Lionel Messi. Kylian Mbappé. Erling Haaland.
It's a very starry Monday for the World Cup.
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Norway's Erling Haaland (9) smiles as he leaves the pitch at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
France's Kylian Mbappe runs during a training session ahead of the team's World Cup Group I soccer match against Iraq in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
France's Kylian Mbappe smiles during a training session ahead of the team's World Cup Group I soccer match against Iraq in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates after scoring their second goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Algeria in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Messi and Argentina face David Alaba and Austria in their second Group J game. Mbappé leads France into its Group I matchup with Iraq, and Haaland is back in action as Norway takes on Senegal. Ali Olwan and Jordan play Algeria in the last Group J game of the day.
Messi scored three times in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in their tournament opener. The Argentines are looking to defend their World Cup championship.
France, which lost to Argentina in the 2022 final, opened with a 3-1 victory against Senegal. Mbappé scored twice in the win.
Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, is tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most goals in the men's World Cup at 16. Ronaldo is second with 15, followed by Mbappé and Gerd Müller in a tie for fourth with 14 apiece.
Haaland, another high-scoring striker, had two goals in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq in their first game. Haaland scored 27 goals in 35 Premier League games for Manchester City this past season.
Jordan is looking for its first World Cup point after losing its debut match against Austria. The Jordanians are back at Levi’s Stadium to take on Algeria, which advanced out of group stage once in four previous World Cup trips, losing in the round of 16 to Germany in 2014.
—Argentina vs. Austria, 1 p.m. EDT in Arlington, Texas (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
—France vs. Iraq, 5 p.m. EDT in Philadelphia (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
—Norway vs. Senegal, 8 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
—Jordan vs. Algeria, 11 p.m. EDT in Santa Clara, California (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
Austria defender Stefan Posch will be available against Argentina after breaking his jaw in the country's World Cup opener.
Coach Ralf Rangnick said Sunday that Posch, who went through full training the day before the match, had to go to Los Angeles twice to get fitted for a protective brace that will allow him to play despite the injury.
“He is ready to play tomorrow just like every and any other player,” Rangnick said through an interpreter. “Then we will see if he will start tomorrow, or maybe he will be brought in during the match.”
Posch injured his jaw after colliding with a Jordanian player in Austria’s 3-1 win in its Group J opener on Tuesday in Santa Clara, California. It was initially feared that the 29-year-old Mainz defender would miss the rest of the World Cup.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw is keeping quiet when it comes to potential changes for his team’s game against Norway.
“Am I going to shake things up a bit? Well, you’ll find this out,” Thiaw said through an interpreter at a news conference Sunday.
Senegal played a tough first half against France on Tuesday before going on to a 3-1 loss. Édouard Mendy allowed three goals on eight shots in that game, which included Kylian Mbappé scoring from long range moments after Senegal finally got on the board in stoppage time.
Reserve goalkeeper Mory Diaw accompanied Thiaw to the news conference, but denied his appearance may indicate he would start in place of Mendy.
Senegal has only Iraq left to play after facing Norway in Group I, so the Lions of Teranga are treating their second game as if it is a must-win final.
“We’re in a very tough group; we knew this coming in,” Thiaw said. “We obviously lost the first one, but there’s everything left to play for. We cannot get this wrong.”
— Vozinha’s mom speaks out as Cape Verde heads back to World Cup field
— Algeria finds a home in Kansas college town even as political tensions exist back home in Africa
— Argentina may have America to thank for Lionel Messi’s latest World Cup heroics
— Spain leans on Yamal against Saudi Arabia and other World Cup Day 11 highlights, in photos
Lamine Yamal scored Spain's first goal in Sunday's 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. At 18 years, 343 days, Yamal became the eighth-youngest player to score during a men's World Cup match.
Spain is beaten in 32 games (23 wins) since a loss to Colombia in a friendly in March 2024.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Norway's Erling Haaland (9) smiles as he leaves the pitch at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
France's Kylian Mbappe runs during a training session ahead of the team's World Cup Group I soccer match against Iraq in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
France's Kylian Mbappe smiles during a training session ahead of the team's World Cup Group I soccer match against Iraq in Philadelphia, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates after scoring their second goal during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Algeria in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — On Father's Day, Vozinha's mother watched a tie.
There were 64,003 people in the stadium for the 2-2 draw between Cape Verde and Uruguay on Sunday night, none of them with a better how-they-got-there story than Ana Candida Evora — the mother of Vozinha, Cape Verde's goalkeeper.
Evora arrived in Miami on Friday, reunited with her son over the weekend and watched Sunday's game from a suite at Miami Stadium. Cape Verde's storybook ride now has a chance of reaching the knockout stage, depending largely on how its group stage finale against Saudi Arabia goes.
Cape Verde is one of the absolute feel-good stories of the World Cup, a tiny island nation with two draws in its two matches to this point. Vozinha — whose name is Josimar José Évora Dias — had his mother in the stands Sunday; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s opening draw against Spain because she couldn’t obtain a visa.
And even without a win — in fact, her 40-year-old son didn't even make a save Sunday — her presence makes Cape Verde’s story even better. She waved her country's flag when it was over, celebrating wildly as her son saluted fans from the field.
“We have a lot of people working very hard,” Vozinha said.
Goalkeepers don't always have to make a save to be effective. Vozinha's best two plays of the match might not even show up on a stat sheet — he was perfectly positioned on a pair of Uruguay scoring chances in the closing minutes, cutting down angles and forcing shooters to aim at tight spaces. Both shots sailed high, and Vozinha exhaled deeply both times.
“I want to thank all the fans, everyone who helped in the process, for the support you gave to the team, especially to Cabo Verde,” Evora said Sunday in remarks distributed by FIFA in a video message before the match. “We’re all rooting for Cabo Verde to play well, to shine on the pitch. The players need to have faith and everything will go well.
“Keep your heads held high, go onto that pitch, push for a goal and you’ll perform beautifully, my boys. A kiss for you, be strong and brave. Blue Sharks!”
The team is commonly called Tubarões Azuis in Portuguese, which translates to Blue Sharks.
Evora carried a Cabo Verde flag into the stadium Sunday, her son's name and jersey number on the back of her shirt, and she was ushered into a suite to watch the contest. Vozinha heard roars from the fans — even with a mostly pro-Uruguay crowd — whenever he was shown on the video screens during warmups, and got perhaps the loudest ovation of any player when starters were introduced.
Evora's visa issues — primarily raising the money needed for one — were worked out after the U.S. State Department, FIFA, U.S. lawmakers and Cape Verde's soccer federation evidently combined efforts and cleared a path for Evora to come to Miami. She arrived Friday afternoon after more than 24 hours of travel from Cape Verde and was immediately surrounded by FIFA officials and volunteers as she made her way through the airport.
FIFA even hosted her briefly at the organization's tournament headquarters in Florida over the weekend, officials said Sunday.
Vozinha had about 50,000 followers on Instagram as the World Cup was starting. He was up to 15 million followers by game time Sunday after he grabbed the world's sporting attention by leading Cape Verde to a scoreless draw against Spain — one of the pretournament favorites to win the title.
That means he gained about 30 followers every second from the end of the Spain match to the start of the one against Uruguay.
He went viral after that match against Spain with tearful comments, wishing that his late grandparents could have seen him play in the World Cup and that his mother's visa issues had been resolved in time to be there. That sparked an immediate effort to find ways for Evora to get to the U.S. for the tournament.
And the tie, combined with a story of a goalie and his mom, brought attention onto Cape Verde's soccer team like never before. A showdown with the Saudis awaits Friday in Houston and it's possible that, if Cape Verde advances, it could be back in Miami Gardens for a round-of-32 game — potentially against Lionel Messi and defending World Cup champion Argentina.
“When you dream of something, something can happen,” Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes said.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) catches the ball during the World Cup Group H soccer match against Uruguay in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Uruguay's Maxi Araujo (20) attempts a shot on goal as Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) reaches out for the ball during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) kicks the ball clear of Uruguay's Darwin Nunez (9) during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha eyes the ball during the World Cup Group H soccer match against Uruguay in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, left, and Laros Duarte react at the end of the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, left, reacts after the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha celebrates as holds the flag of his country after the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha waves as he leaves after a team visit to the pitch on the eve of their Group H World Cup match against Uruguay, in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha walks on the pitch during a team visit on the eve of their Group H World Cup match against Uruguay, in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Cape Verde goalkeepers Vozinha, right, and Marcio Rosa walk onto the pitch for a team visit on the eve of their Group H World Cup match against Uruguay, in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
