author - oman observer

BOSTON: Germany ⁠fans gathering in Boston on Sunday, a day ahead of their team's first World Cup ​knockout match against Paraguay, said they ​were confident about the chances of victory...

CAIRO/WASHINGTON: Iran and the U.S. continued their attacks in ​the Gulf as each accused the other of violating an increasingly precarious interim deal signed less than two weeks ago to end their...

PARIS: ⁠France has recorded 1,000 excess deaths during the ​blistering heatwave sweeping ​Europe, the public health agency said on Sunday, warning that the true figure was likely to be higher....

KANSAS CITY: For all the scrutiny ⁠surrounding the World Cup's expanded 48-team format, with the advantage its uneven scheduling may give sides playing later in the ​final round, Austria and...

MIAMI: Colombia ​and Portugal played out a breathless 0-0 draw that was anything but dull to a wall of sound at Miami Stadium on Saturday with both teams advancing to the last 32 of the World Cup as...

PHILADELPHIA: Croatia left it late to find a little World Cup sparkle, but history suggests they will not be worried by a sluggish group stage performance as they head into the business end of the...

DALLAS: Mercurial ⁠Lionel Messi became the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches as a ​largely second-string Argentina continued their ​winning ways with a 3-1 victory...

VANCOUVER: Leandro ​Trossard struck twice as Belgium demolished New Zealand 5-1 on Friday to clinch top spot in Group G and march into the World Cup's round of 32, while the Kiwis'...

TORONTO: Senegal kept their World Cup knockout hopes alive in dominant fashion on Friday with a 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq, who were eliminated from the tournament. Survival was on the line as both...

GUADALAJARA: ⁠Spain edged Uruguay 1-0 on Friday to top Group H and reach the knockout stage of the World Cup, with Alex Baena's first-half strike ​enough to settle a tense, physical contest...

FOXBOROUGH: Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France made sure of top spot in World Cup Group I with a ruthless 4-1 win on Friday over a second-string Norway who like the French had...

HOUSTON: ​Croatia and Ghana go into Saturday's final Group L game with their World Cup destiny in their own hands when a draw could send both sides into the round of 32 and a high-scoring match...

KANSAS CITY: England's World Cup campaign has reached its first crossroads. A dazzling 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opener suggested Thomas Tuchel's side might finally have found the...

HOUSTON: The Democratic ⁠Republic of Congo have always targeted a place in the World ​Cup knockout rounds on their ​return to the finals for the first time in 52 years, but must beat Uzbekistan...

MIAMI: When Portugal face Colombia in their final Group K match at the World Cup, both teams will be jockeying to get a result that ensures they avoid a potential nightmare scenario in the round of...

HOUSTON: Austria and Algeria will be involved in ​a straight shoot-out for second ​place in their World Cup Group J when they clash in Kansas City on Saturday, though a draw may suit both sides as...

KANSAS CITY: Argentina head into their final Group J match against Jordan on Saturday with one eye already on the knockout stage, while their rivals will be eager to sign off their first World Cup...

SANTA CLARA: Australia booked their place in ⁠the World Cup's round of 32 on Thursday with a cagey 0-0 draw against Paraguay that delighted pragmatic coach Tony Popovic but ​left the South...

PHILADELPHIA: Nicolas ⁠Pepe's double sealed Ivory Coast's first trip to the World Cup elimination rounds with a 2-0 victory over ​Curacao on Thursday to finish second in ​Group E. For...

INGLEWOOD: Türkiye beat a second-string United States side 3-2 with a last-gasp goal from Kaan Ayhan on Thursday ​for their first victory of the ​tournament in a dead rubber, with the co-hosts...