FIFA World Cup 2026: Late equaliser from Araujo helps Uruguay play 1-…

Miami [US], June 16 (ANI): An 80th-minute equaliser from Maximiliano Araujo helped Uruguay play a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their FIFA World Cup opening clash at Miami on Tuesday.

With this draw, Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, all the teams in the group H are all level at one point each. iwanktv.club

In the starting minutes of the match, it was Uruguay who dominated with the ball and an effort from Araujo after being fed by Matias Vina was pushed wide in the fifth minute.

Saudi Arabia displayed some attack, which was quickly put out by Uruguay. The match stayed quite uneventful, untill the 30th minute when a ball from Araujo fell to Federico Vinas, who tried to head it into the net but found the safe hands of Saudi goalie Mohamed Al-Owais.

In the 38th minute, Fernando Muslera pushed an attempt from Abdulelah Al-Amri, but three minutes later, he could not prevent a close-range strike by Amri from finding the back of the net. Saudi Arabia led at the time of the half-time.

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During the second half, Uruguay started getting more aggressive, with Vinas producing a couple of chances and Real Madrid star Federico Valverde also running into their defences. Manuel Ugarte and Valverde also got their chances, but Al Owais’ goalkeeping was really good.

In the 80th minute, came the equaliser from Uruguay as another header from Vinas was kept away from the net by Al Owais, but the ball fell back to Araujo, who fired it back into the net, giving Uruguay the fruits of their relentless attack and improvement in the second half.

The scoreline continued undisturbed towards the end. Uruguay enjoyed a ball possession of over 66 per cent, with 27 shots as compared to Saudi Arabia’s 10, and 10 shots on target as compared to just three from Saudi. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

A brief moment during Türkiye’s opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match has struck a chord with viewers online. As the players walked onto the field in Vancouver, Canada, several Sikh boys wearing patkas were seen serving as official player escorts, proudly accompanying the team onto football’s biggest stage.

The scene lasted only a few seconds, but it quickly caught the attention of social media users. For members of the Sikh community, it was indeed a proud moment, as the young children were seen confidently embracing their identity on a global stage.

Sikh boys wearing patkas were among the official FIFA player escorts as Türkiye walked onto the pitch for their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match in Vancouver, Canada.

A small moment that many viewers may have missed, but a powerful one nonetheless.

As Türkiye returned to the… pic.twitter.com/Bxe9WDsXj9

— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) June 15, 2026

London [UK], June 16 (ANI): England have named their playing XI for the second Test match against New Zealand at The Oval, with Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker set to make their Test debuts.

The hosts have made four changes to the side that secured an 115-run victory at Lord’s and helped them move up a place in the World Test Championship standings to number seven, as per the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Jofra Archer returned to the Test setup after making his last appearance in the format in December last year, while Matt Fisher is set for his first Test outing since debuting in Barbados in 2022.

For Cox, it was a long-awaited opportunity after injury setbacks previously denied him a maiden Test cap. The Essex batter recently featured for England Lions and showed encouraging form in the Vitality Blast, striking a quickfire 40 off just 31 deliveries earlier this week.

One notable omission is Ollie Robinson. The seamer marked his return to the Test arena after a two-year absence with an impressive seven-wicket haul in the series opener, but missed out on the second match due to injury.

Archer’s inclusion bolsters a pace-heavy attack alongside Fisher, Josh Tongue and fellow debutant Baker as England aims to clinch the series against New Zealand.

Joe Root was earlier named as interim captain in the absence of Ben Stokes, with Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Emilio Gay and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith also featuring in the XI.

England Playing XI:

Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Matt Fisher, Josh Tongue. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Foreign recruits pulling themselves out in the middle of the season has become one of the major concerns for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. Some of the franchise officials seek the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) intervention into the matter, but the board may not going to put their nose into the issue.

As the contract is completely based on the agreement of a franchise and a player, the issue needs to be resolved by the franchise itself. IPL 2026 was among the rare seasons where multiple overseas players pulled themselves out from franchises without any prior notice.

How will BCCI resolve the matter?

The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League was only a few days after the 2026 T20 World Cup. Some of the players who were part of the T20 World Cup went for a break and joined the IPL late.

Players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Matheesha Pathirana joined their respective franchises because of niggles. Delhi Capitals were among the worst-hit franchises in the 2026 season, as they missed the service of their premier pacer Mitchell Starc throughout the first half of the competition, as he was unavailable to take the field.

Days before the season opener, Ben Duckett, who was supposed to open the innings for the Capitals, pulled himself out suddenly. Though BCCI has a rule to ban certain players who opt not to play after signing the agreement, the recent instances show that only a ban will not be enough to stop such incidents in the future.

“The team is the custodians of the players. We leave it to them and their understanding of the players. Some players decide the league over national duty, and some vice versa. Our rules are clear unless there is an injury (the two-year ban),” a BCCI source told news agency PTI.

Rajasthan Royals set an example of how communication should be made

The example of the English pacer Jofra Archer and the Rajasthan Royals was the finest example of what the board wants to say. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wanted Archer back in the national camp to keep himself fit for their upcoming matches.

But Archer decided to stick with his IPL team to play the IPL 2026 season. The Royals made this possible only through good communication. Financial reasons can be another factor behind the player’s losing interest in the franchise league.

“Definitely, we can explore an increase, but we need to see holistically. A lot of players draw a whopping amount for one season and are nowhere to be seen the next season. Also, a lot of the players are paid over and above their contract by some franchises. The players get match fees also (Rs 7. 5 lakh per game) and get additional sponsorship during the tournament,” the source added further.

IPL to witness an increased number of matches

Meanwhile, the board is exploring other windows to expand the league. The league could return with a full home-away format, which will increase the total number of games on the card.