The eighth competitive day of the FIFA World Cup, taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, took place on June 18. Matches of the second round of the group stage in groups A and B were played.
Czechia – South Africa (1:1)
The group A match took place at a stadium in Atlanta and ended in a draw. The score was opened on the 6th minute – Michal Sadilek put the Czech team ahead. South Africans struggled for a long time to equalize, but on the 83rd minute, Tebogo Mokoena converted a penalty and brought his team level.
For both teams, this match was the second on the tournament, and both teams earned their first points.
Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina (4:1)
The group B match at the stadium in Inglewood ended with a convincing Swiss victory. For a long time, neither team could open the scoring, but on the 74th minute, Yohan Mankambe put Switzerland ahead. On the 80th minute, defender Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia was sent off. Taking advantage of the numerical advantage, Switzerland dominated the game: on the 84th minute, Ruben Vargas scored, and on the 90th minute, Mankambe scored a brace. Ermin Mahmic reduced the deficit on the 90+3rd minute, but the final score was set by Granit Jakha, who converted a penalty on the 90+7th minute.
After two rounds, Switzerland earned four points and topped the group B standings. Bosnia and Herzegovina earned one point in their tally.
Canada – Qatar (6:0)
The group B match at the stadium in Vancouver ended with a crushing defeat for Qatar. The score was opened by Kyle Laren on the 16th minute, followed by two consecutive goals from Jonathan David. In the second half, Canada continued to dominate: Nathan-Dylan Saliba scored on the 64th minute, and on the 75th minute, midfielder Mohamad Al-Mannai of Qatar scored an own goal. On the 90+2nd minute, Jonathan David completed a hat-trick.
The match also saw two red cards for Qatar players – direct red cards were given to Homam Al-Amin on the 33rd minute and Assim Madibo on the 53rd. After the final whistle, a mass brawl involving players and staff from both teams occurred on the field.
This victory marked Canada's first win in their history of World Cup appearances.
Mexico – South Korea (1:0)
In the group A match at the stadium in Zapopan, the only goal was scored on the 50th minute – defender Luis Romo scored against the South Korean team. The match ended with a 1:0 victory for Mexico.
Mexico earned six points and became the first team to guarantee their place in the 2026 World Cup playoffs.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A total of 48 countries are divided into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs, along with the eight best third-place teams.