00:13Welcome to Beyond the Game, the Bulls takes fear. In the first game of the day, against all expectations, Cape
00:19Verde produced one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far, holding Spain to a scoreless
00:24draw in Group H.
00:26The tournament's evidence showed remarkable discipline and determination, frustrating one of the world's traditional football powers for the full 90
00:33minutes. Spain dominated possession and created the better chances through Petri, Rodri and their talented attacking unit, but Cape Verde's
00:41defence stood firm. Goalkeeper and the backline delivered a heroic performance, reportedly denied Spain the breakthrough they seemed destined to
00:50find.
00:50For Cape Verde appearing in the first ever World Cup, the result feels like a victory. The Blue Sharks match
00:58Spain's technical quality with organisation's resilience and belief, earning a historic point on football's biggest stage.
01:05The final whistle sparked celebrations among players and supporters alike. The draw leaves Group H wide open and gives Cape
01:12Verde a genuine chance of dreaming about an unlikely place in the knockout stage.
01:25The story of Cape Verde's historic draw against Spain belongs to the one man, Bozinja. The 40-year-old goalkeeper
01:34delivered the performance of his life, earning player-of-the-match honours after shutting out one tournament favourite for 90
01:40unforgettable minutes.
01:41Every time La Roja looked ready to score, Bozinja came up with another crucial save. His reflexes, positioning and composure
01:49frustrated the Spanish attack and inspired the Cape Verde defence to hold firm.
01:53Bozinja turned a dream into reality, helping Cape Verde secure one of the greatest results in the country's football history.
02:00The veteran goalkeeper proved age is just a number.
02:12And Egypt and Belgium are tied 1-1 in the first game of Group G playing out right now.
02:17The Pharaohs have executed their game plan to perfection, remaining compact defensively and striking with purpose on the counter-attack.
02:24Belgium has enjoyed more possession, with Kevin De Bruyne orchestrating play from midfield and the Red Devils pushing numbers forward.
02:32But Egypt has been disciplined, closing passing lanes and limiting clear-cut opportunities.
02:37When our possession is won, Egypt has looked dangerous in transition, using pace and direct attacking play to expose space
02:44behind the Belgian defence.
02:45The breakthrough for Egypt came from one of those quick attacks by Eman Ashour, rewarding the team's efficiency in front
02:52of goal,
02:52while Romelu Lukaku tied the game at minute 66 for Belgium, assisted by Thomas Munier.
03:05And Uruguay begins its World Cup campaign carrying the weight of expectations.
03:09Marcelo Bielsa's side is one of South America's most dangerous teams, built around the relentless energy of Federico Valverde,
03:17the ball-winning presence of Manuel Ugarte and the goal-scoring injuries of Darwin Nunez.
03:22Uruguay's approach is expected to be aggressive, pressing high and attacking vertically whenever opportunities arise.
03:28Saudi Arabia enters as the underdog, but with memories of one of the greatest World Cup upsets ever, the victory
03:35over Argentina in 2022.
03:37The Saudis will likely defend compactly, rely on the pace of Saud Abdul Hamid, and look for quick breaks whenever
03:43Uruguay commits numbers forward.
03:52And as Iran prepares for its World Cup campaign, its players continue to face the consequences of U.S. immigration
03:57restrictions,
03:58that have forced the team to base itself in Mexico and endure cross-border travel despite playing all three group
04:05stage matches in the United States.
04:06Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi reflects on unity football and representing Iranians around the world.
04:18I want to say hello to all respected reporters, sorry for the delay that happened, it was not in our
04:24control and was caused by the delay in our flight from Tawana.
04:34We came at 10 o'clock m, and reached here at 3 pm.
04:41Regarding your question, I want to say that, we are here to play football for all people of Iran.
04:50Those who are in Iran, and those who are outside Iran and football can make, all sides in the country,
04:56united.
05:01What we do can make our people happy, including those in or outside Iran.
05:08As civilized Iran was united for many years, we want to do this through football as well.
05:13Our reason for being in the World Cup, is to make Iranian all over the world happy.
05:22And Japan fans celebrating in Tokyo as late equalizer by Daishi Kamada earned a dramatic 2-2 draw against the
05:29Netherlands in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
05:33There were times when it was really close, and I thought we were going to the Olympics.
05:37But we, Japan, managed to earn a valuable point, so I'm really happy. It was fun.
05:45The Netherlands are also one of the favorites to win, so I was happy that Japan was able to compete
05:51on equal footing with them.
05:54I really felt a strong sense of unity with everyone, and it was so much fun to watch and cheer
05:59together.
06:02It was a very tight and exciting match. Honestly, as a match, it was incredibly enjoyable, even beyond the role
06:09of a supporter.
06:14I really think it was a draw that felt like a win. It was a good match that will lead
06:19to future success.
06:25I'm relieved for now. It's a big deal that they managed to get the minimum requirement of one point, and
06:30also that they didn't lose against a higher-ranked opponent.
06:41Well, this is all for this edition of Beyond the Game. The ball stays pure. Just a recap. Egypt and
06:47Belgium remain tied 1-1 in their game in the final minutes.
06:52Let's go back to you, Alejandra.
06:53Thank you, Luisi, for all the updates in today's news regarding the World Cup. Thank you very much.
06:59Don't go too far, because we want to know more about today's events.
07:05And with this special segment, we have come to the end of this news brief. Remember, you can find this
07:11and many other stories on our website at telesurenglish.net.
07:15For Telesur English, I'm Alejandra Garcia. Thank you for watching.
07:30All right.
07:36By the way, I'll see you next time.
07:37I will see you next time.
07:37See you next time.
07:37Bye-bye.
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