Colombia ⁠beat ⁠Ghana 1-0 on Friday to reach the World Cup round of ⁠16, as Jhon Arias scored the only goal ⁠and set up a clash with Switzerland.

Arias struck in the ‌14th minute from close range after a cross from Luis Suarez, who had just come on as a substitute for the ⁠injured Jhon Cordoba. Luis ⁠Diaz thought he had doubled Colombia’s advantage in the 56th minute, but ⁠the goal was ruled out for ⁠offside.

Colombia dominated much ⁠of the match, with Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi making three notable ‌saves. The South Americans will face Switzerland in the last-16 ‌on Tuesday in Vancouver.

More to follow… 

Morocco’s historic run at the Qatar World Cup 2022 is remembered by some poignant, powerful and indelible images from their quarterfinal win over Portugal: a towering header – the match-winning goal by Youssef En-Nesyri – against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, Hakim Ziyech’s mazy dribbles that put the 2016 European champions in a spin, and Soufiane Boufal’s dance with his mother on the pitch in the heartwarming post-match celebrations.

Four years on, none of those players have made the trip to the World Cup in North America.

In fact, the only holdovers from that memorable tournament are Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El-Khanouss and the goalkeepers.

The then-celebrated manager, Walid Regragui, has been cast aside, too.

Despite the radical changes, Morocco are yet to lose a match and have advanced to the Round of 16 after dispatching the Netherlands in a nervy penalty shootout on Monday.

Comparisons between the classes of 2022 and 2026 were inevitable. They began at the end of the group stage, when it was pointed out that the Moroccan team of four years ago topped their group while this one failed to beat Haiti and Scotland by big enough margins to leapfrog Brazil in Group C.

In order to truly impress the critics, the current generation may need to match or improve the semifinal run of 2022.

Morocco of 2022: Experience and defensive tactics

In 2022, the tactical plan was simple yet effective.

Head coach Regragui was an emergency appointment following Bosnian manager Vahid Halilhodzic falling out with several players.

Regragui had less than three months before the start of the World Cup to select his players and implement a tactical plan. Realising that time was not on his side, he kept things simple.

“Regragui’s team was more defensive,” Mohammad Alrfae, an analyst for Jordanian Premier League side Al Ahli SC, told Al Jazeera.

“He had older, more experienced players from big European sides at his disposal.”

In spite of their technical ability, the team showed no interest in dominating possession under Regragui during Qatar 2022. In fact, their highest possession percentage came in the only match they lost – against France in the semifinal.

Morocco, under Regragui, were not as negative as some other sides employing the same tactics. They set their backline midway between their goal and midfield, as opposed to clustering deep in what is referred to as a low block but ceded possession in order to lure the opposition into their traps.

En-Nesyri, the striker of the 2022 team won plaudits for his relentless work rate in preventing the opposition centre-backs from making easy passes to the midfield and forcing opposing teams into wide areas.

Wider areas of the pitch were packed with standout players. The full-backs, who are still part of the 2026 team, Noussair Mazraoui and Hakimi teamed up with wingers and aimed to win the ball and launch dangerous counter-attacks.

So effective were Morocco in blocking service to the middle areas of the pitch that opponents – particularly Portugal in the 1-0 quarterfinal loss – dropped deep to receive the ball, inhibiting their ability to attack.

But what happened when Morocco faced lower-ranked teams?

At two successive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, Morocco failed to lift the trophy, with an exit in the Round of 16 (2023) and a 1-0 loss in the 2025 edition, which they hosted.

The final was a particularly testy affair, with Senegal seeing a goal ruled out in the dying moments of the match before Morocco were awarded a penalty.

Incensed, the Senegalese marched off the pitch. Although Morocco missed the penalty and lost the match 1-0, they were declared AFCON champions after the on-field result was declared void and Morocco were handed a 3-0 forfeit by CAF.

The result was later reversed and Morocco were declared champions under contentious circumstances.

To make matters worse, Morocco faced a tournament-long allegation that the referees favoured Morocco. The hosts did not help their cause by requesting and receiving a change of referee before their quarterfinal encounter against Cameroon.

Morocco of 2026: Faith in youth and offence

Despite the controversial AFCON win, pressure kept mounting on Regragui with fans comparing the senior team with younger, more successful Moroccan sides.

Under the junior team manager Tarek Sektioui, Morocco bagged a bronze-medal finish at the Paris Olympics 2024, as well as lifting the winners’ trophies at the African Nations Championship 2024 and the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 with completely different squads.

Similarly, Mohammed Ouhabi enjoyed success with the youth team by winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2025.

In a moment of deja vu, a last-minute coaching change was made in the lead-up to the World Cup. Regragui was out and Ouhabi was in with the aim of playing an expansive, rather than defensive, brand of football.

According to Alrfae, squad selection has been the biggest indicator of change.

“Ouhabi has picked a lot of young players,” adding: “Partially because he knows them but also because they fit his tactical approach.”

Ouhabi relies on mobile players, all with lower profiles, who constantly switch positions and rotate around the pitch.

The younger squad, with their nimble movements, made an instant impact in the World Cup, recording an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil in their opening game.

Experts believe it’s all part of a long-term plan.

“I think Morocco made this change with an eye on the World Cup they will be hosting in 2030,” North African football journalist Maher Mezahi told Al Jazeera.

Indeed, the average age of Morocco’s starting XI has hovered just below 26 years of age. None of the outfield starters are over 30 and half of them are 25 or younger.

In their Round of 32 match, Morocco forced the Dutch to abandon their style of play and field five defenders to neutralise Morocco’s fluid movements.

The change, according to Mezahi, was “an implicit admission” that Morocco were the stronger team.

“The result proves that the 2022 World Cup was not a fluke and it also proves that replacing Regragui with Ouhabi was the right decision,” Mezahi added.

From fairytale darlings to divisive contenders

The AFCON 2025 final caused a seismic shift in the mood amongst neutral supporters across Africa and the Arab World.

Support for the Atlas Lions sank to an all-time low.

In Africa, Morocco was seen as wielding too much power within the halls of the African Football Confederation (CAF).

With its glittering new stadiums, the country has served as a stand-in home for African countries that cannot host matches due to instability or lack of facilities that meet CAF’s requirements.

Over the last four years Liberia, Niger and Congo have all played home qualifiers against Morocco in Morocco instead of their respective home grounds, allowing the 2030 World Cup co-hosts to avoid notoriously difficult away fixtures.

But the result against Brazil in this World Cup has done wonders to win back some of the alienated neutral support.

For the first time, an Arab and African team took the game to one of the world’s great football powers and record five-time champions.

It has also cemented Morocco’s status as the best Arab and African team at the World Cup for the second time in four years.

Although nine of 10 African teams and three of eight Arab teams progressed to the knockouts, only four remain.

Amid the gloom, Morocco reminded the African and Arab fans why they could still win football matches and mend broken hearts, just as they did four years ago.

This time, it was the viral video of Noussair Mazraoui with his arm around Gessime Yassine telling him to pray and thank Allah for his debut goal against Haiti. It was touching to see the strong ties the players maintain with their religion and culture, despite being foreign-born and raised.

The mums made a return too. Ismail Saibari, who struck the winning penalty for Morocco against the Netherlands, ran to the stands to celebrate with his mother in a tearful embrace.

Yassine Bono, one of the heroes from 2022, was back flashing his famous smile and winning over fans during the tense penalty shootout that never seemed to faze him.

A lot has changed since the last World Cup in Qatar for the Atlas Lions. Despite the ups and downs, more supporters are jumping back on Morocco’s bandwagon as they again make a push for the final stages of the tournament.

It is a testament to their consistency that Morocco will start as heavy favourites against Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday. Should they achieve their desired result, the African giants could have their 2022 nemesis and this World Cup’s red-hot team France waiting in the quarterfinals.

Reigning champions Argentina needed an ⁠extra-time own goal to overcome ⁠a Cape Verde side with incredible levels of resilience 3-2 in a thrilling contest and secure their spot in the last 16 of the World Cup.

The Africans, playing in their first World Cup, had twice come from a goal down on Friday ⁠to silence the vast majority of the crowd of 64,478 packed into a hot and humid Miami Stadium.

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Six minutes into the second period of extra time, Lionel Messi swung a corner into the box, and Cristian Romero rose to head home off the arm of Cape Verde centre-back Diney Borges ⁠and finally set up a date with Egypt in Atlanta next Tuesday.

Messi had, almost inevitably, given Argentina the lead in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament, but Deroy Duarte equalised just before the hour mark.

The Blue Sharks held on to send the match into an additional half hour before Lisandro Martinez lashed a sumptuous shot into the roof of the net in the second minute of the first period of extra time to put Argentina ahead again.

Cape ‌Verde were not done yet, however, and left back Sidny Lopes Cabral curled a beautiful shot into the top corner of the net in the 103rd minute of the contest to put the scores back on level terms at 2-2.

Lopes Cabral could have equalised again after Romero’s goal, but his finely struck free kick was saved by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who had to be at his best to deny Cape Verde in the dying minutes.

Cape Verde were beaten but far from outclassed by the three-times world champions as they put in a fourth magnificent display of teamwork and grit at their first World Cup.

The only one of the four World Cup debutants to make it to the last 32 and ⁠ranked 67th in the world coming into the tournament, Cape Verde had hoped to frustrate Argentina as they did ⁠Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in group-stage draws.

They succeeded, while showing no shortage of quality of their own, for much of the game with a never-say-die desperation and a neat pass-and-move game.

Messi aside, Argentina were largely bereft of ideas against an obdurate defence and Cape Verde libero Kevin Pina was the most impressive player on the park for long periods ⁠of the contest.

It was Argentina who made the breakthrough in the 29th minute, however, when Lisandro Martinez lofted a long ball over the top of the defence to the feet of Messi.

The 39-year-old maestro took a touch with the ⁠outside of his left boot and buried it in the roof of Vozinha’s net for ⁠his 20th goal over six editions of football’s global showpiece.

Cape Verde knew they would need to score to keep their World Cup campaign alive and Duarte fired a shot at goal soon after half-time that drew a diving save out of Martinez.

Just before the hour mark, captain Ryan Mendes was freed down the right, and his pass into the box found the Dutch-born midfielder, ‌who controlled the ball with his left foot before drilling it past Martinez with his right.

Messi had a chance to put Argentina back in front four minutes later when he was played through on goal, but Vozinha stood up well to keep his shot out of the net.

One of Messi’s trademark ‌free ‌kicks was tipped away by Vozinha in the 72nd minute, and Cape Verde defender Pico Lopes had to intervene to prevent Enzo Fernandez from scoring 10 minutes later.

Cape Verde held on to force the dramatic period of extra time, and they will now return home heroes having put their tiny island-nation firmly on the footballing map.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has dedicated his team’s World Cup knockout win over Australia to the people of Palestine, who joined the rest of the Arab world in celebrating the historic victory through the night.

Egypt held their nerve to beat Australia 4-2 on penalties and secure their first World Cup knockout victory following a 1-1 draw after extra time in a cagey round of 32 match at Dallas Stadium on Friday.

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Hossam Abdelmaguid rolled in the winning spot-kick after Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington missed from 12 yards for the Australians, sending Egypt into a last-16 clash with Argentina or Cape Verde.

Emam Ashour had given Egypt the lead with a 13th-minute header before an own goal by Mohamed Hany 10 minutes into the second half levelled the scores.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Hassan said: “May God grant them [the Palestinians] victory, may God have mercy on their martyrs.

“I’m saying to them: I’m dedicating this victory to the Egyptian people and Palestinian people, those kind and honourable people.”

Hassan carried both the Egyptian and Palestinian flags onto the pitch following the victory, which was the country’s first win in its first-ever World Cup knockout game, as the team collectively bent down on the ground in prostration.

Several Palestinian football fans took to social media to express their shared joy with Egypt.

“For the first time, I’m following the World Cup with this much excitement,” Gaza-based Tamer Nahed wrote on X.

“I was so happy to see Egypt win a little while ago, but the most beautiful sight was here … thousands of people came out of their tents and from among their destroyed homes to watch the match.

“Faces lit up with smiles, cheers filled the air, and it felt as if everyone had decided to give themselves a moment of life despite everything surrounding them,” he wrote.

Social media footage from the besieged strip showed people gathered at a match screening against the backdrop of bombed buildings and makeshift tents, some smiling and holding up Egypt flags that many children had painted on their faces.

Translation: People of Gaza following the match amid the rubble.

Translation: Gaza’s joy at Egypt’s national team victory.

Hours before Egypt’s victory, members of the team were involved in an altercation with police officers that went viral on social media.

The Egypt national team said a Dallas police officer pushed their director, Ibrahim Hassan, and player Trezeguet as the two were attempting to take a photo with a fan at the team hotel on Friday.

The Dallas Police Department clarified that the situation had been resolved at the scene.

Mexico’s knockout match against England will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday and kick off at 6pm local time (00:00 GMT on Sunday), sources told Al Jazeera after media reports suggested the match could be rescheduled.

Several media outlets reported on Friday that the fixture could face rescheduling to avoid inclement weather, but the move was not confirmed by FIFA.

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“No decision was ever made to reschedule kickoff time,” sources told Al Jazeera, confirming that action at the iconic open-air Estadio Azteca will go ahead as scheduled.

Mexican media reported that the match would kick off at noon local time (18:00 GMT), rather than its originally scheduled 6pm start.

Any change to that fixture would, in turn, have affected the timing of Brazil’s match against Norway in New York, which was scheduled for 4pm local time (20:00 GMT).

Mexico’s last-32 match against Ecuador earlier this week was delayed due to rain.

If the change to the Mexico-England game had gone ahead, it could have transformed playing conditions. Instead of the relative cool of an evening kickoff, the teams could have faced the strongest sunshine and highest temperatures of the day in Mexico City.

Forecasts for Sunday point to temperatures of about 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) at midday under a high UV index, even if the capital’s altitude keeps conditions cooler than many other World Cup venues.

Greater physical challenge

Combined with the stadium’s altitude of about 2,200 metres, an earlier start would have placed an even greater physical premium on energy management.

Sports medicine experts say the thinner air reduces oxygen availability, accelerating fatigue and making repeated high-intensity sprints more difficult for players who are not acclimatised.

Mexico, who have played three of their four 2026 World Cup matches at the Azteca so far and are accustomed to living and training at altitude, could benefit from the switch.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has already acknowledged the hosts hold “a huge advantage”, saying his side do not have enough time to adapt physiologically before the knockout tie.

England forward Marcus Rashford said the team would be ready whatever the circumstances, when asked about reports of a time change.

“I think for us it’s the same, you know, how we prepare for the game,” he told reporters in Kansas City. “It has to remain the same. We have to be focused; we have to be ready for anything, and I think it’s one strength of the group and everyone, including the players and the staff.

“We’re ready for whatever challenges get thrown at us, so … obviously, it’s not ideal, but also it doesn’t matter.”

England midfielder Morgan Rogers added: “I don’t think it really affects us. I think we’ll be ready regardless of the time; earlier probably the better, because you want to play it.

“So, yeah, we’re looking forward to whatever the time is, and we’ll be ready.”

The Egypt national team say a Dallas police officer pushed their director, Ibrahim Hassan, and player Trezeguet as the two were attempting to take a photo with a fan at the World Cup.

Local media said the incident happened at the team hotel on Friday.

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Egypt team played Australia in the round of 32 on Friday in Dallas at the tournament cohosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“A man and his son went to take a photo with Ibrahim Hassan and Trezeguet, and the national team’s director approved the request,” Egypt’s national team media officer Mohamed Morad told the Reuters news agency.

“However, a security officer intervened and pushed the fan, as well as Trezeguet and Ibrahim Hassan, even though the player and the team director were in their designated area. Ibrahim then asked the security officer to deal with the fan in a normal manner.”

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) said it was aware of a video circulating on social media showing a heated interaction involving one of its officers.

“The Dallas Police Department responded to an area hotel at the request of hotel security regarding an individual without event credentials attempting to gain access,” said a statement posted to social media.

“It was later learned that the individuals weren’t displaying credentials properly, which is a requirement.

“The situation was resolved on scene, and DPD met with representatives of the team to address their concerns. The matter has since been resolved.”

A fast-moving wildfire burning southwest of Denver has forced thousands of people to flee, as strong winds continue to drive flames across southern Colorado.

The blaze is one of about 40 large fires currently burning across the western United States.

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Dubbed the Aspen Acres Fire, the conflagration exploded in size, growing by 44 square kilometres (17 square miles) overnight to reach a total of 272sq kilometres (105sq miles) by Friday.

More than 160 structures have been destroyed in the fire. Experts say that months of dry weather and record-low snowfall in parts of the region – exacerbated by climate change – have created dangerous wildfire conditions.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of about 2,200 people in Colorado City, along with residents of the nearby communities of Beulah, Rye and San Isabel.

Smoke from the fire has also disrupted travel, with Colorado emergency officials warning that visibility in parts along Interstate 25 has dropped to as little as a half a mile – or 0.8 kilometres.

As the fire continues to spread, about 50 Colorado National Guard soldiers were deployed to staff road checkpoints in Pueblo and Custer counties and help keep boats away from the Pueblo Reservoir, where crews were scooping water to battle the blaze.

Investigators have said the Aspen Acres Fire was caused by humans, but they have not yet released any other details.

The Aspen Acres Fire is only one of the blazes currently ravaging Colorado and its neighbouring states.

Firefighters, for instance, have contained only about 65 percent of the Snyder Fire on the western side of the Rocky Mountains, along the border between Colorado and Utah.

In Utah itself, another blaze — the Cottonwood Fire — had grown to more than 380sq kilometres (147sq miles) by Friday, while the Babylon Fire had reached 344sq kilometres (133sq miles).

The latest fires come less than a week after three firefighters were killed, and two others were injured after they were overtaken by flames while battling two fires, part of the Snyder complex.

Wildfire smoke advisories are in effect for parts of Colorado, and concerns about wildfires are also beginning to reshape local Fourth of July celebrations.

Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control said several professional firework displays have already been cancelled because of the extreme fire risk, with many counties now under fire restrictions.

The National Weather Service kept Red Flag Warnings in place across much of the state on Friday, saying that hot, dry conditions, low humidity and gusty winds would continue to create critical fire conditions.

While forecasters said moister weather over the weekend should help lessen the risks, they also warned that heavier rain could increase the possibility of flash flooding in recently burned areas.

Caracas, Venezuela – A week after twin earthquakes rocked Venezuela, the country is only beginning to process the tragedy.

As of Friday, 2,645 people have been confirmed dead after two consecutive earthquakes struck less than a minute apart on June 24, reaching magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively.

Roadways cracked. Buildings toppled. And thousands of lives were changed forever.

With as many as 38,500 people missing, the death toll is expected to rise further. The Venezuelan government has reportedly ordered 10,000 bags to store corpses, according to the United Nations.

But the search is not over, with international rescue teams fighting their way through mountains of rubble, spurred by the enduring hope of finding survivors.

Those rescuers have been joined by local volunteers, armed with hammers, pickaxes and shovels. Many work late into the night.

In the coastal city of La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas, dozens of high-rise apartment blocks lie in ruins. The Caribbean breeze wafts the acrid smell of decomposing corpses through the city, as vultures circle overhead.

Residents line the streets, anxiously watching search efforts unfold. Some pray for a miracle. Others hope, at very least, for the opportunity to bury their loved ones.

With thousands unable to return to their homes, parks and public squares have become makeshift tent villages.

Among the displaced, grief has turned to anger, as some residents accuse the government of constructing shoddy public housing and failing to implement safety standards.

They also accuse the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which has governed the country for more than a quarter century, of building a corrupt system that has failed to provide the basic public services needed to deal with a crisis of this scale.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has defended the government’s response, denying that it could have acted faster.

Survivors spoke with Al Jazeera about their experiences during the tragedy, how they feel about the government's response and how they have coped in the days since.