Some fine 1994 memories from Republic of Ireland’s adventures in Orlando.

The first game of Friday sees the Socceroos take on Egypt.

Australia coach Tony Popovic said his team will be prepared whether Salah is on the pitch or not.

“We have prepared for Salah playing, we’ve seen when he’s not on the pitch the players in those positions where he may play,” he said. “So we’ve prepared for both scenarios and we’ll see tomorrow.”

The other co-hosts, the daddy hosts, are falling in love with soccer, and their national team.

The game had an average of 24.429 million viewers on Fox, making it the most-watched English-language soccer broadcast in US history, the broadcaster said. The Fox telecast peaked at 31.883 million. Telemundo, which holds the Spanish language rights to World Cup broadcasts in the US, reported 9.1 million viewers over the total game window.

A weekend of buildup for Mexico v England, and Nick Ames is in Mexico City.

Nobody needs an excuse to pump Sunday’s occasion up. With the final whistle nearing in England’s win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the local television commentator reeled off the names of England’s players one by one. In a manner redolent of the Norwegian broadcaster Bjørge Lillelien, whose “Can you hear me Maggie Thatcher?” oration in 1981 is etched into folklore, the Mexican equivalent welcomed Harry Kane and company to the bubbling cauldron that awaits.

Spain looked ominous in beating Austria.

The group stage is something you have to do but the World Cup starts here, Lamine Yamal had insisted, and down on the Pacific that was how it played out. It wasn’t just that Spain defeated Austria to reach the last 16 against Portugal or Croatia, their first victory at the knockout stage since they were champions in 2010; it was that on an enjoyable sunny afternoon they were Spain again. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and another from Pedro Porro completed a 3-0 win that was as recognisably theirs as their coach had requested beforehand. “Almost perfect,” Luis de la Fuente called it afterwards.

The World Cup is a place to unearth stars, and the Swiss may just have one.

No wonder Newcastle United are working overtime to wrap up a deal for Johan Manzambi. The secret, if there was such a thing, is well and truly out when it comes to the 20-year-old Freiburg forward who destroyed the Algeria defence to tee up Breel Embolo for Switzerland’s opener in an ominously comfortable victory to reach the last 16.

What a game last night in Toronto. Farewell, Luka Modric. The Ronaldo show rolls on.

Ronaldo hung away from the melée until the penalty was confirmed, then began his march to the spot. He framed himself around the ball, he performed all the necessary rituals, he stepped up, sat Livaković down and converted. He ran to the corner as the ground exploded, performed his trademark celebration and the crowd ‘siuuuuued’ back to him.