South Africa scored a penalty seven minutes from the end as they fought back to snatch a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in a fairly pedestrian World Cup 2026 clash. Teboho Mokoena ​slotted ⁠home the spot-kick ‌after Pavel Sulc’s handball gave the South Africans ‌a lifeline as ‌they were staring at potential early elimination in Group A.The Czechs led from the sixth minute when Michal Sadilek struck home after a clever slipped pass from Alexandr Sojka following Adam Hlozek’s delivery from the right wing. Both ‌teams now ⁠have a point after ⁠losing their respective opening ‌games and will likely need a win in their fianl group encounters to stand any chance of reaching the knockout stage.Relive all the action:World Cup 2026 fixtures, results and group tablesThe 2026 World Cup is underway as 48 nations are split into 12 groups for the first time in the tournament’s long history.Co-hosts Mexico, USA and Canada are the top seeds in Groups A, B and D respectively, while Scotland are in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti, and England are all the way down in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. The top two sides in each group will qualify for the World Cup’s first ever round of 32, as will the eighth best third-place teams. Just three points could be enough for some teams to reach the knockout stages.There will be 104 matches, up by 40 since the Qatar World Cup in 2022, while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo likely to play on this stage for the last time in their glittering careers.Here are all the fixtures, results and latest group standings:Chris Wilson18 June 2026 21:00Ivory Coast star becomes second World Cup player denied entry to CanadaIvory Coast’s Elye Wahi has been denied entry into Canada for his country’s next World Cup match – a day after it was revealed that the 23-year-old had been arrested over match-fixing offences.The Ivorian forward Wahi is the subject of an “active investigation” from the French police to establish whether he deliberately earned a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in Ligue 1 on 17 May.A report in The Athletic detailed that Wahi, who started Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win against Ecuador on Sunday night, was subsequently arrested by French police on 29 May and was released after an interview.Chris Wilson18 June 2026 20:45Lionel Messi releases statement on father Jorge’s health and criticises media coverageLionel Messi’s father Jorge is receiving treatment for a health issue, the Messi family has confirmed.Asked why he was emotional, Messi said after the game: “Honestly, completely unrelated to the sport, I went through some difficult, complicated days. I’m grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates. They were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and that’s all.”Chris Wilson18 June 2026 20:3010 men and a statue: Portugal are sacrificing another World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo’s egoMessi’s treble against Algeria gives him 16 World Cup goals, double Ronaldo’s tally. More pertinently, it justified Argentina’s policy of building a team around an ageing legend. For the third tournament in row, however, the danger is that Ronaldo holds Portugal back. A draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo highlighted the difficulties of trying to win the World Cup with a team of 10 men and a statue. For one of the favourites, it was a wretched start.Chris Wilson18 June 2026 20:15Chris Wilson18 June 2026 20:00Win a copy of Miguel Delaney’s States of Play with his Inside Football newsletterIf you’ve ever wondered who really owns and controls football, now’s your chance to find out.Miguel Delaney, The Independent’s chief football writer, takes readers inside the game in the latest paperback edition of States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football, released in August 2025.From Abu Dhabi to Newcastle, London to Paris, Moscow to New York, Delaney investigates allegations of sportswashing, misconduct, and the influence of football’s wealthiest players – from state-backed corporations and media moguls to oil-rich oligarchs.Fully updated, this edition also covers Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid, the latest on the Manchester City charges, and PSG’s Champions League triumph.To celebrate the World Cup, The Independent is giving away 10 copies of the paperback edition.Chris Wilson18 June 2026 19:50World Cup 2026 power rankings: England, Argentina and France make statements after round oneThe 2026 World Cup is fully into the swing of things with all teams now having played their opening match of the campaign in North America.After a build-up that centred around controversy, greed and conflict, fans have been captivated by some enthralling performances during round one of fixtures, with the likes of France and holders Argentina stamping their mark as rightful favourites.So much can change as the group stage progresses, but here’s how every team stacks up in The Independent’s World Cup 2026 power rankings, delving deeper into the top 10:Chris Wilson18 June 2026 19:40Hero Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to be reunited with mother at World CupOne of the feel-good stories of the World Cup so far...Vozinha made seven saves as minnows Cape Verde held Spain, one of the World Cup favourites, to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta. His heroic performance in his World Cup debut resulted in his Instagram following exploding from just over 50,000 to over 12 million.Chris Wilson18 June 2026 19:33FULL-TIME! Czech Republic 1-1 South AfricaThis result means that whoever wins between Mexico and South Korea later – if either team wins – will be the first nation through to the last 32!Chris Wilson18 June 2026 19:27'South Africa should have gone for it'“South Africa pushed at the end and... too little, too late,” says Stephen Warnock on BBC. “Both teams will be disappointed to come away with a draw.“I think South Africa should have gone for it a little bit more. They played too safe at times and it almost felt like a training ground exercise,” added the former defender. (Reuters)Chris Wilson18 June 2026 19:23