World Cup
Ahead of Morocco Match: Scotland’s Supporters, ‘Thirsty’ Tartan Army Drinks Boston Bars to the Brink
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Boston’s bars are bracing for another surge of thirsty Scotland supporters ahead of their team’s World Cup clash against Morocco after the famed Tartan Army nearly drank some establishments dry during the opening weekend of the tournament.
According toa Reuters report, the Scottish fans, attending their country’s first World Cup since 1998, descended on the Massachusetts city in their tens of thousands and celebrated Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday with a drinking spree that caught many bar owners off guard.
“I’ve been in this business for over 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Billy DeCain, general manager of the Sam Adams Tap Room in downtown Boston.
The unprecedented demand forced the bar to arrange emergency deliveries from a nearby Sam Adams brewery after beer supplies dwindled rapidly during the weekend festivities.
“We just about made it through. If we didn’t have those emergency deliveries, it would have been a tall task,” DeCain said on Wednesday as Scottish supporters gathered for pre-match drinks ahead of Friday’s encounter with Morocco.
Both of Scotland’s opening Group matches are being played at the New England Patriots’ stadium in Foxborough, a suburb of Boston, turning the city into a temporary home for the travelling fans.
DeCain compared the excitement among Scots to the emotions Americans would experience if their favourite National Football League team reached the Super Bowl for the first time.
“You’re on adrenaline all weekend, and you could definitely see that,” he said. “Do they ever sleep? Do they ever get tired? They were back at it the next day at 11 a.m.”
The colourful presence of the Tartan Army has become one of the early highlights of the World Cup in Boston. Thousands of fans marched through the city on Sunday, accompanied by massed bagpipes, before making their way to Fenway Park, the historic home of baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
Their good-natured celebrations have won widespread admiration from local residents and businesses.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu praised the visitors for their passion and enthusiasm, saying the city’s sports-loving culture had formed an instant bond with the Scottish fans.
“We count ourselves as among the most passionate and crazy sports fans anywhere. So, to see that same level of commitment and dedication, that brings true respect,” Wu told Reuters while wearing a Scotland jersey on the steps of Boston City Hall.
“The Scottish fans are the absolute best. They have been incredibly warm, they’ve been supporting our businesses, they have been getting to know our community and treating Boston as if it were another home away from home for them,” she added.
Wu said she hoped the Tartan Army would continue returning to Boston long after the World Cup.
After Friday’s meeting with Morocco, Scotland will travel to Miami for a blockbuster clash against Brazil, while Boston prepares for another influx of overseas supporters when England’s fans arrive ahead of their World Cup match against Ghana in Foxborough next Tuesday.
For local businesses, however, the immediate priority remains ensuring that beer supplies are sufficient to cope with Scotland’s famously festive supporters as the World Cup party continues.
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Few strikers in international football history can match the scoring exploits of Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku.
The powerful forward has amassed an astonishing 93 goals for the Red Devils, establishing himself as his country’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most prolific marksmen the international game has ever seen.
What makes the feat even more remarkable is the breadth of opposition he has punished. Lukaku’s 93 international goals have come against 39 different countries spread across multiple continents and competitions.
European teams have borne the brunt of his firepower. No fewer than 29 European nations have conceded to the Belgian striker, while teams from Africa, Asia, North America and South America have also fallen victim to his finishing ability.
Yet amid that long list of victims, one notable football giant remains untouched: Spain.
Despite scoring against almost every type of opponent imaginable during his international career, Lukaku has never found the net against La Roja. It is a statistical anomaly for a player who has spent more than a decade terrorising defences around the world.
The record adds an intriguing subplot to Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final showdown with Spain. As Belgium seek a place in the semi-finals, Lukaku will be chasing more than just victory. He will also be aiming to remove one of the last blank spaces from his remarkable international scoring map.
BET9JA FACT FILE
- Player: Romelu Lukaku (Belgium)
- International Goals: 93
- Different Countries Scored Against: 39
- European Nations Scored Against: 29
- Belgium All-Time Leading Scorer: Yes
- Never Scored Against: Spain
- Next Opportunity: FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-final vs Spain
For a striker who has conquered almost every defence put before him, Spain represents one final riddle waiting to be solved.
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Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón has etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after extending his remarkable run without conceding a goal to 609 minutes, the longest shutout streak ever recorded in the tournament.
The Spanish shot-stopper surpassed the previous World Cup benchmark during Spain’s march to the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underlining his status as one of the competition’s standout performers.
Simón’s extraordinary sequence has spanned multiple matches, with opponents repeatedly failing to find a way past the Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper. His commanding displays, sharp reflexes and assured handling have provided the foundation for Spain’s impressive defensive record.
The clean-sheet streak has been built through victories over Austria and Portugal in the knockout rounds, as well as a flawless group-stage campaign in which Spain’s defence proved virtually impenetrable.
While forwards often dominate the headlines at major tournaments, Simón’s achievement highlights the crucial role of goalkeepers in World Cup success. The Spaniard has not only protected his team’s goal but has also rewritten a piece of football history that has stood through decades of World Cup competition.
With Spain preparing for a heavyweight quarter-final clash against Belgium, Simón will have the opportunity to extend the record even further. Every additional minute without conceding will push the mark deeper into uncharted territory.
Unai Simón’s World Cup Record at a Glance
- Player: Unai Simón (Spain)
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Current shutout streak: 609 minutes
- Achievement: Longest period without conceding a goal in FIFA World Cup history
- Tournament: FIFA World Cup 2026
- Status: Record active and still growing
As Spain continue their quest for a second World Cup title, Simón’s historic run has become one of the defining individual stories of the 2026 tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Spain will take a formidable historical advantage into their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash with Belgium as two of international football’s most consistent teams put lengthy unbeaten runs on the line.
La Roja have dominated recent meetings between the two European heavyweights, going unbeaten in their last 11 encounters against Belgium. The Spaniards have won nine of those matches and drawn two, including victories in each of the last five meetings.
Four of those five successive wins came during FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns, underlining Spain’s ability to rise to the occasion whenever the Belgians stand in their way.
While history strongly favours Spain, current form suggests Friday’s showdown could be one of the most compelling contests of the tournament.
Spain arrive in the quarter-finals carrying an extraordinary 35-match unbeaten run in regular time. Their sequence of 26 victories and nine draws stretches back more than two years to a 1-0 friendly defeat by Colombia in London on March 22, 2024.
That remarkable consistency has helped establish Spain as one of the favourites for the title and has been built on a blend of defensive solidity, technical superiority and clinical finishing.
Belgium, however, have been equally difficult to beat.
The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 18 matches, recording 12 wins and six draws since suffering a 3-1 defeat to Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League in March last year.
Led by the experienced Romelu Lukaku and a squad combining seasoned campaigners with emerging talent, Belgium have steadily rebuilt momentum and confidence after a difficult period, arriving at the World Cup quarter-finals as genuine contenders.
The statistics set up a fascinating battle between a Spain side that has repeatedly found answers against Belgium and a Belgian team that has rediscovered its resilience and winning habit.
For Spain, victory would extend both their dominance over Belgium and their remarkable unbeaten sequence. For Belgium, it represents an opportunity to break a frustrating head-to-head trend and end one of international football’s longest-running unbeaten records.
Something will have to give when the two unbeaten runs collide, with a coveted place in the World Cup semi-finals awaiting the winner.
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BET9JA FACT FILE: Spain Remains the Missing Piece in Lukaku’s Scoring Puzzle
BET9JA FACT FILE: Simón Sets New World Cup Shutout Record
History Favours Spain as Unbeaten Giants Collide with Belgium in World Cup Quarter-final
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