Doku controversy piles pressure on Belgium, France bid for early progression | OneFootball

The stakes continue to rise at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the group stage enters a crucial phase, with every point becoming increasingly valuable.

Spain bounced back from a shock 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in stellar fashion, bagging four unanswered goals against Saudi Arabia to move two points clear of Uruguay at the top of Group H.

Lamine Yamal scored only ten minutes into his maiden World Cup start to set the tone for La Furia Roja’s statement victory, with Mikel Oyarzabal chipping in with a first-half double to put the game to bed before half-time.

Despite being heavily fancied to fight Spain for top place in the group, Uruguay’s chances of securing a top-two finish are in tatters after a dismal 2-2 draw against Cape Verde.

La Celeste must dig deep on matchday three if they’re to lock in second place, as they face Luis de la Fuente’s side in a mouth-watering fixture at Estadio Akron.

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates from across North America.

Manchester City winger under fire as Belgium risk another embarrassment

Four years after failing to reach the knockout stage in Qatar, Belgium could suffer the same fate in North America, which would be a disaster for one of the tournament’s dark horses.

Rudi Garcia’s side shared the spoils with Egypt on the opening day. Although that result could be put down to early-tournament nerves, there was no excuse for drawing a blank against Iran yesterday.

Iran held them to a goalless draw at SoFi Stadium, denting Belgium’s hopes of advancing into the round of 32 ahead of a must-win clash against New Zealand.

Veteran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand emerged as a hero for the Middle East nation, making seven saves to help Iran move to second in Group G and win a well-deserved ‘Man of the Match’ award.

Manchester City star Jeremy Doku has come under scrutiny for his controversial decision to leave the Belgian training base on the eve of the match.

Doku flew across the ocean to be in England for the birth of his first child despite his pivotal role in Garcia’s system, and his absence was heavily felt yesterday, with Alexis Saelemaekers falling short of expectations.

However, it’s also worth noting that Belgium’s medical staff deemed it too risky for the quicksilver forward to play against Iran due to his respiratory problems, which may ultimately offer a more plausible explanation for his unavailability.

France seek early knockout progression

Kylian Mbappe stole the show in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal in their Group I opener with a second-half brace to become the nation’s all-time leading goalscorer, leapfrogging Olivier Giroud.

Les Bleus opened a seventh consecutive major tournament with a victory and are now on the verge of securing a knockout berth with a game to spare as they face Iraq for the first time.

Unlike their more esteemed opposition, Iraq’s return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986 got off to a nightmare start, with Norway thrashing them 4-1.

Another heavy defeat could be on the cards here, but Graham Arnold’s side can find a glimmer of hope in the fact that they’ve won twice across their last four matches against UEFA teams.

The French have lost back-to-back clashes against Asian opposition without scoring, suggesting they may not have things entirely their own way despite entering this contest as overwhelming favourites.

Manager Didier Deschamps knows better than to underestimate the task ahead, especially with France eager to maintain their perfect start as they bid to punch an early ticket to the knockout stage.

Argentina looking to extend best winning streak in a decade

Lionel Messi proved why many consider him to be the best player of all time, netting his first-ever World Cup hat-trick to propel Argentina to a dominant 3-0 triumph over Algeria in their opening game.

La Pulga’s match-winning performance helped the reigning champions extend their impressive winning run to eight consecutive games, marking their longest such streak since 2016.

Lionel Scaloni’s men have now avoided defeat in seven successive World Cup fixtures, netting precisely three goals in the last three to come on the brink of becoming the fourth nation in history to score 3+ goals in four straight matches.

However, Ralf Rangnick’s men will take the field in high spirits following a 3-1 victory over Jordan in their Group J opener.

The showdown at AT&T Stadium represents a distinctly tougher challenge for Austria, as they prepare to take on FIFA’s top-ranked nation and one of the favourites to retain the World Cup crown.

While the two nations have never crossed paths at the World Cup, Austria have failed to beat Argentina in either of their previous meetings, both of which came before the turn of the century.

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Michael Olise pulled all the strings for France in the final third with his silky touch and exceptional vision in their first game.

The Bayern Munich winger registered his fourth goal contribution across his last two international caps, underlining his growing importance to Deschamps’ attacking set-up.

Olise is arguably one of the most exciting players to watch at the moment, and another inspired display could go a long way towards helping France secure early passage into the knockout phase.