In a thrilling day of the FIFA World Cup 2026 action, Canada and Switzerland both took vital steps towards reaching the knockout stage while South Africa and Czechia claimed points in a nailbitting Group A clash.
In Atlanta, South Africa maintained their hopes of qualification thanks to a deserved come-from-behind 1-1 draw against Czechia. The visitors were stung into action, and took the lead in the opening minutes when Michal Sadilek scored. But Czechia did not extend their lead with a great chunk of the match under their control. After the break, South Africa made considerable progress and finally drew level with Teboho Mokoena converting a penalty late on. The result leaves both nations requiring strong showings to stand any chance of progressing from their final games in Group D.
Group B sees one of the performances of the tournament so far, as Switzerland walloped Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 (in Los Angeles). The contest remained scoreless for much of the match before a substitute, and local player Johan Manzambi, changed that. The young midfielder netted twice after coming off the bench, while Ruben Vargas and Granit Xhaka also got on the scoresheet. Things got worse for Bosnia when defender Tarik Muharemovic was sent off, but the contest was effectively over before then as Switzerland controlled the final moments. The win leaves Switzerland in a strong position before their final group game against Canada.
Canada followed with the loudest announcements of all in Vancouver, castrating Qatar 6-0. From kickoff, the co-hosts dominated their opponents and earned them a place in World Cup history. Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone was stretched off following a bad injury as the match came to be briefly interrupted for such an incident, and Qatar were shown a red card after being penalised for a poor challenge on the 20-year-old, although it appeared to have been more of a coming together, with the decision confirmed following VAR intervention. Canada remained in complete control, though, and ended the night at the top of Group B ahead of a critical match against Switzerland.
In the final match of zondag in Group A, Mexico seriously squeezed South Korea for a 1-0 victory. The win earned the co-hosts another important three points and left them strong in a commanding position in the table. South Korea had a good opening against Czechia but couldn’t find an equalizer, meaning they have to win their final group match against South Africa.
As the group stage reaches its final minutes, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico have placed one foot in the knockout rounds while several other teams find themselves with their backs against the wall in need of must-win results from their remaining fixtures.
