As it happened World Cup: England beat Wales 3-0 as Rashford scores double, USA makes second round with 1-0 win over Iran

That’s all we have for today everyone after an exciting morning of World Cup action which saw the Netherlands, Senegal, England and USA book spots in the knockout round of 16.

We will be back at 1.30am AEDT for our Socceroos v Denmark live blog so please get a little rest and then join us as Australia attempts to make the second round for the second time.

Back to his best: Aaron Mooy.Credit: AP

Before we go, here are a few of our major World Cup stories if you haven’t seen them yet:

‘We believe in each other’: How Socceroos aim to stick it to Denmark

Denmark’s miracle man: Why a heart attack survivor is standing between the Socceroos and history

How the Socceroos can advance at the World Cup

Scotsman on crutches props up the Socceroos

‘Not just fighting kangaroos’: Why Danes could be selling Socceroos short

Thanks for all the comments and interactions today and I hope you will join us again in the early hours of Thursday morning, until then - bye for now.

Saudi Arabia is considering making a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup along with Egypt and Greece, according to Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb.

“We are considering a bid with Greece and Egypt and we wish that it will be a winning bid,” Al Khateeb said in an interview in Riyadh.

Fans of Saudi Arabia celebrate their team 2-1 victory over Argentina during the world cup.Credit: AP

“Definitely the three countries would invest heavily in infrastructure and would definitely be ready. And I know by then Saudi Arabia would have state of the art stadiums and fan zones built.”

A Saudi bid to host the World Cup would add to the list of sporting events the world’s largest oil exporter is hosting as it looks to open up its economy to tourists and diversify away from a reliance on energy sales. It’s already secured the Asian Winter Games in 2029, an annual Formula 1 race, and several high profile boxing matches.

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, attended the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar last week alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, days after canceling a trip to major oil customer Japan.

London’s Times newspaper said in September the kingdom would potentially make a joint bid with Egypt and Greece according to unnamed source.

Bloomberg

Netherlands striker Cody Gakpo became the fourth Dutch player to score in three consecutive World Cup games after Johan Neeskens (1974), Dennis Bergkamp (1994) and Wesley Sneijder (2010).

He also became only the second player to open the scoring for his team three times in the same group stage after Alessandro Altobelli for Italy in 1986.

Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands scores a goal.Credit: AP

“Cody Gakpo has everything it takes to become a star,” 71-year-old Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said. “Plus he has a wonderful personality. He’s open minded to everything.”

Gakpo drew level with France standout Kylian Mbappé and Ecuador veteran Enner Valencia atop the tournament scoring chart. England’s Marcus Rashford later joined them on three goals.

For club and country in all competitions this season, Gakpo has been involved in 35 goals in 29 appearances with 17 goals scored and 18 assists.

That should make the 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven forward the target for an expensive transfer in the upcoming months.

AP

Kalidou Koulibaly literally drew inspiration on his captain’s armband, writing the No. 19 on it in memory of one of Senegal’s most loved players.

Then Koulibaly became one himself.

Steven Bergwijn of Netherlands and Kalidou Koulibaly of Senegal battle for the ball.Credit: Getty Images

The Senegal captain scored the winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Ecuador on Wednesday AEDT, putting his team into the round of 16 at the World Cup despite the absence of the injured Sadio Mane, the team’s best player and one of the best strikers in the world.

The No. 19 was to honour Papa Bouba Diop, the Senegal midfielder who scored the winning goal against defending champion France in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup. It was one of Senegal’s greatest soccer moments and a victory that started that team’s run to the quarterfinals — still Senegal’s best performance.

“We wanted to make him proud. We wanted to give homage to him,” Koulibaly said of Diop, who died at the age of 42 exactly two years ago on Wednesday AEDT.

“He was the one who made me dream when I was a boy. This was something we weren’t going to let slip.

“Thank God I was there to send that ball into the back of the net.”

Only a win against Ecuador would have taken Senegal through to the next round from Group A, and Koulibaly scored the goal that made it happen at Khalifa International Stadium.

AP

The Socceroos’ booster-in-chief as they ready themselves for their momentous clash with Denmark is a Scottish footballer who is on crutches and now knows he has been carrying a knee injury for six or more years.

You might think this is a symptom of what coach Graham Arnold mourns as the lack of talent and resources in Australian football. It’s not. It’s a case of mutual fortification for the team and for one of its best-loved and unluckiest members.

Martin Boyle in action against Peru in World Cup qualifying.Credit: AP

Boyle, who along with Harry Souttar is the most prominent of the Socceroos’ influx of skilled foreign workers, tore the meniscus in one knee while playing for Hibernian early last month.

“When you hear that news, it’s nothing but devastation,” he said. Australia picked him in their World Cup squad anyway, hoping to work a miracle.

Click here to read the story.

Al Rayyan, Qatar: Wales captain Gareth Bale vowed to keep playing for the national team amid doubts over his future after they were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage with a 3-0 defeat by England in Tuesday’s so-called “Battle of Britain”.

Returning to the World Cup after 64 years, Wales ended the tournament on one point, finishing bottom of Group B following a 1-1 draw with the United States in their opening game and a disappointing 2-0 defeat by Iran in the second match.

Gareth Bale celebrates his penalty against USA.Credit: Getty

Bale was anonymous in attack in the first half against England before coach Rob Page had to substitute him at the break due to a hamstring issue.

“I’ll keep going as long as I can and as long as I’m wanted,” Bale, Wales’ most-capped player, told the BBC.

“It’s a difficult moment now obviously but we go again.

“We have a (European Championship) qualifying campaign starting now again in March and we have a few months to get away from international football now which is obviously disappointing, we’d love to stay longer.”

Page said Bale gave an “excellent” performance before the break.

“Bale is fine and he wants the best for the team,” Page told reporters.

“He knew if he went back on the field he would have been around 70 per cent [fit]. When you play against a team like England, you can’t carry anybody.

“He put in a big shift ... I don’t think it will be the last time you see him in a Wales jersey.”

Reuters

Doha, Qatar: While Iran’s national team faced the US on the pitch, Iran’s politically divided fans faced each other in the stands.

The World Cup match between Iran and the United States on Wednesday AEDT was charged with emotion among Iranian fans, some of whom had come to Qatar not only to support their team, but the protest movement back home.

Iran fans at the game on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images

Like in Iran’s previous World Cup matches, government supporters tried to drown out protesters at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. Some fans backing the protest movement said government supporters sought to intimidate them by shoving camera phones in their faces.

Shortly after the match, which the US won 1-0, eliminating Iran from the tournament, scuffles erupted between Iranian protesters holding up portraits of outspoken former soccer player Ali Karimi, an icon of the protest movement, and a journalist from Iranian state-run media who was trying to film them. Security officials ultimately managed to separate them.

Two London-based Iranians, wearing T-shirts with the slogan of protests, were repeatedly harassed while talking to an Associated Press journalist before the match. One of them, who identified herself as Maryam, received a grazing slap to the face by an Iranian man following her. Security guards got between them, but did not detain the man who slapped her.

Other men blew vuvuzelas at the two or filmed them. One man shouted at them in Farsi “why don’t you think Iran is good?”

Maryam, who like other Iran fans declined to give her last name for fear of government reprisals, said her friends were similarly harassed.

“They can’t stop us. People are getting killed and I’m not going to get stopped by some random guy. I’m not afraid of them,” she said.

A group of young women, some wearing colorful balaclavas, identified themselves as members of the Pussy Riot collective while in the stands on Wednesday.Credit: AP

Dalia, an 18-year-old Iranian from the southern city of Ahvaz who attended the game with her parents, said Wednesday’s match had exposed divisions within her family between those still committed to supporting Iran’s national team and others who reject the players as tools of the government.

The Iranian players in Qatar have declined to comment or made vague statements about the protests in Iran, which were sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, while in the custody of Iran’s morality police.

“It’s so sad for me because I want to support them so badly but I just can’t,” Dalia said.

AP

USA goalscorer Christian Pulisic has reportedly finished the night in hospital after being substituted with an abdominal injury after scoring his match-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Iran which put the USA into the second round.

ESPN and other outlets have shared an image, reportedly sent by the player from his hospital bed where he claimed he would still be fit for the round of 16 game against the Netherlands this weekend.

Officially, the USA had no update on his condition.

Doha, Qatar: Neymar will miss Brazil’s last group game at the World Cup because of his right ankle injury, the team doctor said Tuesday.

Rodrigo Lasmar said the Brazil forward will not recover in time to face Cameroon in the Group G game on Saturday AEDT.

Neymar.Credit: AP

Neymar missed Tuesday AEDT’s game against Switzerland, when Brazil won 1-0 to secure its spot in the round of 16. A draw against Cameroon will be enough to give Brazil first place in the group.

Lasmar did not give a timetable on Neymar’s return, and did not say if the player would return at all.

Brazil’s coaching staff, though, reiterated Wednesday AEDT that the Paris Saint-Germain forward was expected to play again at the tournament in Qatar.

Neymar, who damaged ligaments in his ankle during Brazil’s opening match against Serbia, was the only player who didn’t go to Stadium 974 to watch the match against Switzerland. He stayed at the team hotel for physiotherapy treatment.

Lasmar said Neymar also had a fever on Monday, which “was under control” and would not affect his ankle treatment.

Lasmar said right back Danilo, who also is nursing an ankle injury, and left back Alex Sandro, who had to leave Monday’s match with a muscle injury, also won’t play against Cameroon.

Neymar, trying to win his first major title with Brazil, is two goals shy of Pelé’s all-time record of 77 with the national team.

AP

Vince Rugari has covered all the possible outcomes ahead of Australia v Denmark at 2am AEDT on Thursday starting with what happens if the Socceroos win.

IF THE SOCCEROOS BEAT DENMARK

Then they’re into the round of 16, and will equal the golden generation’s achievement in 2006 by finishing second in Group D — unless Tunisia can pull off a miracle result against France and beat the defending champions by several goals, in which case the Socceroos could finish first. Unlikely, but mathematically possible.

Click here for the full story.

The Socceroos’ Mitch Duke (right) celebrates his winning goal against Tunisia on Saturday night, which also proved a rating winner for SBS.Credit: Getty