Our feature columnist, John Newsome, previews Round 3 of the Football World Championship 2026 with his unique and insightful commentary.
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Round Three Fixtures-
The Round Three fixtures in each Group, kick off at the same time.
John wants to add a disclaimer to this Preview, that being ‘it’s more than likely that 3 points will be enough to qualify as a best-ranked 3rd place team’.
However, that could easily change for a few teams who have 3 points depending on the full set of Round Three results which could mean that there are more than 8 teams with 3 points but only 8 will qualify.
There will be a chance that a team will finish in 3rd-place and have 4 points which would obviously knock out some of the 3rd-place teams with 3 points.
June 24th
SWITZERLAND (19) v CANADA (30)
20.00 in England
BC Place, Vancouver Canada
After 73 minutes of drab football between Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the score 0-0, Johan Manzambi brought the game to life by scoring a superb goal for Switzerland in the 74th minute, just three minutes after coming on as a substitute.
B and H then had a player sent off in the 80th minute, for denying a goal-scoring opportunity, with the Swiss taking advantage of the extra man by scoring 3 more goals.
Ruben Vargas with number 2 in the 84th and that man Johan Manzambi scoring his 2nd and Switzerland’s 3rd of the game in the 90th minute.
That wasn’t the end of the goals though, with Bosnia and Herzegovina scoring a late consolation goal in the 93rd minute.
The Swiss were then awarded a penalty in the 96th minute, which allowed Granit Xhaka to convert and cement Switzerland’s victory by a 4-1 scoreline.
Five goals, a sending off and a penalty in the last 20-minutes.
Unbelievable Jeff!
That leaves Switzerland with 4 points, which means at least a point today will guarantee progression.
Considering Canada also have 4 points, this could easily finish in a playful draw, guaranteeing both will progress to the last-32, regardless of what happens in the Bosnia and Herzegovina v Qatar game.
Canada smashed Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday, gaining an easy victory from a 6-0 scoreline.
Jonathan David scored a superb hat-trick to temporarily match the great Lionel Messi at the Top of the Goal Scoring Charts.
However, Lionel then added a couple more to his tally, to re-establish Top Spot.
Southampton’s Cyle Larin scored the opener with Jonathon getting 2 of his 3 before the half-time interval.
Qatar did have a man sent off when the score was 2-0.
The incident was bizarre as originally the referee awarded a penalty and gave the Qatar Defender a Yellow Card, however on checking again, it was deemed the foul was just outside the area.
That meant the referee could send the player off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
If the penalty had been given, the player wouldn’t have been sent off due to the ‘Double Jeopardy’ rule.
Funny old rule that.
Qatar then had another man sent off just after the break, giving Canada, not that they needed it, a 2-man advantage.
Nathan Saliba added a 4th just after the hour mark, with Qatar then scoring an Own Goal to make it 5.
It was left to Jonathan David to complete his hat-trick and score Canada’s 6th in the 92nd-minute to complete the rout.
As mentioned, previously, both Canada and Switzerland have 4 points and only need a point apiece to qualify automatically.
Let’s see what happens here then.
Betfred offer Switzerland at 11/8, the Draw at 11/5 and 21/10 for Canada to come away with all 3-points.
Draw 0-0- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (64) v QATAR (56)
20.00 in England
Lumen Field, Seattle USA
Bosnia and Herzegovina put in a decent display for 73 minutes against Switzerland in Los Angeles on Thursday.
With the score 0-0, the game suddenly sprang into action when Switzerland scored the opener in the 74th-minute.
Tarik Muharemovic was then sent off for B and H in the 80th-minute, for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
Switzerland scored 2 more goals in the 84th and 90th minutes, however, that wasn’t the end of the goals.
Ermin Mahmic scored a consolation goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 93rd-minute, then B and H conceded a penalty, allowing Switzerland to round off the rout, scoring a 4th in the 97th-minute to inflict a defeat on Bosnia and Herzegovina from a 4-1 scoreline.
That leaves B and H with 1 point, still with a chance to progress if a victory is achieved today against Qatar, however, as mentioned earlier, if Canada and Switzerland play out a draw, the best that Bosnia and Herzegovina can hope for is to be one of the ‘best-ranked 3rd-placed team’.
Qatar suffered their 2nd defeat of the tournament, succumbing to a loss against the hosts Canada from a 6-0 scoreline.
The Canadians were simply too good, however, Qatar did have 2 players sent off, Homam Al Amin for denying a goal-scoring opportunity and Assim Omer Madibo for a bad challenge on Ismael Kone, who unfortunately, had his leg broken in the challenge.
Assim didn’t intentionally break the lad’s leg but it was deemed a dangerous tackle so the Red Card was justified.
Mohammed Al Mannai inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net to gift Canada a 5th goal, so all in all, a bad day at the office for Qatar.
Betfred offer Bosnia and Herzegovina at Odds On 2/5, the Draw at 18/5 and 13/2 for Qatar to come away with all 3-points.
Bosnia and Herzegovina To Win 2-0- Get 11/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
SCOTLAND (42) v BRAZIL (6)
23.00 in England
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami USA
After the euphoria of winning the opening game against the mighty Haiti (Haiti-they couldn’t beat Hartlepool), Scotland crashed down to earth and suffered a defeat against Morocco from a 1-0 scoreline.
Morocco scored after 70 seconds and despite little moments from the Jocks throughout the remaining 90-odd minutes, the Moroccans were in complete control.
The problem now for the Scots is that most were expecting Brazil to win their opening 2 games, leaving this final one just considered as a ‘friendly’ with Brazil already qualified.
If Brazil had won the opener, Don Carlo may have rested a few giving Scotland an opportunity to win.
However, that’s not the case, as although Brazil won the 2nd game, they only drew the opening fixture, meaning the Samba Boys need to put in a shift against the Scots in this finale.
Which spells disaster for the Jocks.
Two goals from Matheus Cunha and a Vinicius Junior strike gave Brazil a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break against Haiti.
It was assumed there would be more goals in the 2nd-half, however, not to be as Brazil took the foot off the gas and were happy with the 3 goals, ultimately, inflicting a defeat on the Haitians from a 3-0 scoreline.
Could this be another day that Brazil knock Scotland out of the World Cup?
1970 –
Brazil 0 v Scotland 0
Scotland failed to progress because both Yugoslavia and Brazil scored more goals against Zaire than the Jocks did.
1982-
Brazil 4 v Scotland 1
Again, failing to progress on goal difference.
1990-
Brazil 1 v Scotland 0
This time, Scotland finished 3rd in the Group with just 2 points, following a victory over Sweden.
Brazil had 6 points and Costa Rica had 4, so at least it wasn’t goal difference this time.
1998-
Brazil 2 v Scotland 1
Scotland were just rubbish, only managing a point from a draw against Norway and were home before the postcards.
The Tartan Army have started singing the famous ‘Three Lions On Our Shirts’ song by changing the words to-
‘We’re Coming Home, We’re Coming Home, We’re Coming, Scotland’s Coming Home!’
Only a bit of fun Scotland, it’s more than likely that the 3-points already on the board will be good enough to finish as a ‘best-ranked 3rd-place team’ as long as Brazil don’t score too many (over 4).
Betfred offer Scotland at 6/1, the Draw at 18/5 and Odds On 4/11 for Brazil to come away with all 3-points.
Brazil To Win 2-0- Get 11/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
MOROCCO (7) v HAITI (83)
23.00 in England
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta USA
Ismael Saibari scored after 70 seconds against the Scots on Friday.
It’s thought then that Morocco would push on for a comfortable victory, however, that wasn’t the case, with Scotland matching the Moroccans for most of the remaining game.
Fortunately, for the Moroccans in attendance and the watching Fez Wearers all over the World, Morocco held on for a victory from a 1-0 scoreline.
This EveryTip column did predict a Moroccan win and didn’t get overawed with the Scottish excitement.
Morocco have the same 4 points as Brazil with both just needing a point to progress to the last-32.
It’s more than likely that both will win so it’s then a matter of goal difference to decide who finishes 1st and 2nd in Group C.
Haiti suffered a 2nd-defeat of the tournament, succumbing to a loss against Brazil from a 3-0 score, with all 3 goals coming in the 1st-half.
There was no disgrace in losing against the Samba Boys and Haiti should still hold their heads up high for restricting Scotland to just 1 goal and Brazil to 3.
Betfred offer Morocco at Odds On 2/9, the Draw at 11/2 and 12/1 for Haiti to come away with all 3-points.
Morocco To Win 2-0- Get 11/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
June 25th
SOUTH AFRICA (60) v SOUTH KOREA (25)
02.00 in England
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey Mexico
After suffering a defeat in Round One, South Africa gained a point from a draw by a 1-1 score against the Czech Republic in Atlanta on Thursday.
The Czechs scored after 5 minutes and looked to be in control, however, they didn’t add to the score and allowed South Africa back in.
Teboho Mokoena scored an equaliser for Bafana Bafana in the 83rd minute to give South Africa their first point of the tournament.
The stalemate gives both South Africa and the Czech Republic a point apiece so a draw today against South Korea is unlikely to be good enough to progress to the last-32 stage, a win is the only way forward for Bafana Bafana.
It’s more than likely that a side will need at least 3 points to finish as one of the ‘best-ranked 3rd-place teams’.
South Korea could consider themselves unlucky, following the narrow defeat against Mexico in Guadalajara.
Mexico inflicted the loss on the Koreans from a 1-0 scoreline, following a goal coming from a slight mistake by the Goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim, who dropped a cross into the path of the Mexican Forward to slot home.
It leaves South Korea in 2nd place in Group A with 3 points, just needing a point today to qualify, if not as Runners-Up (depending on the result of the Mexico v Czech Republic game) but definitely as one of the ‘best-ranked 3rd-place teams’.
Betfred offer South Africa at 9/2, the Draw at 3/1 and Odds On 8/13 for South Korea to come away with all 3-points.
South Korea To Win 2-0- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
CZECH REPUBLIC (40) v MEXICO (14)
02.00 in England
Estadio Banorte (Mexico City)
As mentioned above, the Czech Republic gained a point from a draw by a 1-1 score against South Africa on Thursday.
Michal Sadilek scored after 6 minutes which should have given the Czech’s the catalyst to push on and score more goals.
Unfortunately for the Czech Republic Nation, that didn’t happen with South Africa eventually scoring an equaliser in the 83rd minute to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
As with South Africa, 1 or 2 points won’t be enough to progress so it’s imperative that the Czech’s get a victory today, otherwise it’s straight on the plane back home.
Mexico gained a narrow victory over South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday/Friday.
Luis Romo took advantage of an error from the South Korean Goalkeeper and scored a goal in the 50th-minute.
South Korea did have some chances to equalise, however, the Mexicans held on for the win from a 1-0 scoreline.
That guarantees that Mexico will Top Group A regardless of the result of the final fixtures.
If Mexico lose today which, whilst unlikely, is possible as the Manager Javier Aguirre could rest a few players and South Korea win, leaving both with 6 points, it’s then down to the head-to-head between the Top Two, meaning that because Mexico beat South Korea, the Mexicans Top Group A.
Added to that, it guarantees a home fixture in the last-32 (possibly against Scotland) and if successful in that, another game in Mexico in the last-16, which potentially, could be against England, if the Three Lions finish Top of Group L and subsequently win their last-32 tie.
Betfred offer the Czech Republic at 11/5, the Draw at 5/2 and 21/20 for Mexico to come away with all 3-points.
Mexico To Win 1-0- Get 6/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
ECUADOR (23) v GERMANY (10)
21.00 in England
MetLife Stadium, New York USA
Ecuador couldn’t break down Curacao and despite a few efforts on the Curacao goal, mostly from Enner Valencia, the Goalkeeper stood firm, making save after save and preventing the Ecuadorians from scoring, to leave both teams with a point apiece from a 0-0 scoreline.
That leaves Ecuador with 1 point, needing to win today to have a chance of progressing (good luck with that Ecuador!)
Germany are another team that have benefited from the ‘New Rule’ of ‘head-to-head’ to decide who sits higher in a Group.
The victory over the Ivory Coast gives Germany 6 points and leaves them at the Top of Group E, so regardless of what happens today, the Ivory Coast are the only team that can get a maximum of 6 points, and because Germany have beaten the Côte d’Ivoire then the Germans will finish at the top.
That could mean Julian Nagelsmann may include a few of the Squad Players that haven’t played yet, however, the German Reserves should still be too strong for Ecuador.
Germany will face a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’ from Groups A, B, C, D or F in Boston on the 29th of June.
Betfred offer Ecuador at 5/2, the Draw at 11/4 and slight Odds On 10/11 for Germany to come away with all 3-points.
Germany To Win 3-1- Get 14/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
CURACAO (82) v IVORY COAST (33)
21.00 in England
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia USA
Curacao gained their first ever World Cup point by shutting out Ecuador to get a draw from a 0-0 scoreline.
The stats showed that Ecuador had 75% possession, 27 shots, of which 15 were on target, compared to 10 shots from Curacao with just 3 on target.
The main statistic, however, was the ‘Goalkeeper Saves’ with the Curacao GK Eloy Room saving all 15 of Ecuador’s shots on target.
Despite being 0-0, it was a very entertaining game to watch.
The point gained leaves Curacao with 1 and whilst it is unlikely that Curacao will get anything from today’s game and will probably be eliminated, it’s still been a great experience for the football minnows of the Caribbean Island.
That said, a win against Ivory Coast would see Curacao finish 2nd and progress to the last-32.
A draw, isn’t enough, even if Curacao finished 3rd as 2 points won’t be good enough to finish as one of the ‘best-ranked 3rd-place teams’.
The Ivory Coast did put in a decent performance against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, however, despite a great effort, the Côte d’Ivoire ultimately suffered a defeat against the Germans from a 2-1 scoreline.
Franck Kessie, who ply’s his trade in the Saudi Pro-League for Al-Ahli and has Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez as two of his teammates, scored for the Ivory Coast on the half-hour mark to give Côte d’Ivoire a lead at the break.
Unfortunately for all connected with the African Nation, Germany grew stronger and scored twice, the 2nd being in the 94th-minute to inflict the defeat on the Ivory Coast from a 2-1 scoreline.
That leaves Ivory Coast with 3 points, needing just a point today to guarantee progression to the last-32.
Betfred offer Curacao at 18/1, the Draw at 13/2 and Odds On 1/7 for Ivory Coast to come away with all 3-points.
Ivory Coast To Win 2-0- Get 5/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
June 26th
TUNISIA (45) v NETHERLANDS (8)
00.00 in England
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City USA
Despite sacking the Manager Sabri Lamouche after losing the opening game against Sweden, the New Boss Herve Renard couldn’t improve Tunisia, who suffered back-to-back defeats, this time against Japan, from a 4-0 scoreline.
The loss leaves Tunisia at the bottom of Group F and heading back home after this game against the Netherlands, whatever the result will be.
In theory, a victory against the Netherlands would give Tunisia 3-points, however, as mentioned earlier, the ‘head-to-head’ rule means the Tunisians can’t improve on 4th place.
The Netherlands smashed Sweden on Saturday in Houston, gaining a victory from a 5-1 scoreline.
Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey scored the opening 2, to give De Oranje a lead at the break.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo scored twice early in the 2nd-half before Sweden pulled a goal back.
West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville added a 5th late on to give Holland a convincing win.
Not many folk call the Netherlands, Holland any more but the older listeners will always refer to De Oranje as Holland.
There is a brilliant football move that’s called the ‘Cruyff Turn’ which every footballer, young or old will have tried.
John Newsome was an expert at it back in the day.
The ‘Cruyff Turn’ comes from a piece of skill carried out by the legendary Johan Cruyff in a game at the 1974 World Cup between the Netherlands and Sweden, with the unfortunate Swedish player, Jan Olsson being the unlucky player to be fooled by the ‘Cruyff Turn’
It’s rumoured Jan had to pay at the gate to get back in after Johan sent him the wrong way.
The Netherlands have 4 points and look certain to qualify for the last-32, whatever the result is today.
Betfred offer Tunisia at 16/1, the Draw at 13/2 and Odds On 1/6 for the Netherlands to come away with all 3-points.
Netherlands To Win 4-0- Get 15/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
JAPAN (18) v SWEDEN (38)
00.00 in England
AT & A Stadium, Arlington USA
Japan smashed Tunisia in Monterrey on Saturday/Sunday, gaining a victory from a 4-0 scoreline.
That man Daichi Kamada (remember what this EveryTip column predicted in the Round One preview) scored the opening goal in the 4th-minute.
Ayase Ueda added a 2nd on the half-hour mark to give Japan a comfortable lead at the break.
Junya Ito added number 3 in the 69th-minute, with Ayase scoring his 2nd and Japan’s 4th in the 84th-minute to give the Japanese a resounding victory over a poor set of Tunisians.
Japan sit in 2nd-place in Group F, with the same 4 points as the Netherlands, both a point more than Sweden.
It’s more than likely that the Netherlands will beat Tunisia, so the winners between these two, will finish in 2nd-place and qualify for the last-32 automatically.
If a draw occurs, Japan will finish in 2nd with 5 points, and Sweden will finish 3rd with 4-points, which is enough to be one of the ‘best 3rd-placed teams’.
Well, John Newsome’s prediction of a Sweden victory against the Netherlands was way off the mark.
Sweden went from winning 5-1 to losing 5-1, with a defeat on Saturday against the Netherlands from a 5-1 scoreline.
Anthony Elanga did score for Sweden when it was 4-0 but it was too late by then with the Netherlands producing a masterclass.
One can only apologise saying Sweden would win but after seeing the opening games for both, the Swedes did look stronger.
This will be a tough game against the Japanese who have the same 4 points as the Netherlands, which, as mentioned, means that Sweden need at least a draw to get 4 points, however, a defeat wouldn’t be the end of the world, as 3 points should still be enough to be one of the ‘best-ranked 3rd-place teams’.
Betfred offer Japan at 21/20, the Draw at 9/4 and 13/5 for Sweden to come away with all 3-points.
Japan To Win 2-1- Get 7/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
PARAGUAY (41) v AUSTRALIA (27)
03.00 in England
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara USA
Paraguay gained what could be described as a surprise victory over Turkey in Los Angeles on Friday/Saturday.
Ismael Saibari had scored the quickest goal of the tournament (71-seconds) for Morocco against Scotland earlier on, however, Paraguay’s Matias Galarza
eclipsed that by 6 seconds (65-seconds) a couple of hours later.
With no further goals in the remaining 90-odd minutes, Paraguay held on for the victory over Turkey from a 1-0 scoreline.
There was a bizarre moment on the stroke of half-time, when the ex-Newcastle Striker Miguel Almiron was shown a straight Red Card for, wait for it, for ‘covering his mouth with his hand whilst speaking to an opponent’.
That left Paraguay a man-lite for the whole of the 2nd-half, however, luckily for Miguel, Turkey couldn’t take advantage.
One understands the reason for the Red Card as all the teams had been warned before the tournament.
It’s to prevent someone calling someone else a ‘nasty word’ but really, is that where the game is heading?
Anyway, Paraguay have 3 points and will progress to the last-32 with at least a point against the Aussies.
That said, Australia also have 3 points, despite suffering a defeat against the USA on Friday.
So both Paraguay and Australia are virtually guaranteed to progress if both achieve a point today.
Australia will finish 2nd (on goal difference) and Paraguay will be in 3rd place with 4 points, which will be good enough to be 1 of the ‘best-ranked 3rd-place teams.’
That then could mean this game is played in, let’s just say, ‘a friendly manner’ and a draw is the outcome, unless 1 of the teams wants to go all out and finish in 2nd-place.
The unfortunate Cameron Burgess scored an Own Goal to gift the USA an early goal, with the US then scoring a 2nd just before half-time.
With no further goals, Australia suffered a loss against the hosts from a 2-0 scoreline.
Betfred offer Paraguay at 2/1, the Draw at 6/5 and 11/4 for Australia to come away with all 3-points.
Draw 1-1- Get 4/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
TURKEY (22) v USA (17)
03.00 in England
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood California USA
Turkey are on their way home (well, will be after this game against the hosts) following a 2nd defeat in the Group Stage.
Some (not John Newsome) had considered the Turks to be dark horses (or dark Turkeys) to at least go far into the tournament, however, following losses against Australia (2-0) and Paraguay (1-0), Turkey are out of the competition and will probably roll over and have their beaks tickled today by the USA.
Paraguay scored after a minute then had a player sent off on the stroke of half-time, however, the Turks couldn’t take advantage of having the extra man and succumbed to the 2nd straight defeat, this time from a 1-0 scoreline.
Even though Turkey have the opportunity to win against the USA and get 3-points, they will still finish 4th as the’New Rule’ means that the first criteria of deciding who finishes where, if teams have the same points, is ‘head-to-head’ not goal difference, so because Paraguay beat Turkey, it means, regardless of the result today, Turkey will finish at the bottom of the Group.
If one was watching the BBC coverage of the USA v Australia game at half-time, then one would think that the USA were playing Brazil/Argentina/Germany or Bra-Ge-Ny for short.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men were playing a very poor Australia team, with goals from the Aussie Defender Cameron Burgess (OG) and Alex Freeman, giving the US a 2-0 lead at the break.
There were no further goals in the 2nd-half, leaving the USA with a victory over Australia (not Bra-Ge-Ny) from a 2-0 scoreline.
That means, like 1 of the other 3 hosts nations Mexico, the USA Top Group D and will now face a ‘best-ranked 3rd-place team’ in San Francisco on the 2nd of July in the last-32 stage.
The 3rd host nation, Canada can also Top their particular Group.
Again the ‘New Rule’ regarding who finishes where, means that because the USA have beaten both Australia and Paraguay, who can realistically gain 6 points, the USA will finish Top of Group D, regardless of the result against Turkey.
Betfred offer Turkey at 21/10, the Draw at 11/4 and 23/20 for the USA to come away with all 3-points.
USA To Win 2-0- Get 9/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
NORWAY (31) v FRANCE (3)
20.00 in England
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Boston USA
Norway gained a narrow victory from a 5-goal thriller against Senegal in New York on Monday/Tuesday.
Marcus Pedersen scored the opener to give Norway a lead at the break.
Erling Haaland then scored Norway’s 2nd just after the restart.
Senegal did score soon after Erling’s goal to halve the deficit, however, Mr Haaland then scored his 2nd and Norway’s 3rd on the hour mark.
Senegal scored a 2nd and a 5th of the game in the 93rd minute but Norway held on for the win from a 3-2 scoreline.
Norway join France on 6 points, both guaranteed to qualify for the last-32, it’s just now a case of who wants to Top Group I.
The Group Winners will face a ‘best-ranked 3rd placed team’ in New York, (which at the moment could be any one of the 3rd from Group C, D, F, G or H) whereas the Runners-Up, will face the Runners-Up of Group E (which more than likely will be the Ivory Coast) in Texas on the same day (30th June).
Erling joins Kylian Mbappe with 4 goals up to now, both a goal behind Lionel Messi.
As mentioned Kylian Mbappe now has 4 goals also after scoring twice in France’s victory over Iraq.
The game was interrupted for 2 hours at half-time following a thunderstorm.
There was heavy rain for the last 15 minutes or so of the 1st-half but the game continued until the half-time whistle.
Kylian had scored the opener to give France a lead at the break.
The rules state that if there is a crack of thunder or a flash of lightning, the game has to be suspended for at least 30-minutes.
Added to that, every crack or flash after the initial incident, restarts the 30-minute clock.
France and Iraq came back for the 2nd-half, some 2-hours later, which allowed Kylian to score his 2nd of the game and then Ousmane Dembele scored a 3rd for the French to give France the win over Iraq from a 3-0 scoreline.
That surprisingly was Ousmane’s first goal for France at a Major Tournament, having played in 2 Euros and 2 previous World Cups.
It’s now a case of who wants to finish at the Top of Group I as well as who of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland wants to score the most today.
Betfred offer Norway at 4/1, the Draw at 10/3 and Odds On 8/13 for France to come away with all 3-points.
France To Win 3-1- Get 12/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
SENEGAL (15) v IRAQ (57)
20.00 in England
BMO Field, Toronto Canada
Both Senegal and Iraq sit at the bottom of Group I with zero points following 2 defeats each, both against Norway and France.
Senegal suffered a narrow loss against Norway last time out from a 3-2 scoreline, with Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr getting both goals.
Iraq suffered a defeat against France in their Round Two fixture from a 3-0 score.
The winner today in Toronto will finish in 3rd place with 3-points which should make them one of the ‘best-ranked 3rd place teams’ and progression to the last-32.
Betfred offer Senegal at Odds On 1/4, the Draw at 5/1 and 11/1 for Iraq to come away with all 3-points.
Senegal To Win 2-0- Get 6/1 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
June 27th
URUGUAY (16) v SPAIN (2)
01.00 in England
Estadio Akron, Zapopan Mexico
Uruguay, like Spain previously, could only manage a draw against Cape Verde, although both teams did score a couple of goals apiece, leaving both with a point from a 2-2 scoreline.
After Cape Verde had scored a brilliant opener in the 21st-minute,
Maximiliano Araujo got an equaliser for Uruguay just before the half-time break.
That wasn’t the end of the 1st-half goals though, with Agustin Canobbio scoring a 2nd for Uruguay to give them a lead at the interval.
Cabo Verde then scored a 2nd themselves on the hour mark and with no further goals, both teams shared the points.
Uruguay have the same 2 points as Cape Verde but sit 2nd in Group H purely because they have scored 3, whereas the Verde Boys have only scored 2.
The problem for the Uruguayans is that this game is against the favourites Spain, whereas Cape Verde face Saudi Arabia so could easily finish 2nd with a victory over the Saudis, leaving Uruguay in 3rd with just 2-points, if Spain win.
Two points will definitely not be enough to finish as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’, so Uruguay need at least a draw against Spain and hope Cape Verde also draw.
If the Saudis beat Cape Verde, it brings them into the equation and whilst they currently only have 1 point and sit at the bottom, a victory for Saudi Arabia and a defeat for Uruguay would elevate the Saudis into 2nd place and automatic qualification.
After being held to a goalless draw against the Mighty Cape Verde, Spain stepped up a few gears and gained a comfortable victory over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday.
Goals from Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal (2) and a deflected effort from Marc Cucurella, which was deemed an Own Goal, gave Spain the win from a 4-0 scoreline.
The result, reinstated Spain as the favourites and they will be there or thereabouts come the business end of the tournament, however, Saudi Arabia were poor and a little tweaking in their tactics could have prevented a few of the Spanish goals which a better Head Coach/Manager will be able to do.
More on those tweaks in the Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia preview next.
Spain Top Group H with 4 points.
Betfred offer Uruguay at 11/2, the Draw at 16/5 and Odds On 1/2 for Spain to come away with all 3-points.
Spain To Win 2-0- Get 13/2 on Betfred & Claim your new account welcome offer!
CAPE VERDE (67) v SAUDI ARABIA (61)
01.00 in England
NRG Stadium, Houston USA
Most thought that Cabo Verde’s draw against Spain was a bit of a fluke, however, following the game against Uruguay, folk instantly sat up and took notice of the team from the Island off the West African Coast.
The BBC went early, on Sunday Night, by predicting Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) will play Argentina in the last-32.
That was after Cape Verde scored first against Uruguay, Kevin Lenini with the goal in the 21st-minute.
Uruguay then scored twice to lead at the break.
Helio Varela added a 2nd and an equaliser on the hour mark for Cape Verde and with no further goals both teams shared the points from a draw by a 2-2 score.
Whilst this as been a brilliant adventure for the Verde Boys, gaining 2-points from draws against Spain and Uruguay, all the good work could easily be undone if Saudi Arabia get a victory today.
Currently, the scenario is this.
Cape Verde need to beat Saudi Arabia and hope Spain beat Uruguay, leaving Cape Verde sitting 2nd in Group H with 5 points and automatic qualification to the last-32.
A draw would also be good enough to finish 2nd, provided Uruguay lose, however, if Uruguay get at least a draw, they would have 3 points, meaning if Cape Verde draw, both would have 3 and then it’s simply a matter of who has scored most, will finish 2nd and the other will be 3rd with 3-points, which should be good enough to finish as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
Saudi Arabia suffered the expected defeat against Spain on Sunday from a 4-0 scoreline.
As mentioned above, although the Saudis were more than likely to lose anyway, the tactics employed by the Manager Georgios Donis weren’t great and a better Coach/Manager would have prevented Spain from scoring at least a couple of the goals.
The Saudi Defence were too deep and were too slow clearing their lines, which meant at least 2 of the goals, if not 3, could have been prevented, if the players had been quicker getting out, leaving the Spaniards offside.
So although Spain looked good and got the victory over the Mighty Saudis, don’t necessarily get carried away with Spain just yet, as there’s a long way to go.
Saudi Arabia currently sit at the bottom of Group H with 1 point but a win today married with Spain beating Uruguay will elevate them into 2nd-place
Added to that, so will Cape Verde, which should offer up an exciting game.
Betfred offer Cape Verde at 7/5, the Draw at 12/5 and 15/8 for Saudi Arabia to come away with all 3-points.
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NEW ZEALAND (85) v BELGIUM (9)
04.00 in England
BC Place, Vancouver Canada
New Zealand suffered a defeat against Egypt in Vancouver on Sunday/Monday.
Finn Surman scored the opener in the 15th minute to give New Zealand a lead at the break.
Egypt then kicked into gear and scored 3 goals in the 2nd-half to inflict the loss on New Zealand from a 3-1 scoreline.
That leaves New Zealand at the bottom of Group G with 1 point.
Whilst currently at the bottom, a victory over Belgium would elevate New Zealand into at least 3rd place and depending on how Iran v Egypt finishes, could leave New Zealand in 2nd and automatically qualify for the last-32.
Third place with 4 points, will be good enough to finish as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
That said, this will be a tough game against Belgium who need to win to progress themselves.
The first impression after watching Belgium v Iran was-
‘Well, Belgium are not going to win the World Cup!’
The Belgians were simply lacklustre against a team ranked well below them.
Granted Iran are currently ranked 20th by FIFA.
Ultimately, Belgium gained a point from a draw against Iran by a 0-0 score.
Iran?
That leaves Belgium with the same 2 points as Iran and needing a victory today to progress to the last-32.
Betfred offer New Zealand at 14/1, the Draw at 5/1 and Odds On 2/9 for Belgium to come away with all 3-points.
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EGYPT (29) v IRAN (20)
04.00 in England
Lumen Field, Seattle USA
Egypt gained a victory over New Zealand in Vancouver on Sunday/Monday.
After conceding a New Zealand goal and trailing at the break, goals from Mostafa Ziko, Mo Salah and Trezeguet gave the Egyptians the win from a 3-1 scoreline.
That leaves Egypt at the Top of Group G with 4 points which should be enough to qualify, even if a defeat occurs against Iran, as at worst, if both Belgium and Iran win, Egypt will finish 3rd with 4 points which should leave them as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
If Egypt lose and New Zealand beat Belgium (they won’t) Egypt will finish 2nd based on the ‘head-to-head’ rule.
Obviously, a win over Iran would leave Egypt at the summit and automatic qualification.
Iran gained a 2nd point of the tournament, following another draw, this time against Belgium from a 0-0 scoreline.
That leaves Iran in 2nd place with the same 2 points as Belgium but in 2nd due to scoring more goals than the Belgians.
The scenario is this-
It’s more than likely that Belgium will beat New Zealand and finish with 5 points, which means Iran have to beat Egypt to get the same 5 points and qualify automatically.
A draw against Egypt would leave the Iranians in 3rd with 3 points which would probably still be good enough to be a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
If New Zealand do upset Belgium and get a victory, a draw for Iran would leave them in 2nd-place.
If New Zealand and Belgium draw and Iran and Egypt draw, then it’s basically who has scored the most goals between Belgium and Iran that decides who finishes where.
Betfred offer Egypt at 7/5, the Draw at 9/5 and 5/2 for Iran to come away with all 3-points.
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PANAMA (34) v ENGLAND (4)
22.00 in England
MetLife Stadium, New York USA
Unfortunately, despite putting in a decent effort against Croatia, Panama will finish at the bottom of Group L, regardless of the result tonight, following a defeat against the Croatians on Tuesday from a 1-0 scoreline.
That scenario could throw up all sorts of problems for England.
Will Panama go all out and attack England?
Will Panama sit back and frustrate the Three Lions like Ghana did?
Or will the Panamanians think-
‘We are going home anyway, let’s just kick the England players’.
It will probably suit England if Panama go on the attack.
Thomas Tuchel made a couple of changes to the starting lineup for the game against Ghana.
In came Man City’s Marc Guehi for John Stones and Tottenham’s Djed Spence for Nico O’Reilly.
It was thought that because Djed was more dynamic as an attacking player against Croatia, the same could be replicated against Ghana.
That wasn’t the case with Mr Spence being virtually nonexistent for the 66 minutes the lad was on the pitch.
That’s not to dig out the Tottenham Defender as all in all, England lacked any real quality for most of the game, allowing the Ghana team to frustrate them and put in a solid performance.
It could be argued that Thomas got his team selection and tactics wrong but that’s the usual reaction when England don’t win.
‘England are rubbish, England are this and that!’
Just calm down everybody, as although the performance can be dissected negatively, watching on John Newsome’s 55-inch Telly, the result was a draw, not a loss, a draw, so the Three Lions have to dust themselves down and move on to the next game today against Panama.
A little tweaking here and there by Mr Tuchel should see England push on for the win which will see them Top Group L (goal difference dependent) meaning a probable game in Atlanta on the 1st of July against a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’ from any of Group E, H, I, J or K.
Betfred offer Panama at 10/1, the Draw at 6/1 and Odds On 2/11 for England to come away with all 3-points.
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CROATIA (11) v GHANA (73)
22.00 in England
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia USA
Croatia gained a narrow victory over Panama in Toronto on Tuesday.
After a goalless 1st-half, Ante Budimir scored the only goal of the game to give Croatia the win from a 1-0 scoreline.
That leaves the Croatians in 3rd place in Group L with 3 points and poised to at least finish 3rd if a draw or a defeat happens today.
The winner will finish in the Top Two of Group L and qualify automatically.
Ghana put in a decent effort against England in Boston on Tuesday Night, frustrating the Three Lions and gaining a point from a well-deserved draw by a 0-0 scoreline.
The stats show that England had 79% possession compared to Ghana’s 21%.
Despite England having 19 shots, there were only 3 of them on target.
Ghana had 2 shots with 1 on target.
All in all a great performance from Carlos Queiroz and his Black Stars, which leaves Ghana in 2nd place in Group L with the same 4 points as England but with an inferior goal difference.
It does mean that the winner tonight will finish at least 2nd in the table, (depending on whether England beat Panama), however, if Ghana win, it would leave Croatia with 3 points and more than likely, qualification for the last-32 as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
If Croatia win, then 4 points will definitely be enough to qualify as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
Betfred offer Croatia at slight Odds On 8/11, the Draw at 13/5 and 4/1 for Ghana to come away with all 3-points.
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June 28th
COLOMBIA (13) v PORTUGAL (5)
00.30 in England
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami USA
A single goal from the Crystal Palace player Daniel Munoz scored in the 76th minute was enough to give Colombia the victory over DR Congo on Tuesday/Wednesday from a 1-0 scoreline.
That leaves Colombia at the Top of Group K with 6 points and automatic qualification to the last-32 regardless of the result today.
It’s now a case as to who wants to finish at the summit between Colombia and Portugal, with the winners finishing Top.
DR Congo could theoretically finish in 2nd place if Portugal suffer a heavy defeat and DR Congo beat Uzbekistan.
DR Congo need a plus+7 goal swing to finish 2nd, basically meaning Portugal would have to lose by at least 4 and DR Congo win by at least 3.
That’s unlikely to happen so at worst, these two will finish 1 and 2.
That Boy Ronaldo, finally came to the World Cup 2026 Party, scoring twice against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
Sandwiched in between Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace was a goal from Nuno Mendes, to give Portugal a lead at the break.
An Own Goal credited to the Uzbekistan Goalkeeper Abduvakhid
Nematov on the hour mark and a late goal from the substitute Rafael Leao, who had only been on the pitch 4 minutes, gave Portugal an easy victory over Uzbekistan from a 5-0 scoreline.
As mentioned, that leaves Portugal in 2nd-place in Group K with 4 points, meaning qualification to the last-32, is virtually guaranteed, enabling CR7 the chance to add to his 2 goals.
Betfred offer Colombia at 11/4, the Draw at 5/2 and Evens 1/1 for Portugal to come away with all 3-points.
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DR CONGO (46) v UZBEKISTAN (50)
00.30 in England
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta USA
DR Congo suffered a narrow defeat against Colombia in Mexico on Tuesday/Wednesday.
After a goalless 75 minutes, Colombia scored the only goal of the game, to inflict the loss on DR Congo from a 1-0 scoreline.
DR Congo sit 3rd in Group K needing a win today to finish at least as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’ with 4 points.
A draw won’t be good enough.
Uzbekistan were torn apart by Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese mates, suffering a defeat in Houston on Tuesday from a 5-0 scoreline.
That means regardless of the result today against DR Congo, Uzbekistan will be going home after Round Three is finished.
Betfred offer DR Congo at slight Odds On 9/10, the Draw at 13/5 and 3/1 for Uzbekistan to come away with all 3-points.
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JORDAN (63) v ARGENTINA (1)
03.00 in England
AT & A Stadium, Arlington USA
Jordan suffered their 2nd defeat of the tournament, succumbing to a loss against Algeria last time out from a 2-1 scoreline.
Nizar Al Rashdan scored the opener to give Jordan a lead at the break.
Algeria left it until almost 70 minutes were on the clock, before scoring an equaliser.
The Algerian’s then scored a winner in the 82nd minute to inflict the defeat on Jordan leaving the team at the foot of Group J with Zero points and on their way home following this high-profile game against Argentina.
Even if a footballing miracle happened and Jordan beat Argentina, the 3 points wouldn’t elevate them any higher as the head-to-head against Algeria and Austria would still leave Jordan at the foot of the table.
Lionel Messi had the opportunity to score the opening goal against Austria on Monday when Argentina were awarded a penalty.
However, the legend kicked his spot-kick wide of the mark.
Mr Messi eventually scored the opening goal half an hour later to give Argentina the lead at the break.
The landmark goal was not only Lionel Messi’s 4th of this tournament but the 17th overall, making the Argentinian the leading Goal Scorer in World Cup history, eclipsing Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
The legend then scored a 2nd in the 95th-minute, giving Argentina the victory over Austria from a 2-0 scoreline, leaving them at the Top of Group J, with 6-points.
That also meant Lionel now has 18 World Cup goals.
That said, Kylian Mbappe now has 16 and is chasing Lionel’s record.
Kylian is 27 years old and at least, will have 2 more World Cups in him (providing France qualify for the next 2), so could easily overtake Mr Messi.
Added to that, the Real Madrid lad could easily overtake Miami’s Lionel in this World Cup.
For the time being though, it’s the Little Maestro who is Top of the Pops.
Betfred offer Jordan at 12/1, the Draw at 11/2 and Odds On 2/9 for Argentina to come away with all 3-points.
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ALGERIA (28) v AUSTRIA (24)
03.00 in England
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City USA
Algeria conceded a Jordan goal to trail at the break, before 2nd-half goals from Nadir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri gave the Algerians the victory from a 2-1 scoreline.
Algeria sit in 3rd place with the same 3-points as Austria but with a slightly inferior goal difference, making today’s Group J finale a decider as to who finishes 2nd and qualifies automatically and who finishes 3rd, which should still mean qualification as a ‘best-ranked 3rd place team’.
Second will face the winner of Group H (more than likely Spain) in Los Angeles on the 2nd of July
and 3rd could face the winner of Group L (which may be England) in Atlanta on the 1st of July.
Austria suffered the expected defeat against Argentina in Texas on Monday, succumbing to the loss by a 2-0 scoreline.
In truth, Austria were poor and the scoreline could have been higher but after conceding a penalty early on, Austria saw Lionel Messi kick the ball wide.
The defeat leaves Austria in 2nd-place with 3-points, needing at least a point today to progress to the last-32.
Betfred offer Algeria at 13/5, the Draw at 11/8 and 9/5 for Austria to come away with all 3-points.
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Group Standings After Round Two-
Group A Standings-
Pts
1. Mexico 6
2. South Korea 3
4. Czech Republic 1
4. South Africa 1
Group B Standings-
Pts
1. Canada 4
2. Switzerland 4
3. Bosnia & Herzegovina 1
4. Qatar 1
Group C Standings-
Pts
1. Brazil 4
2. Morocco 4
3. Scotland 3
4. Haiti 0
Group D Standings-
Pts
1. USA 6
2. Australia 3
3. Paraguay 3
4. Turkey 0
Group E Standings-
Pts
1. Germany 6
2. Ivory Coast 3
3. Ecuador 1
4. Curacao 1
Group F Standings-
Pts
1. Netherlands 4
2. Japan 4
3. Sweden 3
4. Tunisia 0
Group G Standings-
Pts
1. Egypt 4
2. Iran 2
3. Belgium 2
4. New Zealand 1
Group H Standings-
Pts
1. Spain 4
2. Uruguay 2
3. Saudi Arabia 2
4. Cape Verde 1
Group I Standings-
Pts
1. France 6
2. Norway 6
3. Senegal 0
4. Iraq 0
Group J Standings-
Pts
1. Argentina 6
2. Austria 3
3. Algeria 3
4. Jordan 0
Group K Standings-
Pts
1. Columbia 6
2. Portugal 4
3. DR Congo 1
4. Uzbekistan 0
Group L Standings-
Pts
1. England 4
2. Ghana 4
3. Croatia 3
4. Panama 0
***Ranking of Third Placed Team-
1- Sweden 3
2- Scotland 3
3- Croatia 3
4- Paraguay 3
5- Algeria 3
6- Cape Verde 2
7- Belgium 2
8- Czech Republic 1
9- DR Congo 1
10- Ecuador 1
11- Bosnia and Herzegovina 1
12- Senegal 0
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