USA reach World Cup knockout stage; Brazil, Morocco, Paraguay boost

The United States became the first team to reach the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026, while Brazil, Morocco, and Paraguay boosted their hopes of joining them on Matchday 9. The day also saw Haiti and Türkiye eliminated from the tournament.

USA secure knockout berth with win over Australia

At Seattle Stadium, Mauricio Pochettino's side earned their second consecutive victory to storm into the last 32. Folarin Balogun forced Cameron Burgess into an own-goal to put the USA ahead. Later, after Sergino Dest's shot cannoned off an Australian defender and looped into the air, fellow full-back Alex Freeman nodded home. The goal carried special significance: Freeman's father, Antonio, scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXI 30 years ago. Australia now need a result against Paraguay to keep their hopes alive.

Morocco edge Scotland with stunning strike

At Boston Stadium, Ismael Saibari scored one of the goals of the tournament for Morocco. Despite a difficult angle and a bouncing ball, Saibari combined stainless technique with titanic force and a dash of swerve to find the net after 69 minutes. Morocco pushed for a second but were denied by Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Scotland mounted pressure in the final 20 minutes but failed to trouble Atlas Lions goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Brazil bounce back with dominant first half

At Philadelphia Stadium, Brazil returned to form after a forgettable opening match. Carlo Ancelotti's Seleção blew away Haiti in the first half, with Vinicius Jr getting a goal and an assist and Matheus Cunha scoring twice on his first start of the competition. The only downside for Brazil was an injury to Raphinha. Haiti showed resilience in the second half, tormenting their illustrious opponents but unable to mount a comeback. Brazil fielded their oldest starting XI since the 1962 final, with an average age of 30 years and 190 days. Vinicius Jr, who turns 26 next month, was the youngest player in the lineup.

Paraguay hold off Türkiye after early goal

At San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Paraguay scored the quickest goal of the tournament—Matias Galarza finding the net after just 64 seconds. Los Guaraníes then defended resolutely, even after Miguel Almiron was sent off on the stroke of halftime. Despite Türkiye registering over 30 shots, goalkeeper Orlando Gill kept a clean sheet to eliminate Vincenzo Montella's side. Galarza's goal was one of two fastest in the tournament; Morocco's Ismael Saibari also scored early, after 69 seconds against Scotland.

Upcoming fixtures

Matchday 10 continues on June 20 with the following matches (all times local):

• 12:00 Netherlands v Sweden (Group F)
• 16:00 Germany v Côte d'Ivoire (Group E)
• 19:00 Ecuador v Curaçao (Group E)
• 22:00 Tunisia v Japan (Group F)