The 2026 World Cup's second round is picking up pace: while Mexico and Canada have already effectively booked their spots in the round of 16, Groups C and D head into the evening of June 19–20 with everything still wide open. Four matches — and the picture in both groups could change dramatically.
Group A: Mexico Already Through
Ahead of the evening's matches, Mexico top Group A with 6 points after two wins — 2:0 over South Africa and 1:0 over South Korea. Luis Romo's goal in the 50th minute decided the second fixture. South Korea (3 points) and the Czech Republic (1 point after a 1:1 draw with South Africa) are still fighting for second place. South Africa, with 1 point, are in the most difficult position. The third round — on June 25 — will determine who joins Mexico in the knockout stage.
Group B: Canada and Switzerland Pull Ahead
After two rounds, Canada (4 points) and Switzerland (4 points) are comfortably in control of Group B. Canada thrashed Qatar 6:0 — with a hat-trick from Jonathan David — following an opening 1:1 draw with Bosnia. Switzerland beat Bosnia 4:1, having recovered from an opening 1:1 draw with Qatar. Bosnia (1 point) and Qatar (1 point) are effectively playing for third place and a chance to make the best third-placed teams ranking.
Group C: Scotland, Brazil and Morocco — Three-Way Battle
The hottest group of the evening. After the first round, Scotland lead with 3 points (a 1:0 win over Haiti), while Brazil and Morocco both have 1 point each following a 1:1 draw between them. Tonight at 01:00 Kyiv time in Boston, Scotland face Morocco, and at 03:30 in Philadelphia, Brazil take on Haiti. If Scotland win, they advance from the group ahead of schedule. If Morocco win, the three teams are level again and the third round becomes a true final. Brazil must take all three points against Haiti to avoid depending on their rivals' results.
Group D: Leaders' Duel and a Fight for Survival
The USA (3 points, goal difference +3) and Australia (3 points, goal difference +2) are both group leaders after the first round. The USA demolished Paraguay 4:1, while Australia beat Turkey 2:0. Tonight at 22:00 Kyiv time in Seattle they face each other — the winner will effectively secure a place in the knockout stage. Turkey and Paraguay, who both lost their opening matches, play at 06:00 in San Francisco: for both sides, it is already an all-or-nothing match.
Scenarios
- USA beat Australia — the Americans advance from Group D ahead of schedule with 6 points; Australia keep their chances alive but will depend on the third round. The winner of Turkey–Paraguay earns 3 points and a theoretical shot at a best third-place ranking spot.
- Scotland beat Morocco — Scotland top Group C with 6 points; Brazil, with a win over Haiti, finish second; Morocco are left fighting for a place in the best third-placed teams ranking.
- USA–Australia draw + Morocco win — the most intriguing scenario: in Group D all three teams (USA, Australia, and the Turkey/Paraguay winner) remain in contention, while in Group C three teams would be level on 4 points heading into the final round.
The Race for the Best Third-Place Spots
At this stage of the tournament the best third-place ranking is still taking shape, but it is already clear that Bosnia and Qatar (1 point each in Group B), South Africa (1 point in Group A), and potentially Turkey or Paraguay are the contenders for places in that ranking. For teams that have lost both of their first two matches, the mathematics become unforgiving: even a win in the third round may not yield enough points to advance via the third-place ranking.
Tonight, keep your eyes above all on the USA–Australia match (22:00) — it will establish the hierarchy in Group D. Later, Scotland–Morocco (01:00) and Brazil–Haiti (03:30) will answer the question of whether Group C stays open until the final round. Tomorrow the schedule adds Netherlands–Sweden and Germany–Côte d'Ivoire — two more groups where everything is still to be decided.
