Group D came to a thrilling conclusion on yesterday, as defending champion France was stunned 1-0 by Tunisia, while Australia remarkably booked itself a spot in the round of 16 as it ousted European Championship semi-finalist Denmark by the same score.

France’s setback was a little more comprehensible when considering the decision by head coach Didier Deschamps to rest stars Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and several other starters from his initial lineup, with qualification booked and top spot in the group virtually assured.

For Denmark, however, there were no such excuses, as a second-half strike from Matt Leckie gave them a second-straight win and a crack at the elimination rounds.

Few saw this coming. Once the draw was made it seemed like it was destined to be one of the more straightforward groups, a straight fight between the two European sides, with Denmark regarded as a solid outsider to win the entire tournament after its impressive Euros performance.

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With both games being played simultaneously, news filtered between the stadiums by various technological means. One of the most enduring memories of the World Cup may turn out to be Tunisia’s substitutes huddling around a smartphone to watching footage of the other game as time ticked away.

As it turned out, the critical moments took place within mere minutes of each other.

First, Tunisia went into the lead against France with Ellyes Skhiri winning the ball in midfielder and setting up captain Wahbi Khazri to provide a calm finish.

At things stood, it would have been enough to put Tunisia through – but it didn’t stand for long. On the hour, Leckie collected the ball in the Denmark penalty area with still plenty to do, but shimmied one way and the other, and then drove a left-foot effort speeding into the bottom corner and past Kasper Schmeichel.

There had already been a number of notable triumphs from Asian and North African teams; Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Japan beating Argentina, Belgium and Germany respectively. This double – Australia plays in the Asian region for FIFA purposes – was as extraordinary as what preceded it.

For the Tunisians, it was pride mixed with heartbreak as they were ultimately left to rue their disappointing defeat to Australia in the second game. At least they had the consolation of hanging on for a win here, even after Mbappe and Griezmann were introduced late.

Griezmann appeared to have scored deep into stoppage time, and after the Australia result had already eliminated Tunisia, only for his strike to be ruled out for an offside.

Luke Shaw is taking World Cup inspiration from memories of his late grandma.

Shaw has revealed his grandmother died from a long battle with cancer before England’s first World Cup game against Iran at Qatar 2022.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate offered him the chance to return home for a spell to be with his family. But Shaw has done his grieving in the England camp and admitted thinking about her is motivating him to help England try and win the biggest prize of all.

Shaw has been an ever present in England’s group stage, which has seen them remain unbeaten to set up a last 16 showdown with Senegal on Sunday.

The Manchester United defender said: “She had cancer for a long while and, unfortunately, she passed away just before the first game. She had cancer for a long while and had suffered a lot. It had been a long thing

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“Gareth was really good with me. He spoke to me and asked if everything is okay and did I need to have time away. So this World Cup means so much to me. I didn’t want to miss anything and I’ve had time to grieve. You could say it is part of my motivation. She was a really important part of my childhood and I spent a lot of time with her.”

Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham believed England’s attacking strength in depth means boss Gareth Southgate can pick anyone up front to find the net.

The Three Lions roared past Wales thanks to a Marcus Rashford double either side of a Phil Foden strike. The pair came into the side in place of Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka as Gareth Southgate freshened up his side.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder said: “So happy for Rashford. He was brilliant. When he gets the ball he’s got that freedom and his end product is good too.”

He added: “And in a game like this taking a free kick like that and the way he delivered put us in a really good position for the rest of the match. We have got loads of depth in the attacking areas and whoever comes on always seems to make an impact.

“Whether it is from the start or from the bench, the change of personnel doesn’t really change the style or the performance of the team which is quite rare, if I’m being honest.

“I’m really pleased for Phil (Foden). There has been a lot of pressure on him the last few days given all the attention but it just showed how good he is again.”

Senegal have thrown down the gauntlet to the Three Lions – challenging them to a duel to reach the World Cup quarter-final.

The west African country stand between England and spot in the last eight and have told Gareth Southgate’s men to prepare for an in-your-face scrap.

Emotions were running high within Aliou Cisse’s squad after they secured passage through to the last 16 by beating Ecuador. And it was clear from their words afterwards that they are ready to mix it.

Captain Kalidou Koulibaly said: “Senegal are better when they have their backs against the wall. We see real men and against Ecuador we saw real lions on the pitch. We knew they were a team that put a lot of aggression and intensity out there on the pitch.

“They wanted to hurt us. But we are used to that. We play in Africa. We are the African champions and we are used to duels. We knew we were going to respond on the pitch. And we did.”

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye said that not to have reached the knockout stage – only the second time his country has managed to do so since entering the World Cup – would have been a waste of years of hard work.

The Lions of Teranga sense they are men on a mission and England will have to thwart their date with destiny if Southgate’s squad is to progress.

Gueye said: “We’re really happy getting through because of all the effort we’ve made through the years. We know we have the players for it. Against Ecuador, it was like an AFCON game – a real battle.

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“The first two group games were quite complicated. In this game we had to deliver, and we did. And that was important for our people and for us.

“We made a lot of effort to qualify in the play-off game against Egypt. It would have been wasted had we not reached the last 16. We did it for the Senegalese people, for us and we hope to continue in the last 16.”

Along with Gueye, there is plenty of other Premier League experience within Cisse’s squad. Chelsea duo Edouard Mendy and Koulibaly are at the back, Gueye anchors the midfield and Watford ’s Ismaila Sarr is up front.

Sarr, in particular, ran Ecuador ragged and is growing into the tournament. Gueye added: “Ismaila can be the X-factor, the kind of player who takes people on and makes the difference.

“He is playing really well. He was really good for us against Ecuador. If he plays at that level, he can become even better, he just has to work hard and keep going, believing in himself.

“He can be a leader. He can’t be scared because we have midfielders behind him who can compensate and recover the ball. He can focus on attacking. That’s what we need from him – to play that kind of game.”

France had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside in the final minute of stoppage-time as Tunisia held on to register a shock victory, but failed to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup.

Substitute Antoine Griezmann volleyed in a dramatic equaliser at the Education City Stadium but the VAR decision meant Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazi’s brilliant first-half goal proved to be the winner.

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However, with Australia recording a 1-0 victory over Denmark in the other match in Group D, Tunisia’s hopes of progressing had been dashed before Griezmann’s goal was ruled out.

France are through to the last 16 as group winners having already secured qualification with victory over Denmark in the last game.

Australia reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in 16 years after shocking Denmark.

The Danes, needing victory to progress, dominated possession but were caught out on the break when Australia scored the winner on the hour mark.

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Denmark lost the ball in the Australian box and Mathew Leckie finished a brilliant counter attack with a low shot past Kasper Schmeichel.

Australia finish in second place in Group D on six points, only behind world champions France on goal difference.

Denmark meanwhile exit Qatar 2022 with just one point from three games, sitting bottom of the group.

* Gakpo shines as Holland top Group A

Kalidou Koulibaly’s superb volley earned Senegal a place in the World Cup knock-out stages for just the second time as they beat Ecuador 2-1.

The Chelsea defender’s second half strike, just two minutes after his side had conceded, was enough to secure second spot in Group A, behind the Netherlands, as they picked up a thoroughly deserved victory.

With a place in the round-of-16 at stake for both teams started quickly, there was a frantic and lively start to the game, although it was The Lions who had the better chances as Idrissa Gueye blasted wide, before Boulaye Dia somehow failed to hit the target from close range.

Given the attacking prowess on display at both ends of the field, it was a surprise that it took until the 44th minute for the deadlock to be broken, with Ismaila Sarr, who had earlier past the post, stroking a penalty into the bottom corner after being bundled over in the box by Piero Hincapie.

Ecuador flung on a string of attacking players after the break as they desperately searched for a way back into the game, and they duly equalised on 68-minutes when Felix Torres’ near post flick-on was met by Moises Caicedo, who tapped into a practically empty net.

That swung the emphasis back on Senegal to find a goal, and within seconds they were back ahead as Kalidou Koulibaly volleyed home from close range after Idrissa Gueye’s free-kick wasn’t cleared.

In the other match, Cody Gakpo continued his rich vein of form to help fire the Dutch to top of Group A and into the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup with a straightforward 2-0 win over host nation Qatar.

The PSV frontman – a reported target for Manchester United – made it three goals in three games to give Louis van Gaal’s side a 26th -minute lead.

A draw was enough to take Holland through, but victory was never in doubt against a below par Qatar side, who bow out with three defeats and without a single point.

The Dutch’s early pressure was relentless, and they made the breakthrough when Gakpo was played through by Klaassen and the in-form striker found the bottom corner with a composed right-footed finish.

De Jong was quickest to react to volley into an empty net after Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham had pulled off a brilliant save to deny Memphis Depay, who was making his first start following an injury in September.

Steven Berghuis came off the bench and thought he had the Netherlands’ third, but the goal was chalked off for a Gakpo handball in the build-up following a lengthy VAR check.

The Netherlands are joined in the last 16 by Senegal after they defeated Ecuador 2-1.

FIFA have confirmed that technology has proven Cristiano Ronaldo did not score against Uruguay on Monday.

That is despite Portugal reportedly presenting evidence that he had got the final touch on Bruno Fernandes ‘ ball into the box after 54 minutes. Fernandes’ cross eluded the Uruguayan defence and goalkeeper Sergio Rochet to open the scoring.

But on its way through, Ronaldo jumped up and appeared to attempt to head the ball in for his second goal of the tournament. The stadium announcer at the Lusail Iconic Stadium though announced Fernandes as the scorer, despite Ronaldo’s energetic celebration.

Fernandes himself admitted he was not sure if Ronaldo had touched the ball, though the superstar appeared to be claiming it. He insisted he did not care who was given the final credit for scoring.

“I celebrated [the goal] as if it had been Cristiano’s goal. It seemed to me that he had touched the ball. My aim was to cross the ball for him,” he said.”We are happy with the victory regardless of who scored. The most important thing is that we achieved our aim which is to be in the next round.”

Fernandes may be celebrating now though after FIFA confirmed their final decision, using technology from ball manufacturers Adidas. That technology proved that Ronaldo did not get a touch on the ball, meaning Fernandes has been credited with the goal.

“In the match between Portugal and Uruguay, using the Connected Ball Technology housed in adidas’s Al Rihla Official Match Ball, we are able to definitively show no contact on the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo for the opening goal in the game,” a FIFA statement read.

“No external force on the ball could be measured as shown by the lack of ‘heartbeat’ in our measurements. The 500Hz IMU sensor inside the ball allows us to be highly accurate in our analysis.”

The match ball made by Adidas includes technology that can provide real-time data to match officials. It can also capture every touch made by the players with sensors, introduced to help with judging off sides.

The Nigeria Football Federation has congratulated foremost journalist, prolific author and respected diarist, Kunle Solaja on the occasion of his being honoured by world football -governing body, FIFA in Doha, Qatar yesterday.

Alongside 81 other journalists of repute who have attended and reported at nearly a score of the quadrennial global football fiesta and other glamour tournaments, Solaja, a former Sports Editor of Concord Newspapers and the Guardian Newspapers, was awarded a certificate of achievement and a replica of the World Cup trophy, presented by Brazilian legend Ronaldo.

Solaja, presently the chief executive of online sports publication, www.sportsvillagesquare.com, was one of only two Africans on the list, the other being South African Mark Gleeson.

“Today, we are proud to congratulate and celebrate one of our own, Mr. Kunle Solaja, for the honour bestowed on him by FIFA. To attend 10 FIFA World Cup finals is not a joke. Mr. Solaja is a man competent, diligent and passionate about his trade, and we join FIFA to celebrate him as an illustrious servant of the beautiful game,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said in Abuja.

The certificate of achievement was jointly signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President of AIPS (the global umbrella body for sports writers), Gianni Merlo.

Star of the simple but memorable ceremony was 88-year-old Enrique Macaya Márquez, an Argentine freelancer who is covering his 17th FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and whose tally is one more than Uruguayan Diego Lucero, who before his death in 1995, had covered every FIFA World Cup tournament between 1930 and 1994.

Solaja’s illustrious odyssey began in 1986 in Mexico, and he has since attended the World Cup finals in Italy in 1990, USA in 1994, France in 1998, Korea/Japan in 2002, Germany in 2006, South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014 and Russia in 2018, before the ongoing finals in Qatar.

Apart from his demanding vocation and commitment to writing history in a hurry, which is the lot of the journalist, Solaja has now written four remarkable books on Nigeria football, namely Super Eagles…Through The Ages, Going For Goals…Unfolding Nigerian Football’s Hidden Stories, Super Eagles @70…Soaring on The Wings and TESILIMI ‘THUNDER’ BALOGUN…The Making Of A Legend.

Kalidou Koulibaly’s nerveless volley sent Senegal into the World Cup’s knockout stages for only the second time in their history as they eliminated Ecuador at a rowdy Khalifa International Stadium.

All three goals came from players based in England as Ecuador’s Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo cancelled out a penalty by Watford’s Ismaila Sarr before Chelsea defender Koulibaly’s side-footer won it.

Ecuador needed just a point to progress but paid the price for a passive display as Senegal were spurred on by an almost non-stop cacophony of drumming from their supporters in Al Rayyan.

Watford winger Sarr coolly stroked home from the spot, after being clumsily upended by Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, to put the African champions deservedly ahead.

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Ecuador levelled with their first real chance as Caicedo swept home Felix Torres’ flick-on but Koulibaly’s composed finish immediately regained the lead for Senegal, who knew only victory would be enough to go through barring an unlikely Qatar upset against the Netherlands.

They held out amid a nervy six minutes of stoppage time to finish as runners-up in Group A behind the Dutch, who clinched top spot by handing the tournament hosts a third defeat in three games with a comfortable 2-0 win in Al Khor.

Aliou Cisse’s side are potential last-16 opponents for England given the Lions of Teranga will next face the winners of Group B – a berth Gareth Southgate’s team could seal later on Tuesday.

BBCSPORTS