The 2026 FIFA World Cup produced plenty of drama over the weekend as the expanded 48-team tournament continued its group stage across North America.Scotland made a dream return to the World Cup after 28 years with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday.
John McGinn’s deflected first-half strike proved decisive at Gillette Stadium, giving the Tartan Army a perfect start in Group C.Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Morocco in a tense encounter at MetLife Stadium, with Vinícius Júnior cancelling out Ismael Saibari’s opener.
In the same group, Qatar earned their first-ever World Cup point thanks to a dramatic 93rd-minute own goal in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.Australia produced one of the surprises of the weekend, beating Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver. Young forward Nestory Irankunda became the Socceroos’ youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer.Sunday delivered the biggest scoreline of the tournament so far. Germany dismantled debutants Curaçao 7-1 in Houston, with Kai Havertz scoring twice in a dominant performance.
The Netherlands and Japan served up the match of the weekend in a thrilling 2-2 draw at AT&T Stadium. The Dutch led twice, but Japan fought back dramatically, with Daichi Kamada scoring a late equaliser.Ivory Coast edged Ecuador 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Amad Diallo, while Sweden continued their strong start with a comfortable 5-1 victory over Tunisia, with goals from Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres among the scorers.Standout Performances
- Germany – Clinical and ruthless in attack.
- Scotland – Disciplined and effective on their big return.
- Japan – Showed great character to earn a point against the Netherlands.
The weekend highlighted both the quality of established teams and the competitiveness brought by the expanded format.
Next up: Spain face Cape Verde, Belgium take on Egypt, and Saudi Arabia play Uruguay on Monday as the group stage continues at pace.