Several teams from the Middle East and North Africa could advance to the knockout stage under the new format, and Morocco climbed in the rankings despite a tie in its opener.

Mina Rzouki has your full overnight World Cup round-up from Trending Middle East

Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, Egypt and New Zealand all earned surprise results as underdogs continue to frustrate football's traditional powers at FIFA World Cup 2026.

A mixed bag with encouraging results for likes of Qatar and Morocco while Tunisia, Iraq, Algeria and Jordan suffer heavy defeats

Morocco are ranked seventh in the world, the highest African nation on the FIFA rankings. The African champions earned their title in controversial fashion earlier this year, and…

Several teams from the Middle East and North Africa could advance to the knockout stage under the new format, and Morocco climbed in the rankings despite a tie in its opener.