“Germany overpowered tournament debutants Curacao to begin their World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1 victory — but only after the tiny Caribbean island enjoyed a famous moment and briefly threatened an upset. When Livano Comenencia cancelled out Felix Nmecha’s excellent opener midway through the first half, there were wild scenes of celebration among those fans of The Blue Wave who had managed to get tickets for the game at NRG Stadium in Houston. Ranked 82nd in the world and with a population of just over 150,000, any kind of positive result against the four-time winners would have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. ….”
NYT/ATH

World Cup nations slam UEFA chief for ‘disappointing’ 48-team criticism
“UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has been criticised by football governing bodies in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for reportedly saying that the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup has led to many ‘uninteresting’ matches.The football associations of Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Curacao, Haiti, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia said in a statement on Sunday that they ‘respectfully but firmly reject’. … Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for their first World Cup this year, while DR Congo and Haiti reached football’s top event for the first time since 1974. … The 2026 tournament is the largest ever, featuring 48 nations, up from 32 in previous iterations. ‘For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match,’ the statement said. ‘Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality. For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime.’ …”
Aljazeera