World Cup Roundup: Germany and USA Lose but Still Top Groups, Japan to Face Brazil, Two AFC Teams Advance! South Korea on the Brink

On June 26 Beijing time, the World Cup entered its 15th matchday with the third round of Group D (Australia 0-0 Paraguay, Turkey 3-2 USA), Group E (Ivory Coast 2-0 Curaçao, Ecuador 2-1 Germany), and Group F (Netherlands 3-1 Tunisia, Japan 1-1 Sweden).

Standings:

Group D: USA top with 6 points (2W 1L), Australia second with 4 points (1W 1D 1L), Paraguay third with 4 points on goal difference, Turkey eliminated at bottom with 3 points.

Group E: Germany top with 6 points (2W 1L), Ivory Coast second with 6 points on head-to-head, Ecuador third with 4 points (1W 1D 1L), Curaçao bottom with 1 point.

Group F: Netherlands top with 7 points (2W 1D), Japan second with 5 points (1W 2D), Sweden third with 4 points (1W 1D 1L), Tunisia eliminated with 3 losses, 2 goals scored and 12 conceded.

Scorer Chart: Messi still leads with 5 goals. Vinícius Jr scored a brace to reach 4 goals, tied with Mbappé and Haaland for second. Brobbey also scored today to reach 3 goals, tied with Undav, David, and others for fifth.

Ivory Coast 2-0 Curaçao — Ivory Coast secured qualification! Pépé scored a brace, with assists from Diomandé and Sangaré.

June 26 at 4:00 AM Beijing time, World Cup Group E Round 3, Ivory Coast vs Curaçao at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia. Ivory Coast won 2-0. First half: Diomandé assisted Pépé's push shot. Halftime: Ivory Coast 1-0 Curaçao. Second half: Pépé followed up with another shot. Full time: Ivory Coast 2-0 Curaçao.

Ecuador 2-1 Germany Comeback — Ecuador 2-1 Germany, both advance! Sané's quick strike, Angulo and Plata combine for the comeback! Controversial female referee decisions.

June 26 at 4:00 AM Beijing time, World Cup Group E Round 3, Germany vs Ecuador at MetLife Stadium. Ecuador won 2-1. First half: Sané scored after 2 minutes. Ecuador protested Pavlović's high boot but the referee upheld the goal. Angulo equalized. Halftime: Ecuador 1-1 Germany. Second half: Havertz won a penalty, but it was overturned due to Sané's earlier foul. Plata scored from close range. Full time: Ecuador 2-1 comeback against Germany.

Netherlands 3-1 Tunisia — Netherlands 3-1 Tunisia, will face Morocco in the knockout stage! Brobbey scores, van Hecke finds the net, Dumfries forces an own goal.

June 26 at 7:00 AM Beijing time, World Cup Group F Round 3, Tunisia vs Netherlands at Arrowhead Stadium. Netherlands won 3-1. First half: Dumfries forced an own goal, Skhiri gifted possession, Brobbey blasted in to extend the lead. Halftime: Netherlands 2-0 Tunisia. Second half: Mestiri scored a header to pull one back, van Hecke scored to extend the lead. Full time: Netherlands 3-1 Tunisia.

Japan 1-1 Sweden — Japan and Sweden advance together! Maeda Daizen scores, Elanga with a worldie. Japan will face Brazil in the knockout stage!

June 26 at 7:00 AM Beijing time, World Cup Group F Round 3, Japan vs Sweden at AT&T Stadium. Japan 1-1 Sweden. First half: Maeda was brought down in the box early on but no penalty was given. Sean injured, Nakamura's volley created danger. Halftime: Japan 0-0 Sweden. Second half: Maeda pushed home a goal, Elanga equalized with a world-class strike. Full time: Japan 1-1 Sweden.

Australia 0-0 Paraguay — Australia 0-0 Paraguay, Australia advances as group runner-up! Paraguay's fate hangs on 4 points.

June 26 at 10:00 AM Beijing time, World Cup Group D Round 3, Paraguay vs Australia at Levi's Stadium, San Francisco. Paraguay 0-0 Australia. First half: Both sides lacked finishing, no clear chances created. Halftime: Paraguay 0-0 Australia. Second half: Still no breakthroughs. Full time: Paraguay 0-0 Australia.

Turkey 3-2 USA — Turkey stuns USA with a last-gasp winner! Birhatti with a goal and assist, Güler scores his first!

June 26 at 10:00 AM Beijing time, World Cup Group D Round 3, Turkey vs USA at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles. Turkey won 3-2. First half: Trusty scored early, Güler equalized, Elmali assisted Kökçü to take the lead. Halftime: Turkey 2-1 USA. Second half: Birhatti equalized with a strike, Ayhan scored the winner in the 99th minute. Full time: Turkey 3-2 USA.

6 More Teams Qualify! 19 of 32 World Cup Spots Now Confirmed — Japan and Australia Included

The second matchday of the World Cup group stage round 3 has concluded. 19 teams have secured their spots in the Round of 32. The remaining 13 qualification slots will be decided in the final two matchdays.

19 Qualified Teams: Mexico, USA, Germany, Argentina, France, Norway, Colombia, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Australia

177 Goals in 60 Matches — Nearly 3 Per Game — USA-Canada-Mexico Sets All-Time World Cup Goal Record

With the conclusion of the two Group D Round 3 matches (Turkey 3-2 USA, Australia 0-0 Paraguay), 60 matches have been played in this World Cup, producing 177 goals — an average of 2.95 per game. With 104 total matches in this tournament, the 177-goal mark is likely to be significantly surpassed.

South Korea's World Cup Qualification Hangs by a Thread

With Groups D, E, and F now decided, South Korea (3 points, -1 goal difference), previously ranked third in Group A, faces an increasingly dire situation. They are confirmed to be ranked above Scotland but below Sweden, Ecuador, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Paraguay. Six remaining third-place teams could all potentially surpass South Korea.

Round of 32 Matchups

Brazil vs Japan, Netherlands vs Morocco

World Cup Group F is complete. Netherlands secured top spot, Japan finished second. Based on knockout bracket positioning, the top two teams from Group F will cross with the top two from Group C. Group C winner is Brazil, runner-up is Morocco.