The United States will ​continue to assess the Iran squad’s travel arrangements at the World Cup but for now the original plan remains in ‌place despite the team saying they would lodge a complaint with FIFA, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament, told Reuters on Saturday.

Iran are unhappy at restrictions that mean they can only travel to venues within 24 hours of their fixtures and must depart back to their ​training base in Tijuana, Mexico, directly after each game, with coach Amir Ghalenoei suggesting his side were “the most oppressed team ​in the whole World Cup”.

Giuliani, however, says the situation is fluid, and they will discuss what measures will ⁠be in place for Iran’s third game against Egypt in Seattle on Friday, after they meet with Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday.

“The situation ​is dynamic,” Giuliani said in an exclusive interview in Houston. “We have a plan right now. Tomorrow afternoon (after the match against Belgium), they ​will take the 27-minute flight back to Tijuana.

“We will see how it goes for match two, and then there will be discussions the day after in terms of what it looks like for match three in Seattle.”

Giuliani defended the measures in place and said the pre-tournament change in training bases for the ​side from Tucson to Tijuana had shortened Iran’s travel time.

“The shift from Tucson to Tijuana, I think, was good for everybody involved; certainly ​it reduces their travel time to Los Angeles too,” he said. “Their flight is an hour shorter than it would be from Tucson. And we’re happy ‌with the ⁠way that things went for match one in Los Angeles.

“I would just point to the fact that all players have received visas. All the coaches have received visas. There are some team officials who have not received visas, and that’s because we’ve seen some derogatory information on them, and this is the balance that we talk about.”

PROTECTING INTERESTS OF U.S.

Giuliani said the goal has always been to protect ​the interests of the United States ​and the international visitors at ⁠the World Cup.

“We want to make sure we have this incredible soccer tournament, where people are welcome and enjoy the World Cup, while also making sure that we are not just protecting American citizens, ​but we’re also protecting all those international visitors that are coming here,” he said.

He revealed that ​no threats to the ⁠tournament had been identified, but that officials remain vigilant.

“What I can tell you is our intelligence community has tripled down on this since the beginning of this year,” he said. “We’re in discussions every hour on it. But there have been no credible threats at this moment.”

Giuliani has ⁠been pleased ​with the opening 10 days of the World Cup.

“Things are going as planned,” he ​said. “It’s been fantastic to see the great play on the pitch, which seems to be the majority of the conversation, which has been fantastic.

“I think this is an ​amazing celebration of America over our 250th birthday, with the World Cup being the incredible highlight.”

-Reuters

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.

Morocco’s Ismael Saibari may not have broken the FIFA World Cup record for the fastest goal, but his lightning strike against Scotland has earned a place among the standout moments of the 2026 tournament and helped propel the Atlas Lions to the top of Group C.

Saibari stunned Scotland by finding the net just 69 seconds after kick-off in Morocco’s 1-0 victory on Friday, giving Walid Regragui’s side a priceless three points and strengthening their prospects of reaching the knockout stages.

The midfielder’s early breakthrough immediately sparked debate among fans and pundits, with many wondering whether it was the fastest goal of the tournament and where it ranked among the quickest strikes in World Cup history.

A look through the tournament’s record books reveals that the all-time mark remains safely in the hands of former Turkish striker Hakan Şükür, who scored after just 11 seconds in Turkey’s 3-2 victory over South Korea in the third-place match at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.

Şükür’s goal, officially timed at 10.8 seconds, came after Turkey forced an error straight from kick-off before the prolific striker calmly beat goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae.

Saibari’s goal, created by an incisive pass from Brahim Díaz before the midfielder powered home from inside the penalty area, does not threaten that long-standing record. However, it ranks among the fastest goals seen at the current tournament and underlines Morocco’s growing reputation as one of the most dynamic teams in the competition.

Only Paraguay’s Matías Galarza scored quicker during the second round of group matches, finding the net after 64 seconds in his country’s dramatic 1-0 victory over Turkey. Paraguay ended a 16-year wait for a World Cup win despite playing the entire second half with ten men after Miguel Almirón was sent off under FIFA’s new regulations for covering his mouth.

For Morocco, however, the significance of Saibari’s strike extends beyond statistics.

The goal proved decisive against a Scottish side that struggled to recover from the early setback as the Atlas Lions controlled proceedings and secured a victory that lifted them to the summit of Group C.

While Saibari remains some distance from the elite list of the fastest goals in World Cup history—headed by Şükür, followed by Czechoslovakia’s Václav Mašek (15 seconds), Germany’s Ernst Lehner (24 seconds), England’s Bryan Robson (28 seconds) and American Clint Dempsey (30 seconds)—his effort has already become one of the defining moments of Morocco’s campaign.

With four points from two matches and momentum building, Morocco will be less concerned with record books than with extending their stay in North America. Yet Saibari’s explosive start against Scotland has ensured that his name will be remembered among the quickest marksmen of World Cup 2026.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Ronald Koeman endured defeat against Sweden on his international debut for the Netherlands more than four decades ago, and for years that remained his only encounter with the Scandinavians as a player. On Saturday, however, the Dutch coach enjoyed sweet revenge from the touchline as his side produced a scintillating 5-1 victory over Sweden at the FIFA World Cup.

The emphatic win at the World Cup strengthened the Netherlands’ grip on the top of Group F and marked a memorable chapter in Koeman’s long association with Dutch football.

Koeman lost 3-0 to Sweden when he made his Oranje debut in 1983, and despite going on to earn 78 caps and establish himself as one of the most celebrated defenders of his generation, he never faced the Swedes again during his playing career.

Now as national team coach, he watched his side dismantle Sweden with an attacking display led by striker Brian Brobbey, who justified his selection ahead of record scorer Memphis Depay with two early goals.

Brobbey put the Dutch ahead in the opening minutes and doubled the advantage in the 17th minute, giving the Netherlands firm control of the contest.

The Swedes, who had opened their campaign with a convincing 5-1 victory over Tunisia, struggled to contain the Dutch attack. Any hopes of a comeback were effectively extinguished shortly after halftime when Cody Gakpo struck twice in a seven-minute spell to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Substitute Anthony Elanga briefly gave Sweden something to cheer about when he pulled a goal back in the 59th minute, but the effort proved little more than a consolation.

The Netherlands completed the rout in the closing stages when Crysencio Summerville weaved his way to the edge of the penalty area before finishing expertly in the final minute to make it 5-1.

The result lifted the Dutch to four points from two matches and to the summit of Group F, while Sweden remained on three points.

Attention in the group now turns to Monterrey, where Tunisia and Japan were scheduled to meet later on Saturday in a match carrying added historical significance as the 1,000th fixture in FIFA World Cup history.

For Koeman, however, the day belonged to the Netherlands and a long-awaited measure of satisfaction against the nation that spoiled his international debut 43 years ago.

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