World Cup news and highlights

Like Germany, Spain has also undergone some lean years since its World Cup triumph in South Africa in 2010, and will be relying on a mix of a young generation and the old guard for success in Qatar.

The team’s likely starting midfield will consist of 19-year-old Pedri, 18-year-old Gavi and 34-year-old Sergio Busquets as Head Coach Luis Enrique’s men seek to go one further than last year’s semifinal exit at the European Championships.

For Costa Rica, it is a last hurrah for some of the country’s legendary players. Captain Bryan Ruiz, 37, will lead the team, while the experienced Celso Borges and Keylor Navas could be appearing in their final World Cup.

Spain

Manager: Luis Enrique

Goalkeepers: Unai Simón, Róbert Sánchez, David Raya

Defenders: Dani Carvajal, César Azpilicueta, Eric García, Hugo Guillamón, Pau Torres, Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba, José Gayà

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo Hernández, Gavi, Carlos Soler, Marcos Llorente, Pedri, Koke Resurrección

Forwards: Ferrán Torres, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino, Álvaro Morata, Marco Asensio, Pablo Sarabia, Dani Olmo, Ansu Fati

Starting XI: Simon; Azpilicueta, Rodri, Laporte, Albi; Busquets; Gavi, Pedri; Torres, Asensio, Olmo

Costa Rica

Manager: Luis Fernando Suárez

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Esteban Alvarado, Patrick Sequeira

Defenders: Francisco Calvo, Bryan Oviedo, Daniel Chacón, Óscar Duarte, Kendall Watson, Rónald Matarrita, Keysher Fuller, Juan Pablo Vargas, Carlos Martínez

Midfielders: Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz, Yeltsin Tejeda, Gerson Torres, Jewison Bennette, Youstin Salas, Roan Wilson, Brandon Aguilera, Douglas López, Anthony Hernández, Álvaro Zamora

Forwards: Joel Campbell, Johan Venegas, Anthony Contreras

Starting XI: Navas; Martinez, Fuller, Duarte, Calvo, Oviedo; Campbell, Borges, Tejeda, Bennette; Contreras

Belgium’s campaign in Qatar is seen as the last opportunity for the nation’s so-called “golden generation.”

Having lit up European football for years, Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Axel Witsel, De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens are all in their 30s and could be playing in their last World Cup. Suffering from a hamstring injury, striker Romelu Lukaku is likely to miss Belgium’s first two group matches.

Belgium’s results in major tournaments have been underwhelming, given the talent at its disposal, the 2016 shock defeat to Wales in the quarterfinals of the European Championships a particular frustration.

So, with one final shot at glory, Belgium begins against a Canada side making its second appearance at a World Cup. 

Canada ended its 36-year drought to play in a World Cup when it qualified earlier this year. And, behind the exuberance and excellence of Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David in attack, could prove a danger for any team. 

Heading into its opening game, midfielder Jonathan Osorio said his team believes it can shock Belgium. 

“We want to show that we are a football nation, that we can compete with the best in the world,” Osorio said, according to Reuters. 

“We want to surprise people because I think people still see us as underdogs. ‘It’s the World Cup, they should just be happy to be here.’ But that’s not our mentality.”

Wow!

Japan provides another big World Cup upset, beating Germany for the first time ever.

Germany dominated for large periods of the match and had plenty of opportunities to extend its lead after going 1-0 up, but Japan rode its luck and was clinical when the chances arrived.

Though not on the level of Saudi Arabia's victory over Argentina on Tuesday, there would still have been very few people predicting this result.

Japan's victory has blown Group E wide open and given Germany a real mountain to climb – the 2014 World Cup winner faces the daunting prospect of Spain next.

Surely, it won't be two consecutive group stage exits for Germany ... will it?

Japan takes a 2-1 lead through Takuma Asano and we are on the verge of another huge World Cup upset.

With just nine minutes of regular time left, Asano leathers the ball past Neuer who can do nothing to prevent another goal.

All the Japanese substitutes rush onto the pitch while the Japanese fans in the stands are all out of their seats for the final minutes of this game.

Japan equalizes through Ritsu Dōan with just 15 minutes remaining.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer makes a brilliant initial save, but he can only palm the ball back into the danger area and Dōan runs onto it and makes no mistake with the finish.

The entire Japanese bench empties and runs to the corner flag to celebrate with Dōan, who may have just earned Japan a huge point.

It was a moment so brief that the thousands of fans inside the Khalifa International Stadium could easily have missed it. But a moment, the time it took for the photographers amassed in front of the German World Cup team to snap a picture, was all it needed for Germany's national football team to stage a protest.

The starting 11 all posed with their right hands in front of their mouths, and within minutes, the image was circulating widely on social media. As Germany kicked off their World Cup campaign against Japan in group E, the team’s social media feed confirmed that the gesture was designed as a protest to FIFA’s decision to ban the 'OneLove' armband that many European captains had been hoping to wear in Qatar.

“We wanted to use our captains armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect,” the statement read. “Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard. It wasn’t about making a political statement, human rights are non negotiable. Denying the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position.”

Germany fan Nick Boettcher told CNN that it was "sad" that FIFA had taken the stance to deny players the opportunity to wear the armband. "FIFA is making a lot of questionable decisions and so it’s good that people speak up. I’m very proud that they did that. People will talk about this for sure, and the attention will grow. The pressure on FIFA and Qatar is definitely increasing."

England fan Samir Cordell told CNN inside that stadium that he was "over the moon" with the protest. "Germany and the German fans should be proud," he said. "I’m an England fan and I didn’t like seeing England not wearing the armband. I would have loved to see Harry Kane wear it and get the booking. I think it’s great, I think it’s fantastic. Hats off to them."

The second half kicks off with Japan looking to equalize or nab the surprise victory and Germany to maintain its lead.

Here we go!

With the World Cup now underway in Qatar, many are wondering how this moment arrived – that a tiny Gulf nation with little footballing history ended up hosting the biggest event the sport has to offer.

Qatar had never previously appeared at a World Cup tournament – let alone staged one – and became the first host nation to lose the opening game of the tournament with a 2-0 defeat against Ecuador on Sunday.

The country’s World Cup debut was 12 years in the making, a period in which Qatar’s host status has stirred controversy within the footballing community and beyond.

To read more, click below.

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