World Cup 2026 Day 11: Spain and Iran in action, predictions and schedule

Reigning European champions Spain, whose World Cup run got disconnected to a shaky start, look Saudi Arabia successful the header lawsuit of the tournament’s time 11, connected Sunday.

Iran look Belgium successful the 2nd lucifer of the day, arsenic travel restrictions proceed to disrupt the Middle East team’s remainder and betterment during the month-long planetary showpiece.

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Sunday’s lucifer docket concludes with Uruguay taking connected tiny Cape Verde, and New Zealand playing Egypt. None of the teams successful enactment tin seal qualification to the adjacent circular oregon get eliminated connected Sunday.

Away from the football, France supporters were urged to support their hands disconnected Philadelphia’s iconic Rocky Balboa statue to debar attracting “monumental atrocious luck”.

What are the World Cup matches today?

• Spain vs Saudi Arabia astatine Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, successful the United States, astatine noon EDT (16:00 GMT)
• Belgium vs Iran at the Los Angeles Stadium, successful the US, astatine 3pm EDT (19:00 GMT)
• Uruguay vs Cape Verde astatine the Miami Stadium, successful the US, astatine 6pm EDT (22:00 GMT)
• New Zealand vs Egypt astatine BC Place Vancouver, successful Canada, astatine 9pm EDT (01:00 GMT connected Monday)

Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Aymeric Laporte during grooming [Brett Davis/MAGN IMAGES via Reuters]

Spain vs Saudi Arabia predictions

Stats supplier Opta’s supercomputer has handed Spain a whopping 86.7 percent probability of winning against Saudi Arabia, who person a specified 4.3 percent accidental of winning. There is simply a 9 percent probability of a draw.

Belgium vs Iran predictions

Belgium has a 67.5 percent probability of winning this game, portion determination is 19.3 percent accidental of a draw. Iran has a 13.2 percent likelihood of victory.

Uruguay vs Cape Verde predictions

Uruguay are favorites to win, having a 67.2 percent probability, portion Cape Verde person a 12.2 percent accidental of winning. There’s a 20.6 percent accidental of a draw.

New Zealand vs Egypt predictions

Egypt are the favorites successful this fixture with a 59.6 percent probability of winning, portion New Zealand person a 17.7 percent accidental of victory. The gully is marked astatine 22.6 percent probability.

Iran’s grooming campy is based successful Tijuana, Mexico but the squad question to the United States for their radical matches [Victor Medina/Reuters]

Travel restrictions inactive successful spot for Iran 

The United States volition proceed to measure the Iran squad’s question arrangements astatine the World Cup, but for now, the original program remains successful place contempt the squad saying they would lodge a complaint with FIFA, Andrew Giuliani, enforcement manager of the White House Task Force for the tournament, told Reuters quality agency.

Iran are unhappy astatine restrictions that mean they tin lone question to venues successful the US wrong 24 hours of their fixtures and indispensable depart backmost to their grooming basal successful Tijuana, Mexico straight aft each game.

The restrictions person prompted manager Amir Ghalenoei to suggest his broadside were “the astir oppressed squad successful the full World Cup.”

Giuliani, however, says the concern is fluid, and they volition sermon what measures volition beryllium successful spot for Iran’s 3rd crippled against Egypt successful Seattle connected June 26, aft their gathering with Belgium successful Los Angeles connected Sunday.

Iran, who are successful Group G, kicked disconnected their run successful North America aft months of uncertainty implicit the team’s information successful the World Cup amid the US-Israel warfare connected Iran.

What other is shaping the World Cup?

‘Don’t interaction Rocky!’

France supporters astatine the World Cup were issued an urgent informing to support their hands disconnected Philadelphia’s iconic Rocky Balboa statue aft a drawstring of sporting misfortunes befell teams whose fans dared to formal it successful their colours.

The authoritative France supporters’ radical has told travelling fans to steer wide of draping Sylvester Stallone’s celebrated fictional boxer successful France gear, citing Philadelphia sports folklore that has claimed respective victims.

Ecuador discovered this the hard mode erstwhile supporters draped the team’s yellowish garment and emblem connected Rocky’s shoulders earlier their radical opener against the Ivory Coast, lone to spot their squad lose.

“Don’t interaction Rocky! To each French radical successful Philadelphia, we impulse you to workout the utmost caution,” the supporters’ radical Irresistibles Francais said successful a connection up of their adjacent radical lucifer against Iraq connected Monday.

“Under nary circumstances should you enactment a Les Bleus garment oregon scarf connected the Rocky statue!

“Here, the section superstition is precise clear: ⁠dressing Rocky successful the colours of the absorption brings monumental ⁠bad luck and dooms the squad to decision (just inquire NFL fans).”

Belgium babe dilemma for father-to-be Doku

Belgium’s ‌Jeremy Doku is owed to go a begetter for ⁠the archetypal ⁠time portion the World Cup is inactive on, and wants to beryllium contiguous astatine the birth, creating a ⁠potential dilemma for the team.

Belgian media reported that plans for him to permission the US and instrumentality location for the commencement of his kid are being enactment successful place. Doku told reporters his woman Shireen is owed successful the 2nd week of July, erstwhile the tourney would beryllium successful its quarterfinals stage, and if Belgium are inactive involved, Doku wants to beryllium astatine the birth.

“It depends connected erstwhile it happens, but it’s my archetypal child, truthful I would decidedly privation to beryllium there,” the 24-year-old Belgian winger, 1 of the cardinal players of the team, said.

“If you inquire maine what I want, my reply is that cipher wants to miss the commencement of their archetypal child. But I besides cognize that shot involves galore different considerations. I cognize the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We’ll spot what we tin do,” helium added.

Germany scope World Cup knockouts

After bowing retired successful the radical signifier successful 2018 and 2022, the Germans person yet punched their summons to the knockouts this time. They beat Ivory Coast 2-1 connected Saturday, pursuing a brace from Denis Undav, including a stoppage-time winner, which confirms their apical spot successful Group E.

That victory, coupled with their 7-1 thrashing of Curacao successful the archetypal game, sends them done to the circular of 32 arsenic the 3rd squad to bash so. The past clip Germany made it retired of the radical stage, they went connected to assistance the trophy successful 2014.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands and Japan are connected the cusp of advancing to the adjacent round.

Eloy Room stands steadfast arsenic Curacao gain archetypal World Cup point

Curacao moved connected swiftly from their dense decision to Germany – successful which Livano Comenencia became their archetypal World Cup scorer – earning their archetypal constituent of the tourney connected Saturday.

The tiny Caribbean land of conscionable implicit 150,000 radical and covering lone 443 quadrate kilometers (171 quadrate miles) – besides the smallest federation to play astatine a World Cup – held Ecuador to a goalless draw.

Coach Dick Advocaat said the result, ⁠secured acknowledgment to goalkeeper Eloy Room’s 15 saves, was a reward for supporters who ne'er mislaid religion contempt a bruising decision six days earlier.

“The radical connected Curacao person fixed america their enactment from the outset,” Advocaat said. “Particularly past week, aft the 7-1, radical were inactive celebrating connected the island, and radical were afloat of joy.

“It was a madhouse tonight. So I deliberation that for radical whose beingness is not ever that easy, I truly privation them to ‌celebrate this success.”

Curacao’s Eloy Room celebrates aft the lucifer [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]

Japan sound Tunisia retired of the World Cup

Tunisia became the 3rd team, aft Haiti and Turkiye, to beryllium eliminated from the tournament erstwhile they mislaid 4-0 to Japan successful the last fixture connected Saturday. The decision astatine the play came soon aft they suffered a heavy 5-1 decision to Sweden successful the opener.

Tunisia were the archetypal African squad to triumph a World Cup lucifer erstwhile they bushed Mexico successful 1978, but they person ne'er progressed beyond the radical stages.

After losing their archetypal 2 matches, Tunisia tin nary longer suffice for the knockouts [Daniel Becerril/Reuters]