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Australia, Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan Advance in Asian Qualifying Tournament for World Cup

John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024. EPA/LUKAS COCH
John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024. EPA/LUKAS COCH
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Australia, Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan Advance in Asian Qualifying Tournament for World Cup

John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024. EPA/LUKAS COCH
John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024. EPA/LUKAS COCH

Australia thrashed Lebanon 5-0 and became the first team to advance to the third round of Asia qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.
An early goal from Kusini Yengi in Canberra sent the Socceroos on the way to a fourth successive win in Group I and ensured progress to the next stage with two matches to spare.
Palestine stayed second in the group after beating Bangladesh 1-0 and on course for a first appearance in the third round of qualifying.
With less than two minutes on the clock, the impressive Craig Goodwin crossed from the left for Yengi to score his first goal for Australia from close range, The Associated Press reported.
Australia put the game beyond Lebanon in the first three minutes of the second half. Bassel Jradi knocked in an own goal following a corner and Goodwin fired home a third.
John Iredale came off the bench to make it 4-0 midway through the second half with his first international goal, and Goodwin added his second and Australia’s fifth with nine minutes remaining thanks to an Iredale assist.
“It means the world to me personally, and to the boys,” Iredale said. "We set out to score more goals tonight and we’re pleased we did that.
“Craig Goodwin's got an unbelievable left foot, and having him in the squad really boosts our quality. I was really pleased to help him get his second goal.”
Michel Termanini scored Palestine's winner in Dhaka four minutes into stoppage time.
Palestine has seven points, five more than Lebanon and six clear of Bangladesh.
Australia will be joined in the next stage by Iraq, which defeated the Philippines 5-0 in Manila to win a fourth straight game in Group F. Iran and Uzbekistan progressed from Group E thanks to respective wins over Turkmenistan and Hong Kong.
Son Heung-min scored for the second time in five days as South Korea defeated Thailand 3-0 in Bangkok. It was the first victory for Hwang Sun-hong, appointed as interim coach after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired in February.
“This was a difficult match, and the players came together as one and had a great desire to pull out this win,” Hwang said. “We couldn’t have won this match without the players’ drive and determination.”
Korea has appeared at every World Cup since 1986 and is top of Group C with 10 points, three clear of China — which beat Singapore 4-1 — and six above Thailand.
Saudi Arabia also has 10 points in Group G after drawing 1-1 in Tajikistan. Afghanistan defeated India 2-1 in Guwahati.
The North Korea-Japan qualifier in Pyongyang was canceled by FIFA after North Korea said it couldn't host the game.
The top two teams from each of the nine groups in the second round progress to the next group-stage round where six of Asia’s increased automatic allocation of eight World Cup places will be on offer. The first 48-team men’s World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Two more World Cup entries from Asia will be decided in a subsequent group stage in October 2025. An Asian confederation team also can advance in the intercontinental playoffs scheduled in March 2026.

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Sports

Isak Injury Leaves Slot Counting Cost of Liverpool Win at Spurs

Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)
Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)
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Isak Injury Leaves Slot Counting Cost of Liverpool Win at Spurs

Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)
Liverpool's Alexander Isak reacts after sustaining an injury during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham and Liverpool in London, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP)

Arne Slot was left to count the cost of Liverpool's chaotic 2-1 win at nine-man Tottenham after Alexander Isak's rare goal was followed by a potentially damaging injury.

Isak fired Liverpool into a second-half lead in north London with a clinical finish, only to limp off moments later after being injured by Micky van de Ven's failed attempt to stop him scoring.

The Sweden striker's third goal for Liverpool since his British record £125 million ($166 million) move from Newcastle on transfer deadline day had offered hope that he was finally set to live up to his hefty price tag.

Instead, Reds boss Slot now faces an anxious wait to determine how long the 26-year-old will be sidelined with his ankle problem.

Slot would only say that Isak's injury was "not a good thing".

It could not have come at a worse time for fifth-placed Liverpool after Egypt forward Mohamed Salah's departure to the Africa Cup of Nations and an injury to Dutch winger Cody Gakpo.

Adding to Slot's fitness issues, Isak only came off the bench at half-time after right-back Conor Bradley was injured.

Although Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions -- winning three in a row -- the brief flicker of promise engendered by the sight of Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Isak combining for the opening goal was quickly snuffed out.

The trio cost around £300 million to bring to Anfield in the close-season, with only Ekitike, the least expensive of the group, living up to the hype during the Premier League champions' troubled first half of the season.

French striker Ekitike maintained his strong start to life with Liverpool by heading their second goal against Tottenham.

But even then, Liverpool made heavy weather of it as Tottenham, already down to 10 men after Xavi Simons' first-half dismissal for a crude foul on Virgil van Dijk, pulled one back through Richarlison in the closing stages.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero's stoppage-time dismissal for a needless second booking after he kicked Ibrahima Konate let Liverpool off the hook just as they looked set to blow the lead in a frenzied finale.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Slot said: "A good goal (for Isak), assisted by Florian Wirtz, and I said last week already players are getting better, the team is getting better.

"I thought to be honest with nine, we will probably be able then to keep them away from our goal, but it looked as if we were down to nine and they were on 11 because it was attack after attack after attack.

"Again, it wasn't perfect, especially not in the last 10 minutes but in the meantime, we pick up points and I see the team developing in a way I like to see."

Meanwhile, under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank blasted referee John Brooks.

Frank was furious with Simons' red card -- which was upgraded from a booking after a VAR review -- and the failure to disallow Ekitike's goal for a push on Romero.

"I don't like this as a red card. I think the game is probably too big to say gone, but for me it's not reckless and it's not exceptional force," said Frank, whose side are languishing in 13th place.

"He is chasing Van Dijk. He is trying to put pressure and then he changes direction. Unfortunately, his foot is on Achilles. You can say 'Ah, you need to be smarter, don't do it and all that' but so are we not allowed to have physical contact anymore?

"The second goal is a mistake from the referee. There are two hands in the back. I don't understand how you can do that.

"I think that was the biggest mistake in my opinion and from VAR but apparently that was not enough."

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Mbappe Levels Ronaldo Calendar Year Real Madrid Goal Record

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
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Mbappe Levels Ronaldo Calendar Year Real Madrid Goal Record

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Spanish league football match between Real Madrid CF and Sevilla FC at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

French superstar Kylian Mbappe equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 59 Real Madrid goals in a calendar year by scoring on Saturday against Sevilla in La Liga.

Mbappe, on his 27th birthday, tucked home an 86th-minute penalty to match Ronaldo's club record set in 2013 and send his team 2-0 up at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The striker won the European Golden Shoe and La Liga's top scorer award last season and leads the Spanish standings again in the current campaign with 18 strikes.

Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid side have struggled this season, but Mbappe has been their key player, boasting 29 goals in 24 games across all competitions.

Mbappe has admitted he had posters of Ronaldo on his bedroom walls as a child and that it was a dream to sign for Madrid when he arrived in the summer of 2024 from Paris Saint-Germain.

After a few months searching for confidence and his top level, by the time 2025 began Mbappe was back to his lethal best.

Portugal international Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 matches for Real Madrid to become their all-time top goalscorer, with Mbappe now on 73 in 83 games.

Sports

Juve Beat Roma to Close in on Serie a Leaders Inter

Juventus' Daniele Rugani, Manuel Locatelli and goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio celebrate the team's victory during the Serie A match between Juventus and Roma at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Daniele Rugani, Manuel Locatelli and goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio celebrate the team's victory during the Serie A match between Juventus and Roma at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
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Juve Beat Roma to Close in on Serie a Leaders Inter

Juventus' Daniele Rugani, Manuel Locatelli and goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio celebrate the team's victory during the Serie A match between Juventus and Roma at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Daniele Rugani, Manuel Locatelli and goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio celebrate the team's victory during the Serie A match between Juventus and Roma at the Allianz Stadium, in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus are creeping back into the Serie A title discussion after deservedly beating Roma 2-1 on Saturday and moving four points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

Francisco Conceicao and Lois Openda scored the goals which decided an engaging encounter in Turin as Juve claimed a second big win in as many matches after beating Bologna last weekend.

Juve stay fifth on 29 points but are only one point behind fourth-paced Roma who sit in the last Champions League spot and suffered a sixth league defeat of the season.

"I think we deserved to win, we knew that today's match was important and we did what we set out to do -- we won," said Conceicao.

"We're up there after winning these two important matches but we need to get our heads straight onto the next one."

Luciano Spalletti's Juve have played a game more than Inter, champions Napoli and AC Milan who occupy the top three places and will play their matches from this round of fixtures next month, due to the Italian Super Cup which is being held in Saudi Arabia.

Roma created very little at the Allianz Stadium beyond Tommaso Baldanzi's tap-in 15 minutes from the end, and the capital city outfit have now lost three of their last four matches in Italy's top flight.

"We were lacking in accuracy when it came to the final pass, but I'd like to focus on some of the performances today," said Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini who remained upbeat.

"It's not easy to play here but this is a good team with a strong base, I'm convinced that we can do good things."

Roma have narrowly lost to Juve, the Milan clubs and Napoli this season, suggesting that they are not ready to fight for the Scudetto even if they are only three points from the summit.

"We're at the beginning and we have a strong club behind us, and the squad has a base of players who showed they were of the level required in all of those big matches," added Gasperini.

"I think we can build something on what we have now."

Conceicao fired a warning shot moments before he gave Juve the lead when he shot straight at Mile Svilar with the goal at his mercy after good work from Kenan Yildiz on the left.

That was the first real chance of the game and Conceicao was more clinical a minute before the break, the Portugal forward lashing home with his left foot after collecting Andrea Cambiaso's neat flick.

Svilar was Roma's best player for most of the match, but he couldn't stop Openda from bundling in Juve's second in 70th minute after pulling off a superb stop to keep out Weston McKennie's header.

That goal looked to have sealed the points from Juve, but substitute Baldanzi quickly halved the deficit after Michele Di Gregorio palmed away Evan Ferguson's low drive.

However, it was Juve who went closest to scoring again in the 80th minute when Yildiz stroked a beautiful shot onto the post, and the hosts held out to claim a big three points.

Earlier Lazio were held to a goalless draw by Cremonese in Rome.