The World Cup Watch #2: Dreams Realised, Dreams End 

As we now enter Matchday 2 of the FIFA World Cup, we've reached the stage where possibilities become realities. For some nations, ninety minutes was all they needed to secure a place in the inaugural Round of 32, taking another step towards football immortality. For others, defeat would extinguish their dreams, condemning them to an early and painful journey home. As for others, the destinies are undecided, with their fate hanging delicately in the balance. With one matchday left, every goal, every save, every moment has an ever bigger influence on whether a journey carries on or ends. The margins grow finer, the pressure grows heavier, and the road to glory becomes ever more demanding.

Day 8: 18th June 

Czech Republic vs South Africa: (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA)

Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, USA)

Canada vs Qatar (BC Place, Vancouver, Canada)

Mexico vs South Korea: 18th June (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico) 

To kick things off, the Czech Republic and South Africa kicked off Matchday 2 in Atlanta, knowing that a win is mandatory for any chance of qualifying for the Round of 32. Six minutes were all it needed for Czechia to get an early advantage following a tidy slotted finish from Michael Sadílek from a beautifully worked goal. Czechia remained firm throughout the game, but with 10 minutes remaining, South Africa was awarded a penalty after Thapelo Maseko's shot struck Pavel Šulc's arm on the edge of the penalty area. Teboho Mokoena stepped up and restored parity in the match. Despite late threats from South Africa, they couldn't find a winner, resulting in a 1-1 draw between the two, and all to be decided on the final day.

Picture Above: South Africa midfielder, Teboho Mokoena, striking a penalty which drew South Africa level against Czechia 
 

Switzerland and Bosnia took to the stage later that day in Los Angeles, both looking for the win that would put them in a promising position for qualifying for the knockout stages. 

Similar to their encounter with Qatar, Switzerland, while dominating possession and creating more chances, is unable to produce an end product. Meanwhile, Bosnia picked up where they left off against Canada, with resilient defending unable to be penetrated by the Swiss. In the 74th minute, Switzerland finally found a way past Bosnia's defence with an excellent technique-driven side volley from Johan Manzabi. Bosnia's day got worse when Tarik Muhamerović received a red card for stopping a direct goalscoring opportunity just on the edge of the penalty area, leaving Bosnia to finish with only 10 men. The Swiss played it to their advantage and sealed the deal with a clinical finish in the 84th minute from Ruben Vargas, which all but sealed the deal for Murat Yakin's men before Manzabi put the icing on the cake with a tap-in to seal his brace and the three points for Switzerland in the 90th minute. Bosnia pulled one back with an emphatic strike from Ermin Mahmić in stoppage time. Still, Granit Xhaka's penalty put the gloss on an excellent second-half display, and the momentum was theirs into qualifying top of Group B. 

Picture Above: Switzerland forward, Johan Manzambi, celebrating after scoring one of his goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Co-hosts Canada then faced Qatar in Vancouver, with both teams knowing that this is a brilliant chance to grab their maiden World Cup wins, with the winner, much like Switzerland, putting themselves in a great position to qualify for the knockout stages. 

Canada found the breakthrough in the 16th minute, when Cyle Larin tapped the ball past Mahmud Abunada after he failed to capture a shot by Jonathan David, putting the co-hosts in a good position to secure their first World Cup win. Jonathan David doubled the lead with a sweet first-time finish after Tajon Buchanan's blocked shot fell nicely to him. Qatar's day got from bad to worse after Homam Ahmed was shown a red card for stopping a direct goalscoring opportunity, and Canada played it to their advantage with David getting his brace right before half time. Canada's commanding lead was overshadowed by a worrying injury to Ismaël Koné shortly after half-time. The midfielder was left in agony following a reckless challenge from Assim Madibo, who saw his yellow card upgraded to a red after a VAR review, reducing Qatar to nine men. Following Koné's withdrawal, Canada's hunger for more was soon rediscovered. Substitute Nathan Saliba curled home a superb free-kick before celebrating with a replica of Koné's shirt, while Jacob Shaffelburg's effort was turned into the net by Mohamad Al-Mannai. Jonathan David then completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to seal a dominant 6-0 victory. While Koné was later confirmed to have broken his fibula and tibia, ruling him out for the rest of Canada's tournament, the headlines will be all about Canada's first-ever World Cup win, leaving Jesse Marsch's men in a brilliant position to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time. 

Picture Above: Canadian midfielder Nathan Saliba holding teammate Ismael Koné's shirt high as a gesture after scoring against Qatar

To wrap things up on Day 8, co-hosts Mexico faced off against South Korea in Guadalajara, and with both teams scoring wins in their opening matches, a place in the Round of 32 is up for grabs, with the winner not only sealing a place, but guaranteed to finish their group campaigns as Group A winners. 

The Koreans started as favorites for most of the first half but failed to convert chances. Their best chance came in the 15th minute, when Son Heung-min chipped the ball over Raúl Rangel. Edson Alvarez denied him with a heroic goal-line clearance, only for the flag to go up for offside just moments later. Roughly four minutes later, Julian Quiñones put pressure on the opposition’s goalkeeper, Kim Seung-gyu, with Mexico's first major chance of the half, forcing the Korean keeper into a stretched save. However, things changed once the half-time whistle went off, as Mexico returned to the field with more determination and grabbed a golden opportunity to score after five minutes into the second half, as Kim Seung-gyu was unable to control the high ball and he got entangled in a duel with his defender, thus dropping the ball in the feet of Luis Romo who scored the winner after taking advantage of empty space in front of him. South Korea failed to create chances despite having good possession time towards the end, as Raúl Rangel saved a double effort by the Koreans at the death.  As a result, Mexico became the first side to seal a spot in the Round of 32 after a 1-0 win to finish top of Group A with one game to spare, leaving Korea with work to do ahead of their final match against South Africa.

Picture Above: Mexico forward, Luís Romo, scoring his goal against South Korea 

Day 9: 19th June 

USA vs Australia (Lumen Field, Seattle, USA)

Scotland vs Morocco (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, USA)

Brazil vs Haiti (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA)

Turkey vs Paraguay (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, USA)

The following day, the co-hosts, the United States, looked to keep their home party going strong with an encounter with Australia, with a win for either team enough to guarantee a place in the Round of 32. 

For the second game in a row, the USA forced an early own goal with Cameron Burgess the unlucky man, after a surging run from Florian Balogun. The American looked to find Ricardo Pepi in the penalty area, but Burgess got the final touch and gave the USA an early momentum. USA looked to have doubled their lead before half-time when Alex Freeman headed the ball into the net following Sergiño Dest's blocked shot, coming down nicely to him. However, after a VAR check, Bastian Danckert awarded the goal after Freeman was in an onside position. Going into halftime, it looked like the USA would be en route to another comfortable win. As for Australia, it's a long second half ahead of them. However, Australia emerged as a new team and started to pressure the hosts within the first 10 minutes, and it was the substitutions that made the biggest impact for the Soceroos; however, Australia couldn't find the goal to claw themselves back into the game, leaving the USA to complete a home run win of 2-0 and punch their ticket into the last 32. 

Picture Above: USA players, Chris Richards and Alex Freeman, celebrating after the latter scored against Australia

Roughly an hour after, Scotland and Morocco took to the stage in Boston, with Steve Clarke's men knowing a place in the knockout stages can be theirs if they were to beat a highly-fancied Moroccan side, who're looking to achieve their first win of World Cup 2026. 

Just 71 seconds into the match, Morocco took the lead against Steve Clarke's side with a stunning strike from Ismael Saibari, scoring the fastest World Cup goal in Moroccan history and the second-fastest ever scored by an African nation at the tournament. The Atlas Lions continued to threaten, with Naïl El Aynaoui and Saibari both striking the crossbar as Brahim Diaz orchestrated several dangerous attacks. Scotland fought to respond, pressing high and creating opportunities of their own, with a powerful effort flashing just over the bar from Ryan Christie. Andy Robertson and Scott McTominay led a late surge in search of an equaliser, and appeals for a penalty came when McTominay believed he was fouled in the penalty area by El Aynaoui. However, referee Ilgiz Tantashev didn't buy it, and Morocco was let off the hook. Morocco tried to continue and look to find their second goal to give themselves a cushion, but couldn't find a way past Scotland's defense. Despite Scotland's late threats, Morocco's resolute defence stood firm through the closing stages, preserving a narrow 1-0 victory that put them on the brink of the last 32, giving Scotland a new objective: try to not lose against Brazil or risk going home. 

Picture Above: Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay looks dejected after his country's loss to Morocco.

Later on, tournament favourites, Brazil, took on underdogs, Haiti, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Brazil's World Cup destiny remains in their own hands, with Carlo Ancelotti's men knowing that they need a win to put themselves in a good position to qualify; whereas, defeat for Haiti would see them unable to qualify for the last 32, but still may have a chance if they can beat Morocco. 

Following an early scare when Haiti nearly caught them on the counter, Brazil broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, following Vinícius Júnior's saved effort, which rebounded off a Haitian defender and fell kindly for Matheus Cunha to score. Moments later, Vinícius turned provider with a superb pass for Cunha, who blasted home Brazil's second before the break. The Seleção's samba continued to flow, with Vinícius racing onto a perfectly timed pass to slot home his second goal of the tournament on the stroke of half-time. Haiti came close to pulling one back when Ricardo Ad's towering header was brilliantly tipped away by Alisson, preserving Brazil's clean sheet. Martinelli then struck the crossbar late on as Brazil searched for a fourth. Still, three goals proved more than enough to put the five-time world champions on the brink of the Round of 32, while Haiti became the first team to have their elimination confirmed at the World Cup, as it's a long journey home for them in store after Morocco, looking to end their journey on a more positive note. 

Picture Above: Brazil forward, Matheus Cunha celebrating after scoring against Haiti 

Turkey wrapped up the day facing Paraguay, knowing a loss would leave them unable to qualify for the knockout stages, and a failure to win would result in the USA topping the group. Paraguay has less at stake, as even if they were to lose, they can still qualify for the last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams if they were to win against Australia. 

They took no chances, though, as 64 seconds were all it took for Paraguay to go ahead and send Turkey into worry, after Matías Galarza hit a beautiful strike from miles out, setting an early tone while putting much more at stake for Turkey. Turkey's attack pressed and pressed since then, but still couldn't find the equaliser they needed. Towards the end of the half, things started to get spicy following a confrontation between the players, resulting in Paraguay's main man, Miguel Almirón, getting sent off after VAR Review for covering his mouth during the confrontation as part of FIFA's new Prestianni Rule, giving Turkey huge momentum going into the second half. However, despite maintaining large amounts of possession and having a man up, Turkey was wasteful of every single chance, and Paraguay survived with the scrape of their teeth; as for Turkey, it's a long, painful, and disappointing journey home. 

Picture Above: Paraguay forward, Miguel Almíron, confronting referee Ivan Barton, after awarding the Paraguayan a red card following covering his mouth 

Day 10: 20th June 

Netherlands vs Sweden (NRG Stadium, Houston, USA)

Germany vs Côte d'Ivoire (BMO Field, Toronto, Canada)

Ecuador vs Curaçao (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA)

Tunisia vs Japan (Estadio BBVA, Monterrey, México)

Day 10 of the World Cup kicked off with its second all-European affair between the Netherlands and Sweden. The former know that anything other than a win would leave them in a really tight position to qualify in the top two, whereas victory for Sweden would punch their ticket to the Round of 32. 

However, it was the Dutch who got the early momentum five minutes in when Cody Gakpo made a darting run through the Swedish defence before squaring the ball to Brian Brobbey, who simply tapped it in to give the Netherlands a much-craved dream start. Sweden's troubles only intensified when Brobbey completed his brace following a tidy first-time cross from Denzel Dumfries, leading him to simply stick a leg out and touch the ball into the net, leaving the Swedes in shambles. Following the first hydration break, Sweden looked to have refound their rhythm. It was almost rewarded towards the end of the first half when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed home from a Sweden free kick, later ruled offside, yet it promised something was coming for Sweden in the second half. However, the Dutch diffused any chance of a Swedish comeback when Gakpo tapped the ball past Nordfelt. It got worse for Sweden when Gakpo completed his brace to make it 4-0. Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back five minutes later for Graham Potter's side with half an hour to go, but just one minute from the ninety, the final nail in Sweden's coffin was hammered when Crysensio Summerville, resounding an emphatic 5-1 victory for the Dutch, leaving the Swedish in shambles and with real work to do in their final game against Japan. 

Picture Above: Netherlands players, Tijjani Reijnders and Cody Gakpo, celebrating after the latter scored against Sweden

Further northeast, Germany faced Côte d'Ivoire in Toronto, with a win for either side enough to guarantee them a place in the last 32. For Germany, it would be the first time since they won the tournament back in 2014 that they even made the knockout stages; as for Cote d'Ivoire, it would be the first time they ever reached the knockout phase of the World Cup in their fourth attempt of trying. 

Going into the first hydration break, Germany's best chance came 10 minutes into the game, when Joshua Kimmich's cross met Kai Havertz, whose headed attempt was saved by Yahia Fofana, quickly followed by  Côte d'Ivoire's best chance two minutes later when Wilfred Singo hit one on the laces, only to be blocked by a German defender. Côte d'Ivoire stunned all in the 30th minute when Yan Diomande crossed a ball into the German penalty area, and after Amad Diallo's shot was blocked, captain Franck Kessié tapped the rebound in, putting the underdogs in front. After countless close chances by Germany, they couldn't find an equaliser, and would go into the first half trailing 1-0. In the second half, after 20 minutes of relentless German attacks, their hard work finally paid off when their two substitutes, Nadiem Amiri and Denis Undav, combined, with the latter scoring an emphatic finish from a swinging cross from Amiri, making it 1-1 and ensuring Germany's return to the game. With time running out, it looked like the teams would share the points; however, Denis Undav had other plans. In the third minute of added time, Undav received the ball from Felix Nmecha, took a turn, and hit the ball perfectly past Fofana and into the net, sealing all three points for Germany and securing their return to the knockout places after back-to-back group stage exits. As for Côte d'Ivoire, all hope isn't lost just yet, as they can still qualify with a win against Curaçao. 

Picture Above: Germany forward, Denis Undav, scoring the winner against Côte d'Ivoire 

Back in the US, Ecuador and Curaçao met in Kansas City, with a lot at stake for both teams, as a loss for either side would see them unable to qualify for the Round of 32, whereas a win would significantly boost their hopes of making it. 

It quickly became the venue for one of the stories of the tournament as Curaçao picked up the first World Cup point in its country’s history via an incredible 0-0 draw against Ecuador. Much of the reason for this achievement was down to goalkeeper Eloy Room, who put in an excellent man-of-the-match display, stopping the opposition, including their star striker, captain Enner Valencia, 15 times to break a new World Cup record for most saves made in a 90-minute game. Even though Ecuador dominated possession and created plenty of opportunities, they couldn’t get the better of Room, and their best opportunity came right at the end when the ball bounced off the post off a brilliant cross by Angel Preciado, making it the fourth time Ecuador had hit the woodwork in this year’s tournament. While Ecuador will be frustrated with dropping what should've been an easy three points, Curaçao can be proud of their historic result, becoming the smallest nation ever to score a point in World Cup history; but the work is far from over as both teams now need a win to at least qualify as one of the best 3rd placed teams. 

Picture Above: Curaçao goalkeeper, Eloy Room, making one of the fifteen saves he made against Ecuador 

The day wrapped up with a milestone match in Monterrey, with the 1000th match in FIFA World Cup history between Tunisia and Japan. Hervé Renard arrived in Monterrey as Tunisia's new manager, and he's known to overachieve with limited resources, so could we see a potential surprise against the potential dark horses, Japan? It's do or die for Tunisia either way, as defeat would leave them unable to qualify for the Round of 32. 

However, it was a worst-case scenario start for Tunisia as Japan would take an early lead four minutes in through a flicked-on strike from Daichi Kamada, settling early nerves and scoring their earliest World Cup goal in history. Japan remained relentless and disciplined, giving Tunisia a hard time both in defence and attack. Things would only go from bad to worse for Tunisia as only seven minutes after the hydration break, Japan doubled their lead through Ayase Ueda, who hit a beautiful strike from miles out into the far post, giving Tunisia an even bigger mountain to climb now in the second half. Japan's patient style of play carried on into the second half, and in the 69th minute, they were rewarded with a third from Junya Ito, delivered to him by a beautifully flicked pass from Ueda, slotting it past Aymen Dahmen to surely send Tunisia home. Ueda put the icing on the cake six minutes from time, completing his brace with a pinpoint push header, sealing a dominant win, the three points, and Tunisia's ticket back home. This 4-0 win was also the first time in World Cup history that an Asian side scored four goals in a single match, so not only was it a historical night for the World Cup, but for Japan and Asia as well.

Picture Above: Japan forward, Ayase Ueda, taking a shot against Tunisia 

Day 11: 21st June 

Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA)

Belgium vs Iran  (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, USA)

Uruguay vs Cabo Verde (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA)

New Zealand vs Egypt (BC Place, Vancouver, Canada)

Following Spain's frustrating opening match draw against tournament debutants Cabo Verde, Luis de la Fuente's men look to take a major turning point and find themselves back on track. They'd have to do it against a Saudi Arabia side, who also frustrated Uruguay in their first match, and have a reputation for upsetting major giants. 

However, Spain took only 10 minutes to silence any lingering doubts, with starboy Lamine Yamal scoring a sliding finish from a low-driven cross from Mikel Oyazarbal. 10 minutes later, Oyazarbal doubled Spain's lead after a scramble in the penalty area, with Aymeric Laporte tapping the ball to him, nodding the ball past Mohammed Al-Owais. Three minutes separated Oyzarbal's first and second goals, with the Real Sociedad captain completing his brace, finishing off an excellent Spain team goal right before the hydration break. Throughout the rest of the first half, Saudi couldn't even come close to Spain, going into the first half with a dominant 3-0 lead. Three minutes into the second half, Spain picked up where they left off, following a corner, which fell to Marc Cucurella. The left back hit the ball, and although initially saved by Al-Owais, it hit Hassan Al Tambakti, rebounding into the Saudi net as an own goal, piling more trouble onto Georgios Donis's side. With hardly any major chances from Saudi Arabia, Spain looked to put the cherry on top of a nearly perfect afternoon in Atlanta, with Ferran Torres scoring a simple tap-in in stoppage time in the second half; however, after review, Torres was revealed to be in an offside position, ruling out the goal. Regardless, no one could deny it wasn't a more Spain-styled performance as Luis de la Fuente's side regained the dominance they were missing against Cape Verde, taking a huge step to the Round of 32; as for Saudi Arabia, it's a long way back to even claim 3rd place. 

Picture Above: Spain forward Lamine Yamal, scoring his first-ever World Cup goal

Later in California, Belgium took on Iran in what is each team's first-ever encounter between the two sides. Both teams, despite never meeting before, share a common goal: to grab the win, which would put them in a good position to qualify for the knockout stages. 

Midway through the first half, Iran took a surprise lead through a free kick of absolute genius invention. Ehsan Hajsafi cleverly passed the ball through the Belgian wall and into the feet of Mehdi Taremi, who took a touch and shot past Courtois to make it 1-0 to Iran. However, after a lengthy VAR review, referee Darío Herrera ruled the goal offside as Taremi was in an offside position when he received the ball from Hajsafi, leaving a huge let-off for Belgium. They decided to make use of it by counterattacking and having some shots on target, but neither could go past Alireza Beiranvand, leaving both teams going into the half drawing 0-0. Early in the second half, we began to see a much more confident Belgium. The Red Devils had a golden opportunity to go ahead when Kevin De Bruyne's low-driven cross, initially blocked by an Iranian defender, fell into the path of Maxim De Cuyper, who shot it, yet it was brilliantly saved by Beiranvand, giving Iran their own huge let-off. However, Belgium's second half took a turn when Nathan Ngoy lost possession of the ball, fell into the path of Taremi, and, out of instinct, grabbed Taremi, resulting in his sending off and potentially swinging momentum to Iran. However, despite late threats from both sides, neither could find the goal that would put them in the best position possible, meaning all would be decided on the final matchday. 

Picture Above: Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand following a vital save from Belgium defender Maxim De Cuyper. 

Down in Miami, Uruguay returned to the Hard Rock Stadium to face tournament debutants, Cabo Verde, who know that anything besides a win would put them on the brink of another humiliating exit, whereas Cabo Verde look to prove that their draw against Spain wasn't a fluke and that they are deserving of a place in the knockout stages.

In the 21st minute, Kevin Pina left his name in the history books of his country by netting Cabo Verde's first-ever goal at a World Cup tournament from a brilliant free kick. However, it didn't take long for Uruguay to respond as they managed to score twice on the brink of half-time via Maximiliano Araujo and Agustin Canobbio. As Uruguay looked set to win, veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera committed an unforced error that allowed substitute Helio Varela to level the scoreline. Despite attacks, Uruguay failed to find the winner until the end, meaning Cabo Verde secured a precious second point at their debut World Cup, which put them on the brink of qualifying for the Round of 32 while Uruguay were on the brink of another embarrassing elimination. They'd have to win against highly-fancied Spain in their final group match to have any shot of making the knockout rounds. Cabo Verde kept up with their outstanding performance at the World Cup, coming closer to a truly historic achievement of participation in the knock-out, proving their status as a potential underdog in this year's finals.

Picture Above: Cabo Verde midfielder, Kevin Pina, celebrates with the substitutes after scoring his country's first World Cup goal 

To wrap up Day 11, the attention switched to Canada for only the second encounter ever between New Zealand and Egypt, with both teams searching for an elusive first World Cup win, which would not only make history for either side but also put them in a great position to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in their respective histories. 

15 minutes in, it was advantage for New Zealand, after Elijah Just's shot was saved by Mostafa Shobeir, going out for a corner. Tim Payne took the corner for the Kiwis, and Finn Surman rose highest to notch the ball into the Egypt net, making it 1-0 to New Zealand, putting them on course for their first World Cup win in their history. Following a few more chances for New Zealand to double their lead, it was Egypt's turn to knock on the door, coming close several times but couldn't find an equaliser before half-time. However, with 13 minutes played in the second half, Egypt finally found a response with a bullet header from Mostafa Zico, brilliantly swung in from Mohamed Hany. Just under 10 minutes later, Egypt took the lead through a trademark finish from captain, Mohamed Salah, running down the right wing, before playing one-two with Zico, before slotting the ball into the bottom left corner, scoring his third World Cup goal and Egypt's second of the day. Salah sealed the deal in the 82nd minute when he swung in a low cross from a corner, meeting Trezeguet, who headed low and scored for Egypt's first World Cup win in their history, not only putting themselves in a good position to qualify for their first-ever World Cup knockout stages, but also going top of Group G after Belgium's earlier draw with Iran. 

Picture Above: Egypt captain, Mohamed Salah, celebrating following his goal against New Zealand 

Day 12: 22nd June 

Argentina vs Austria (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, USA)

France vs Iraq (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA)

Norway vs Senegal (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, USA)

Jordan vs Algeria  (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, USA) 

Day 12 kicked off at the AT&T Stadium with a shootout for top spot in Group J between reigning South American and World champions, Argentina and Austria. However, there was a greater magnitude with Lionel Messi knowing that a goal today would see him surpass Miroslav Klose as the top goalscorer in World Cup history, tied with the German veteran before the match at 16 goals. 

Messi's chance for history came rather early when Lautaro Martinez was fouled in the penalty box by Stefan Posch. After a VAR Review, Amin Omar awarded a penalty for Argentina, giving Messi the perfect opportunity to snatch the record. However, the Argentine captain endured an early setback when he took the penalty but fired wide to the right of the post. However, Messi wouldn't be deterred from his missed penalty, responding in trademark fashion by calmly opening the scoring in the 38th minute after Thiago Almada expertly dummied an oncoming pass from Facuno Medina to make way for Mexxi to become the outright leading goalscorer in World Cup history with his 17th tournament goal, surpassing Miroslav Klose. Going into the second half, Austria came relatively close to scoring from a free kick from Marcel Sabitzer, only for Emiliano Martinez to tip the ball over the bar. Messi then added a second deep into stoppage time, taking his tally to 18 World Cup goals and five in this year's tournament following his opening-match hat-trick against Algeria, guaranteeing Argentina a place in the knockout stages and leaving the reigning world champions firmly on course to top Group J, and maybe, going all the way once again. 

Picture Above: Argentina captain, Lionel Messi, striking the ball into the net, scoring his second goal against Austria

With Lionel Messi writing his name into even more history, attention turned to Philadelphia, where another world-class player was aiming to make his own history. Kylian Mbappé and his French team arrived knowing that a win against Iraq would put them through to the Round of 32, while for Iraq, a loss or a draw would leave them unable to qualify for the knockout stages. 

From the start, it was a total French dominance over a rather hapless Iraq, taking Kylian Mbappé just 14 minutes to score the opener, controlling a pass before unleashing a powerful strike from 22 yards out that proved too strong for Ahmed Basil. As torrential rain swept across the city, play was suspended at half-time for more than two hours, forcing players and supporters to seek shelter, marking the first time a match in the World Cup was suspended due to weather. When the match eventually resumed, Iraq gifted France a second goal when a misplaced goal-kick allowed Ousmane Dembélé to set up Mbappé for a simple finish and his fourth goal of the tournament. Michael Olise then struck the crossbar before turning provider for Dembélé, who fired home France's third on 66 minutes. The victory guarantees Les Bleus a place in the Round of 32, while Mbappé's brace moved him to 16 World Cup goals, just two behind Lionel Messi's new all-time record of 18. 

Picture Above: France captain Kylian Mbappé, celebrating after scoring one of his two goals against Iraq

With France having already sealed their place in the Round of 32, Norway looked to join them before setting up one of the best games of the group stage against them. They'd have to face Senegal, desperate to revive their World Cup hopes and avoid going into their final matchday knowing a win is mandatory for any chance of qualifying for the last 32. 

After almost the entire first half, where Norway created a lot of chances early on, the Scandinavians got themselves ahead just before half-time when Marcus Holmgren Pedersen took advantage of an expensive mistake from Kalidou Koulibaly and another from Edouard Mendy to fire in a goal and put his country on the stroke of half-time. Norway wasted no time in the second half as three minutes in, Erling Haaland doubled the lead with a ruthless trademark finish after a quick counterattack led by the Norway captain Martin Ødegaard. The African team replied through Ismaïla Sarr with excellent assists from Sadio Mané, but Haaland scored again for Norway after volleying home a cross from Patrick Berg to increase his goal tally to four goals in two matches, sparking an exciting race to the golden boot alongside Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. Sarr scored his second goal in the third minute of stoppage time, but Norway kept their composure to secure back-to-back wins at the World Cup for the first time and set up an exciting clash with France in Boston for top spot in Group I, while also sealing their place in the Round of 32. Meanwhile, for Senegal, they need a result against an already-eliminated Iraq to even have a chance in qualifying as one of the best 3rd placed teams. 

Picture Above: Norway captain Martin Ødegaard leading the iconic Norwegian rowing celebration following their win over Senegal and qualification for the Round of 32. 

After opening match defeats, Jordan and Algeria face each other knowing that a loss would see their  World Cup over at the first hurdle. For Jordan, it was a chance to edge closer to history, while Algeria knew a second defeat would leave them staring at an early flight home.

Jordan looked as though a famous win was on the cards when Nizar Al Rashdan gave them the lead on 36 minutes following a very disciplined first half. However, the second half saw Algeria have complete control of the ball and produce the better opportunities, but could not break through the strong defense of Jordan, led by players like Riyad Mahrez and Ibrahim Maza. The Desert Foxes finally broke through in the 69th minute when Nadir Benbouali scored with his head from a set piece, and Amine Gouiri completed the turnaround eight minutes from time with the ball dropping in his path right in front of goal following a corner, leaving him to simply tap it past Yazeed Abulaila, sealing a 2-1 for Algeria, having picked up their first points in the tournament and kept alive their hopes of qualification for a clash against Austria in their last game, while Jordan become the latest team out of the tournament.

Picture Above: Algeria forward, Amine Gouiri, celebrating after scoring the winning goal against Jordan 

Day 13: 23rd June 

Portugal vs Uzbekistan (NRG Stadium, Houston, USA)

England vs Ghana (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, USA)

Panama vs Croatia (BMO Field, Toronto, Canada)

Colombia vs DR Congo  (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico) 

Day 13 of the World Cup kicked off in Houston for a first-ever encounter between Portugal and tournament debutants, Uzbekistan. Portugal opened up their campaign with a frustrating draw to DR Congo, so if it really is Cristiano Ronaldo's time to shine, it would have to be a major turning point. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, finds itself in a delicate do-or-die situation where defeat would see them eliminated from the group stage. 

It only took Cristiano Ronaldo six minutes to silence any doubters, making history for himself by becoming the first player to score in six different World Cups, with a clinical first-time finish delivered to him on a platter by Joao Cancelo, indicating his arrival at World Cup 2026. 11 minutes later, Portugal seemed to get their World Cup really up and running, with Nuno Mendes drilling home a sensational free kick from just outside the penalty area, putting Portugal in firm control and Uzbekistan in real trouble. Roughly eight minutes after the first hydration break, Uzbekistan looked to claw one back with one of the goals of the tournament from Aziz Ganiev, hitting a rocket from outside the box, pulling one back for the White Wolves. However, after VAR Review, the goal was disallowed after Abbosbek Fayzullaev fouled Cancelo in the build-up to the goal, and despite not getting the goal they craved, they looked sharper and looked to trouble Portugal later on in the game. Uzbekistan's troubles only intensified after Ronaldo doubled his lead in the 39th minute, with a simple finish rolled past Abduvohid Nematov, killing any chance of an Uzbekistan comeback, putting Portugal into a very comfortable 3-0 lead. Portugal's flow of passing and tempo only carried on into the second half. It only got worse for Fabio Cannavaro's men as 15 minutes into the second half, Portugal added a fourth from a corner, through a scruffy touch from Joao Felix, before going into the net as an own goal from the goalkeeper, Abduvohid Nematov, adding to the Uzbek's bad luck. Three minutes from the 90, Portugal got a fifth with Rafael Leao striking the ball with full verve into the top left corner, putting the icing on the cake and an exclamation point that Portugal have arrived at World Cup 2026 and are here to play. As for Uzbekistan, their World Cup journey hangs on by a thread, as they now need DR Congo to lose against Colombia and for them to win against the African side to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. 

Picture Above: Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, celebrating after scoring against Uzbekistan 

Following their opening wins, England and Ghana faced off in Boston, looking to find the win to put them in pole position to win Group L and to punch their ticket into the Round of 32. Two nations united by belief and ambition stood ninety minutes away from taking a giant stride towards the knockout stages, with only one likely to emerge as Group L's frontrunner.

Despite England's huge control on possession, with 79%, and making 19 attempts on goal, the Black Stars managed to hold strong and get a much-needed point in the satisfactory 0-0 draw, with the Three Lions enjoying an impressive possession but failing to convert it into goals. The first half witnessed an intense altercation between England's Jude Bellingham and Ghana's coach Carlos Queiroz. England's best chance came when Harry Kane tested goalkeeper Benjamin Asare with his effort. In the second half, the Black Stars almost caught England napping, and the Three Lions almost paid the price if Ghana scored on the counter-attack, but the goal was ruled out for offside. England kept pressing the Ghanaian team as Bukayo Saka's shot was saved by Asare. England created numerous chances through corners and attacks, but Asare was up to the mark in preventing any chances. The Ghanaian defense played like heroes in denying any chances, even saving a goal off the line. The Ghanaian team's brilliant defense performance helped them earn a crucial point against England, who now regret not capitalizing on their chance of winning the group, and it is anybody's group now.

Picture Above: England captain, Harry Kane, with hands on head after missing a golden opportunity with little time left in the game

Later, northwest, Panama, and Croatia emerged in the BMO Field in Toronto, knowing that defeat would see them eliminated from the group stage. With Croatia's World Cup hanging in the balance, this match carried a greater significance for Hrvatska, as it was captain Luka Modrić's 200th appearance for his country, adding another chapter in his storied career. 

After an uninspiring first-half performance, manager Zlatko Dalić was forced to look at his reserves and opt to make a dramatic move to replace Petar Musa with Ante Budimir. The Croatian manager's gamble paid off with Budimir scoring the decisive goal nine minutes from his entry to the pitch after setting himself up via good team play through the precise delivery of Josip Stanišić and Mario Pašalić. The team from Panama were relentless in their efforts to draw level as the game progressed, but they could not do so owing to the excellent showings of both Dominik Livaković in goal and the defensive unit. Despite Petar Sučić being shown a yellow card towards the end of the match, Croatia managed to hold on to the three valuable points, even though it was felt that the 2018 finalists could've had more against such a resolute side, while the 2018 debutants stumbled at the very first hurdle once again. 

Picture Above: Croatia forward, Ante Budimir, celebrating in front of the Croatian supporters after scoring the winner against Panama. 

Matchday 2 of the World Cup wrapped up in Guadalajara with Colombia, knowing that victory would secure their place in the Round of 32 and continue their impressive start to the tournament, taking on a fearless DR Congo side, who after picking up an impressive point against Portugal, proved they were capable of upsetting the established order, knowing that a historic qualification for the last 32 is very much on the cards. 

Colombia thought that they had scored with just under six minutes on the clock since Daniel Muñoz scored a goal by heading the ball to the net, but the referee ruled out the goal due to Crystal Palace’s defender being in an offside position. The two teams’ goalkeepers performed well throughout the first half by saving goals in order to keep their side without goals until the end of the first half, which can be considered a tough game. DR Congo kept pressing the South American team in the second half, and then in the 76th minute of the game, Muñoz managed to score the second goal in the match, to give Colombia that 1-0 lead they so desired. Colombia scored twice more, with both goals coming from Luis Díaz, with his first a chip over Lionel Mpasi and then a thumping finish in the span of two minutes; however, both goals were disallowed, with the first after Díaz committed a foul in the build-up and the second after he was in an offside position when he received the pass from Jefferson Lerma. DR Congo kept the fight going and fought very hard for an equalizer, but they got a few chances, with Chancel Mbemba orchestrating almost every chance. However, Colombia held firm and managed to hold off for a 1-0 win, reaching the Round of 32 in a hard-fought run-to-the-line match, but DR Congo, even with defeat, proved that they can advance to the knockouts. 

Picture Above: Colombian players, Luis Díaz (#7), Daniel Muñoz (#2), and Juan Quintero (#20), celebrating after Muñoz's goal against DR Congo. 

And with that, Matchday 2 came to a close across North America. Records tumbled as Lionel Messi became the outright leading goalscorer in World Cup history, while Kylian Mbappé continued his relentless pursuit of the Argentine legend. Erling Haaland remains in what looks to be the most exciting fight for the Golden Boot in recent times, while Cristiano Ronaldo makes history for himself, becoming the first player to score in six different World Cups. Seven nations have already punched their tickets to the Round of 32, taking one step closer to glory in New Jersey, while five others have seen their dreams shattered with their last game being played only for pride. Yet for the remaining teams, everything is still to play for. As the final round of group-stage fixtures approaches, some stand on the brink of qualification, others on the edge of elimination, and for all of them, ninety minutes will separate hope from heartbreak.