World Cup's archetypal multi-game time was a doozy from commencement to finish. England handled concern against Iran, Netherlands pulled distant precocious against Senegal, and the United States settled for a hard-fought gully with Wales.
The enactment doesn't halt determination -- Tuesday's matches volition spot planetary superstar Lionel Messi commencement his quest to pb Argentina to a coveted 3rd title, and Mexico looking to stifle Robert Lewandowski and an intriguing Poland side.
Be definite to cheque successful with ESPN passim the tourney arsenic we bring the latest from Qatar. Here's what you whitethorn person missed from Monday's World Cup happenings.
- World Cup news, features, previews, and more
- Stream FC Daily and Futbol Americas connected ESPN+
The lead: USMNT-Wales was frantic; England thrash Iran
The United States were minutes from holding to a triumph implicit Wales, but a precocious punishment by Gareth Bale ensured the crippled finished thrilling 1-1 gully (yes, they exist) successful Monday's Group B clash.
Tim Weah, who scored the United States' extremity successful the archetypal half, was some dynamic successful the onslaught and successful defense. Just erstwhile it looked similar the US mightiness survive, Wales was handed a lifeline erstwhile Walker Zimmerman's clumsy situation connected Bale was rightly whistled arsenic a penalty. Bale slammed location the ensuing spot kick, giving Wales a priceless point, 1 that looked improbable for overmuch of the evening.
As ESPN's Jeff Carlisle writes, the 1-1 gully is simply a effect that volition instrumentality successful the U.S. team's craw. It was minutes distant from claiming each 3 points, and putting it successful a presumption successful which it could power its ain destiny successful Group B up of a large crippled against England.
Speaking of the Three Lions, they kicked disconnected their 2022 World Cup run successful benignant arsenic they bushed Iran successful a 6-2 thrashing acknowledgment to a brace from Bukayo Saka and efforts from Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish.
Take your prime of who impressed the astir for Gareth Southgate's squad but according to ESPN's James Olley, it was Bellingham who stood retired the most. At conscionable 19 years old, Bellingham has been capable to adhd dynamism and ingenuity successful an country of the transportation England person lacked for years. He inactive has a ways to spell successful presumption of processing but this was a hugely promising commencement -- and nary uncertainty caught the oculus of the apical clubs eyeing up a determination for the Borussia Dortmund star, including Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
And portion the England players were making a shot statement, the Iranian squad made a governmental 1 erstwhile the starters decided not to sing the country's nationalist anthem anterior to footwear disconnected successful a perceived amusement of enactment for protesters successful Iran. Amid boos from the fans successful the stands, Iran manager Carlos Queiroz said aft the crippled that fans should "stay astatine home" if they cannot enactment the players' decision.
2:01
Gab Marcotti says England tin lone instrumentality positives aft an awesome attacking show successful their 6-2 triumph vs. Iran.
News and Notes
FIFA wants the World Cup to beryllium astir galore things, but emotion is seemingly not 1 of them. FIFA has told Belgium that they indispensable region the connection "love" from their jerseys, adjacent though the connection is connected the wrong and not disposable connected the players. Sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens that FIFA was not adjacent consenting to negociate and the connection indispensable beryllium removed up of Belgium's lucifer connected Wednesday against Canada.
In akin anti-love news, successful a abstracted substance England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have abandoned plans to deterioration OneLove anti-discrimination armbands nether unit from FIFA. A associated connection from the nations read: "FIFA has been precise wide that it volition enforce sporting sanctions if our captains deterioration the armbands connected the tract of play. As nationalist federations, we can't enactment our players successful a presumption wherever they could look sporting sanctions including bookings, truthful we person asked the captains not to effort to deterioration the armbands successful FIFA World Cup games." The armbands are a awesome of diversity, inclusion and anti-discrimination.
The World Cup successful Qatar has intelligibly been disconnected to a rocky start, and there's 1 much lowlight from Monday: Thousands of U.S. and England fans readying to be games connected Monday reported that they couldn't entree their tickets erstwhile FIFA's mobile app crashed, rendering purchased tickets inaccessible. Sources told ESPN that FIFA was alert of the contented and moving to resoluteness it. One would anticipation so!
In little frustrating quality -- unless you're an Iran instrumentality -- England has enactment the remainder of Group B connected announcement with their 6-2 romp past Iran to unfastened their campaign. England out-possessed Iran by a whopping 78%-22%, and made bully connected their efforts with a brace from Bukayo Saka and goals from Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish. The dancing solemnisation from Grealish was a feel-good infinitesimal arsenic it fulfilled a committedness to a young Manchester City instrumentality with cerebral palsy.
The Mexican nationalist team, which has a peculiar (see: contentious) narration with the press, is unsurprisingly not thrilled with the sum of the El Tri heading into their tourney opener connected Tuesday against Poland. Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa deed backmost against insinuations that striker Raul Jimenez is not lucifer fit, saying: "It's unjust a batch of times towards him [Jimenez], due to the fact that they movie a five-second video and they accidental he's not doing well. They don't adjacent person immoderate indispensable accusation to study what truly happened. It's sad."
The champion bits from today
Eriksen's acceptable to fto his play, and Denmark's bash the talking
The instrumentality to enactment of Christian Eriksen was 1 of the champion shot stories of the twelvemonth pursuing his cardiac apprehension during the European Championships connected June 21, 2021. Yet he's done looking back.
Why did FIFA prohibition the LGBTQ OneLove armband astatine the World Cup?
Another high-profile FIFA argumentation reversal has overshadowed the enactment astatine the World Cup. Why were captains similar Harry Kane forced to deterioration a antithetic armband?
What's connected pat time
- Group C: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia (Lusail Stadium, Lusail; 5 a.m. ET)
Lionel Messi & Co. person had small turbulence coming into this World Cup than they person successful astir during the G.O.A.T.'s career, but are they truly redeeming their champion for what could beryllium Messi's past large tourney for his country? They surely look similar a implicit broadside from extremity to end...
- Group D: Denmark vs. Tunisia (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 8 a.m. ET)
The instrumentality of Christian Eriksen to the satellite signifier is the large story, but the Danes -- who reached the Euro 2020 semifinals aft that shocking infinitesimal -- person enactment to bash present against a Tunisia squad that cipher is taking for an casual 3 points. We'd inactive prime Denmark to get a result, but the World Cup is unpredictable astatine the champion of times.
- Group C: Mexico vs. Poland (Stadium 974, Doha; 11 a.m. ET)
It's just to accidental El Tri person not had the smoothest run-up to this World Cup, with a drawstring of mediocre performances successful CONCACAF and a worrying deficiency of extremity scoring powerfulness fixed Raul Jimenez's wounded issues and the information that some Carlos Vela and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez are nary longer successful the nationalist squad picture. Meanwhile, Poland volition beryllium hoping for the champion from 1 of the the world's champion strikers, Robert Lewandowski, successful bid to get disconnected to a blistery start. This one's a toss-up.
- Group D: France vs. Australia (Al Janoub Stadium; 2 p.m. ET)
Les Bleus are the defending World Cup champions, but their tourney prep has been a nightmare successful presumption of fitness, with Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Presnel Kimpembe, Christopher Nkunku and Karim Benzema each forced to miss retired owed to injuries. That's astir fractional of their first-choice XI! Lucky for them, their extent is unrivaled astatine this level and they've inactive got the all-world Kylian Mbappe successful attack. Can helium emergence to the challenge?
What other caught our eye
A heartwarming enactment from England's win, arsenic Jack Grealish's playful post-goal creation carries a precise peculiar meaning.
Grealish busted a determination aft scoring successful bid to support a committedness to Finlay, a young Manchester City protagonist with cerebral palsy who wrote a heartwarming missive to the guardant earlier this season. Finlay had written to Grealish aft learning that the player's sister, Hollie, besides has cerebral palsy.
For you Finlay ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BomJEA0oy6
— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) November 21, 2022Posting connected societal media aft the game, Grealish made a constituent of dedicating some his extremity and his solemnisation to Finlay.
"For you Finlay," the 27-year-old wrote connected Twitter.
Your champion bets (odds via Caesars Sportsbook)
If you're looking to stake connected the World Cup, ESPN contributors Paul Carr, Dan Thomas and Dalen Cuff are present to springiness you cardinal tips on odds, options and futures.
Here's what we person for Tuesday's matches.
Group C
Saudi Arabia (+1750) vs. Argentina (-590), Draw +550
Paul Carr: I don't cognize however Saudi Arabia keeps this close. Argentina has what is astir apt their champion wide squad successful the Lionel Messi era, and Saudi Arabia ... bash not. La Albiceleste allowed a full of 8 goals successful 17 qualifiers, and they volition apt person Tottenham's Cristian Romero backmost to bolster the backmost line. With Messi and Lautaro Martinez (eight goals for Inter this season) and a coagulated midfield down them, Argentina shouldn't person occupation scoring. And remember, the archetypal radical tiebreaker is extremity difference, truthful Argentina is incentivized to heap up the goals to simplify the qualification process. Give maine Argentina -2.5 (+140).
Dan Thomas: Argentina are rightly 1 of the favorites to triumph the full happening and it's a large mode for them to start. Angel Di Maria> has upset Juventus fans for not playing overmuch since his determination to PSG. I deliberation helium offers large worth arsenic anytime extremity scorer +225.
Dalen Cuff: It's hard to find worth present but I bash similar some plays above. I'd besides add
Julian Alvarez anytime extremity scorer (+120) to the mix.
Poland (+180) vs. Mexico (+170), Draw +200
Carr: This is the radical crippled I astir privation nary portion of -- a perennial underachiever (Poland) versus a squad that's a messiness disconnected the tract (Mexico). I don't spot either onslaught to make chances, truthful I accidental I'd thin under, but the terms connected nether 2.5 isn't appealing astatine -185.
Thomas: Draw seems similar the stake here. As Paul says, it's pugnacious to spot either of these sides to defy the critics and enactment successful an awesome tally implicit the adjacent fewer weeks.
Cuff: This is simply a monolithic opener for 2 teams that are not successful bully form. Poland ever struggles to supply capable work to Robert Lewandowski astatine large tournaments to fto him shine. I deliberation it's much of the aforesaid present successful a low-scoring matter and flimsy thin to Mexico. Draw nary stake Mexico -120.
Group D
Tunisia (+700) vs. Denmark (-225), Draw +310
Carr: I picked Denmark to triumph this group, truthful I'm evidently precocious connected the Danes. Tunisia was highly unimpressive successful qualifying, winning lone 3 location games positive an distant lucifer versus troubled Zambia successful the radical stage, earlier squeaking retired a 1-0 aggregate playoff triumph implicit Mali connected an ain goal. Without a standout halfway forward, Denmark is good, but not a goal-scoring machine. I'll instrumentality nether 2.5 (-140), and I don't caput parlaying that with a Denmark triumph if possible.
Thomas: There is simply a batch of buzz -- and rightly truthful -- astir Denmark being acheronian horses successful this game. They'll triumph this game. I similar Jesper Lindstrom arsenic an anytime extremity scorer +225.
Cuff: I americium besides connected Denmark to triumph Group D and get to the quarterfinals. I deliberation they predominate the shot -- and the crippled -- limiting Tunisia from creating immoderate existent threats. I'll instrumentality the Danes to Win to Nil +112
Australia (+1300) vs. France (-440), Draw +475
Carr: Even with France's agelong database of injuries, they're inactive acold amended than Australia, who person lone 2 players successful Europe's top-five leagues. I'll spell with the bold "take the amended team" mentation here. With Karim Benzema out, you tin get a decent terms connected France -1.5 (-125), and that's the mode I lean.
Thomas: I similar France to triumph this game, but not by a large margin. Let's spell with Ousmane Dembele arsenic the archetypal extremity scorer (+550)
Cuff: I deliberation this could beryllium tighter, with the Socceroos packing it successful and trying to frustrate a banged-up France squad. I'm not playing this game, but I'd thin towards nether 2.5 goals +105.
English (US)