Belgium had a bad affair and drew vs. Iran in a scoreless match. Hence, this game was massive for them. After all, Belgium came as the massive favorite to dominate Group G and haven’t won any of their two games.

As for Egypt, they are now in prime position to win Group G of the 2026 World Cup after beating New Zealand 3-1. The Kiwis now have a lot of pressure towards their last game.

Updated 2026 World Cup Group G standings

With Egypt’s win over New Zealand, all cards are on the table, as no team has secured a spot in the next round of the 2026 World Cup. Hence, the standings now are like this:

2026 World Cup Group G Matchday 3 games

Since all teams are still alive, there will be an added tension between Egypt, Iran, Belgium, and New Zealand. Due to this being the Matchday 3 where all is decided, all games will be played at the same time.

• June 26, 11 PM ET: New Zealand vs. Belgium – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
• June 26, 11 PM ET: Egypt vs. Iran – Seattle Stadium, Washington, USA

The tie favored massively Spain, who thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0 earlier. In fact, even Lamine Yamal fired back at Saudi Arabia fans for mocking him. Now, Spain is the only team that has won a game in this group.

Saudi Arabia also see a silver lining. With the draw between Uruguay and Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia still have hope of progressing through to the KO rounds despite losing today against Spain.

2026 Group H standings after Matchday 2

Spain now lead the way as they head to a blockbuster Matchday 3 game vs. Uruguay. Both the Charruas and Cape Verde have two points, but Uruguay have more goals scored, which put them as second. Saudi Arabia, with just one point, is the fourth-ranked team in the group.

2026 World Cup’s Group H Matchday 3 games

Matchday 3 will have lots of emotions in play, as well as the spots to go to the knockout rounds. Hence, it will be a couple of win-or-go home matches for Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, Spain, and Uruguay.

• June 26, 8:00 PM ET: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia – Houston Stadium, USA
• June 26, 8:00 PM ET: Uruguay vs. Spain – Guadalajara Stadium, Mexico

Cape Verde have played without fear against Uruguay, who was on paper the much stronger team. It was that thunderous free kick, aided by an opening wall, the one that gave Cape Verde their first-ever goal at a World Cup.

This put Uruguay in alert mode and forced them to react. They have now completed a first-half comeback against a team that was able to hold World Cup contenders Spain to zero goals in the last matchday.

Cape Verde’s is a rebellious team

The Blue Sharks are not only great at defense, but dangerous when counter-attacking. They are way too speedy. Hence, it’s still a tough team to beat even if Uruguay managed to take the lead in this game.

Cape Verde will still fight despite Uruguay scoring twice in quick succession. This is a team that has beaten roadblock after roadblock to get here. Hence, the second half should be completely dynamic.

Uruguay exposed Cape Verde’s weakness

Uruguay might have found Cape Verde’s weakness in defense. Both their goals came in following the same formula. It seems like Uruguay identified that Cape Verde isn’t as strong defending crosses.

Uruguay was able to tie the game due to a big mistake by Cape Verde’s Lopes Cabral. Uruguay sent a cross that should’ve been easily handled by Cape Verde. However, Lopes Cabral inexplicably headed the ball towards Vozinha’s goal, which ended up hitting the post and allowing Maxi Araujo to dive head first towards the ball after the rebound to tie the game.

The second goal was basically the same recipe. Uruguay sent a cross to the far post, and then passed it back to the middle as Agustin Canobbio quickly closed in front of goal to score.

Uruguay will use a 3-at-the-back defense, and it seems like Bielsa didn’t think Gimenez was the best suited to play in that scheme. After all, a three-man defense needs speed, and that’s not Gimenez’s best feature, especially as he is still not at 100% after suffering an ankle injury.

This is a change from Uruguay’s first game against Saudi Arabia, where they used four in the back. However, Gimenez wasn’t used as a starter in that game either. Basically, he is not even close to first in the pecking order.

Who will play instead of Gimenez for Uruguay vs Cape Verde?

The three defenders confirmed to start for Uruguay vs Cape Verde are Sebastian Caceres, Mathias Oliveira, and Guillermo Varela. However, this is a shocking three-at-the-back line.

Only Sebastian Caceres is an actual center back. Varela and Oliveira are full backs. Hence, this means Uruguay will go all out on the attack, and Bielsa thinks the full backs will help contain Cape Verde’s speedy counter-attacks.

Why is Darwin Nuñez not playing for Uruguay vs Cape Verde?

Darwin Nuñez started last game as Uruguay’s top striker, but his performance was quite disappointing. It seems like Bielsa’s had enough, and also sent Nuñez to the bench for this game vs. Cape Verde.

The men up front will be Federico Viñas, as Uruguay will have a 3-4-2-1 formation with him at the very top of the lineup. Viñas is now tasked to be the one scoring goals for the South American team.

The Belgium and Iran‘s draw was absolutely unexpected, but it confirms Iran is better than expected, and that Belgium’s golden generation is fully gone and it’s not a team to fear anymore.

The big winner of this tie is actually the winner of the New Zealand vs Egypt game. The winner will become the leader of Group G, and that will put immense pressure on the rest of the teams as only one group stage match remains.

Group G updated standings post Belgium vs Iran

With this result, both Belgium and Iran top the group as of now with two points. Still, this could change easily as soon as the New Zealand vs Egypt game is played later.

Group G’s Matchday 3 games

Given that all is left to play and all four teams are still alive and seeking qualification to the knockout rounds, it’s going to be an intense Matchday 3 for all involved in Group G.

• June 26, 11:00 PM ET: New Zealand vs Belgium – BC Place, Vancouver
• June 26, 11:00 PM ET: Egypt vs Iran – Seattle Stadium, Seattle

The chant was basically “where is Yamal?”, so Yamal published a message on Instagram after the game ended, with the video of the Saudi Arabia fans chanting attached as part of a carousel post.

Yamal’s caption read a simple “I’m here” as a direct response to the chant. Then, Yamal said “Go Spain!! Thank you all for your support, always with God!” Now, Spain is in a great position to advance to the next round thanks to its 4-0 victory vs. Saudi Arabia.

Yamal’s numbers vs Saudi Arabia

Yamal played just 45′ minutes on the game and it was enough for him to make a long-lasting impact in this game. Spain looked incredible with Yamal on the field, scoring three of the four goals in the first half.

Per SofaScore, Yamal had an 8.3 rating. However, Yamal was subbed off because he’s been dealing with some minor injuries, so manager Luis de la Fuente opted to take a careful approach as the game was already settled in Spain’s favor.

Spain’s next game after beating Saudi Arabia

Spain’s last group stage matchup is on June 24 against Uruguay. If Spain win that game, it means it’s likely they win the group and go to the knockout rounds as a first seed.

Spain is already finding its best form, which is one of a World Cup contender. It all came thanks to Yamal’s skills and capability to impact a game at will. Without him, Spain can look clueless. With him, it looks like a world-class team.

The Metro Vancouver Area has 3.1 million people in it. The Vancouver city per se has a population of 610,000. Still, the stadium is a thing of beauty so the BC Place will shine in all its glory for this matchup.

By kickoff, the weather should be perfect to practice some top-tier soccer. Per the weather reports, it will be a 75-degree Fahrenheit, 55% humidity weather by kickoff time.

City and stadium attendance for New Zealand vs Egypt

The BC Place will host seven games during the 2026 World Cup. The BC Place can host up to 54,500 spectators. It will be almost a capacity crowd for today’s game as the latest reports say more than 52,497 people will be in attendance.

Which games have been played already at BC Place?

This will be the third of seven games played in this stadium. The first one was Australia vs Turkiye, where the Socceroos upset the now-eliminated Turkish team 2-0.

Then, the BC Place had another shocking result as Canada had a very emphatic win 6-0 vs Qatar. New Zealand and Egypt both would hope for the BC Place fortunes to fall their way as their World Cup futures rely heavily on this game.

Vozinha’s heroics made him an instant cult sensation, and his social media followers are massive proof of that. Vozinha went from 56k followers, to a 15 million audience and counting.

That is an incredible amount of new followers for a veteran goalkeeper that was previously never seen as a megastar. For Vozinha, this growth is a testament to his talent and performance against Spain.

Vozinha is the second 2026 World Cup social media sensation

Just before the 2026 World Cup began, an Argentinian influencer searched for the less-followed soccer player in the tournament. The results of his investigation showed that it was New Zealand’s Tim Payne, who had less than 5,000 followers.

The content creator started a campaign to make Tim Payne an overnight sensation and he achieved that goal. Now, Tim Payne has 5.9 million followers and he even got a move to Paraguay’s biggest club, Olimpia.

Vozinha and Payne’s growth differ in a key aspect

The year 2026 is just proving that fame can be achieved in many ways, shapes, or forms. Tim Payne was basically a social experiment by an influencer that ended as a hugely viral story.

Vozinha’s way to achieve fame was to use the platform of the World Cup to perform in an elite level against a contender, and let the global stage of the tournament learn your name.

For both, these are massive deals and life-changing moments that will help them secure sponsorships, commercial deals, and help them post-career. After all, Vozinha is 40, and Payne is 32, they’re not spring chickens.

Both Ecuador and Curacao have one point and need a win in their final match to have any realistic chance of advancing to the next round. Both teams are now below Germany (6pts), and Ivory Coast (3pts) in the Group E standings.

Hence, both are still alive, but their lifeline is in a dire situation. However, the result is historic for Curacao, as it is its first point in World Cup history. For Ecuador, it’s as disappointing of a result as it gets.

The tie between Ecuador and Curacao is hard to believe

Ecuador was just absolutely superior in every single statistic except for the one that matters the most: goals scored. Curacao, thanks in large part to its goalkeeper Eloy Room, managed to keep the boat afloat and keep a clean sheet.

Ecuador had 63% of possession compared to Curacao’s 26% (11% in contest). But where the difference is made huge is in the attempts at goal. Ecuador had 28 total attempts, 15 of them on target and 20 of them inside Curacao’s penalty area. Curacao just had 10 attempts and only three on target.

Curacao GK makes history vs. Ecuador

Per OptaJoe, Eloy Room’s 15 saves vs. Ecuador are the most on record (since 1966) by any goalkeeper in a FIFA World Cup game that didn’t feature any extra time. In fact, overall is the second-most in World Cup history.

Only USA’s Tim Howard is above him. Howard did it against Belgium in 2014, though the match went into extra time, so Howard had 30 more minutes of action. Also, USA ended up losing that match, while Room helped Curacao avoid defeat.

Both sides come with an urgent need to win this game after not being able to win in their opening matches. On one side, Japan drew against the Netherlands 2-2. This forces the Samurais to go for a victory to pretty much secure their spot in the next round.

On the other side, Tunisia, with Herve Renard as new manager because Tunisia fired their former coach in the middle of the World Cup, look for a win to basically stay alive in this tournament.

What happens if Japan win vs Tunisia?

If Japan secure a victory against Tunisia, they will add three vital points to put themselves in the mix for the top spots in the standings. In other words, they will be moving one step closer to qualifying for the next round. It would put them with four points, the same as the Netherlands. A

The first tiebreaker in the 2026 World Cup is the head to head record. However, if Japan and Netherlands tie at first, given that their game ended in a draw, the second tiebreaker comes into play, which is goal difference. Netherlands’ goal difference is +4, so Japan (0 GD) need to score plenty of goals vs. Tunisia if they want to take the top spot.

What happens if Japan and Tunisia tie?

If Japan tie with Tunisia, they will move to two points and remain in third place in Group F, trailing Sweden (3 points) and the Netherlands (4 points). Tunisia earn their first point and stays alive in fourth. This result means no team in the group is mathematically qualified or eliminated. Hence, Japan’s fate would rely entirely on the final matchday against Sweden.

What happens if Japan loses vs Tunisia?

If Japan loses to Tunisia, they will fall to the bottom of Group F with one point. Tunisia moves ahead of them into third place with three points. This sets up a do-or-die final matchday where Japan must defeat Sweden to reach four points. Any other result would mean automatic elimination.

A Dutch victory locks Japan into second place outright, while a Dutch draw achieves the exact same result because Japan would own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Sweden.

Ivory Coast are not eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. The Elephants have three points in the group and they also hold the tiebreaker against Ecuador. Hence, they are still in a pretty good position to still qualify through to the next round.

The African team also has the advantage of facing Curacao next, which is, on paper, the easier of the three group stage games. Hence, Ivory Coast are still very much alive despite their loss to Germany.

What do Ivory Coast need to qualify?

Depending on how Ecuador vs Curacao end up, Ivory Coast could have a much better horizon. Anyway, an Ivory Coast win or a draw against Curacao secures the second place in Group E and automatic qualification.

Can Ivory Coast qualify if they lose to Curacao?

If Ivory Coast lose to Curacao, their progression will come down to tiebreakers. In this scenario, they would have the tiebreaker over Ecuador (if Ecuador end with three points as well), but will lose it to Curacao. Hence, it would be settled in a head-to-head mini-league:

1. Most Points: Points earned in the matches between the tied teams.
2. Best Goal Difference: Superior goal differential solely from the matches between the tied teams.
3. Most Goals Scored: Most total goals scored in the matches between the tied teams.

Tunisia lost 1-5 to Sweden, which prompted big changes that ended up revealing why and when Tunisia changed the head coach for the rest of the tournament. Hence, it’s a problem that has also taken its toll on their FIFA ranking.

As for Japan, they tied 2-2 to the Netherlands, which is actually an impressive result for the Samurais. Hence, they come with boosted morale for this game, and with a much better FIFA ranking than their foes.

Tunisia’s updated FIFA ranking ahead of game vs Japan

After losing 23.40 points in the rankings thanks to their defeat against Sweden, Tunisia are now 54th in the FIFA rankings, after falling nine spots from their original spot pre-World Cup.

Tunisia have lost three games in a row dating back to their World Cup friendlies. In fact, in their last two games they’ve conceded 10 games and just scored once. It’s a bad stage for Tunisia right now.

Japan’s updated FIFA ranking ahead of game vs Tunisia

Japan earned 4.37 points in the ranking after their draw to the Netherlands. That was enough to make them go one spot higher. Hence, Japan are now ranked 17th on the FIFA rankings.

Japan have won four games and tied one in their last five games. They have plenty of momentum coming into this game against Tunisia, so the Samurais’ hope is to keep it going.

After the loss vs Sweden, Tunisia decided to fire their former coach in the middle of the World Cup. The loss was too much and Tunisia didn’t want to wait any longer for a change to be made.

After that, Tunisia went and hired Herve Renard for the rest of their World Cup games. Renard is a very emotional, morally-boosting coach. Hence, Tunisia expect he can cause an instant reaction on the team.

Herve Renard is a mythical World Cup coach

Renard made a name for himself in the World Cup four years ago. He was coaching Saudi Arabia back in the day, and he managed to beat Argentina, who went on to win the World Cup. It was a massive comeback ignited by a now-historic halftime speech.

Tunisia have already experienced one of those Herve Renard talks. Now it’s time to put it on display on the field. Tunisia’s future in the World Cup is in jeopardy after that heavy defeat, so Renard must do wonders right now.

Tunisia’s next group games in 2026 World Cup?

Tunisia have two tough games next in the 2026 World Cup, as the team hopes for a miracle. Hence, lots of eyeballs will be on them as they face two dark horses of the tournament:

• June 21: Tunisia vs Japan – 0:00 PM ET
• June 25: Tunisia vs Netherlands – 19:00 PM ET

As Germany vs Ivory Coast confirmed its lineups, referee, and uniforms, the fact is that the decision of leaving Pepe out of the start of the game could prove quite a tactical one for the Elephants. He is a super sub now.

Ivory Coast’s FIFA ranking went up after last game but it’s still far away from Germany. They come to this game as massive underdogs, but that’s a role Ivory Coast has thrived in.

Nicolas Pepe’s skillset

An explosive, left-footed inverted winger, Pepe boasts a lethal combination of blistering speed, great dribbling, and prolific creator of goalscoring opportunities. With him on the bench, the team loses one of the most dangerous players.

Germany is not precisely known for its speedy fullbacks. In fact, it might be its biggest flaw. Pepe could’ve been a great weapon. However, entering in the second half, he could still provide an extra gear if Ivory Coast needs it.

Ivory Coast will still use a speedy offense vs. Germany

Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande will enter the game as the starting wingers. Diallo is in great form and might be even faster than Pepe. He also provides the left-footed factor.

As for Diomande, he is arguably the team’s best player and has electric pace and an immaculate ability to dribble opponents. Last but not least, the striker (where Pepe could also play if needed) is Ange-Yoan Bonny, who might not be as fast, but is a towering presence also needed if the strategy is to send crosses into the box.

With the result between Turkiye and Paraguay, the USMNT has secured the top spot in Group D of the 2026 World Cup. There is no way, either mathematical or tiebreaker, that someone takes the spot from Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

However, the second spot is still very much up in the air. With Paraguay and Australia with three points and a game to play between them, both can still reach six points. However, even if Turkiye beats USA, the American team has the tiebreaker over the Aussies and the Paraguayans.

2026 World Cup Group D standings

With Paraguay‘s win over Turkiye, the Group D standings are clearer than ever. In fact, we now know who will top the group, and who is going home definitively after Matchday 3.

1. United States – 6pts (+5 GD)
2. Australia – 3pts (0 GD)
3. Paraguay – 3pts (-2 GD)
4. Turkiye – 0pts (-3 GD)

Paraguay’s path to second place in Group D of World Cup

Paraguay can still end up as the Group D runner-up behind the USMNT. For them to do that, Paraguay need to beat Australia by any scoreboard necessary. Any other result will land them in the third place.

However, if Paraguay and Australia tie, both teams will end up with four points. Since the first tiebreaker is head-to-head but they tied, then it would go down to goal difference, where Paraguay is way below Australia. This would put Paraguay in big jeopardy as that goal difference could leave them out of the best eight third-places that go through to the KO rounds.

Haiti is eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after losing to Brazil. Haiti now has two losses and a -4 goal difference. This means Haiti is out of contention to be one of the best-eight third-places even if they win against Morocco. Haiti qualified to the World Cup in surprising fashion. However, it wasn’t able to replicate those results in this tourney.

Haiti faces Morocco in its final group game and even with a win, the team is going home after that game ends. Even if Haiti wins, it would get to three points, but in case that Scotland loses to Brazil, Scotland would still have the tiebreaker over Haiti.

Why was Haiti eliminated from the 2026 World Cup with a game to go?

Even if Haiti wins by a large margin, the new World Cup tiebreaker is head to head. Given that Brazil and Morocco already have four points, Haiti can’t mathematically reach them. As for Scotland, Haiti lost against them, so the tiebreaker can’t be in Haiti’s favor even if Les Grenadiers are able to beat Morocco. No math or tiebreakers fall Haiti’s way.

What is Haiti’s last group stage match?

Haiti’s last group stage match at the 2026 World Cup is against Morocco on June 24, 2026. The game will be played at Atlanta Stadium at 6:00P PM ET. It seems like, instead of Haiti, it will be Morocco looking to get the win to get a better seeding.

Turkiye got upset by Australia despite their incessant amount of efforts. Between the towering Australian defense and an incredible goalkeeper performance from Patrick Beach, Turkiye were just not able to score.

As for Paraguay, they actually just got beat to the punch as USA were too much to handle for them. Now, they need to go back to being the best defense in CONMEBOL to earn three points against Turkiye.

Turkiye’s updated FIFA rankings

Turkiye started the 2026 World Cup at the 22nd slot, but after the loss to Australia, FIFA punished them and lower them four spots. Hence, Turkey come as the 26th ranked team by FIFA. The defeat against Australia cost Turkiye to lose 26.26 points according to FIFA.

Paraguay’s updated FIFA rankings

Paraguay’s loss made them fall one spot, so now Paraguay are ranked 42 in the world according to FIFA. The defeat caused Paraguay to lose 17.30 points.

How do the FIFA rankings work?

The FIFA Ranking uses the Elo rating system, meaning points are added or subtracted after every single match based on team strength, match importance, the actual result, and the expected result. It is a zero-sum system, meaning points won by one team are lost by the opponent.

Hence, that explains why Turkiye lost more points than Paraguay despite the South Americans having a heavier defeat in terms of goals. It’s not a formula set in stone, it rather uses many factors.

Turkiye dominated the ball and the actions, but Australia still beat them 2-0 due to two counter-attacks. Turkiye wasn’t able to create clear goalscoring options due to Australia’s very physical defense.

As for Paraguay, it got shocked and lost 4-1 by host nation United States. Hence, it not only needs to save face, but to keep its World Cup dreams alive. It’s a matchup were two agonizing teams desperately need a new lease of life.

What happens if Turkiye beats Paraguay?

If Turkiye beats Paraguay, it keeps Turkiye’s hopes of advancing alive and sets up a decisive final day of Group D matches on June 25, where the United States will play Türkiye and Australia will face Paraguay.

If Turkiye wins, the group winner remains undecided, and leaves all four teams still mathematically capable of reaching the knockout rounds depending on the final group matches. Turkiye would need to beat the USMNT as well to win Group D.

What happens if Turkiye and Paraguay tie?

A tie between Turkiye and Paraguay keeps both teams alive in the 2026 World Cup, but it has a collateral impact for the United States. Because the USMNT has already defeated both Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), a draw between Turkiye and Paraguay officially confirms the United States as the winners of Group D.

What happens if Turkiye loses to Paraguay?

If Turkiye loses to Paraguay, it will be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup. Because the USMNT has already defeated Australia to move to six points, a defeat to Paraguay leaves Turkiye with no points through two games.

Even with a win in its final match against the United States, Turkiye would only have three points. That is mathematically not enough to catch up the USA and, even if Turkiye catches Australia or Paraguay with three points, it would lose both tiebreakers (head-to-head record between tied teams).

Therefore, a loss to Paraguay not only eliminates the possibility to finish among the top two of Group D, but also erases any possibility of advancing as one of the eight best third-place teams. If Turkiye loses today, it will finish bottom of Group D.

Haiti participates in the CONCACAF confederation, which is North America, Central America and the Caribbean nations. Hence, it had the benefit that Mexico, United States, and Canada didn’t participate in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers due to them being hosts of the tournament. This helped Haiti, that according to its FIFA Ranking, shouldn’t even be in the tournament.

This opened up plenty of hopes for Haiti, and they made sure they took advantage of it. It wasn’t easy, but they still overcame every single roadblock to now be playing in the 2026 World Cup.

Haiti’s World Cup qualifying process

Haiti secured direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup by finishing at the top of Group C in the third round of the CONCACAF Qualifiers. They clinched the historic berth with a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua on the final matchday. Hence, they edged out traditional regional powerhouses like Costa Rica and the always tough Honduras.

Haiti had incredible results like beating Costa Rica. They also tied them away from home after they started losing the game 0-2. They became the leaders of the group and hence, earned their spot on the 2026 World Cup.

Haiti got a bad draw in the 2026 World Cup

Going to the World Cup means you’ll face the elite of the elite. However, for Haiti to be in a group with perennial contenders Brazil and present-day contender Morocco is just a bad hand. Add that to a very solid team like Scotland, and Haiti needs to keep producing miracles if it wants to make its World Cup stay longer than just three games.

Playing in Group D against Australia, Turkiye, and Paraguay, the fact that the USMNT managed two wins in two games is quite impressive. Hence, all eyeballs are on if it can keep this momentum going.

The next game for USA will be vs. Turkiye on June 25th, at 10:00 PM ET. It will be the second game in Los Angeles for the Bars and Stripes as their 2026 World Cup opener was also played at that venue.

Has the USMNT secured the leadership in Group D?

Not yet. The USMNT sealed its spot on the next round as mathematically, it has the numbers to go through. However, Turkiye needs to win against Paraguay to keep their World Cup dreams alive. If the Europeans win, and then beat the USMNT, they will go first thanks to the head-to-head record against the USA.

A win or a draw against Turkiye will confirm the USMNT as the Group D leaders. The other way is if Turkiye can’t beat Paraguay, then no matter what, the USMNT will lead the group. It will have tiebreakers against Paraguay and Australia, and Turkiye wouldn’t be able to tie the USMNT in points.

Who will the USMNT face in the Round of 32 if it wins Group D?

If the USMNT wins Group D, it will face one of the third-place teams from either Group B, E, F, I, or J in the Round of 32. Because it will play a third-place finisher from another group, its exact opponent cannot be determined until the entire group stage concludes.

If by some reason the USMNT doesn’t win Group D, it will face the runner-up of Group G (Belgium, Iran, Egypt, or New Zealand). Hence, for the USMNT it’s better to win it all and wait for a third-place.

Brazil didn’t look as polished in its first game against Morocco, though they avoided defeat. Still, even if Neymar isn’t playing, expectations are always sky-high when it comes to Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The ‘Canarinha‘ must not just win, but do it comfortably.

As for Haiti, they played their minds out, but Scotland managed to beat them without really deserving it. Still, for Haiti, their FIFA ranking proves they already exceeded expectations and play with nothing to lose.

Which uniforms are Brazil and Haiti using?

Brazil will use its alternate away kit, which is a navy blue jersey and shot with black socks which looks quite classy. In a full 180-turn, the goalkeeper goes from sobriety to colorful with a magenta/pink jersey.

Haiti will use its regular full white uniform with some details in blue and red. As for the goalkeeper, a bright yellow uniform will be the chosen one for this game against La Verdeamarela.

What’s Brazil’s record in the World Cup using blue kit?

Brazil have an overall positive World Cup record using blue. In fact they just have one regulation defeat occurring in 1998, against Norway in a 1-2 debacle. Still, against Haiti, the positives must remain for Brazil’s hopes in this World Cup.

Thanks to two victories, Mexico sealed its spot as Group A leader regardless of what happens in Matchday 3. While South Korea lost, they are still in a very good place when it comes to progressing to the knockout rounds.

As for Czechia and South Africa, only a win and a miracle would serve them right to go through, as they haven’t been prolific, nor defensively sound to earn three points as of yet.

2026 World Cup Group A standings

After Mexico’s victory against South Korea, Group A’s status quo has been firmly defined by the results so far. In fact, there are not too many surprises in this group of four teams.

1. Mexico – 6 pts (+3 GD)
2. South Korea – 3 pts (0 GD)
3. Czechia – 1 pts (-1 GD)
4. South Africa – 1 pts (-2 GD)

Group A’s Matchday 3 games

Both remaining matches in this group will be played on June 24, at 9:00 PM ET. This way, the teams don’t know the other game’s result beforehand, hence this avoids effort minimization. Everyone is playing for something. After all, Mexico did confirm their spot as the first seed, but South Korea still need to qualify, and only a win can give Czechia and South Africa any hopes to progress through to the KO rounds.

• Mexico vs. Czechia – June 24, 9:00 PM ET – Mexico City Stadium
• South Korea vs. South Africa – June 24, 9:00 PM ET – Monterrey Stadium

Per Fabrizio Romano, Ismael Kone has suffered both a fractured fibula and tibia and will be out of action for at least 4-5 months. As part of Romano’s report, Kone is already in the hospital joined by his mother. Jesse Marsch wasn’t fond of Qatar’s behavior after Kone’s injury happen.

Effectively, Kone’s World Cup campaign is over, and he might actually be able to return to soccer action until half of the 2026-2027 season. Kone plays for Sassuolo, an Italian team that got relegated from Serie A to Serie B this season.

Who can replace Kone on the Canada roster?

While not having Kone is a serious blow to Canada’s midfield, Nathan Saliba is a premium replacement. In fact, just minutes after Kone’s injury, Saliba scored a free kick vs Qatar and celebrated honoring Kone.

Saliba is the perfect candidate to replace Kone on Canada’s starting XI. Both are athletic, box-to-box midfielders that excel at tracking back, winning duels, and breaking up the opposition’s play. They are also both very good at progressing with the ball once recovered.

Ismael Kone’s stats for Canada

Kone has racked up 42 games for Canada in which he’s scored four goals. The 24-year-old had become one of the most lined up players by Jesse Marsch. Now, Canada will lose a key player. Thankfully, the role pieces are good to go in Kone’s absence.

Per insider Tom Bogert, Marsch wasn’t having it with Qatar‘s attitude after the foul that cost Ismael Kone a broken leg. Per Bogert, “Marsch adds it was ‘strange behavior’ from Qatar’s bench after the leg-breaking foul, arguing it should be a yellow and starting arguments.”

Despite the catastrophic ending in the play, the fact is the foul wasn’t as harsh. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, the foul plus a serious dose of bad luck ended in Kone suffering the tragic injury.

Marsch also had a tense encounter with Qatar’s HC Julen Lopetegui

As the final whiste blew and the 6-0 Canada win was sealed, the two head coaches went for a handshake. That’s basically protocol, but it turned out that Lopetegui and Marsch had a non-friendly interaction towards each other due to how the game developed.

During the postgame press conference, Marsch said “I’m not wasting a single second talking about that.” It was a very high-tension matchup. Canada was angry because of Kone’s incident and the Qatari reaction. Qatar was fuming due to the chaotic 0-6 loss, and it just ended in a clash between the head coaches.

Canada is in prime position to get to the next round

The Round of 32 looks very achievable for Canada right now. Switzerland and Canada both have four points, but Canada leads the group due to its superior goal difference (CAN +6, SWI +3).

Hence, Canada has basically sealed its participation in the Round of 32. However, that doesn’t mean its next game is meaningless. Canada will play vs. Switzerland for seeding. The better the seeding, the better the chances to get a favorable matchup in the first KO stage game.

Canada had a field day against Qatar, winning 6-0 with David providing three of them. Qatar weren’t able to defend at all, got two red cards and were disheveled by David and company. It came at a cost as midfielder Ibrahim Koné suffered a gruesome leg injury that will render him unavailable for the rest of the World Cup.

With this, David joins Messi as the top goalscorer of the tournament so far. Messi scored his three goals in a magnificent performance vs. Algeria. However, Messi has played just once in this tournament, while David has played twice.

2026 World Cup top goalscorers so far

Messi and David are the only ones with a hat-trick in this tournament, but the reality is that there are a plethora of names following them really close behind. What it’s certain is that the Golden Boot race is barely starting.

• Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 3
• Jonathan David (Canada) – 3
• Kylian Mbappé (France) – 2
• Erling Haaland (Norway) – 2
• Harry Kane (England) – 2
• Kai Havertz (Germany) – 2
• Folarin Balogun (United States) – 2
• Yasin Ayari (Sweden) – 2
• Elijah Just (New Zealand) – 2

How many players have scored a hat-trick in the World Cup?

Scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup stage is quite a feat. However, it’s been done plenty of times. After all, the World Cup has been around since 1930. A total of 53 players have scored World Cup hat-tricks for 56 3-goal performances. This means only four players have scored a hat-trick twice.

Those four players are:

• Gabriel Omar Batistuta (Argentina) – 1994, 1998
• Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) – 1954 x2
• Just Fontaine (France) – 1958 x2
• Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 1970 x2

In a much more exclusive group, only two players have scored hat-tricks in a World Cup final:

• Kylian Mbappe (France) – 2022
• Geoff Hurst (England) – 1966

Javier Aguirre is married to the idea of Raul Rangel as the starting goalkeeper for Mexico. Hence, even if Ochoa is making history attending to his sixth World Cup, he will be on the bench as he is in the backup slot for this tournament. However, a win, tie or loss against South Korea will probably change how people see this decision.

Rangel debuted in the World Cup in the 2026 opener against South Africa, and while he didn’t concede any goals, he left some doubts as the nerves were clear, especially when the goalkeeper had the ball on his feet. Aguirre’s confidence in Rangel is clear as Mexico need to win today to qualify for the round of 32.

Ochoa’s World Cup numbers

Memo Ochoa has played 11 World Cup games, conceding 12 goals while recording 4 clean sheets in the process. However, Ochoa is famous for elevating his level of play during this tournament, and that’s why people still want him over Rangel vs. South Korea.

Ochoa is in his swan song, as it was announced that he will hang the gloves after the tournament. Hence, Ochoa might retire without playing a single minute of soccer in his farewell competition. Ochoa won’t be able to wear the green goalkeeper uniform for Mexico vs South Korea, and is likely that he won’t play against Czechia as well.

Is Rangel more deserving to start for Mexico than Ochoa?

While Ochoa has the history and experience for Mexico in the World Cup, the present favors Rangel. In fact, Rangel, who is just 26 years old, has been playing at a much better league than Ochoa.

Rangel excels at the Liga MX, while Ochoa is 40, retiring, and played at AEL Limassol for Cyprus, which is a very low-level league. It’s time to pass the baton, and Rangel is the one that took it.

Both Mexico and South Korea won in their first games of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico is leading Group A right now thanks to the goal difference, as Mexico beat South Africa 2-0, while South Korea won vs Czechia 2-1. A curious thing about this game is neither Mexico nor South Korea will use their first uniforms.

However, a win here by any team pretty much seals the deal as to who will go first and who will go second. Rest assured is pretty likely that both sides will progress through to the next round after their Matchday 1 wins. It’s a key game as Mexico and South Korea will battle it out at Guadalajara Stadium.

Who will be the referee for Mexico vs South Korea?

Uruguayan referee Gustavo Tejera will be in charge of officiating Mexico vs South Korea. Fellow Uruguayans Carlos Barreiro and Nicolás Taran will serve as Tejera’s assistants in this game. Colombian Andres Rojas will be the fourth official. Tejera is a no-nonsense type of referee and will book you without any second thoughts.

Uruguay’s Leodan Gonzalez will be the VAR assistant referee. This is somewhat controversial due to Mexico and the whole referee room speaking Spanish natively, but FIFA doesn’t seem to grasp too many concerns about it.

Has Gustavo Tejera officiated in the World Cup before?

Gustavo Tejera has not officiated at a major FIFA World Cup before. Prior to this year’s tournament, the Uruguayan referee built his international resume by officiating in youth tournaments like the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

In continental terms, Tejera is a major presence in the Copa America, Copa Libertadores, and Copa Sudamericana. The Uruguayan referee has also officiated plenty of games in CONMEBOL qualification matches for the FIFA World Cup.

Mexico is coming into this game with massive momentum as it was able to beat South Africa 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup opener. Hence, the hosts will try to keep that good flow against South Korea. You can follow tonight’s action between Mexico and South Korea in our live blog!

It won’t be an easy task, though. South Korea was able to come back and beat Czechia as well, looking very good in the process. This game is likely deciding who will end up as the leader in Group A. Both Mexico and South Korea know what they need today to qualify for 2026 World Cup round of 32.

Mexico vs South Korea official uniforms

Mexico is the host nation but the team will still vary from its usual green kit, using a full black uniform. Meanwhile, its keeper will actually go with a full green attire. Both uniforms have white and red details.

South Korea will also use its second kit. South Korea’s second kit is labeled as a magenta uniform with its jersey having a patterned design. The South Korean goalkeeper will use a full yellow uniform.

Why is Mexico using an alternate kit vs South Korea?

Mexico is wearing its black third kit against South Korea as part of a deliberate marketing and tournament strategy to showcase all three of their unique World Cup jerseys during the group stage. Mexico is one of the few teams in the World Cup who use three kits.

During the postgame interview, Roberto Martinez clarified why he didn’t take Ronaldo out of the game against DR Congo. “It makes no sense to take off the greatest goal-scorer in football history in a match where we need to score goals. His experience in the penalty area is crucial. When we think about scoring goals, Cristiano must be present.”

To be fair, while Ronaldo wasn’t stellar by any stretch, Portugal as a whole looked flawed and lacked ideas. Ronaldo is 41 years old, he can’t dribble all game long, but he can still score. Portugal just didn’t give him any clear chances. However, that didn’t stop Thierry Henry from giving Ronaldo a lesson of how to play as a striker for Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. DR Congo

Ronaldo wasn’t able to produce much against DR Congo and it can be explained in three ways. First and foremost, he is past his prime, he can’t create his own chances and relies too much on what his teammates can do outside of the box.

Then, his teammates weren’t able to create chances for him so he barely touched the ball. Lastly, DR Congo knew they were the underdogs and needed to survive, hence they used a very low block of defense and overpopulated the center of the defense, hence Ronaldo was always surrounded by three or four defenders.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been benched previously during World Cups

While Martinez assured CR7 will remain as the team’s starting srtiker, the fact is that Ronaldo was already benched during a World Cup back in Qatar 2022. Despite Martinez’s rejection of the idea of benching him, last time it worked.

It was Fernando Santos in 2022 who benched Ronaldo after the group stage. He opted to use Goncalo Ramos as striker instead of him and Ramos delivered a hat-trick in the Round of 16. Ramos is also Ronaldo’s backup in this tournament.

Per statistician MisterChip, by scoring a hat-trick vs. Algeria, Messi became the oldest player to score three goals in World Cup history at 38 years and 357 days old. He surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick against Spain at 33 years and 130 days of age in Russia 2018. Messi also surpassed Ronaldo by scoring at 38 years old.

The Argentinian is on pace to break plenty more records during this World Cup if he is able to keep this kind of momentum going. As a matter of fact, no player has scored against more teams in the World Cup than Messi. Also, he is already the all-time World Cup top scorer, though he doesn’t hold that record on his own… yet.

Would Messi become the oldest World Cup winner in history if Argentina wins?

While it would be epic, and the cherry on top in his illustrious career, a second tournament win wouldn’t make Messi the oldest player to win the World Cup. That record belongs to Italy’s legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff, who won it at 40 years and 133 days old.

However, if Messi does guide Argentina to a back-to-back World Cup victory, he would become the oldest non-goalkeeper to win the tournament. As of now, that record belongs to Nilton Santos (37 years and 32 days). Messi is already third in that list winning it in 2022 at 35 years and 177 years old.

Key difference between Messi and Ronaldo’s hat-tricks

Messi gave Argentina three points against Algeria, which meant his team won. Ronaldo’s hat-trick gave Portugal a last-minute draw against Spain in Russia 2018. Hence, one could argue Messi’s hat-trick was more productive from a mathematical standpoint.

As for context, one could argue it was Ronaldo’s hat-trick the one that impressed the most, given that it was against a top-tier team like Spain, and it helped avoid defeat in dramatic fashion. This is a matter of perspective, as both hat-tricks were jaw-dropping performances.

Per MisterChip, Lionel Messi joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to score in five World Cups. Messi has done it in 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026. Argentina vs Algeria was a dream opener for Messi, diminishing any doubts over his form.

However, if Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still far away from Messi as the record holder for greatest international scorer ever, scores in this edition of the World Cup, he would do history. If Cristiano Ronaldo scores in the 2026 World Cup, he would become the only player in history to score in six editions of the World Cup.

Messi’s big regret comes in the 2010 World Cup

Lionel Messi was at the peak of his powers in 2010, so the expectations were really big on him and Argentina. Also, they were managed by Diego Maradona, who alongside Messi, is the biggest soccer icon in the country.

Despite reaching the quarter finals, Messi went 0-for-5 in the tournament. He had zero goals and that’s what’s keeping him from having six World Cups with at least one goal to his name. It’s just a weird thing to think a player of his caliber couldn’t score in the tournament, but it is what it is.

What are Cristiano Ronaldo’s games in the 2026 World Cup?

For Cristiano Ronaldo to distance from Messi in this regard, he has to score at least in one game. Portugal will play at least three games in the group stage, and if they go through, they will add at least one more game. Ronaldo will play:

• Wednesday, June 17, 2026: Portugal vs. DR Congo
• Tuesday, June 23, 2026: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
• Saturday, June 27, 2026: Colombia vs. Portugal

Per MisterChip, Messi became the third oldest player to score in a World Cup at 38 years and 357 days of age. Cristiano Ronaldo is now fourth on the list scoring at 37 years and 292 days. The two oldest are Roger Milla for Cameroon, scoring at 42 years and 39 days, and Pepe, who scored at 39 years and 283 days of age. Messi is delivering the goods as Argentina plays vs Algeria LIVE.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo is also featuring at this World Cup, which means that if he scores at any point, he will overtake Messi again, as Ronaldo is 41 years old right now. As for the international goals record, Ronaldo has scored 143 goals for Portugal, while Messi just reached 118 goals for Argentina.

Lionel Messi is close to becoming the all-time World Cup top scorer

Lionel Messi has just reached 14 goals in the World Cup scene, which puts him just two below all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose. However, he is not the only chasing that milestone, as France’s Kylian Mbappe became his country’s top scorer today, while still far away from Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as well. However, Mbappe also has 14 World Cup goals.

This might be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup given his age, while Mbappe is just 27 years old. Hence, it’s more likely than not that Mbappe ends up with more World Cup goals than the Argentinian.

Messi had a disallowed goal prior to his outside-of-the-box score

In the first 10 minutes, Messi warned Algeria with his first goal of the game, though it was disallowed due to an inches-long offside that was only caught by the eye after the VAR intervened.

At 38 years old, Messi is as hungry as ever to deliver for his home country. Still at this age, the Argentinian ace is capable to leave defenders behind, make world-shocking goals, and produce jaw-dropping plays.

Back in late April, Zidane suffer a serious head injury after a collision while playing for his club Granada. Luca Zidane, who is the son of legendary player Zinedine, suffered concussions, and fractures in his jaw and chin. Hence, the mask provides protection for those affected areas.

Luca Zidane had the opportunity to undergo surgery, but according to TyC Sports, he prioritized being in the World Cup, hence he didn’t have surgery and kept using the mask. The surgery would’ve ruled him out entirely. It’s likely he gets the surgery after the World Cup.

What happens if Zidane can’t play in the 2026 World Cup?

If the injury eventually makes Zidane unable to continue playing, Algeria will have to use one of the backup goalkeepers called to play for Algeria by manager Vladimir Petkovic.

If Zidane can’t play, Oussama Benbot from USM Alger, or Melvin Mastil from Stade Nyonnais would be the options to play instead of him. However, Algeria hopes it doesn’t come to that. Zidane is, by a margin, the most coveted keeper of the three. Zidane is one of the french-born players representing Algeria in the World Cup.

Luca Zidane 2025-2026 stats ahead of 2026 World Cup

Luca Zidane played 26 league matches for Granada in Spain’s second tier. He had eight clean sheets and a 68.6% on saves. However, allowed more than one goal per game, with an average of 1.27 goals allowed per 90 minutes played.

However, for Algeria he was stellar. Luca Zidane made 5 appearances with a brilliant 81.8% save percentage and 3 clean sheets during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Well, it turns out that he is. Luca Zidane is one of four sons that Zinedine Zidane has. In fact, he will become the first Zinedine son to play in a major World Cup, as the others all have soccer careers.

The eldest son is Enzo Zidane, who after a low-profile career in many second-tier teams in Spain, France, Switzerland, and Portugal, retired at just 29. Luca is the second oldest. Theo Zidane was born in 2002, and plays for LaLiga2 team Cordoba. The youngest is Elyaz Zidane, who is 20 years old and plays for the developmental team of Real Betis. He’s been called for France’s youth international teams.

Why is Luca Zidane playing for Algeria and not France?

Despite being born in Aix-en-Provence, France, on 13 May 1998, Luca Zidane opted to play for Algeria, where his father Zinedine was born. At the end of the day, Algeria offered Luca Zidane a more direct path towards having an international career, as there isn’t as much competition on the roster.

Not only that, but he also wanted to play for the country to honor his family roots. In fact, Luca Zidane is just one of many French players representing Algeria at the 2026 World Cup.

Luca Zidane is a goalkeeper who came from Real Madrid’s ranks and quickly had to find playing minutes elsewhere. While he debuted for Madrid, he didn’t cut it to be the team’s starting goalkeeper. Hence, he spent time at Racing, Rayo Vallecano, Eibar, and now Granada in LaLiga 2.

Luca has big shoes to fill as a Zidane at the World Cup

Zinedine Zidane is arguably one of the top-6 players of all time. Much of his legacy was made in the World Cup scene. He guided France to its first World Cup title in 1998, scoring twice in the final. Then, in his swan song tournament in Germany 2006, he delivered arguably the best individual soccer game ever against Brazil in the quarterfinals, and went to score in the final, though he ended with a red card after headbutting Marco Materazzi from Italy.

Hence, you cannot tell the story of World Cups without mentioning Zinedine Zidane. For Luca, he is a goalkeeper, so he can’t just bamboozle defenders and score, but for Algeria’s expectations, he must stop incredibly well and live up to his last name.

Argentina is coming with the same backbone of the roster that won the World Cup four years ago, with a few people missing. Overall, it’s a team that is a clear contender, but also a team that some label as ‘aging‘. Hence, while still the champions, Argentina has a lot to prove.

As for Algeria, they are a very technical team. They have good players, and are looking to create an upset out of nowhere. Algeria will want to shock the city and stadium where they’ll play vs. Argentina, and millions of fans watching on TV.

Who is the referee for Argentina vs Algeria?

Szymon Marciniak will be the referee for the game of Argentina vs. Algeria. Two additional Polish officials will join him, Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik are tasked to be assistant referees in Kansas City. New Zealand’s Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh will be the fourth official. VAR will be led by Tomasz Kwiatkowski from Poland.

Regarding Marciniak, he has refereed matches for Argentina matches at the last two World Cups. He officiated their group stage draw with Iceland in 2018 and two matches in Qatar four years later.

Which uniforms will Argentina and Algeria wear?

Argentina will wear its classic red and light blue striped jersey, with navy blue shorts and socks. Its goalkeeper will use an orange uniform. As for Algeria, it’ll use a dark green jersey, complemented with white shorts and socks. Regarding its keeper, he will be using a yellow uniform.

With Erling Haaland as their best player, Norway qualified for their fourth World Cup (1938, 1994, 1998, and now 2026) ranked at No. 31 in the FIFA world ranking. Their result in the 2026 World Cup could see them improve this position.

Their group might be considered as one of the toughest in the whole 2026 World Cup. In addition to Norway, it also includes perennial contenders France, AFCON powerhouses Senegal (15th in the FIFA ranking), and Iraq.

How does Norway compare to the rest of Group I?

According to the latest FIFA World Rankings, Norway are the third-ranked team in the group. The current standings are:

• France – 3rd
• Senegal – 15th
• Norway – 31st
• Iraq – 57th in the FIFA world ranking

What is Norway’s schedule in Group I?

Norway will begin their World Cup journey against the ultimate underdog of Group I before closing the group stage in Boston. They will play exclusively in the East Coast in the group stage.

• June 16: Norway vs. Iraq — Boston Stadium, Foxborough
• June 22: Norway vs. Senegal — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey
• June 26: Norway vs. France — Boston Stadium, Foxborough

Mbappe reached 58 goals for France in 99 games. He has now surpassed Olivier Giroud, who scored 57 in 137 games, Mbappe is scoring at a much blistering pace. Antoine Griezmann isn’t playing for France in the World Cup, but also has a lot of goals for Les Bleus.

As for Ronaldo‘s record, he’s scored 143 international goals for Portugal in 228 games played. Hence, Mbappe is almost 100 goals short of that record. Given that Mbappe is just 27 years old, he has time, but it’s still too many goals to reach him. However, Mbappe has already overtaken the legendary Pele in World Cup goals.

Mbappe is also nearing the World Cup goals record

Now, Mbappe has scored 14 goals in the World Cup stage right now. This puts him just two goals behind the World Cup all-time leading scorer Miroslav Klose. Mbappe is well on pace to become the record-holder in this statistic too.

For instance, Mbappe has easily surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo in World Cup goals. Ronaldo has just eight goals in 22 World Cup matches. Both Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored hat tricks at the world’s stage, though Mbappe did it in a final, while CR7 did it in a group stage.

France’s top 5 all-time leading scorers

With Mbappe and Giroud now tied atop of the list, one must wonder who round up the top five. After all, France is a perennial powerhouse in international soccer, and has had many historic players.

1. Kylian Mbappe – 58 goals
2. Olivier Giroud – 57 goals
3. Thierry Henry – 51 goals
4. Antoine Griezmann – 44 goals
5. Michel Platini – 41 goals

Norway arrive to the World Cup as a huge dark horse contender for one reason: their dominant qualifying campaign. They topped their qualifying group that includes the likes of Italy by going unbeaten with a 100% win ratio. They won their eight games, scoring 37 goals and only conceding five.

Iraq’s FIFA ranking shows that their journey to the World Cup wasn’t as flawless. They had to go to the international playoffs and beat Bolivia to earn their spot in the tournament. Hence, they come in as massive underdogs. The city, stadium and weather for Noway vs Iraq are also confirmed.

Iraq vs Norway confirmed lineups

With many foreign players representing Iraq manager Graham Arnold will use a classic 4-4-2 formation: Jalal Hassan; Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashim, Merchas Doski; Ali Jasim, Amir Al-Ammari, Ibrahim Bayesh, Zaid Ismail; Ali Al Hamadi Aymen Hussein.

As for Norway, Ståle Solbakken will use a 4-3-3: Orjan Nyland; Julian Ryerson, Kristoffer Ajer, Torbjorn Heggem, David Moller Wolfe; Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa; Alexander Sorloth, Erling Haaland.

Who is the referee for Iraq vs Norway?

Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho is the main official that will command order for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group I match between Iraq and Norway at Boston Stadium.

The full list of match officials includes:

• Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho (Gabon)
• Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga (Gabon)
• Assistant Referee 2: Amos Abeigne Ndong (Gabon)
• Fourth Official: Amin Mohamed (Egypt)
• VAR Official: Jarred Gillett (Australia)

Which uniforms will France and Senegal wear?

Iraq will use a full-white kit with some little details in red and black while their goalkeeper will wear yellow. As for Norway, it’s a fully red uniform with a cross referring to their flag in blue with white borders. Norway’s keeper will use a light blue kit.

Messi suffered a hamstring knock in his last season game with Inter Miami, so questions on his status are up in the air. However, Messi played a bit in the international friendlies’ window ahead of this tournament. Hence, Messi is expected to play, and also to start in Argentina’s lineup vs. Algeria.

This means the Kansas City Stadium will host 73,000 spectators roaring at every chance Messi scores or dribbles past a defender vs. Algeria. Messi will try to guide Argentina to a back-to-back World Cup victory.

Argentina want to avoid a known negative scenario

Even if Argentina wouldn’t trade a thing of the 2022 World Cup, the one thing they might want to avoid is losing their opening game. It instantly puts too many pressure on a team with too many eyeballs.

This team comes in as a resilient, yet elite team. Argentina can play in many ways, but what is true is that the Albiceleste is better when the ball is on their feet. When Messi dictates the pace, it’s much easier for them to score.

How many teams have won back-to-back World Cups?

World Cups have been a part of soccer since 1930. Yet, only two teams have won back-to-back world titles. The 1930s Italy and Pele’s Brazil are the only ones to manage that feature. Now, Messi is aiming at another glorious chapter to his already storied career. Guiding Argentina to a back-to-back World Cup wins would be the icing on the cake of Messi’s career.

• Italy: 1934-1938
• Brazil: 1958-1962

FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina cleared the air on the sudden change of the pink uniforms. “Miami is our base camp so we thought it would be nice to show our appreciation to the city where we’ll live for about two months,” Collina said. This is one of many curious things about this game, like the reason behind Saudi Arabia being referred as KSA on the scoreboards.

“We chose this ‘pink flamingo’ for the referees’ training material,” Collina added. “It’s a sort of recognition. Also, the first match, which will be played in Miami, June 15… Uruguay v Saudi Arabia [Group H], the referee will wear the pink flamingo shirt.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino endorsed this move

Gianni Infantino reportedly met with the match officials at their training camp in Miami, and he said, “Pink is the colour of Miami, and we are all wearing this very nice pink dresses to give a little bit of a shout-out, to give a little bit of a smile to the city which is hosting us.”

This won’t be a recurrent thing during the 2026 World Cup. As of now, this will be a one-time thing. The tribute will be done in this Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia game and then it’s back to the usual. Another distinctive trait about this game is the fact that Uruguay wears four stars on its crest.

Is Maurizio Mariani a good referee?

Highly regarded as one of Italy’s best referees, Mariani was promoted by UEFA to the Elite category. However, many see him as a very strict and rigorous official, which sometimes draws controversy.

Among his accolades, Mariani has officiated matches like the 2026 UEFA Conference League Final, the 2025 U-20 World Cup Final, and plenty of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was also the sole European referee in the 2024 Copa America referee.

Officially, 24 out of the 26 players called by Marcelo Bielsa (where Luis Suarez isn’t featured) to play for Uruguay were actually born in the country. However, who are the two outliers? Well, one of them is actually an emblem for Uruguay in the figure of Fernando Muslera, who was born in Argentina. Muslera was the starting GK in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and backed up Rochet in Qatar 2022.

The other player is midfielder Rodrigo Salazar, who was born in Spain. Salazar made two appearances in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and plays for SC Braga in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

Are Muslera and Salazar key players for Uruguay?

Muslera was the starting goalkeeper of Uruguay for more than 10 years. However, he is coming into the 2026 World Cup in a backup capacity. The starting goalkeeper is now Sergio Rochet. Muslera has 134 international caps for Uruguay.

As per Salazar, the 26-year-old midfielder has only seven international caps, but has already scored twice for the Charruas. Also able to play as a right winger, Salazar might not be key yet. Still, he could turn into a very valuable player during the World Cup.

What are FIFA eligibility rules for the 2026 World Cup?

To play for a country where the player wasn’t born in, the player has to hold either the country’s nationality, or be able to prove through a “genuine link” his ties to the country he wants to represent. This could be through birth, heritage, or long-term residency.

Saudi Arabia arrived at the 2026 World Cup in 61st place in the FIFA ranking. Everyone remembers Saudi Arabia’s epic comeback against Argentina at Qatar 2022, where they beat the title favorites 2-1 on Matchday 1. The fact that Lionel Messi and company went on to win the title made Saudi Arabia’s triumph even more epic.

However, the Green Falcons will want to do better this year, as they still ended up as last in the group back then, losing their next two games. With ‘KSA’ as their abbreviation, Saudi Arabia want to stun world soccer in 2026.

Saudi Arabia’s best ranking of all time

The highest-ever ranking Saudi Arabia has held in FIFA is the 21st spot, which came in July 1998. However, in terms of World Cups, its best finish came in 1994 where the team reached the Round of 16.

Many of Saudi Arabian players play in the much-renewed Saudi Pro League, where figures like Cristiano Ronaldo play weekly. Hence, the players are used to facing top-level competition. They just need to translate this into the World Cup stage.

World Cup Group H’s FIFA Rankings

Saudi Arabia comes at third place in terms of FIFA Rankings in contrast to its group rivals. Spain and Uruguay are both better placed, but Cape Verde and their 40-year-old sensation Vozinha come in at last:

• Spain – 3rd
• Uruguay – 17th
• Saudi Arabia – 60th
• Cape Verde – 64th on the FIFA ranking

However, given the many players in this 2026 World Cup that are representing countries they weren’t born in, it’s time to see how many —if any— players on Egypt’s squad were born elsewhere.

Among the 26 players called up, only one was born away from Egypt’s borders: right winger Haissem Hassan, who was born in France and holds dual citizenship. In fact, he represented France at the youth international level.

Why does Haissem Hassan play for Egypt instead of France?

The French national team is very strong and there is a lot of fierce competition. Meanwhile, Egypt guaranteed him a more feasible path towards international soccer appearances.

Hassan played for France at the U-17 and U-18 youth international levels, but earning a senior cap for France is way tougher. Also, the Egyptian Federation made a years-long pursuit, and guaranteed him a 2026 World Cup squad.

Egypt has another curious case of dual citizenship on their squad

Omar Marmoush is one of Egypt’s best players, but The Pharaohs almost miss him due to his dual-citizenship. Marmoush could’ve opted to play for Canada, as he was born in Cairo, but had the possibility to represent the Maple Leafs.

However, Marmoush grew in Egypt and has stated that Mohamed Salah is his idol. Now, by choosing Egypt, Salah is also Marmoush’s teammate and will play the 2026 World Cup alongside him.

Josimar Dias, known as Vozinha, is a 40-year-old shot-stopper. He became the second-oldest debutant in World Cup history vs. Spain in Matchday 1, only behind Egypt’s goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who debuted in the 2018 World Cup at 45 years old.

Vozinha made more than seven world-class saves against Spain, which sparked the rise of his name to a global interest. Now that he has cemented himself as Cape Verde’s best player, it’s time to dive deep into his figure.

Who is Vozinha?

Cape Verde’s goalkeeper was born on June 3, 1986 in the city of Mindelo, he is one of 11 players of Cape Verde that were actually born in Cape Verde, not in foreign countries. Vozinha turned pro until he was 25 years old, he is the definition of a late bloomer.

How tall is Vozinha?

Typically, goalkeepers are very tall, and while Vozinha is tall, he is not massive. Vozinha stands at 6’2″. However, for Cape Verde, he might as well be a giant. He seems to be well-positioned every single time he receives a shot.

Where does Vozinha play?

Per the time of writing, Vozinha plays for GD Chaves, a club in the Liga Portugal 2 (second tier of Portuguese soccer). Per Flashscore’s Player Archive, Vozinha had an unbelievable 76.7 save percentage in the 2024/2025 season. He has 45 official clean sheets in his club career.

Vozinha’s performance against Spain in 2026 World Cup

Per SofaScore, Vozinha had a 9.7 rating, getting official FIFA Man of the Match honors. He made seven saves, had 1.46 goals prevented, which is a stat that measures a goalkeeper’s effectiveness in preventing goals, based on the ratio of goals conceded to the expected number of goals based on the quality of shots (xGOT).

Now, all the World Cup is on notice, to beat Cape Verde, you must go through Vozinha, and as Spain came to know, that is not an easy feat whatsoever.

On the Cape Verde squad for the 2026 World Cup, there are 15 soccer players born elsewhere representing them:

• Jamiro Monteiro (Nethlerands)
• Deroy Duarte (Netherlands)
• Laros Duarte (Netherlands)
• Garry Rodrigues (Netherlands)
• Dailon Livramento (Netherlands)
• Sidny Lopes Cabral (Netherlands)
• Jovane Cabral (Portugal)
• Helio Varela (Portugal)
• Telmo Arcanjo (Portugal)
• Wagner Pina (Portugal)
• Logan Costa (France)
• Steven Moreira (France)
• Willy Semedo (France)
• Roberto ‘Pico‘ Lopes (Ireland)
• CJ Dos Santos (United States)

Portuguese roots are very attached to Cape Verde

While it’s the Netherlands the country that provides the most players to Cape Verde, it’s Portugal the one that is not only bringing four names to Cape Verde’s squad, but even influencing the players that were actually born in Cape Verde.

Portugal had colonies in Cape Verde back in the day and those roots remain still in Cape Verde. In fact, Portuguese is still the official language of Cape Verde. To this day, the two countries still have bilateral agreements.

Cape Verde’s first time in a World Cup

Cape Verde will make its debut in the World Cup. The Blue Sharks want to make this one to remember, not only by qualifying, but by having some good results in the process.

Cape Verde is part of Group H in the 2026 World Cup, where it plays Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. It’s a tough group to be in, but Cape Verde is eager to create some chaos and shock some people.

This is a Group H matchup, where Spain needs to impose its style from the first minute, while Cape Verde needs to survive and keep its face for the games. Spain will try to keep its stock as high as possible, even with Lamine Yamal starting on the bench today.

Saudi Arabia and Uruguay are also in this group, so winning this game is key for Spain, it would mean they establish themselves as the team to beat. For Cape Verde, the focus is simple: live to fight another day. Saudi Arabia and Uruguay are lesser teams that Spain so they would be having chances to bounce back, but they must avoid tragedy.

What happens if Spain beats Cape Verde?

A win over Cape Verde would not put Spain through to the next stage yet, but it would go a long way in help them achieve the knockout phase. Spain would claim three points and put itself be in a prime position in Group H.

Defeating Cape Verde would mean Spain simply need to beat Saudi Arabia in the second group-stage match to qualify for the Round of 32. That is a very realistic scenario, and it would mean La Furia Roja head into the final group match against former World Cup winners Uruguay with the aims of establishing its seeding and nothing more.

What if Spain and Cape Verde tie?

In case that Spain and Cape Verde showdown ends in a stalemate, both teams will walk away from the matchup with one point. A result like this would leave them in a tight race to advance from Group E, where they would have to pursue either Saudi Arabia or Uruguay depending on who wins that match.

What happens if Spain lose vs. Cape Verde?

Not only would this result be a massive upset, but Spain’s stock and future in the 2026 World Cup would suffer a serious hit. While they wouldn’t be eliminated per se, but it would be an uphill battle after, as they would have to beat Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to bounce back.

Given that eight out of the 12 third-place teams in the group stage also qualify, Spain could lose points and still aim for a spot in the next round, but their status contender would certainly take a dip.

Kulusevski didn’t fully recover from a severe patella injury, hence he wasn’t called to play for Sweden in the 2026 World Cup. The injury came back in May 2025, and he hasn’t played since.

When heatlhy, Kulusevski is one of Sweden’s most technical and talented players. He can play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder. Hence, he gives the manager plenty of tactical flexibility. He won’t be the only absentee though, as Roony Bardghji isn’t playing at the 2026 World Cup with Sweden either.

Dejan Kulusevski’s replacement in the 2026 World Cup

To replace Kulusevski, manager Graham Potter selected a teammate of his in Lucas Bergvall. He is basically an exact replacement for Kulusevski, as he can also play as a winger and an attacking midfielder,

Bergvall is just 20 years old, and contrary to Kulusevski, he is right footed. Bergvall plays with flair, close ball control, and good dribbling. He excels at creating ball progression opportunities and at 6’1″, he is also capable of withstanding impact from defenders.

Sweden’s midfielders for the 2026 World Cup

Graham Potter will have a total of eight midfielders of different characteristics and traits at his disposal for the World Cup. Sweden plays in Group F against the likes of Tunisia, Netherlands, and Japan. These are the midfielders available for those games:

• Yasin Ayari
• Lucas Bergvall
• Jesper Karlstrom
• Benjamin Nygren
• Ken Sema
• Elliot Stroud
• Mattias Svanberg
• Besfort Zeneli

Ivory Coast struggled in the first half but improved on the second against an Ecuador team that was very well prepared. It is a crucial win for the Elephants who want to make this their best World Cup appearance to date.

Ecuador and Ivory Coast both will face Curaçao, but with different intentions. Ecuador now needs to win in devastating fashion to recover morale and boost their goal difference. Ivory Coast first needs to focus on Germany, and then can focus on putting their goal difference to the test against Curaçao in the last group stage game.

Group E also features Germany and Curaçao, making it one of the most intriguing groups in the competition. After facing Ecuador, Ivory Coast will take on Germany on June 20 before closing the group stage against Curaçao on June 25. Follow Ivory Coast and Ecuador live with us!

The match is being played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the United States host cities for the 2026 World Cup. The stadium is among the ten largest in the tournament.

2026 World Cup: The stadium for Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador

The match is taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia Stadium. Located in South Philadelphia, the venue is located inside the city’s expansive South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The stadium is known for hosting perennial NFL contenders Philadelphia Eagles.

How many fans are attending Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador today?

The Philadelphia Stadium can host up to 69,000 spectators, with 67,000 expected to be in attendance for Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, basically ensuring a capacity crowd.

What is the weather forecast for Ivory Coast vs Ecuador?

Philadelphia features a warm, humid weather right now. Per the New York Times, there’s high chance of rain and even thunderstorms developing around game time.

Ivory Coast was able to beat France in a friendly just before the 2026 World Cup. It comes with high morale and a very good, pacey brand of soccer. The team has stars and big-time players.

As for Ecuador, they might have the best defense in all of the tournament, as the predicted lineups might indicate. Not only that, but they have talent all around the pitch.

Ivory Coast vs Ecuador confirmed lineups

Ivory Coast’s lineup is a 4-2-4 formation: Yahia Fofana; Emmanuel Agbadou, Guéla Doué, Wilfried Singo, Ghislain Konan; Seko Fofana, Franck Kessié; Nicolas Pepe, Yan Diomande, Elye Wahi, Bazoumana Toure.

As for Ecuador, the lineup for Sebastian Beccacece’s side is a 3-4-3: Hernan Galindez; Joel Ordoñez, Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapié; Pedro Vite, Moises Caicedo, Alan Minda, Alan Franco; Gonzalo Plata, Enner Valencia, John Yeboah.

Who will be the referee for Ivory Coast vs Ecuador?

Originally, well-renowned referee Michael Oliver was scheduled to referee this match. However, FIFA stated that Oliver suffered a minor injury, hence he needed replacement. The referee will now be Francois Letexier.

Which uniforms will Ivory Coast and Ecuador use in 2026 World Cup match?

Ivory Coast will use a full orange kit with details in green, while their keeper will use a turquoise uniform with some pink details. As for Ecuador, they will go with a navy blue jersey, joined by white shorts and white socks with details in navy blue. Ecuador’s keeper will use a light grey kit.