FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE updates: Dembele’s hat-trick gives France 4-1 win against Norway; Senegal win 5-0 over Iraq; Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Spain, New Zealand, Belgium, Egypt and Iran in action today

Paris St Germain defender and Morocco’s captain Achraf Hakimi will appeal to France’s highest court after a ruling confirming that he should stand trial on a rape charge, his lawyer Fanny Colin told Reuters on Friday.

Hakimi’s referral for trial was confirmed by the Versailles Court of Appeal on June 19 – in between Morocco’s first and second group stage matches – after it upheld an investigating magistrate’s order sending the 27-year-old before a criminal court over the alleged rape of a woman in 2023.

Hakimi has denied the allegation since the start of the proceedings.

No trial date has been set.

Up next, we have Group H which currently has Spain in first followed by equal points for Uruguay and Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia on just one point in the fourth spot. That means there’s plenty still to play for in one of the most even groups heading into its final clashes at 10am today.

If Spain beat or draw with Uruguay, they will progress as the first placed team. But, if they lose, Uruguay will have more points and will bump them out of the top spot. To make things even more interesting, if Cape Verde beat Saudi Arabia, and Spain lose to Uruguay, then Spain will drop to third and progress as one of the best-third placed teams with four points.

Uruguay have a slightly better goal difference than Cape Verde and will progress if both teams lose but if Cape Verde win their match but Uruguay loses, then they will qualify and Uruguay will be knocked out of the tournament with just two points.

Confused? Here’s how the table looks:

Santa Clara: Jordan Bos is a man of relatively few words. Fortunately, his Socceroos teammates had a truckload of superlatives to describe him, his performance against Paraguay, his future in the game ... and even his rig.

“He’s just an absolute athlete,” said defender Harry Souttar, smiling at the mere mention of Bos’ name. “I don’t want to sound a bit strange here, but the guy’s body is unbelievable to look at.”

Too late, Harry.

Whatever type of TV it is that we love, who doesn’t partake in the odd binge session of a whole series over a rainy weekend or suddenly realising it is 1am on a random Wednesday and you’ve just watch four or five episodes of the latest must-see show.

Well, Malcolm Knox makes a great point in his latest column, arguing that the expanded World Cup we are in the midst of is binge-watching at its best.

U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino has an offer on the table to continue leading the squad through the 2030 World Cup, The Athletic reported Friday.

The United States Soccer Federation has offered the proposal but no decisions will be made until after the current tournament, per the report.

Pochettino, 54, has guided the Americans into the Round of 32 after finishing atop Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia and a 3-2 loss Thursday against Turkey.

Conversations about extending the Argentine coach’s contract “have been ongoing for several months,” according to the report.

Senegal kept their World Cup knockout hopes alive in dominant fashion on Friday with a 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq, who were eliminated from the tournament.

Survival was on the line as both sides entered the match needing to win, preferably by a large margin, to stay in the hunt for one of the last eight spots in the round of 32.

Senegal struck in the fourth minute after Lamine Camara hooked a corner into the box and Abdoulaye Seck’s downward header grazed off the boot of teammate Habib Diarra to send the ball up and over Iraq keeper Ahmed Basil.

More trouble followed for Iraq when defender Rebin Sulaka pulled a goalward-bound Sadio Mane down on the edge of the box. After a VAR check for a possible red card, Sulaka was given his marching orders by English referee Anthony Taylor.

France forward Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat trick, including one off a pass from Kylian Mbappe, to help his team beat Norway 4-1 at the World Cup on Friday.

Dembele’s goals came in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes. It was the first first-half hat trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three of his five goals in the opening 45 minutes against Cameroon at the 1994 tournament, also in the US.

Desire Doue scored France’s final goal in second-half injury time.

Dembele, who has now scored four goals at this year’s World Cup, left the game in the 65th minute.

Senegal fans wanted that to last forever, while Iraqi fans were relieved to hear that final whistle.

It’s all over in Toronto, and Senegal have recorded a 5-0 win in a one-sided match. As soon as Iraq went down to 10 players, an already difficult job became a near-impossible task.

Senegal are well in the running to make it through to the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.

Senegal 5 -0 Iraq, full-time

France aren’t finished yet. There are five minutes of additional time at the end of this match and in the fourth, Desire Doue gets another goal for France.

He receives the ball after a cross from Bradley Barcola and then heads it into the bottom-right corner of the box.

The match will end with that scoreline, a 4-1 win over Norway to close out a brilliant group stage for a team who are what many consider to be tournament favourites.

France 4-1 Norway, full-time