minimum.Burns, playing ahead, saw his birdie attempt at the final hole agonisingly catch the lip of the cup, leaving him to sink to his knees in despair.Throughout the afternoon, Clark endured jeers from the New York gallery, the hostile atmosphere adding another layer of difficulty to his task.Clark's father offered a touching tribute to his son following the gruelling victory."I'm so proud of you," he told the champion. "That was the toughest you've ever played."Clark responded simply: "Thanks pops. I'm glad you could be here."The assessment from his father captured the essence of a triumph that, whilst perhaps lacking aesthetic beauty, demonstrated remarkable resilience under the most testing circumstances.Clark collected the $4.5m winner's cheque, cementing his status as a two-time US Open champion just four years after his breakthrough major success.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter