While You Were Sleeping: All the action from the late night games and what Thursday has in store
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke watched on as his players applaud the travelling fans at Miami Stadium. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA
Sorry Scotland lost a second World Cup group game with a bruising 3-0 defeat to Brazil in Miami to leave their last-32 hopes up in the air.
Vinicius Junior took advantage of a horror mistake by returning Scots defender Scott McKenna to give the South Americans the lead in the seventh minute and then had the ball in the net in the 20th minute, but was adjudged to have fouled Jack Hendry.
But the lively Real Madrid attacker did get his second in added time of the first half after more poor defending and striker Matheus Cunha grabbed a third just after the hour mark.
Read the full match report here.
A Gunn; N Patterson (T Ralston 82'), J Hendry, S McKenna, A Robertson (K Tierney 45'); L Ferguson, K McLean; B Doak (R Christie 82'), S McTominay, J McGinn (F Curtis 90'); L Shankland (C Adams 90').
Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, G Magalhaes, D Santos (A Sandro 82'); B Guimaraes, Casemiro (Fabinho 65'), L Paqueta (G Martinelli 66'); Rayan (Endrick 82'), V Junior, M Cunha (Neymar 76').
Danilo.
C Ramos (Mexico).
V Junior (Brazil).
"It’s not the way you want to go out either. We’ll probably hurt tonight, hurt tomorrow and then just keep our fingers crossed. If we go into the last 32, if we get a miracle, we’ll need to be better, we know that. If you don’t take care of the ball in the big moments and you make mistakes, you get punished – that’s club or international football.”
"Do better, that’s it. Be better in possession. Take responsibility. We definitely didn’t play as well as we can play."
Brazil have topped their first-round group in each of the FIFA World Cup tournaments since 1982, last finishing second in 1978 behind Austria - OptaAnalyst.
The Scottish contingent have been warmly received at the 2026 World Cup and with good reason, and while the players certainly haven't embarrassed themselves the fall off between game one and games two and three has been noticeable. Superior opposition, of course, but the Scots might have let the ocassion get to them a little especially against Brazil where a first-half Scott McKenna howler was indicative of a Scotland side out of their depth against the speed and flair of the Brazilians. To add, Scotland did not have a shot on goal for over 200 minutes since John McGinn's goal against Haiti in round 1. If that isn't evidence of a tail-off in form, I don't know what is.
He's a Brazilian icon, the country's all time top scorer and still an asset to any team if he's fit. Neymar received rapturous cheers and applause as he entered the field in place of Matheus Cunha in the 78th minute against Scotland, and showed off some trademark trickery during his limited minutes. However, with Brazil's crunch fixtures to come now they have qualified for the round of 32, Carlo Ancelotti may struggle to find minutes for the former Barcelona and PSG star man who will certainly be keen to have his fittest and most reliable players on the field including Neymar's positional counterpart Vinicius Junior who is in a rich vein of form at this World Cup. The group stage was a platform for Neymar to shine but he wasn't fit enough, now the opportunities will be less plentiful. Might we have seen the last of Neymar in a Brazil shirt? We hope not.
Morocco twice came from behind to beat Haiti 4-2 as they sealed second place in Group C.
Substitute Soufiane Rahimi scored 12 minutes from time to put them ahead after Haiti had twice taken the lead in the first half, Gessime Yassine adding a fourth late on.
Haiti stunned Morocco after 10 minutes with their first World Cup goal in 18,994 days, Lenny Joseph’s neat flick from a cross from Danley Jean Jacques going in off goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who was credited with the own goal.
Bounou’s opposite number Johny Placide made a double save from Achraf Hakimi and Ayoub El Kaabi, but was powerless to stop Hakimi bundling in the equaliser after 38 minutes off his standing leg after the goalkeeper had palmed a cross across the goal.
They remained level for just four minutes, Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor finding the top corner with a strike from 25 yards.
But Morocco were back level before the break, Saibari’s strike from outside the box after Hakimi’s cut back, leaving Placide with no chance.
Read the full match report here.
Bono; A Hakimi, R Halhal, C Riad, A Salah-Eddine (N Mazraoui 83'); S Amrabat, N El Aynaoui (S El Mourabet 83'); B Diaz (A Ounahi 70'), I Saibari (S Rahimi 70'), B El Khannous; A El Khabi (G Yassine 70').
J Placide; J Duverne (C Arcus 80'), R Ade, H Delcroix, M Experience; J Casimir, D Jean Jacques (D Simon 80'), J Bellegarde, R Providence (D Nazon 67'); W Isidor (L Don Deedson 67'), L Joseph (F Pierrot 83').
J Placide, J Casimir.
D Makkelie (Netherlands).
A Hakimi (Morocco).
"It was a crazy game, too many goals but we are really delighted to qualify for the next round and now we have to keep going. Haiti were already out of the competition but showed great spirit and made us suffer but in the end we did it."
Ismail Saibari (Morocco) has become the first African player to score in each of his side’s three group stage matches at a single FIFA World Cup tournament - OptaAnalyst.
After winning AFCON and finishing fourth at the last World Cup in Qatar, it's safe to say Morocco are the offical tournament dark horses - ahead of Mexico, the US and Norway. They may not have been at their best against Haiti but they managed four goals and haven't lost a game at the group stage yet (2W, 1D) plus they look like a team who are starting to find their groove. And with stars like Achraf Hakimi in your side, you always stand a chance. They will likely face the Netherlands or Japan in the round of 32, two teams Morocco are capable of sending home.
Brazil and Morocco lock in their spots in the #FIFAWorldCup Round of 32 🔐#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026
South Africa made history by reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time with a 1-0 win over South Korea.
Following a scoreless opening half at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, Thapelo Maseko scored the decisive goal, steering Tshepang Moremi’s cross into the bottom-right corner from 15 yards out.
Read the full match report here.
R Williams; K Madau, I Okon, Mbokazi, A Modiba; T Mbatha, S Sithole; T Maseko (I Rayners 75'), R Mofokeng (J Adams 80'), O Appollis (T Moremi 62'); E Makgopa.
A Modiba.
S Kim; L Hanbeom, M Kim (J Park 66'), G Lee; Y Seol, S Paik (J Kim 45'), I Hwang, T Lee (J Castrop 45'); K Lee, H Hwang (H Son 45'), H Oh (G Cho 74').
South Africa bringing the vibes. 🇿🇦🎶#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026
F Tello (Argentina).
T Maseko (South Africa).
South Africa have qualified for the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the first time. They are the seventh African nation to reach the knockout stage of FIFA World Cup - OptaAnalyst.
Co-hosts Mexico scored three second-half goals to complete a perfect group record with a 3-0 win over a disappointing Czech Republic.
Goals from Mateo Chavez, Julian Quinones and Alvaro Fidalgo made it three wins out of three for Mexico and condemned the Czechs to an early exit at the foot of Group A.
Read the full match report here.
It's raining goals in Mexico! 🇲🇽☔️
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026
The #FIFAFanFestival feels it across the map 🗺️#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/cyINnWVZTD
R Rangel (G Ochoa 78'); J Sanchez, C Montes, I Reyes, M Chavez (J Gallardo 78'); G Mora (A Fidalgo 72'), E Alvarez, L Romo (O Vargas 63'); R Alvarado, G Martinez (S Gimenez 63'), J Quinones.
E Alvarez.
M Kovar; T Holes (T Soucek 64' off for A Sojka 87'), R Hranac, L Krejci; V Coufal, L Cerv (T Chory 87'), M Sadilek, D Doudera; P Sulc, D Visinsky (L Provod 56'), A Hlozek (P Schick 64').
Y Falcon (Argentina).
M Chavez (Mexico).
Guillermo Ochoa is the seventh player 40-years-old or older to appear in this year’s FIFA World Cup. Only seven players in their 40’s had appeared in the first 22 editions of the competition - OptaAnalyst.
Mexico take the top spot in Group A! 🇲🇽#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026
Teenager Kerim Alajbegovic’s stunning strike set Bosnia and Herzegovina on their way to a 3-1 Group B win over Qatar which leaves them on course to reach the knock-out phase of the World Cup for the first time in their history. Read the full match report here.
A 12-minute burst of clinical finishing early in the second half, after a dogfight of a first, earned Switzerland the right to call Vancouver home through the first week of the knock-out stages. Murat Yakin’s line-up changes paid off handsomely with Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi rewarding his faith. Read the full match report here.
Soccer fans streaming into stadiums for World Cup matches have been shocked to find they can't take their big purses or backpacks in with them due to a clear-bag policy in place for security reasons.
Many find themselves scrambling to get their belongings out of their own bag and transferred into clear plastic bags — and for that, most stadiums are surrounded by clear-bag hawkers selling their product usually for around $20.
"It shocked and surprised me," said Ethan Magda, 19, from Arizona, who was at the Los Angeles stadium. "I bought my ticket like two months ago, and I looked on the website. I looked for why I can bring in what I can't bring in. Obviously I can't bring knives and guns and stuff like that, but it didn't say anything about clear bags."
The same consternation is affecting fans from countries outside the U.S. and Europe, who don't generally face the clear-bag rule.
"I didn't know we can't bring this bag," said Taiwanese Ken Son, 27, who was picking up his small, grey bag from a paid bag-storage locker. "And I think this bag is really small, so I'm really surprised that I cannot bring it into the game."
FIFA is clear about the clear-bag rule. It's the top issue listed on its online Fan Safety and Support page for the World Cup.
For those who know the rules, including most Americans who have gone to events at stadiums in recent years, it doesn't seem controversial. A number told Reuters they feel safer and the security lines move faster due to the rule.
"I think it's really safe, like as many shootings as there are, as many problems there are," said Adriene Napolitano, 16. "Even though you might have to buy your own bag, like, it's keeping everyone in the stadium safe, you know."
Still, for thousands of fans from across the world, this is their first World Cup experience and forking out money for a clear bag and paying to have their own bag stored is just another harsh lesson, driving up further the cost of the whole experience.
Germany are through as group winners and will now face a third-placed team from Groups A, B, C, D or F.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann will need to change his backline against Ecuador after starting centre back Nico Schlotterbeck was ruled out for the rest of the tournament with an ankle ligament injury he picked up in their 2-1 last-gasp win over Ivory Coast. Antonio Rudiger, who replaced Schlotterbeck in that game, is likely to earn his first start of the tournament.
The Germans, however, are unlikely to take their foot off the gas with the team eager to keep up their winning run.
"We have to stay in the flow because every win is good for us," attacking midfielder Nadiem Amiri said.
"It is an extremely important match for us with a lot of fans coming from Germany so we want to win it 100% and we will go in with maximum intensity."
Ecuador need to beat Germany to have at least a third-place route and hope Curaçao defeat Ivory coast to finish second.
Ivory Coast need a point against Curaçao to guarantee qualification, while Curaçao must win to have at least a third-place route and hope Germany win or draw against Ecuador to finish second.
The Ivorian attack had chances against Germany but, in the end, lacked the necessary experience, coach Emerse Fae said.
"We're going to use that game as a lesson to try and fine-tune the mistakes, our shortcomings that we still have, and that will help us go as far as possible," he said.
The Netherlands would guarantee qualification with a win or a draw against Tunisia, who are already eliminated after two heavy losses and drafted in coach Herve Renard mid-tournament.
The Dutch are in a shootout with Japan for top spot but will look to manage several strikers carrying knocks.
The form of striker Brian Brobbey, who scored twice in the 5-1 win over Swedan, has covered for the fact that Memphis Depay is still working his way back to full fitness from a thigh problem. Coach Ronald Koeman is keen to have him start, but Brobbey has proven an able deputy, though he is also carrying a slight hamstring problem.
The electric Crysencio Summerville could return to the starting line-up as a wide attacker, though he too received a blow to the head against the Swedes.
Japan would secure qualification with a draw or win against Sweden, while Sweden need to beat, though a draw would give them a level goal difference with a high goals scored tally so a good chance of a third-place route.
"They are without a doubt two of the strongest strikers in this tournament," Japan defender Shogo Taniguchi said of Swedish attacking duo Isak and Gyokeres.
"We have to disturb and make life uncomfortable for them. They have to feel that we are close to them at all times."
There's a totally dead rubber here with USA already through as group winners and Turkey out.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino has decisions to make, with forward Folarin Balogun, midfielder Tyler Adams and defenders Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson all carrying yellow cards. That could open the door for fringe players to press their case, while also giving Pochettino a chance to manage the fitness of talisman Christian Pulisic.
Australia would guarantee qualification with a draw or win against Paraguay. Paraguay need to beat Australia to be sure, but a draw would give them a chance of qualifying in third.
However Socceroos defender Jason Geria dismissed any idea both sides would settle for parity. "I think you're cheating the game in a way if you're looking to just call a truce with 10 minutes to go, that doesn't seem right in my opinion," he said.
"Yeah, we could both progress with a point, that's evident, but I don't think it's in us to just concede or just take the foot off the gas."
Paraguay's Miguel Almiron will serve a one-game ban after he received a red card for covering his mouth in a confrontation during their 1-0 win over Turkey in their second group game.
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