Curaçao, the smallest country to qualify for a World Cup

Victory that secures the pass

The Mexican National Team earned its ticket to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. It beat South Korea 1-0 at the Guadalajara Stadium and secured the lead in Group A. The next match will be at the Azteca Stadium on June 30, regardless of the result against the Czech Republic.

The first half was tough, with few scoring options. Julián Quiñones headed in after a cross from Roberto Alvarado, but without any major danger. Towards the close, South Korea pressed. The Mexican defense, led by Edson Álvarez – who covered the loss of César Montes due to expulsion – contained Son Heung-min. Raúl Rangel kept the clean sheet, although the fans showed their discontent.

In the second half, Luis Romo took advantage of a mistake by goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu and a defensive failure. He recovered the ball and scored the winning goal. The stadium erupted in jubilation.

The victory generates optimism for the next phase in Mexico City.

Historic victory for Canada

Canada achieved its first victory in a World Cup by beating Qatar 6-0, with a hat trick from Jonathan David. The North American team practically secured its place in the direct elimination round.

The Qataris played with nine men after the expulsions of Assim Madibo and Homan Ahmed. Madibo received the red card at the beginning of the second half for a strong tackle that injured Ismaël Koné. Ahmed was sent off in the first half for a foul on Tajon Buchanan.

The Canadian offensive was overwhelming. Cyle Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute after a rebound. David extended the lead with a volley in the 29th. He then scored again in first-half stoppage time after a shot hit the crossbar. Nathan Saliba scored from a free kick in the 64th, and Mohamed Manai deflected a ball into his own goal in the 75th. David completed his hat trick in stoppage time, tying him with Lionel Messi as the only players with three goals in a game in this tournament.

“No one will forget this, no Canadian will forget this day,” coach Jesse Marsch said. “It’s an incredibly pivotal moment for everyone to understand that there is talent in this country.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney was among the 52,497 fans at BC Place, sitting next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Koné’s injury mars the victory

The match was marked by the serious injury of Ismaël Koné. The player was knocked down from behind and fell to the grass with his left leg bent at a worrying angle. Madibo, visibly affected, was sent off. Koné was taken to the hospital to undergo surgery, accompanied by his family, according to Marsch.

For his part, Qatar’s coach, Julen Lopetegui, lamented: “It was a very tough match for many reasons. It was very difficult to face this match with two fewer players in this atmosphere.”

Canada tripled its World Cup goal total with this win. Alphonso Davies, recovered from injury, did not play. Moïse Bombito, also available, came on as a substitute.

Qatar, which had drawn 1-1 with Switzerland in its debut, is still without victory in a World Cup. Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 in the other Group B match.

Scotland vs Morocco in Boston

The 2026 World Cup already has a confirmed duel: Scotland and Morocco will meet on June 19 at Gillette Stadium in Boston. The match corresponds to Group C, in the central section of the group stage.

For the purposes of the fixture, Scotland appears as the home team and Morocco as the visitor. The venue, Boston, is one of the host cities of the tournament that will be organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots’ usual venue, will be the setting for this match. This is the only confrontation between both teams in the first stage of the competition, where each will seek to score points to advance to the round of 16.

The designation of home and away is administrative and does not imply an advantage on the field of play. The match is part of the official calendar published by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup.