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PSG Retakes Ligue 1 Lead after Teenager Nets 1st Goal in Rout at Nice

PSG's Pedro Fernandez, center, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the French League One soccer match between Nice and Paris Saint-Germain in Nice, France, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)
PSG's Pedro Fernandez, center, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the French League One soccer match between Nice and Paris Saint-Germain in Nice, France, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)
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PSG Retakes Ligue 1 Lead after Teenager Nets 1st Goal in Rout at Nice

PSG's Pedro Fernandez, center, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the French League One soccer match between Nice and Paris Saint-Germain in Nice, France, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)
PSG's Pedro Fernandez, center, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the French League One soccer match between Nice and Paris Saint-Germain in Nice, France, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Dro Fernández scored his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain as it won at struggling Nice 4-0 and reclaimed top spot in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

The 18-year-old midfielder joined from Barcelona in January and grabbed his side's third goal after being neatly set up by Ousmane Dembélé in the 81st minute.

PSG moved one point above Lens, which crushed Angers 5-1 on Friday.

Defending champion PSG has played one game less and the sides meet on April 11 in Lens in what could be a title decider.

Nice competed evenly until a contentious handball decision gave PSG a penalty late in the first half. Désiré Doué's shot was off target and lightly brushed the arm of Nice midfielder Morgan Sanson, who was turning his back and unsighted.

The referee awarded a penalty following a video review and left back Nuno Mendes scored, The Associated Press reported.

Mendes then set up Doué in the 49th with a cross and, after Nice midfielder Youssouf Ndayishimiye was sent off on the hour, PSG added late goals from Fernández and right back Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Disability awareness Substitute Emersonn scored a late solo goal to give Toulouse a 1-0 home win against Lorient.

The Brazilian forward cut inside the penalty area, beat two defenders and fired in off the underside of the crossbar. The win moved Toulouse up to ninth place.

Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes needed brief treatment in stoppage time after receiving a powerful shot from Arsène Kouassi full in the face. He was able to continue.

Emersonn almost scored a second goal with another solo effort deep into added time.

Players from both sides had pictograms of different disabilities on their jerseys instead of their names as part of a disability awareness campaign aimed at providing better facilities in soccer stadiums for those with disabilities.

The game featured an accessible shuttle service; an audio description service; visual help devices, and spaces specifically designed for sensory and autistic disability. There were also introductory sessions about blind soccer and wheelchair rugby, which both featured at the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024.

Easier with 10 players Auxerre goalkeeper Donovan Léon was sent off after six minutes but it still secured a 3-0 home win over Brest. He was shown a red card for impeding Rémy Labeau-Lascary.

American-born defender Bryan Okoh scored twice with powerful headers and Cameroon forward Danny Namaso added the third midway through the second half with a fine run and shot.

Auxerre remained in 16th place — which is the promotion-relegation playoff with the side finishing third in Ligue 2 — but closed the gap on 15th-placed Nice to five points.

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Sports

England and Ghana Play to 0-0 Draw at World Cup Despite Flurry-Filled Final Minutes

England's Harry Kane (9), left, blasts the ball over the bar during the World Cup Group L match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)
England's Harry Kane (9), left, blasts the ball over the bar during the World Cup Group L match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)
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England and Ghana Play to 0-0 Draw at World Cup Despite Flurry-Filled Final Minutes

England's Harry Kane (9), left, blasts the ball over the bar during the World Cup Group L match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)
England's Harry Kane (9), left, blasts the ball over the bar during the World Cup Group L match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP)

England and Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz have met before at the World Cup, with the result being quite a bit different.

This time, Queiroz’s team earned a point that could end up being enough for a spot in the round of 32.

England dominated possession on Tuesday but came up empty on several late scoring opportunities in a rain-filled 0-0 draw.

“Our plan was to block and frustrate them from the first minute,” Queiroz said. “We did it.”

Four years ago at the World Cup in Qatar, Queiroz was coaching Iran when his team faced England and lost 6-2.

England, which has not lost to an African country at the World Cup in nine meetings, outshot Ghana 19-1 but failed capitalize on multiple chances in the closing minutes.

“Frustrated a little bit with how they defended, how they set up,” England midfielder Jude Bellingham said. “They got exactly out of the game what they played for. Couldn’t quite break them down, even with all corners, all the possession, all the shots on goal from distance.”

Both teams won their opening matches at this year's tournament, with Ghana beating Panama 1-0 and England defeating Croatia 4-2. Now both still have work to do in Group L before securing a spot in the knockout round at the first 48-team World Cup.

England ended up losing to France in the quarterfinals at the 2022 tournament. Ghana hasn’t made it to the knockout round since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

But with the expanded tournament this year, the best eight third-place teams will advance, giving both teams a good chance heading into their final group matches.

England will next play Panama on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ghana will take on Panama at the same time in Philadelphia.

The Three Lions had a chance to take the lead in the 86th minute when Nico O’Reilly’s header hit the crossbar. Harry Kane gathered the rebound but couldn’t get enough on it with his left foot and shot high.

Ghana’s best chance came in the 78th minute came when Abdul Fatawu outfought England midfielder Eberechi Eze for the ball and raced down the sideline. He fed the ball to Prince Adu, but he was challenged from behind by Ezri Konsa before he could get off a shot. Adu wanted a penalty but didn’t get it.

“It was a clear penalty, if not a red card,” Queiroz said. “We have no doubts about that.”

England coach Thomas Tuchel said they were a bit surprised with how Ghana was aligned, defending in a 4-5-1 formation. He called Ghana's efforts one of the most physical that he's seen in the tournament.

“They defended with a lot of determination. A lot of discipline,” Tuchel said.

Tuchel added he doesn’t believe England was too dependent on Kane, the striker who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“He was not involved as much as we would like to, but it was so narrow,” Tuchel said. “It was difficult to find space. The little moments that he had were just so unlucky.”

In the first half, England had 60% of the possession but only five attempts on goal, with Kane missing inside the box just before the end of the half.

Ghana picked up the pace in the second half, getting a chance in the 50th minute when Marvin Senaya got a touch in the box, but couldn’t quite get much behind a header as it was blocked by the England defense.

Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare earned a clean sheet in his first World Cup start.

“I think we did our best to get the best possible result that we were hoping for,” Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo said. “It’s just the plan of the coach and we did follow the coach.”

Sports

Cristiano Ronaldo Records Brace as Portugal Rout Uzbekistan

23 June 2026, US, Houston: Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo in action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium. Photo: Pedro Paulo Diaz/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
23 June 2026, US, Houston: Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo in action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium. Photo: Pedro Paulo Diaz/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Cristiano Ronaldo Records Brace as Portugal Rout Uzbekistan

23 June 2026, US, Houston: Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo in action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium. Photo: Pedro Paulo Diaz/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
23 June 2026, US, Houston: Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo in action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium. Photo: Pedro Paulo Diaz/TheNEWS2 via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Cristiano Ronaldo turned in a vintage performance with two goals and delivered Portugal to their first win of the 2026 World Cup, a 5-0 rout of overmatched Uzbekistan on Tuesday in Houston.

Ronaldo became the first player with goals in six editions of the World Cup, Reuters reported.
He eclipsed Eusebio as Portugal's all-time World Cup goals leader with 10. And at 41, he is the second-oldest goal-scorer in World Cup history behind Cameroon's Roger Milla (42 in 1994).

A target of skeptics after he failed to contribute to Portugal's 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ronaldo scored in the sixth and 39th minutes to continue a summer of braces in North America -- following the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland who have scored two or more goals in a match this month.

Portugal (1-0-1, 4 points) moved one step closer to ⁠advancing out of ⁠Group K, and they would top the group with a victory over Colombia (2-0-0, 6 points) on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Colombia earned a 1-0 win over DR Congo later on Tuesday.

Uzbekistan (0-2-0, 0 points) are not yet officially eliminated from contention for the round of 32. They will face DR Congo on Saturday in Atlanta.

Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also scored and the Portuguese caused an Uzbekistan own goal during the second half.

Ronaldo ⁠was involved early, a near-miss in the fourth minute presaging what was around the corner.

Joao Cancelo penetrated the right wing and sent in a cross that met Ronaldo's boot perfectly just outside the 6-yard box for a one-timer past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov.

An Uzbek yellow card led to a free kick just outside the penalty area in the 17th minute. The defense and the crowd alike expected Ronaldo to take a run, only for Mendes to come from the other direction for an easy score around the wall.

Azizjon Ganiev smashed in a would-be goal for Uzbekistan from well outside the box in the 29th minute, but only after a teammate dragged down Cancelo in the process ⁠of winning the ⁠ball back. A VAR check overturned the goal due to the foul.

Soon after, Bruno Fernandes led a fast break up the field and fed the ball to Ronaldo on his right. Ronaldo put a perfect touch on his low shot to the far post.

Ronaldo had a few chances at the hat trick, including a tricky move on a second-half free kick. Ronaldo again feinted at the ball, jogged past the wall and then tried to receive a pass from Fernandes, but Nematov defended Ronaldo's attempt well.

It was 4-0 in the 60th minute when a Portugal free kick led to a rush of players on net. The ball glanced off a defender's shoulder on its way into net, but Nematov was charged with the own goal.

Uzbekistan had occasional chances during the second but could not break through, and Leao capped the scoring in the 87th with a right-footed shot from point-blank range.

Sports

Colombia Beat DR Congo 1-0 to Reach World Cup Knockouts

Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
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Colombia Beat DR Congo 1-0 to Reach World Cup Knockouts

Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)
Colombia's defender #02 Daniel Munoz celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Colombia and Democratic Republic of Congo at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP)

Colombia finally broke down a stubborn DR Congo side on Tuesday to secure a 1-0 win that guaranteed their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.

Victory in Guadalajara, courtesy of a 76th-minute goal from Daniel Munoz, took them top of Group K with six points -- two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal with one game to go in the first round.

Portugal, held 1-1 by DR Congo in their opening match, earlier hammered Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston, with Ronaldo scoring twice.

Colombian fans turned the Mexican stadium into a sea of yellow, vastly outnumbering supporters of the African nation, AFP reported.

The South Americans, who beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in their tournament opener, dominated the early stages, peppering Lionel Mpasi's goal.

Munoz squandered an early chance and shortly afterwards had a goal ruled out for offside while James Rodriguez unleashed a stinging shot that was brilliantly saved as Colombia kept probing.

Mpasi made further sharp stops from Johan Mojica and Luis Diaz as the Colombians, playing with pace and invention, continued to dominate.

But their intensity dipped after the first drinks break, allowing DR Congo to edge back into the contest and pose their own occasional threat.

Mpasi made another stunning save with his leg from Diaz in the 50th minute to keep the game goalless.

DR Congo briefly threatened but Crystal Palace defender Munoz made up for his first-half miss when his shot was deflected past a wrong-footed Mpasi.

The African team did not give up and as the clock ticked past 90 minutes Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was forced to scramble to his left to turn a fierce Nathanael Mbuku shot behind.

Colombia, who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will face Portugal in Miami on Saturday, while DR Congo take on Uzbekistan in Atlanta.

The Africans still have an outside chance of reaching the last 32 in their first appearance at the World Cup since 1974, when the country was known as Zaire.