Matchday Two of the 2026 World Cup
The second round of group-stage fixtures has started to shape the FIFA World Cup 2026. Several nations have already secured their place in the Round of 32, while Serie A Enilive players continue to make an impact with goals, assists, and decisive performances. The standout performer was Jonathan David, whose hat-trick will go down in the history of both the tournament and the Italian top flight.
It was an unforgettable matchday for the three host nations. Johan Vásquez's Mexico edged past South Korea 1-0, keeping another clean sheet and booking their place in the knockout stage with a game to spare.
The United States achieved the same feat, defeating Australia 2-0 to secure qualification despite the absence of Christian Pulisic. Canada also had plenty to celebrate after a dominant 6-0 victory over Qatar, driven by Jonathan David. The only setback for the North Americans was Ismaël Koné’s serious injury as he was forced to leave the tournament early.
With the hat-trick, David also became only the second Juventus player to score a World Cup hat-trick, forty-four years after Paolo Rossi's famous treble against Brazil at Sarriá.
Switzerland won their first game of the tournament with a 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, featuring a lethal final fifteen minutes. Muharemović's red card in the 80th minute left the Bosnians a man down and proved decisive. Manuel Akanji, Michel Aebischer, and Remo Freuler all started as Switzerland moved level with Canada at the top of Group B.
Matchday two also brought an important victory for Neil El Aynaoui's Morocco as they beat the Scotland side featuring Scott McTominay, Lewis Ferguson, and Ché Adams. Brazil's win over Haiti saw Éderson make his first World Cup appearance, coming on for Bruno Guimarães in the second half.
The World Cup’s first major disappointment was Turkey's elimination. Vincenzo Montella's squad fell to a 1-0 defeat against Paraguay and exited the World Cup early, taking stars such as Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kenan Yıldız out of the competition.
The Netherlands dominated Sweden with a 5-1 victory, reviving their ambitions. Donyell Malen did not manage to find the net and was substituted at half-time, but Denzel Dumfries was one of the standout performers for the Oranje. The Inter wing-back played a key role down the right flank, providing two assists in the rout.
It was a painful defeat for Côte d'Ivoire, who were beaten by Germany late into stoppage time. Ange-Yoan Bonny and Odilon Kossounou started for the Elephants, while Evan Ndicka remained on the bench.
Meanwhile, Zion Suzuki celebrated his first-ever World Cup clean sheet as Japan defeated Tunisia 4-0. Ecuador now face a tougher route to qualification after Pervis Estupiñán's side were held to a goalless draw by Curaçao.
It was also a difficult day for Belgium and Uruguay. The Red Devils started Alexis Saelemaekers, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku, but could not find a way through against Iran in a 0-0 draw.
Uruguay's 2-2 draw with Cape Verde proved frustrating for Mathías Olivera's side as they lost their advantage after a risky back-pass from the Napoli full-back, lead to Cape Verde’s equaliser.
Argentina and France quickly joined the list of teams already through to the Round of 32 with maximum points.
Argentina beat Austria thanks to another sensational performance from Lionel Messi, whose brace took him to 18 World Cup goals, a new all-time competition record. Alongside him, Lautaro Martínez played 63 minutes before being substituted.
France also kept up their flawless record with a 3-0 win over Iraq, relying on an all-Italian midfield pairing of Manu Koné and Adrien Rabiot. Mike Maignan also recorded his first clean sheet of the tournament.
Following their opening victory, Norway defeated Senegal, securing qualification for the Round of 32 with a game to spare. Marcus Pedersen opened the scoring after replacing the injured Ryerson just eleven minutes in. Shortly before half-time, the Torino full-back scored to make it 1-0. It was his first goal for the senior national team and came on his World Cup debut. A vital contribution in Norway's 3-2 victory.
Portugal cruised to a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, with players from different generations of their football history taking centre stage.
Rafael Leão came off the bench and needed only fourteen minutes to make an impact with bursts of pace, dribbles, and a superb finish to cap off Portugal's five-goal show. For the Milan forward, it was his first goal for the national team since November 2024 and his second career World Cup goal after scoring in the 6-1 victory over Switzerland at the 2022 tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo stood out during the match with a brace, making him the first player in World Cup history to score in six different editions of the tournament.
Croatia edged past Panama by a single goal. Former Crotone and Sampdoria striker Ante Budimir proved decisive, while Luka Modrić, Martin Baturina, and Marin Pongračić all started. Petar Sučić and Mario Pašalić were brought on from the bench.
To round out the matchday, Jhon Lucumí's Colombia defeated DR Congo 1-0 and moved to the top of their group with maximum points. The Bologna defender delivered a solid display, albeit receiving a yellow card, but it was enough to celebrate qualification for the next round.