Written by Nan Nan. In Kansas City, the defending champions' first World Cup match: in the 17th minute, De Paul intercepted and played a through ball. The Argentine No. 10 advanced to the top of the arc and fired a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net. No roar, no sprint—Messi pulled up his jersey to wipe his eyes. In the 60th minute, Mac Allister's long-range effort forced a goalkeeper spill, and Messi tapped in the rebound.

Reporter Wang Wei reports: With the fragrance of zongzi in the air and drums beating for dragon boats, the dream of football on green pitches ignites the city. The seventh round of the 2026 Guangdong Provincial City Football Super League (Guangdong Super League) coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Across the province, stadiums deeply integrated the thousand-year-old dragon boat tradition, Lingnan intangible cultural heritage, and urban football competition. During the holiday, a wave of nationwide viewing enthusiasm surged, with 18,000 spectators at a single match in Zhaoqing, and attendance rates soaring across all venues.

Journalist Lu Mi reports that changing a coach only resolves certain urgent conflicts within a specific time frame and is not a universal remedy. Therefore, among the recent wave of coaching changes in the China League One, the results have varied significantly. The Ningbo team has shown the most notable "effectiveness." Since Li Weifeng took over, they have delivered an impressive seven-match unbeaten streak in the league, making this the most successful coaching change in both tiers of the league this season. The team, formerly Shanghai Jiading Huilong, relocated to Ningbo this season.

Foreword: The S16 season has officially begun, and I believe most players are paying close attention. In recent clashes, the overall form of all teams has remained very stable, and many squads have made adjustments during this break period.

Below is a quick update on the results and standings of the 2026 World Cup on June 22.

According to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Berlin, the German Football Association (DFB) is intensifying its strategy to expand influence in the United States, viewing the 2026 World Cup as a key opportunity to boost the visibility of German football in the world’s largest sports market.

On the morning of June 22, 2026 (Vietnam time), the Cape Verde national team pulled off another major surprise by holding Uruguay to a 2-2 draw in their second Group H match at the Miami Stadium (USA).

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said on June 21 that the hot weather and water breaks during matches are creating a significant advantage for underdog teams at the 2026 World Cup, contributing to more surprises in this tournament compared to previous World Cups.

Reporter Chen Yong reports: On the morning of June 21, Ma Ning officiated the World Cup match between Ecuador and Curaçao. For this World Cup, China has performed well in terms of commercial sponsorship and fan enthusiasm, but on the pitch, only referees represent Chinese football, while the national team remains mere spectators.

Reporter Chen Yong reports that in the first round of the group stage at this World Cup, six Asian teams remained unbeaten: South Korea kicked off with a 2-1 victory over Czech Republic, followed by Qatar drawing 1-1 with Switzerland, Australia beating Turkey 2-0, Japan tying the Netherlands 2-2, Saudi Arabia drawing Uruguay 1-1, and Iran drawing New Zealand 2-2.