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 and England tie 0-0
The U.S. and England tied in their match on Friday, ending the game without scoring any goals.
To advance to the next round, the U.S. will need to win its match against Iran on Tuesday.
England won its match against Iran on Monday 6-2.
Neymar to miss Brazil's next game with ankle injury
Soccer star Neymar injured his right ankle during Brazil's match against Serbia and will miss Brazil's second World Cup match, the team's doctor said Friday.
Team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said Neymar has a ligament injury on his right ankle and will not play against Switzerland on Monday, according to The Associated Press.
"I have an injury yes, it's boring, it's going to hurt but I'm sure I'll have the chance to come back because I will do my best to help my country, my teammates and myself," Neymar wrote in an Instagram post.
Lasmar said there is no timetable for Neymar's recovery, but that defender Danilo, who also suffered an ankle injury, will be out for the game Monday, the AP reported.
China gifts Qatar two pandas tasked with predicting game winners
Thuraya and Suhail are two pandas gifted to Qatar from China to celebrate their hosting the World Cup. Every day, they are tasked with predicting which countries will win that day's matchups.
Unfortunately, they are not given the opportunity to choose if the game will end in a draw. Their success rate so far stands at 33%.
Fans of the U.S. men's soccer team may hope this less-than-stellar rate holds as the pandas predicted this morning that England wins in the team's group stage match.
Senegal beats Qatar 3-1
Senegal beat World Cup host Qatar 3-1, in what was the host's first appearance in the tournament ever.
The two other Group A members, the Netherlands and Ecuador, are set to face off on Friday.
FiveThirtyEight gives US 38% chance of beating Iran
The odds of beating Iran are in the U.S.'s favor, but the overall chances of advancing to the knockout round are not -- at least according to FiveThirtyEight's World Cup predictions.
The U.S. has a 38% chance of winning, while Iran has a 31% chance, with a 31% chance of a draw. Only a win will put Team USA into the next round, so that means there's a 62% chance they won't advance to the knockout stage.
For those looking even further down the line, the U.S. has less than a 1% chance of winning the World Cup -- the same as Iran. For those looking on the bright side, the U.S. does have a 15% chance of making the quarterfinals.
FiveThirtyEight uses its Soccer Power Index ratings to determine the likely winner. The SPI draws from a database of international matches dating back to 1905. For a full explanation of how the rankings work, click here.