MATCHDAY 9 - JUNE 19
A day after the first of the three host nations qualified for the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, another followed.
An impressive first-half performance was enough for the United States to take a 2-0 half-time lead against Australia in Group D, which they held onto for a historic win – it was the first time since the first edition of the tournament in 1930 that the United States won its opening two matches of a World Cup.
In doing so, they joined fellow co-host Mexico in the knockout stages, each with a group stage game in hand.
A goal after just 71 seconds from midfielder Ismael Saibari was enough for Morocco to beat Scotland in their Group C clash, with neither team scoring for the rest of the game.
Five-time champions Brazil bounced back from a drab performance in the 1-1 draw against Morocco last week for a relatively easy 3-0 win over Haiti in Group C, thanks to a brace from forward Matheus Cunha. The defeat condemned Haiti to the ignominy of being the first team to be eliminated from the competition.
But it was not an ignominy they would have to endure alone for too long, as Turkey also crashed out of the tournament with a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in Group D. Midfielder Matías Galarza bettered the record for the fastest goal of the tournament so far – scored by Morocco’s Saibari earlier in the day – finding the net after just 64 seconds, for a 1-0 lead that Paraguay held onto for the 89 minutes plus added time that followed. They also did so despite having Miguel Almirón sent off late in the first half, when he became the first player to be shown a red card for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent on the field – part of FIFA’s protocol to stamp out racism in the game.
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MATCHDAY 8 - JUNE 18
Co-host Mexico became the first country to qualify for the Round of 32, edging out South Korea 1-0 in Group A as the second round of group stage matches started on Thursday. The solitary goal came in the 50th minute from midfielder Luis Romo.
Earlier in the day, Teboho Mokoena converted an 83rd-minute penalty to earn South Africa a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic. An early goal in the sixth minute from Michal Sadilek had given the Czechs the lead, but they could not hold onto the advantage, ultimately sharing the points at the Atlanta Stadium. The result is not particularly helpful to either team, as both sit on just a single point after two matches.
The other co-host in action on Thursday had a much easier run-out, with Canada routing Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver in Group B.
Forward Jonathan David bagged the second hat-trick of the tournament so far—following Lionel Messi's heroics earlier in the week—setting the Canadians up for a massive win. Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also scored for the home team, while a 75th-minute own goal from Mohammad Al Manai rounded out a difficult night for the Qataris, who played the final 37 minutes with only nine men after Homam El Amin and Assim Madibo were sent off.
In Los Angeles, Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina were scoreless for the first 73 minutes of their Group B match until Johan Manzambi put the Swiss ahead. That opened the floodgates for an absolute goal-fest, with four more goals following before the Swiss ran out 4-1 winners.
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MATCHDAY 7 - JUNE 17
Another day, another big name makes their mark in their World Cup opener.
Harry Kane scored a first-half brace and England put on an impressive second-half performance as they opened their campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Group L. Kane gave England a 12th-minute lead, before Martin Baturina struck from distance to give Croatia the equalizer. A flurry of goals followed, with Kane heading England ahead six minutes after the equalizer, before Petar Musa levelled it again at 2-2 in the dying stages of first-half added time.
The second half wasn’t as close, though. England pushed forward with periods of sustained pressure, and goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford were the reward as the Three Lions started their tournament with three points.
A big name who didn’t make a mark however – football’s biggest name even, depending on who you ask – was Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to score on the day he became just the second footballer, after lifelong rival Lionel Messi, to feature in six FIFA World Cups.
Facing the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K, Portugal took the lead through Joao Neves in the sixth minute, setting up what they would have hoped was an easy start to their campaign. Yoann Wissa, however, levelled things up at the very end of the first half to send the teams 1-1 into the half-time break.
Despite their wealth of world-class talent, Portugal couldn’t break down the Congolese who, securing their first-ever World Cup point, walked away with a well-earned draw.
Later in the day, Ghana opened their Group L campaign with a 1-0 win over Panama, though that goal came only in the 95th minute to scrape through to victory.
In the final game of the day, in Group L, Colombia put three past Uzbekistan for a 3-1 win.
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Today is exactly a week since the World Cup kicked off in Mexico, and we have had 18 matches played over the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and, of course, Mexico.
MATCHDAY SEVEN will start with Portugal taking on the Democratic Republic of Congo in Group K at 10:30 p.m. Sri Lanka time. A day after Lionel Messi officially became the first player to ever play in six FIFA World Cup tournaments, Ronaldo could join him on a list that exemplifies the longevity of their careers.
This will be followed by England opening their campaign against Croatia in a Group L clash at 1:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, Sri Lanka time. In the other Group L match, Panama will take on Ghana at 4:30 a.m., while Uzbekistan face Colombia in Group K at 7:30 a.m. — both on Thursday morning, Sri Lankan time.
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MATCHDAY 6 - JUNE 16
Matchday six was all three of the game’s biggest stars making their name, and leading their country’s to a winning start in their respective campaigns.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France saw off a plucky Senegal 3-1 in their Group I fixture, before Erling Haaland also scored a brace as Norway celebrated their return to the World Cup stage with a 4-1 win over Iraq.
But on a day of the big stars, it was Lionel Messi who grabbed the headlines, scoring his first ever FIFA World Cup hat-trick, on the night he became the first footballer to feature in six editions of the tournament.
Some would argue he was lucky to have stayed on the field after a dangerous tackle was left unreprimanded, but that was only a footnote in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria.
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