The gap between Asia’s best and the rest has closed; World Cup will be next
The 2023 Asian Cup has shown that the gap between Asia’s elite and the second tier has closed, and that could have a significant flow-on effect at the 2026 World Cup.
Dani Carvajal’s late strike rescued Real Madrid, earning them a 3-2 comeback win at home against bottom side Almeria on Sunday in a match marked by VAR controversy.