England's loss, a scandal in Spain and Pepe's winner for the Elephants

Exactly 60 years have passed since England national football team won its only major trophy in history. The Three Lions came close to European glory twice in the last five years, but once again fell short. Fans are placing great hope in this year’s World Cup, yet tonight they received a serious warning ahead of the tournament, which kicks off in less than two and a half months. Japan national football team defeated England 1–0 at Wembley Stadium in a friendly match, proving once again that they are a nightmare for European powerhouses. It’s worth remembering how the Blue Samurai beat both Germany national football team and Spain national football team at the 2022 World Cup, so this result is nothing new for the team led by Hajime Moriyasu. The winning goal was scored by Kaoru Mitoma, a player well familiar with English football, who finished a counterattack in the 23rd minute after an assist from Keito Nakamura.

Another surprise of the evening came from Egypt national football team, who held Spain national football team to a 0–0 draw at Espanyol’s stadium, despite missing Mohamed Salah. Coach Luis de la Fuente fielded a rotated lineup, including players unlikely to start at the World Cup such as Carlos Soler, Cristhian Mosquera, Ander Barrenetxea, and Pablo Fornals, although Lamine Yamal did feature. The match, however, was marred by an ugly and bizarre incident, as some Spanish fans chanted offensive slogans targeting Muslims—ironically, their own star Yamal is of Islamic faith. Egypt remained composed, defending solidly and keeping a clean sheet despite facing 26 shots from the European champions.

Among other notable matches, Ivory Coast national football team defeated Scotland national football team 1–0 in Liverpool at Goodison Park, with Nicolas Pepe scoring the winner in the 12th minute. Both teams will appear at the upcoming World Cup—Ivor y Coast for the first time in 12 years, Scotland for the first time in 28. Finally, Morocco national football team, backed by a large number of their fans in Lens, defeated Paraguay national football team 2–1. Goals for the African finalists came from Bilal El Khannouss and Neil El Aynaoui early in the second half, while Gustavo Caballero scored a late consolation for Paraguay.