News, analysis and results from Week 1 of World Cup 2022

When was the last time you did your job so well the King congratulated you??

Portugal open their World Cup against Ghana tomorrow, and Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to Twitter to share his excitement.

He tweeted: "We are about to begin our campaign in the greatest competition in the world. An adventure that we wish is long and full of success, in order to raise high the name and flag of our country. We want to fill all Portuguese people with pride and joy. There are no impossibilities! Go Portugal!"

Earlier today, Ronaldo was handed a two-match ban and fined £50,000 for hitting a mobile phone out of a fan’s hand after Manchester United’s game against Everton in April. The suspension will transfer to whichever club the forward plays for next.

Manuel Neuer has insisted “FIFA will never silence us” after Germany players covered their mouths during the team photograph before their match against Japan earlier today.

Neuer and the six other members of the national team’s players council came up with the idea of the squad’s team photo protest in a meeting on Tuesday night.

“We talked about it and all agreed that we really wanted to do something,” the 36-year-old said.

A decision was taken that the starting XI would cover their mouths during the team photo, directly after singing the national anthem.

“We said they can take our armband, but as much as FIFA might want to, they will never silence us. We stand for our values and for human rights. We wanted to show that,” the Bayern Munich goalkeeper added.

Neuer admitted that he’d been affected by FIFA’s hardline stance — described as “extreme blackmail” by German FA media director Steffen Simon — in the run-up to the 2-1 defeat at Khalifa International Stadium.

“The fact that it was such a short-term decision was a negative surprise for us,” the 36-year-old said. “It didn’t just impact on us but all the other nations that wanted to take part [in wearing the “One Love” armband]. The timing was actually horrible for me. We didn’t know what sanctions there might be.

“Personally, I didn’t want to weaken the team in terms of bans or points deduction or yellow cards. That’s why when the first couple of nations started wearing the official FIFA armband, it was obvious that we would stand with them.”

Joshua Kimmich hinted that Germany will continue to make a political stand at this tournament.

“We won’t let them take our voice away. If we feel we have to say something, we will continue to do so and point to certain things. Hopefully we will win the game on Sunday (against Spain) as well.”

(Photo: Getty Images)

It's all kicking off in the final match of the day, as Canada had an early penalty but Thibaut Courtois saved Alphonso Davies' effort from the spot!

Follow our live coverage of that match here.

FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against both Mexico and Ecuador for homophobic chanting during World Cup matches.

Mexico drew 0-0 with Poland on Tuesday while Ecuador defeated the host nation Qatar 2-0 on the opening day of the tournament.

During the opening game, some Ecuador fans could be heard singing a homophobic chant against Chileans. Ecuador faced possible expulsion from the tournament after Chile complained they had fielded an ineligible player during the qualifiers.

Mexico are meanwhile being investigated after their supporters sung an offensive chant that the country’s national federation has long tried to clamp down on.

Mexican supporters have often chanted a slang word for a male prostitute (“puto”) at goalkeepers during games, which activists say is both insulting and discriminatory.

The Mexican Football Federation received twelve sanctions — two warnings and ten fines — during the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign and this has since escalated into home matches being played behind closed doors, as happened earlier this year on two occasions.

Potential sanctions include playing a match without spectators or a ban on playing in a particular stadium.

The build-up to the tournament in Qatar has seen concerns raised over LGBTQ+ as well as broader human rights in Qatar. Homosexuality remains illegal under the country’s laws.

Germany coach Hansi Flick refused to blame Germany’s shock 2-1 loss to Japan on the team’s pre-match protest against FIFA.

The entire squad covered their mouths in the team picture, opposing FIFA’s order for several UEFA nations to halt their plans to wear the ‘OneLove’ armband meant to convey an anti-discrimination message.

The German FA (DFB) also put out a statement midway through the first half, in which they said: “Banning us from the armband is like banning our mouths. Our stance stands.”

Germany took an early lead after a penalty from Ilkay Gundogan, but late goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano doomed Flick’s side to defeat.

This is Flick’s first major tournament in charge of the team. He insisted that the protest did not distract his team, answering bluntly: “No, we’re not looking for excuses. That’s too cheap for me.”

We had our second shock upset of the tournament earlier today, and now it looks like we're getting our third rout of the 2022 World Cup as Spain lead Costa Rica 3-0.

The second half has just begun, follow our live coverage here!

Michael Cox, Phil Hay and Steve Madeley analyse the key talking points from Japan's comeback victory over Germany, including:

• How being favourites counts for nothing at a World Cup
• The tactical change that won the game
• Germany’s failure to kill the game
• Raum playing like a winger
• German players' protest
• Gundogan’s resurgence

Go Further below to read their full analysis.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Germany fans have joined supporters of Argentina in worrying whether their side will advance to the knockout stage after suffering a stunning upset.

But exactly how much trouble are those teams in?

Go Further below to read Ed Mackey's explanation.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia defender Yasser Al Shahrani is set to undergo facial surgery after a heroic defensive effort in his team’s 2-1 win over Argentina on Tuesday.

Al Shahrani was accidentally clattered by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais in the closing minutes of the game. The 30-year-old was attempting to clear a ball into the box, but Al-Owais inadvertently kneed him in the face while jumping to punch the ball clear.

Al Shahrani was treated on the field for several minutes before being removed on a stretcher, before the game resumed. Saudi Arabia held on to record the most famous win in their history, with the winner scored brilliantly by Salem Al-Dawsari.

Al-Shahrani was treated in hospital in Doha overnight, and was flown to hospital in Riyadh for surgery on Wednesday morning.

A statement from the Saudi Arabia FA said: “Yasser Al Shahrani left Hamad Medical Centre in Doha heading to Riyadh’s National Guard Hospital earlier this morning following the head injury sustained during yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Argentina.

“The 30-year-old will now undergo surgery in the next few hours as per the medical staff’s recovery plan.

“We all wish Yasser a full and speedy recovery.”

Saudi Arabia’s next game is against Poland on Saturday.

(Photo: Getty Images)

After yesterday's stunning upset of Saudi Arabia over Argentina, Japan have gotten in on the fun, beating the 2014 world champions by the same scoreline.

Germany led at half-time thanks to a goal from the spot by Ilkay Gundogan, but Japan mounted a startling comeback in the second half, getting goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano in the final 15 minutes.

Germany could be in trouble when they face Spain in their next match, while Japan may be in a position to advance to the knockout round with a win over Costa Rica in their next game.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Mario Gotze, the hero of the 2014 World Cup final, has come on for Germany in the late stages of their opening match against Japan. It's his first appearance for the national team in five years.

Follow the closing stages of that match with our live blog here - it's tied 1-1!

Venezuelan official Jesus Valenzuela will take charge of England vs USA on Friday.

The final game of the day sees Belgium take on Canada.

The latter are playing in their first World Cup since 1986, while Belgium's golden generation have become extremely accustomed to tournament football, as The Athletic's Mark Carey explains.