WORLD CUP STUFF

Round of 32 - France 3 Sweden 0 With names like Upper Meccano and Too Many, and with Mbappe looking so strong, quick and unstoppable that he could probably win it on his own, France are going to win this thing, aren't they? Meanwhile, under Potter, Swedish football seems to have evolved into a non-competitive sport. Round of 32 - Ivory Coast 1 Norway 2 Ivory Coast, shy of attacking players, dominated midfield but were naff up front. Some Norwegian bloke scored a beauty against the run of play, and set off the most embarrassing football chant in history, once again proving that the spectators at this tournament seem more interested in TV exposure than football. The Ivory Coast manager, Emulsi Fye, eventually brought on Amad, who scored, but Haaland, who had played like a minimally skilled telegraph pole all night, miskicked the winning goal off his heel. Haaland's grin is a most disturbing spectacle. Round of 32 - Mexico 2 Equator 0 Playing Mexico in the Azteca stadium must be like trying to fend off 87,000 supercharged zombies. Equator didn't stand a chance. Either England or DR Congo end up there next. Good luck with that.