Eight years ago Croatia broke English hearts in a World Cup semi-final, and now they've been handed the same group at the same tournament. Football doesn't do coincidences — it does storylines.
This is a golden generation's defining grudge match — the same two nations, a World Cup on the line, and England still haunted by that semi-final night in Moscow.
Stories, stats, and scores from today's fixtures.
Eight years ago Croatia broke English hearts in a World Cup semi-final, and now they've been handed the same group at the same tournament. Football doesn't do coincidences — it does storylines.
Mexico are playing a World Cup they helped build, in a stadium that holds 87,000 screaming souls, and they cannot afford to lose. South Korea are arriving with one of football's greatest ever players in what feels like his final real shot at glory.
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Upcoming storylines to look forward to.
Weekend marquee fixtures in focus.
France have the most frightening forward line at this World Cup, and Uruguay absolutely do not care. This is the kind of match that produces legends — and broken hearts.
Spain have a 18-year-old winger who makes defenders look like they're playing in flip-flops, and Japan are the team who knocked out Germany and Spain at the last World Cup. Yes, that Spain.
Brazil haven't won the World Cup since 2002 and every match feels like a therapy session for an entire continent. Switzerland, meanwhile, are the team that knocked out France in 2021 and have absolutely no interest in reading the script you wrote for them.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Qualify Best-third contention
The grudges, the ghosts and the games that history won't let go.
⚡ Heat 9.4 Moscow, 2018. England led a World Cup semi-final and dared to dream — then Croatia broke their hearts in extra time. Eight years on, they meet again.
⚡ Heat 8.7 From the politically-charged 1998 clash in Lyon to the tense 2022 decider, no fixture carries more weight off the pitch than this one.
⚡ Heat 8.9 2010: Luis Suárez's handball on the line denied Ghana a place in history. 2022: Ghana's revenge mission backfired. The trilogy continues.
⚡ Heat 7.8 From the 1982 'Disgrace of Gijón' to the 2014 extra-time epic, these two share one of the World Cup's most loaded histories.
Within four minutes, Diego Maradona produced football's most infamous goal and its most beautiful — both against England.
Uruguay silenced 200,000 Brazilians at the Maracanã to win the World Cup in the greatest upset the sport has seen.
Messi vs Mbappé, a final-hat-trick, and penalties. Many call it the finest World Cup final ever played.
On home soil, Brazil suffered the most shocking semi-final collapse in tournament history.
World Cup debutants Senegal beat the reigning champions in the opening match — a statement heard across a continent.
A nation of four million played three straight knockout games to extra time and reached the final — pure defiance.
From Saudi Arabia toppling Argentina to North Korea's 1966 miracle — when football's giants fell.
For the first time, three countries host the World Cup together. The stakes for USA, Mexico and Canada could not be higher.
Modrić, Ronaldo and the legends playing their final World Cup. Savour them while you can.
More teams, more groups, more drama — and a brand-new path to the trophy. Here's what to know.
Why do you care? Add your voice to the wall.