The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the first round of group matches has already delivered drama, goals, and history. With 48 teams competing for the trophy, here’s everything you need to know about the action so far.
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## Group E: Germany 7-1 Curacao
Four-time winners Germany announced their return to form in spectacular fashion, thrashing World Cup debutants Curacao 7-1 in Houston.
Felix Nmecha opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a delightful curling effort, but Curacao stunned the Germans when Livano Comenencia equalized in the 21st minute. The Caribbean minnows — the smallest nation by size and population ever to qualify — wrote their name in history with that goal.
Germany quickly regrouped. Nico Schlotterbeck restored the lead from a corner, and Kai Havertz added a penalty in first-half stoppage time. After the break, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav, and a second from Havertz completed the rout.
The victory matched Germany’s famous 7-1 semifinal win over Brazil in 2014 and made them the World Cup’s all-time leading scorers with 239 goals.
## Group E: Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo came off the bench to score a stunning 90th-minute winner as Ivory Coast beat Ecuador in Philadelphia.
The substitute opened his left foot to divert the ball into the corner after a powerful run from Wilfried Singo, ending Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten run. Ecuador hit the woodwork three times through John Yeboah, Alan Minda, and Enner Valencia but couldn’t find a breakthrough.
The win gives Ivory Coast a huge chance to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
### Group E Standings
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|——|—|—|—|—|—-|—-|—-|—–|
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 3 |
| Ivory Coast | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| Curacao | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
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## Group F: Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Sweden kicked off their campaign in style with a dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Monterrey.
Yasin Ayari opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a rocket into the top corner, refusing to celebrate against the country of his father’s birth. Alexander Isak doubled the lead with a trademark finish — a thumping drive from the left — marking his first World Cup appearance in style.
Tunisia pulled one back through Omar Rekik’s header just before halftime, but Sweden took over in the second half. Isak turned provider for Viktor Gyokeres, then substitute Mattias Svanberg scored the fastest goal by a substitute in World Cup history — just 12 seconds after coming on. Ayari sealed the 5-1 win with his second long-range strike of the match.
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## Other Key Results
| Match | Score | Venue | Notes |
|——-|——-|——-|——-|
| Brazil vs Morocco | 1-1 | New York | Hard-fought draw |
| Scotland vs Haiti | Won | Boston | Scotland off to winning start |
| Japan vs Netherlands | 2-2 | Dallas | Daichi Kamada’s late header rescued a point |
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## On the Pitch Today (June 15)
Three matches are in action right now or kicking off today:
– **Belgium vs Egypt** — Seattle Stadium (Group G) — including Iran and New Zealand
– **Spain vs Cape Verde** — Atlanta Stadium (Group H)
– **Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay** — Miami Stadium (Group H)
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## What’s Coming Up
All eyes are on Wednesday when **England faces Croatia** in Kansas City — one of the most anticipated matches of the group stage. Jordan Henderson has backed Jude Bellingham to be England’s “X-factor” despite recent criticism of the Real Madrid star.
**Scotland** will look to build on their opening win as they face Morocco and Brazil in Group C, needing just one more positive result to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
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## Quick Stats & Facts
– **None of the first 8 matches** kicked off on time — a trend the tournament will look to fix
– Germany’s 7 goals matched their 2014 semifinal scoreline against Brazil
– Sweden’s Mattias Svanberg scored the **fastest goal by a substitute in World Cup history** (12 seconds)
– The expanded 48-team format means 32 of 48 nations advance to the knockout stage
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## Looking Ahead
The 2026 World Cup is already living up to the hype with goals, upsets, and historic moments. With matches spread across 16 stadiums in three countries over 39 days, there’s plenty more drama to come.
Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to check back for the latest scores, analysis, and what to watch next.
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