Quick hits: Feuding Belgians save the day, England's claims of 'disadvantage'

2 1 0 →2 1 →3 1 →1 3 →2 0 →0 1 →4 5 →0 0 →1 0 →0 1 →5 1 →1 0 →2 2 →1 0 →0 3 →1 1 →3 3 →3 0 →1 2 →1 1 →1 1 →1 1 →2 3 →0 2 →0 2 →1 3 →2 2 →0 - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- - →- World Cup quick hits: Feuding Belgians save the day, England's claims of 'disadvantage' Thu 2 Jul 2026 at 1:08pm Belgium stars turn on each other before combining to save their team, England makes claims of "disadvantage", and DR Congo's goalkeeper gives it all he's got. - Check out the full World Cup schedule here in Australian times - ABC Sport podcast: Check out the latest episode here Here are today's World Cup quick hits. 1. Feuding Belgians combine to save their country Rudi Garcia would have been delighted to get his Belgium team, 2-0 down to Senegal and on the brink, into one last hydration break for a rallying cry and tactical message. Instead, Garcia had to try to calm down his captain Youri Tielemans and winger Leandro Trossard, who were separated by teammates amid a furious row that was, until then, the most fight Belgium had shown in a limp, lifeless display. Yet little more than 20 minutes later the pair warmly embraced after combining to make it 2-2, Tielemans heading in Trossard's superb cross to complete an unlikely comeback, after having been second best to Senegal for the vast majority of the game. And then, when Tielemans won and converted a penalty in the last scheduled minute of extra time, the latest goal ever scored in a World Cup match, the Belgian comeback was complete and Senegalese hearts were broken. Garcia, who conceded that Senegal had deserved to win, said he saw Tielemans and Trossard's argument in the second half as a good sign for his side's chances. "[Romelu] Lukaku tried to calm both of them down, but I like that," he told reporters. "It means that we have a lively team ... Leandro, Youri, they are two major players on the Belgian side. "They so want to win. I don't even know why they were arguing, but I like that. I like to see players who really want to turn the situation around when things are not (going) well." 2. DR Congo keeper puts his body on the line Lionel Mpasi blocked shots with his right hand, his left, and even took one a bit below the belt. At one point, England midfielder Jude Bellingham gave him a hug of respect, with Mpasi sprawled on the turf, the ball safely in his grasp. In the end, though, the DR Congo goalkeeper couldn't stop Harry Kane. The England striker scored two late goals, the winner in the 86th minute, to prevent the upstart team from Africa from pulling off one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history. England is moving on to the round of 16 after its 2-1 victory, while Mpasi will have to console himself with one of the great defensive performances in a tournament filled with stellar play from the keepers. "I offered my body to science," he said through a translator, managing a wry smile. "But we knew Harry Kane is a super striker, and that we had to centre on him. Too bad that twice we paid a little less attention to him." 3. England spots 'disadvantage' already Barely an hour after sealing its spot in the last 16 with a win over DR Congo, England manager Thomas Tuchel declared his side was to be "at a disadvantage" for its next match. England will be playing Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, which is 1,525 metres above sea level, and, as such, will be played at a much higher altitude than usual. Mexico has played all of its games in these conditions, which Tuchel believes will be a significant factor. "The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it," he said. "It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It's physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude. "That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have," he added. "More obstacles may come, but we are ready for that. This is just something with which we will have to deal." 4. Four dead in Mexico celebrations Mexican health authorities confirmed four people had died during massive celebrations in downtown Mexico City after the national team's victory over Ecuador. Two women and one man were found unconscious on streets near the iconic Angel of Independence monument, where thousands had gathered to celebrate, Mexico City's Health Secretariat said. The victims, who authorities said died of asphyxiation, were 48, 44 and 19 years old. Authorities did not provide additional details about the circumstances of the deaths. Later, Mexico City Health Secretary Nadine Gasman told a news conference that another man, about 30, was treated by emergency personnel after suffering an epileptic seizure, convulsions, and gastrointestinal bleeding. He died shortly afterwards at a hospital of cardio-respiratory arrest. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada posted on social media that emergency crews responded immediately after receiving reports of the three unconscious people, but they had already died. Brugada also urged the public to celebrate "responsibly, carefully and with empathy". 5. Quiet, please? Not when Harry Kane is scoring There are no World Cup games shown at Wimbledon, even when England is playing, but the Centre Court crowd was clearly finding ways of following some of the action anyway. Loud cheers that had nothing to do with tennis broke out three times during the third set of Barbora Krejcikova's win over Mirra Andreeva in the second round of the grand slam tournament. The first two were for Harry Kane's goals that helped England come from behind to beat Congo 2-1 in Atlanta, and the third was for the final whistle. Andreeva, the French Open champion who ended up losing 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, seemed confused as she shook her head ruefully when the first cheers broke out between points at 2-1, although perhaps that was because her opponent had just saved a break point. "Was there a football match?" Andreeva said after. "I didn't know that." The ABC of SPORT ABC/Wires