FIFA World Cup 2026: President Lula lauds Ancelotti for sticking with…

Brasilia [Brazil], July 1 (ANI): Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva praised Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti for retaining midfielder Casemiro during Brazil’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against Japan, admitting that he too had initially wanted the veteran substituted before the midfielder scored the decisive goal.

In a video shared by Metropoles on its X handle, Lula said many people watching the match with him had called for Casemiro to be taken off, and he had agreed with them before the midfielder proved everyone wrong. syntagm.co.za

“Yesterday I was watching Brazil vs. Japan, and everyone who was with me was saying to take Casemiro out. I was in that boat too. But then I learned that it’s very easy to give advice. Now I want to thank Ancelotti for not taking Casemiro out, because he came back and scored the goal," the Brazilian President said.

Gabriel Martinelli scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Brazil mounted a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Japan 2-1, securing a hard-fought ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 in front of a packed stadium on Monday (local time).

Japan stunned the five-time world champions in the first half when Kaishu Sano intercepted a loose ball deep inside his own half. Sano embarked on a brilliant 40-yard solo sprint before drilling a fierce strike past Alisson to make it 1-0.

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After a frustrating first half where Japan’s Zion Suzuki remained largely untroubled, Brazil intensified the pressure. Gabriel Magalhaes curled a precise cross toward the back post, allowing veteran midfielder Casemiro to rise highest and power a header home, levelling the game at 1-1.

With the match looking destined for extra time, Danilo won the ball back deep in transition, finding Endrick. The youngster smartly laid it off for Bruno Guimaraes, who slid a perfect pass to an unmarked Gabriel Martinelli inside the box. Martinelli took a composed touch and slotted it into the far corner, squeezing it past a desperate Suzuki to seal the 2-1 victory.

Brazil advances to the Round of 16, where they will face either Ivory Coast or Norway on July 5 at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.

While this Round of 32 clash in the expanded 2026 format produced an instant classic, matchups between these two nations on football’s grandest stage are exceedingly rare.

Before this 2026 encounter, Brazil and Japan had faced each other only once in FIFA World Cup history: Germany 2006. Much like the 2026 match, Japan actually took a surprise lead via Keiji Tamada in the 34th minute.

However, a star-studded Selecão stormed back with a brace from Ronaldo, alongside goals from Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto to secure a comfortable 4-1 victory.

History heavily favours Brazil in this matchup. Across 15 meetings, the Selecao have won 12, with 2 draws and just a single loss. But that one defeat looms large. Months before this tournament, Japan pulled off a stunning 3-2 friendly win in Tokyo — their first ever against the South Americans. (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.)

Eng vs Ind T20 Series 2026: भारत और इंग्लैंड के बीच टी20 सीरीज का पहला मुकाबला आज खेला जाएगा। भारतीय समयानुसार यह मैच रात 10:00 बजे से शुरू होगा, जो इंग्लैंड के चेस्टर-ले-स्ट्रीट के रिवरसाइड ग्राउंड में खेला जाएगा। मैच से पहले भारतीय टीम आयरलैंड दौरे पर थी, जहां बेलफास्ट में दो टी20 मुकाबले खेले गए थे और उन्हें दोनों में हार का सामना करना पड़ा था। इंग्लैंड सीरीज से पहले श्रेयस ने आयरलैंड में मिली हार की सबसे बड़ी वजह बताई। उन्होंने मैदान को लेकर सवाल उठाया और बताया कि वहां का मैदान सामान्य स्टेडियमों से काफी अलग था।

Mexico City [Mexico], July 1 (ANI): FIFA has shared a jubilant celebration video on social media of Mexico City after El Tri secured a historic FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout victory, marking their second-ever win at this stage of the tournament.

Taking to X, FIFA shared a video capturing fans erupting in celebration following Mexico’s triumph, describing it as a “historic night" for the team and supporters.

“Scenes in Mexico City! Fans celebrate an historic night as Mexico win their second-ever @FIFAWorldCup knockout match exactly 40 years after their first," FIFA posted.

Scenes in Mexico City!

Fans celebrate an historic night as Mexico win their second-ever @FIFAWorldCup knockout match exactly 40 years after their first pic.twitter.com/RxnNahfLZt

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 1, 2026

Co-hosts Mexico advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 with a convincing 2-0 victory over Ecuador in their Round of 32 clash on Tuesday (local time), ending a long wait for a knockout-stage triumph at the tournament.

The win marked Mexico’s first FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory since 1986 and snapped an eight-match streak of eliminations in World Cup knockout fixtures, the longest such run in the competition’s history, according to OptaJoe’s X handle.

The contest, which was delayed by an hour because of heavy rain and lightning, saw El Tri continue their unbeaten run while maintaining their impressive defensive record.

Mexico took the initiative from the outset and broke the deadlock before halftime when Julian Quinones capitalised on a defensive mistake. Raul Jimenez then doubled the advantage later in the opening half to give the hosts a comfortable cushion heading into the break.

Ecuador controlled more of the possession after the restart and attempted to mount a comeback, but Mexico’s resolute defence held firm to secure another clean sheet. Ecuador’s night worsened in stoppage time when defender Piero Hincapie received a red card.

The victory was Mexico’s fourth successive win of the tournament and extended their streak without conceding a goal, reinforcing Javier Aguirre’s side as one of the standout teams of the competition.

Mexico will next face the winner of the England-DR Congo Round of 32 encounter as they look to continue their World Cup campaign on home soil.

The match also saw teenage midfielder Gilberto Mora make history. At 17 years and 259 days old, he became the second-youngest player ever to start a FIFA World Cup knockout match, behind only Pele, who achieved the feat at 17 years and 239 days during the 1958 tournament, according to ESPN FC’s X handle.

Jimenez also etched his name into the record books. At 35 years and 56 days old, he became the oldest Mexican player to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match and the first Mexican in his 30s to find the net in the knockout stages, according to ESPN Insights’ X handle. (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.)

Garena has released a fresh batch of Free Fire MAX redeem codes Today July 1, 2026, offering players a chance to snag premium in-game items without spending real diamonds. These alphanumeric codes serve as digital keys to unlock a variety of rewards, including weapon loot crates, exclusive emotes, gold, and even rare skins.

Active Free Fire Max Redeem Codes Today July 1

Below are some of the codes currently available for the India server:

• BR43FMAPYEZZ
• UPQ7X5NMJ64V
• S9QK2L6VP3MR
• FFR4G3HM5YJN
• 6KWMFJVMQQYG
• FZ5X1C7V9B2N
• FT4E9Y5U1I3O
• FP9O1I5U3Y2T
• FM6N1B8V3C4X
• FA3S7D5F1G9H
• FK3J9H5G1F7D
• FU1I5O3P7A9S
• F7F9A3B2K6G8
• FE2R8T6Y4U1I

Note: If you receive an error message, the code may have expired or reached its maximum usage limit of 1000 players.

Also Read:

• Free Fire MAX Redeem Codes Today July 1: Check Steps To Claim Rewards
• FFMIC 2026 Fall FFC Mode: Registration, Eligibility, Point System, and Qualification Rules
• FFMIC 2026 Fall: FFC Mode – How To Register
• FFMIC 2026 Fall City Qualifiers Conclude: Twelve Teams Secure Play-Ins Spot
• TEZ Free Fire Max India Cup 2026 Fall: Complete Format Explained

How to Claim Your Rewards

Redeeming these items is a straightforward process, but it must be done through Garena’s dedicated portal rather than the game app itself.

• Navigate to the official Garena Rewards Redemption Site.
• Log in using the platform linked to your Free Fire account (Facebook, Google, Apple ID, or X). Guest accounts are ineligible for rewards.
• Copy one of the 12 to 16-character codes from the list above and paste it into the text field.
• Click the “Confirm” button. A pop-up will notify you if the redemption was successful.
• Once verified, the items will be sent to your in-game mailbox within 24 hours.

Players should act quickly, as these codes typically have a short validity window of 12 to 18 hours. Additionally, many codes are region-locked, meaning they will only work for players on specific servers (such as India). If a code doesn’t work, it is likely because the server limit has been reached or the time has lapsed. Keep an eye out for daily updates to ensure you never miss out on these stylish upgrades!

The post Free Fire MAX Redeem Codes Today July 1: Check Steps To Claim Rewards appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue will miss the first T20I of the five-match series between England and India, which begins in Durham on Wednesday. The two pacers have been rested with workload management in mind.
Both were part of the final Test against New Zealand, which concluded on 29 June.

With a very short turnaround between the two series, the England and Wales Cricket Board has rested the two pacers, who bowled extensively during the home Test series against New Zealand, which England lost 2-1.

Captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell were also part of the Test squad. However, both are set to feature in the Durham T20I.

The ECB has confirmed the playing XI for the series opener. In the absence of Archer and Tongue, Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood will lead the pace attack alongside Sam Curran. Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks and Bethell make up the spin-bowling department.

The last time these two teams met, India emerged victorious in the semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

England XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood.

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The post ENG vs IND: Archer and Tongue rested as England reveal XI for series opener appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.