World Cup updates: Team USA looks forward to 2026
The Americans lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in the knockout round.
After years of controversy around its location, the 2022 World Cup is underway in Qatar.
There have been allegations of payoffs to FIFA members to earn the bid, criticism of Qatar's laws against women and LGBTQ individuals, the deaths of migrants used to build the sparkling new stadiums and even last-second controversy over beer sales. The tournament was also moved from its usual summer timeframe to the holiday season to avoid Qatar's intensely hot weather.
But on the field, the best players in the world -- such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar -- are ready to go. And the U.S. is back with a hungry, young team after failing to qualify for the last World Cup.
Key headlines:
US-Iran and England-Wales underway
The second set of matches of the day are underway in Qatar with the U.S. men's national team facing a must-win against Iran.
The U.S. can only advance to the knockout stage with a victory after draws against Wales and England. If they lose, the U.S. team heads home.
For Iran, who defeated Wales but was dominated by England, a win or a draw can move the team to the knockout round.
In the other match, between England and Wales, Wales can only advance with a win against England, a draw from U.S.-Iran and a lot of help in goal differential. England is likely to advance as it stands as the top team in Group B and could advance even if it ties with Wales.
Senegal, Netherlands advance from Group A
The first two teams to advance out of group play are Senegal and Netherlands. Netherlands cruised to a 2-0 victory over host country Qatar, while Senegal earned a 2-1 victory in a must-win match.
Senegal led 1-0 at the half on a penalty kick goal from Ismaila Sarr in the 44th minute. But Ecuador tied the game 1-1 in the 67th minute on a goal by Moises Caicedo off a corner kick. A draw would've meant Ecuador advanced to the knockout round.
But Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly scored the go-ahead goal just three minutes later off a free kick. The goal stood up as the game-winner.
A heavily favored Dutch side had no issues with Qatar, which had already been eliminated from contention for the second round. Cody Gakpo scored in the 26th minute and Frenkie de Jong added a second goal just four minutes into the second half. Netherlands finished atop the group with the win.
Netherlands will play the second-place team in Group B in the next round, while Senegal will face the winner of Group A. The U.S., if they advance over Iran, will likely take on Netherlands.
Senegal, Netherlands hold 1-0 leads at half
Senegal and the Netherlands hold one-goal leads at the half in the final matches in Group A.
Senegal, which likely needs a win to advance, scored a goal on a penalty kick by Ismaila Sarr in the 44th minute. Senegal leads Ecuador, 1-0. Ecuador needs a win or draw to advance to the knockout stage.
The Netherlands has had no problems with the host country of Qatar in the first half, leading 1-0 behind a goal from Cody Gakpo in the 26th minute. A win would put the Dutch into the second round.
Netherlands-Qatar and Ecuador-Senegal underway
The first two matches of the day are underway in Qatar, including the final game for the home squad.
Qatar, which cannot advance to the next round after losses in its first two matches, faces the Netherlands, which currently stands atop Group A. The Netherlands would advance with a win.
In the second match, Ecuador and Senegal face off with the winner guaranteeing a spot in the knockout stage. A draw would also be enough for Ecuador to move on.
If Senegal-Ecuador tie and Netherlands loses, it will come down to goal differential to determine whether Netherlands or Senegal advances. Netherlands is currently plus-2 in goal differential on Senegal, so they are looking good.
Budweiser plans celebration with unused beer
With millions of dollars in unused beer sitting in Qatar, the company AB InBev says it will be bringing the beer to the winning country for an "ultimate" celebration.
"Where there is a celebration, there is always a Budweiser. In that spirit, Budweiser wants to bring this celebration from the FIFA World Cup stadiums to the winning country’s fans," the company said in a statement. "We will host the ultimate championship celebration for the winning country. Because, for the winning fans, they’ve taken the world. More details will be shared when we get closer to the finals."