World Cup greats Argentina, Brazil, Germany win friendlies days before kick-off

Football powerhouses Brazil, Argentina, and Germany all claimed narrow victories in their final warm-up games on Saturday, just days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off. Former champions England and Portugal also emerged victorious in a busy day of international friendlies.

Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Vini Jr graced the pitch, but Argentina, a three-time World Cup winner, opted to rest Lionel Messi during their 2-0 win over Honduras in Texas. Lautaro Martinez impressed with a goal and an assist, while Simeone added the second for Argentina.

Five-time champions Brazil defeated Egypt 2-1 in Cleveland, with Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes scoring early and Lyon forward Endrick adding a second-half goal. However, Brazil's AS Roma right-back Wesley left the field in tears with a suspected serious muscle injury, potentially ruling him out of the World Cup. Teams have until one day before their first games to make player changes.

Harry Kane's first-half header secured a 1-0 win for England against New Zealand in Tampa. Germany, four-time world champions, extended their winning streak to nine games with a 2-1 victory over World Cup co-hosts United States in Chicago. Kai Havertz opened the scoring for Germany, but the US equalized before Leroy Sane netted the winner.

Portugal secured a 2-1 win over Chile in a heated match that saw both teams finish with 10 men. Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes scored for Portugal. "We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third," Fernandes told RTP.

Romelu Lukaku made a 25-minute appearance for Belgium in their 5-0 rout of 10-man Tunisia, contributing an assist. Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio, and Nicolas Raskin scored the goals.

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We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third.