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SEATTLE STADIUM — Mexico and Scotland have their ducks, but the USA has its chicken, thanks to Chris Richards. Paxo, a rubber chicken, made an appearance at the World Cup on Friday in Seattle with Richards’ parents, Ken and Carrie. Paxo found his way to Richards after he picked the chicken up on the field after Crystal Palace won the UEFA Conference League last month in Leipzig, Germany. Richards told me after the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia on Friday that Paxo is now joining the World Cup ride. “I just kind of ran with it and had a few pictures with it in the Conference League trophy,” a laughing Richards said. “And so now it’s kind of making the U.S. tour as well, right?” This isn’t the first time an animal has emerged as an avian mascot for a team at the World Cup, although the other two birds were real. Mexico has embraced Merlin, while Scotland fans also adopted their own duck (named Dawn) while marching through Providence, Rhode Island. Has Richards’ USA teammates seen the chicken yet? When I asked defender Auston Trusty about it after one of the most famous wins in the American men’s team’s 113-year history, he looked perplexed, “A chicken?” he said. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it.” Richards laughed again when asked if he’d make an introduction at some point. “Not yet,” he said. “We’ll see.” Richards didn’t play in that UEFA Conference League final as he recovered from the ankle injury he suffered on May 17 in a Premier League game against Brentford. He missed Palace’s final game of the season against Arsenal, as well as the USA’s two World Cup tune-ups against Senegal and Germany before returning to the lineup in the tournament opener against Paraguay. “I was pretty devastated. I feared the worst,” Richards, who missed the 2022 World Cup due to injury, said when he arrived at the Stars and Stripes training base in Southern California a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s two wins in two World Cup games for Richards with Paxo stateside. Richards is also thriving on the field, leading a USA defense that snapped a streak of 10 straight games without a clean sheet with a shutout against the Socceroos. After making history by completing all 83 of his pass attempts against Paraguay, he went 91-of-95 against Australia. Richards has now completed 97.8% (175-of-179) of his passes at the World Cup. That’s the second-best accuracy for a player who has attempted at least 100 passes since 1966. The only player with a better percentage was Romania’s Gheorghe Popescu, who was 122-for-124 through two matches in 1994, according to OPTA. Richards and the rest of the USA defense will be especially thrilled to have finally gotten a clean sheet. “One clean sheet sounds great,” goalkeeper Matt Freese said. “Two, three, four clean sheets sounds a lot better.” Richards’ path to the World Cup is one that has taken him from his native Birmingham, Alabama, to mighty Bayern Munich and Crystal Palace. He was originally rejected by MLS club FC Dallas at the age of 16. He eventually made it to the FCD’s academy the following year. He was only there for one year, though, before joining Bayern and making his pro debut there. He made his maiden appearance for the USA in November 2020, and has earned 38 caps for the team since. Now he’s the undisputed anchor of USA’s back line, which is clearly at its best when he’s in the lineup. “He has a presence on the field,” USA teammate and fellow defender Mark McKenzie said, while veteran winger Tim Weah called Richards “one of the most important players on the team.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The second round of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup group stage games continues with a slate of intriguing matchups. In the opening game, the Netherlands will look for its first win of the World Cup when they take on a Sweden team that is surging under manager Graham Potter. The second game takes us to Toronto where Germany and Ivory Coast will each look for their second wins after strong openers. In the third game, Ecuador will take on tiny Curaçao in a game the South Americans need to win convincingly. Finally, Japan is fighting through new injuries but should still be the favorites over Tunisia, which is in disarray after firing its head coach after its opening round loss. When: Saturday, June 20, 1 p.m. ETWhere: HoustonTV: FOXStream: Watch three days free on FOX One In Group F, both the Netherlands and Sweden will be looking to take a step towards the knockout stages when they kick off Saturday’s action at Houston Stadium in Texas. Last year, Sweden struggled in World Cup qualifying, but the team has enjoyed a complete turnaround under manager Graham Potter. After making the playoffs via the Nations League, Potter’s team surged into the World Cup and then impressed with a 5-1 win over Tunisia in its opener. Potter’s approach has brought out the best in its top attackers. Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak were in incredible form in the win over Tunisia as the Premier League duo ran at defenders and created a wave of chances. Brighton’s Yasin Ayari scored two goals and emerged as another point of attack. Sweden could be emerging as one of the surprising teams at this World Cup because the team’s complete turnaround in less than a year now has brought it to the point where it could make a run at this tournament. The Netherlands is always a difficult team to play in any major tournament. That is no exception at this World Cup, although the Dutch are surely disappointed in being held to a 2-2 draw with Japan after leading twice. But that is a running problem right with the Netherlands, who hasn’t kept a clean sheet in its last five matches. The biggest storyline in this game is Sweden’s elite Premier League attackers going against the Netherlands’ elite Premier League central defenders in Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Jan Paul van Hecke, who completed a blockbuster transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion to Tottenham on Thursday for a fee of £52 million. The pressure is on the Netherlands to win this game and van Dijk and van Hecke will go a long way towards deciding that. The Liverpool forward was electric for Sweden in its opening 5-1 win over Tunisia. Isak scored a goal and added two assists as he routinely cut through Tunisia’s defense using his speed and skill. But going against the Dutch defense is the test of another level. If Isak can do that, Sweden might pull off a surprising result. He will know what he is up against as he will likely have several occasions when he has to go against his Liverpool teammate in Virgil van Dijk. When: Saturday, June 20, 4 p.m. ETWhere: TorontoTV: FOXStream: Watch three days free on FOX One In an enticing contest on Saturday, Germany and Ivory Coast meet up in Toronto after both teams won their respective openers.  The winner will gain full control of Group E heading into the group stage finale. Germany won its first game against Curaçao by a 7-1 margin to make it the widest margin of victory thus far in the tournament. A blowout win was expected but the highlight of the game came when Curaçao scored an equalizer in the 21st minute. The island nation was a sentimental favorite for many fans as it is the smallest country in area and population to ever play in the World Cup. As disappointed as Germany was to concede a goal, the 7-1 win was a deserved margin. After two shocking group stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Germany is looking to return to being an elite team at the tournament it has won four times. With the win over Curaçao, Germany passed Brazil to become the all-time top scorers in World Cup history, with 239 goals. This German team boasts a balanced attack with six different goalscorers in its win over Curaçao. The team’s unquestionable offensive leader is Kai Havertz, who is in great form with five goals and two assists in his last five games between Germany and his club, Arsenal. Ivory Coast turned in one of the most exciting wins so far at the World Cup when Amad Diallo scored in the 90th-minute to propel his team to a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday. That was a significant accomplishment for the Ivory Coast, given that Ecuador conceded just five goals across 18 World Cup qualifiers to finish second in CONMEBOL’s single table format. But Ivory Coast is playing great soccer these days and just prior to the World Cup, Les Éléphants defeated Frances in Nantes 1-0 in a pre-tournament friendly. Ivory Coast has a lot of attacking options on top of Diallo. Nicolas Pepe is coming off a strong season for Villarreal, while Yan Diomande won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year for his season with RB Leipzig. This week, the Ivory Coast had to deal with an off-field distraction when starting striker Elye Wahi was initially denied a visa to enter Canada due to being under investigation for alleged betting-related offenses. But he has reportedly received clearance to enter the country for the match. Wahi was reportedly arrested in France on this issue last month. Both teams will have a lot of motivation in this game as Germany looks to return to the World Cup knockouts while the Ivory Coast aims for a high-profile win that would show it is capable of making a deep run into July. Player to Watch Ivory Coast’s teenage winger is well known to German fans as he was one of the top young players in the Bundesliga this season with RB Leipzig. Known for his explosive speed, skillful dribbling, and his ability to finish with either foot, Diomande will be a handful for Germany to defend. He also brings with him a unique background that saw him move to Florida in the United States as a teenager. It was there he played for Yulee High School and joined the DIME academy, which is a private athletic training club in Daytona Beach. It is hard to believe that one of the game’s top teenagers was recently playing high school soccer. But now, he has a chance to go against one of the world’s most successful national teams. When: Saturday, June 20, 8 p.m. ETWhere: Kansas CityTV: FS1Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One As one of the best defensive teams in this tournament, Ecuador disappointed in its opening game when it hit the woodwork three times but could not score against the Ivory Coast. Then at the end, Ecuador conceded a goal in stoppage to suffer a 1-0 loss in a Philadelphia Stadium that was packed with Ecuadorian fans. In its second Group E game, Ecuador will be heavily favored against Curaçao on Saturday night at Kansas City Stadium. But a typical win will not just be enough, as the goal differential tiebreaker could decide where it finishes in the group or where it finishes in the ranking of third place teams. In this game, Ecuador will have to shift its priority from defense to offense. At age 36, Enner Valencia is Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer and remains the team’s top forward. Highly-rated teenage winger Kendry Páez is contracted to Chelsea but has gone on loans to Strasbourg and River Plate. He could find his way into the attack. Flamengo winger Gonzalo Plata is also expected to help Ecuador’s offense in this game. The smallest nation in area and population is simply happy to be at this tournament. Livano Comenencia’s goal against Germany, which briefly equalized the game, was one of the more heartwarming moments of the early part of this tournament. Player to Watch Enner Valencia: Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer is the player to watch in this game as the team needs to score early and often against Curaçao to secure three points and build up a positive goal differential. Valencia has earned 106 caps for Ecuador and his next goal will be his 50th international goal. That could very well come against Curaçao. When: Sunday, June 21, 12 a.m. ETWhere: MonterreyTV: FS1Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One One week into the tournament and Tunisia is a mess. After a strong World Cup qualifying campaign where it didn’t concede a single goal, Tunisia was routed by Sweden in its opener 5-1. The next day, Tunisia’s federation fired head coach Sabri Lamouchi and named Hervé Renard of France as his successor. Rennard must now lead Tunisia against a very good Japan team that drew the Netherlands 2-2 in its Group F opener. This game at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico will conclude Saturday’s action at the World Cup. Rennard has been known to pull off surprising success stories. He guided Zambia to the 2012 African Cup of Nations title. At the 2022 World Cup, he led Saudi Arabia to a shocking win over eventual champions Argentina. But now he must lead Tunisia against Japan on just five days of preparation. One of his decisions could be to adjust the goalkeeping position. Lamouchi made the stunning decision against Sweden to bench starting veteran Aymen Dahmen, who impressed at the 2022 World Cup in a 0-0 draw with Denmark, and replace him with the inexperienced Abdelmouhib Chamakh. Chamakh had a terrible game, and it seemed to destabilize the entire backline. But all eyes will be on Rennard because Tunisia is now both desperate and difficult to predict. Meanwhile, Japan fell behind twice to the Netherlands but found an equalizer each time in its 2-2 draw. It was a resilient performance for a Japanese team that fought hard for over 90 minutes with goals from Keito Nakamura, followed by a dramatic 88th minute header from Daichi Kamada following a corner. The big concern for Japan is the injury to Takefusa Kubo. The talented Real Sociedad midfielder is one of Japan’s most important players, but he was forced out of the game against the Netherlands in the 75th minute. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu will now have to make significant adjustments, which will likely mean moving fullback Ritsu Doan to the wing and then inserting Junya Ito into the lineup. Injuries have hit this Japanese team hard as Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and Liverpool’s Wataru Endo were ruled out shortly before the roster was named. Kubo would be another significant absence. Despite these absences, Japan should be considered the heavy favorite against Tunisia simply because of its stability. Player to Watch The left-sided attacker has had a lot of success for Japan with 11 goals from 26 caps dating back to his debut in 2023. Against the Netherlands, he scored his team’s first goal to even the game at 1-1. Japan is fighting through adversity due to injuries and the likely loss of Kubo will put a lot of responsibility on players such as Nakamura. But with Tunisia’s confidence shattered, he could have openings to do damage. Tunisia showed vulnerability against Sweden’s pacey players such as Alexander Isak. Nakamura might be able to find a similar level of success in this game.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Morocco got the job done in Boston. Scotland’s Tartan Army won everything else. Morocco didn’t dazzle. It didn’t need to. In the teams’ second match of the 2026 World Cup on Friday, a 1-0 win over Scotland at Boston Stadium — settled inside 71 seconds and fiercely defended afterward — moved Mohamed Ouahbi’s side to the top of Group C. This left Scotland in third place with a match against Brazil up next on Wednesday. Here are my takeaways: 1. Morocco Suffered. Morocco Won. That’s The Point. This wasn’t the swaggering Morocco that bullied Brazil for 45 minutes last week. This was the other kind of good team — the kind that scores early, rides its luck and refuses to break. The Atlas Lions blitzed Scotland from the whistle, then spent the second half inviting pressure they had no need to invite. Yassine Bounou was barely worked, but the back line creaked, the lead never felt safe, and a sharper Scotland might have made Morocco pay. It didn’t. And that’s the point. One point ahead of Scotland, Morocco tops the group with the knockout stage math firmly in its own hands — all under a rookie coach at his first senior tournament. Ugly wins are still wins. The successful sides learn to love them. 2. Ismael Saibari Is The Breakout Of This World Cup Two games, two goals, two of the finest finishes of the tournament. Remember the name — though you’ve had 71 seconds to learn it. The PSV man opened against Brazil with a screamer. He topped it against Scotland: collecting Brahim Díaz’s pass, selling Angus Gunn a cross that never came, then ripping it into the top corner. Fastest goal of this World Cup. Fastest in Morocco’s World Cup history. He’s done it twice now, both teed up by Brahim Díaz — a partnership defenses haven’t started to solve. Biggest breakout of the tournament so far? You could definitely make the argument. Saibari is stringing the stunners together. He’s ruthless and always arrives half a second before the defender. Morocco is creating a new household name at this tournament. 3. Scotland Lost The Battle That Mattered Most: The Midfield Steve Clarke rolled the dice — Kieran Tierney, Nathan Patterson and Ryan Christie all put in, Che Adams left alone up top, Scott McTominay and Lewis Ferguson were tasked with holding the midfield — and watched that midfield cave anyway. That’s the story of the match. Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui and Ayyoub Bouaddi were tough to beat in the center, Ounahi drifted into the gaps, and Scotland was outnumbered, out-passed and pinned back. The 71-second gut-punch didn’t help, but the deeper problem was the control they never had. They were braver after the break — and they’ll rue the moment that came with it. Scott McGinn tumbled under El Aynaoui’s challenge in the box. With the Tartan Army howling, the referee and VAR decided not to award a foul. A penalty there, and it’s a different night. Fine margins. Scotland ended up on the wrong side of all of them. The dream remains intact thanks to that narrow 1-0 win over Haiti, but the stiffest test now awaits in Miami against Brazil. 4. The Tartan Army Just Annexed Boston Scotland may have lost the match. Its supporters lost nothing. An estimated 40,000-plus people made the trip — kilts, bagpipes and vibes all cleared by FIFA — turning Boston into one long ceilidh. They drank the bars dry. They sang “Flower of Scotland” at Fenway. They rode the City Hall Plaza slide. One local, on Reddit, surrendered early: “I, for one, welcome our new kilted overlords.” The city surrendered officially, too. Boston and Glasgow announced a sister-city partnership, and the mayor thanked the Tartan Army by name. For 28 years, they waited to follow this team to a World Cup. Twenty-eight years — and they’ve treated every minute like a festival. The result in Foxborough stings. The trip won’t. Nobody does this quite like them. Their appearance alone has been one of the most feel-good takeaways from this tournament.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Zlatan Ibrahimović was ready to tell fans of the U.S. men’s national team that it was time to believe following its 4-1 win over Paraguay to open the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He’s doubling down on that stance following the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia on Friday. Following the USA’s second victory in Group D, Ibrahimović proclaimed that the Stars and Stripes can win the World Cup as they advanced to the round of 32. “They had a good performance today. [U.S. manager Mauricio] Pochettino did good putting two strikers [in the lineup],” Ibrahimović said. “If you didn’t believe before, I will repeat: Start believing. They have the country behind them, and when you have this support, it’s difficult to beat you. They just need to continue, bring confidence game to game.” Thierry Henry co-signed that sentiment, praising Pochettino’s approach. “Mauricio Pochettino said, ‘If you want to win the competition.’ Before, he would’ve said, ‘How far can we go?’ He said, ‘If you want to win the competition,'” Henry said, believing it shows a positive change of mindset. “Things have changed.” Pochettino’s tactics and confidence have helped the USA move just a point away from securing first place in Group D. If Paraguay wins or draws against Türkiye later on Friday, or if the USA wins or draws against Türkiye on Thursday, the USA will win the group. But are Ibrahimović and Henry correct in their assessments that the USA can make a deep run in the World Cup? Here are some stats to help make you believe. 2: The USA won two straight men’s World Cup matches for the second time and the first since its first two matches ever in the tournament in 1930. 2: This is also just the second time the U.S. has won two group stage matches in a single World Cup (1930). 2: The USA became the first team in World Cup history to benefit from an own goal in two consecutive matches. 2: This was the first time in the modern era (since 1990) that USA has benefited from an own goal in consecutive games (all competitions). There have also already been seven own goals scored at the 2026 World Cup; only the 2018 edition has seen more scored (12). 15: USA is the second World Cup host nation to score a goal in the opening 15 minutes of each of its first two matches of that year’s competition, joining France in 1938 (per OPTA). The own goal, which came off a cross from USA striker Florian Balogun, came in the 11th minute. 6: The six goals the USA has scored in this group stage are already tied for the most the team has scored in a group stage in a World Cup ever (six in 1930). 2: Friday was the first time the U.S. has led by multiple goals in consecutive World Cup matches since 1930 and just the fourth time ever. 7: USA improves to 7-0-0 (W-D-L) all-time when playing in Seattle Stadium. The USA is now 10-1-1 (W-D-L) at all venues in Seattle, with the only loss coming vs. USSR in a 1979 friendly in the Kingdome. If the USA wins Group D, it will play at Seattle Stadium if it advances to the round of 16. 11: One key to victory for the USA? Score first. The USA improved to 11-2-1 (W-D-L) all-time at the World Cup when scoring first, and 10-2-1 (W-D-L) all-time at the World Cup when leading at half. 3: USA improves to 2-1-1 (W-D-L) all-time at the World Cup against AFC opponents; USA improves to 3-1-1 (W-D-L) against Australia. 44: Star midfielder Christian Pulisic didn’t play in Friday’s win. The U.S. is now 44-16-15 (W-D-L) when he does not play and 45-16-26 (W-D-L) when he does play. 3: Alex Freeman scored his third career international goal and first at a World Cup. 16: U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino improves to 16-2-10 (W-D-L) since taking over in September 2024. 8: The USA’s last eight men’s World Cup goals (excluding own goals) have been scored by players younger than 25 years old, equaling the longest such streak in World Cup history (Poland, eight straight between 1938 and 1974) (per OPTA). 97.8: Chris Richards has completed 97.8% of his passes at the FIFA World Cup (175/179); that is the second-best accuracy by a player in their first two appearances on record since 1966 (min. 100 passes), behind Gheorghe Popescu in 1994 (122/124 – 98.4%, per OPTA). 18: Weston McKennie had the most chances created (three) and the most passes ending in the final third (18) against Australia.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The U.S. men’s national team is moving on to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but who will it face in the round of 32? Well, that’s far from certain following the USA’s 2-0 victory over Australia on Friday. Where the USA finishes in Group D will play a large role in determining who it’ll go up against in the first match of the knockout stage. If the USA wins Group D, it’ll face the third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J. If the USA finishes second in Group D, it’ll face the team that finishes in second place in Group G. Here’s more on each possible scenario for the Stars and Stripes after they clinched their spot in the knockout stage. If USA Wins Group D In the scenario that the USA secures first place in its group, it’ll play its round of 32 match on July 1 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. As of Friday, there are still 20 teams the USA could potentially face in this scenario. Here are those 20 teams: Here is the USA’s path to the final if it ends up winning Group D: If USA Finishes Second In Group D If the USA finishes second in Group D, it’ll take on the second-place finisher in Group G at Dallas Stadium on July 3. After one match, all four teams in Group G have one point. Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand would be the USA’s potential opponents in this scenario. Here is the USA’s path to the final if it finishes second in Group D:​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SEATTLE STADIUM — After the USA’s win over Paraguay, I admitted to being a prisoner of the moment with my player ratings. The atmosphere at Los Angeles Stadium was incredible, and the lowest rating I gave out was an 8. Well, it happened again … but the lowest rating was higher. That energy came from how the team performed in the first half. On both ends of the field, we cooked. From Sergiño Dest on the right wing to Folarin Balogun leading the attack, it was an impressive performance. It seemed like everybody had a good game against Paraguay last week, and this win against Australia felt similar. A huge part of that great first half was the timing of the goals. You get one in the 11th minute to set the tempo, and then you get another one in the 43rd minute right before you go into the locker room. Here are my player ratings for the win over Australia. (Ratings are from 1-10, with 10 being the best — and the most common rating for this one.) Starting XI On the set of “World Cup Now,” we were saying that Freese was going to eventually have to make a big save. That never came to fruition, but he sure played his part. Freese’s job as a goalkeeper, ultimately, is to keep a clean sheet. He came out of the 18-yard box to make a clearance with his head, which was his biggest contribution in the second half. Job done for Freese in goal. Freeman got his move to Europe back in January when he went to Villarreal in La Liga. He’ll be playing in the Champions League next year. At halftime, he played so well that I was wondering if he’d earn another transfer. Robinson’s role in this team is much different than Freeman’s. While Freeman is more like a third center back and sits back closer to Tim Ream and Chris Richards more often, Robinson’s job is more to provide width down the left wing further up the pitch. Together, they work well, and both were very good on Friday. These two complement each other well, just like the starting fullbacks. I thought both Ream and Richards were excellent against Australia. There were always going to be moments where the pair had to step higher up the pitch, and there were also going to be moments when they needed to be balanced defensively, whether it’s in one-on-one scenarios, in the 18-yard box or simply just putting out fires. The passing out of the back wasn’t as good as it was against Paraguay, less efficient. Also, before the tournament, I was wondering whether Ream could still anchor this defense. So far, hand up on that. It appears that I shouldn’t have doubted him. Tyler entered this game on a yellow card, which meant he would miss the game against Türkiye if he got one more. He didn’t put a foot wrong, though. Adams wasn’t late in any attempts to challenge the ball and read the game so well. There were a few moments early in the game where Tyler could have made a move forward, but he stayed disciplined and stuck to his job. That job was to stay in front of the USA defense and keep control of the midfield. That boy cooked tonight. Weston was everywhere, and he was everything. He is my man of the match. The way I describe Weston is that when he’s at his best, the national team has a different bounce to it. It’s his energy, his charisma, the leadership he brings. He plays on both sides of the ball and also adds a bit of intelligence to the midfield. His all-around game offers so much — his tackles, his will to win balls, and the way he drives this team with his charisma. Fantastic day in Seattle for Weston. At the last World Cup in 2022, the midfield was “MMA” for McKennie, Yunus Musah and McKennie. This year, it’s “ATM” — which also works because they’ve been cash money. Tillman has been excellent so far in this tournament and fits in seamlessly next to Tyler and Weston. The midfield has been a huge strength so far for this team, and I expect that to continue. Dest is a wild card for this team. He usually plays as a fullback, but he has really embraced this role further up the pitch on the right wing. Sergiño plays with a lot of expression and flair, especially when he’s on the ball. As Sacha Kljestian said on “World Cup Now,” the team looks so much more fun with him further on the field, taking on players. Sergiño wants to get the ball and take on defenders. When he gets possession, stand back and let him cook. Big spot for Pepi here, but he delivered in his first World Cup start. Pepi played more as a striker than Christian Pulisic usually does as a left-winger, even though that’s the place he took in the starting lineup, but he was all over the field. He easily could have had a goal and was in a position to finish the first goal if it hadn’t been put into the Australian net as an own goal before it got to him. Balogun has shown to be the most complete striker we’ve had and has lived up to everything we hoped he’d be when he committed to the USA three years ago. He has excellent hold-up play with a willingness to run into the wide channels and show off his pace. Flo made the first USA goal happen. He got the ball and was quickly past his defender down the left wing. From there, he got into the 18-yard box toward the end line. Australian center back Harry Souttar didn’t commit early enough to stop him. Ricardo Pepi has a tap-in if Cameron Burgess doesn’t put it in the top corner by himself. That will go down as an own goal, but Balogun made it happen.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The World Cup group stage can get complicated quickly. With 48 teams participating for the first time ever, FIFA instituted new tiebreaker rules to determine the top two in each group along with the eight highest third-place finishers. Below, FOX Sports Research has broken down what each team needs to advance, what results would send them through, and which scenarios could leave their fate hanging in the balance. Here’s where every group stands heading into the next round of matches, and the simple scenarios for them to advance. GROUP A Mexico has won the group and will face a third-place team (from either Group C, E, F, H, or I) in the Round of 32 in Mexico City on June 30. South Korea will advance and finish in second place with a win or draw vs. South Africa. South Korea will finish third with a loss AND a Czechia loss or draw. Czechia will finish second with a win AND a South Korea loss and if it maintains the tiebreaker vs. South Africa (goal differences are currently -1 for Czechia and -2 for South Africa). Czechia will finish third with: South Africa will finish second: South Africa will finish third: This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. GROUP B Switzerland will finish second: Bosnia and Herzegovina will finish third: Qatar will finish third with a win unless Switzerland loses and Qatar makes up the goal difference (Switzerland is +3, Qatar is -6). GROUP C GROUP D GROUP E GROUP F GROUP G GROUP H GROUP I GROUP J GROUP K GROUP L​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The U.S. men’s national team became the second nation to secure a spot in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, it hasn’t won its group … yet. Following its 2-0 victory over Australia, the USA improved to 2-0-0 in Group D play, meaning that it only needs to draw in its next match against Türkiye to finish first. But the USA can also secure first place in Group D later on Friday. If Paraguay either wins or secures a draw in its match against Türkiye, the USA will win its group at the World Cup for the first time since 2010. As we’re in the midst of each nation’s Match Day 2, here is a closer look at the World Cup bracket and scenarios. JUMP TO: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group DGroup E | Group F | Group G | Group HGroup I | Group J | Group K | Group LThird-Place Rankings (All records are win-draw-loss) Group A Mexico’s win over South Korea on Friday meant it won Group A because the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results. Mexico’s result in its final game against Czechia won’t matter for its standing, although it will matter to the Czechs. Group B With strong goal differences and the top-eight third-place teams now qualifying, Canada and Switzerland will likely advance. The winner of Group B will be determined by the matchup between the two countries on Wednesday, June 24 (3 p.m. ET on FOX). Switzerland will have to win that game to win Group B due to Canada’s superior goal difference. Group C Morocco was able to secure three points following its draw against Brazil, getting a much-needed win over Scotland. With the victory, Morocco moved into first place in Group C, but Brazil still has to face Haiti. Group D The USA clinched its spot in the knockout stage. Its win over Australia on Friday also put it in pole position to win Group D, as it can secure first place with just a draw in its group match finale against Türkiye or if Paraguay is able to get a point in its match against Türkiye on Friday. Australia has the upper hand to finish second in the group. It defeated Türkiye, 2-0, in its first match of group play. Group E Germany is in a very strong position after its first game, which saw it beat Curaçao and get a plus-6 goal differential. The Germans’ matchup against the Ivory Coast on Saturday will go a long way in determining which country will win this group. Ecuador will need to beat Curaçao on Saturday to give itself a good chance to advance with a matchup against Germany on the horizon in its final match of the group stage. Group F Sweden is looking good after a blowout win over Tunisia in its first game, but it faces two difficult matches against the Netherlands and Japan to close out group play. The Dutch and Japanese played to a thrilling 2-2 draw in their matchup to open the tournament. Both teams still have a good chance of winning Group F, but that will likely require a win over Sweden. Group G It’s all up for grabs in Group G after two draws in the opening two matches. Belgium will still be favored to win the group with matches against New Zealand and Iran on the horizon. Group H Spain will still be favored to win this group, even after a draw against Cape Verde in what should have been its easiest matchup. Uruguay was the second favorite, but it dropped points against Saudi Arabia. Group I Advantage to France and Norway after one match day. Norway took care of business against Iraq, while France got a huge three points against Senegal in its opener. Those teams will play on the final match day. France can take a big step toward qualifying with a win over Iraq in its second match. A positive result for Senegal against Norway would also go a long way after its loss to France. Group J Argentina and Austria, the two favorites in this group, took care of business in their respective first games. They will meet on the final match day, when both teams may already have qualified for the round of 32. Algeria and Jordan, though, have work to do. Group K Portugal sputtered against DR Congo and now has work to do in order to qualify for the round of 32. Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. will be expected to beat Uzbekistan, but a game on Saturday, June 27 to close out group play against Colombia could be important. Group L England got a huge result with its win over Croatia. The Three Lions will now be favorites to win its final two group games against Ghana and Panama. Speaking of Ghana, it has England next. Good thing it found a late winner against Panama, because those three points were hugely necessary ahead of games against England and Croatia to close its group-stage games. Third-Place Standings The Netherlands sits atop the third-place standings at the start of Match Day 9 due to goals scored, which is the second tiebreaker after goal differential. The eight third-place teams with the most points advance to the round of 32. Round Of 32 Matchups​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

SEATTLE STADIUM — No Christian Pulisic? No problem. With the U.S. men’s national team’s best attacking player on the bench because of a lingering calf injury, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad qualified for the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a game to spare. The Americans beat Australia, 2-0, in its second group stage match Friday in front of a raucous home crowd in what many consider the best soccer city in America. For the second time in as many games, the U.S. struck first on an own goal to take a lead it would never relinquish. Defender Alex Freeman added the backbreaking second goal just before halftime; his third career U.S. goal was confirmed following a lengthy video review that reversed the call on the field after the assistant referee had initially ruled that Freeman was offside. Down by two, the Aussies poured on the pressure in the second half. But while the U.S. bent, it didn’t break, with the home team securing its first shutout in 11 games — an encouraging sign for the tougher tests that await them in the weeks to come. “One clean sheet sounds great,” said U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese, who posted his first World Cup shutout in his second career game. “Two, three, four clean sheets sounds a lot better.” Here are four quick takeaways following Friday’s victory. 1. USA Makes History By Advancing For any World Cup participant, no matter how successful historically, the first goal is obvious: Survive and advance to the second, win-or-go-home round and then take things game by do-or-die game from there. Plenty of soccer’s elite teams have failed this test. Take Germany, which was eliminated in group play in each of the last two editions of soccer’s quadrennial showpiece after claiming its fourth title in 2014. (Only Brazil has more.) With Friday’s win, the USA is off to the business end of the World Cup for the fourth straight time. Sure, that doesn’t include 2018, when the U.S. failed to get to the tournament at all, snapping a streak that dated to 1990. But the U.S. made history on Friday by clinching a place in the last 32 early. Never before had the team’s fate been decided before the final contest of the opening round. “It was an extremely tough game, very physical,” striker Folarin Balogun said post-game. “This is a World Cup, so it’s expected for the passion to sometimes spill over. But I think we kept our cool. It was a really professional performance.” 2. Americans Create Their Own Luck — Again Getting the first goal in this game was always going to be hugely important for either team. And just like in their tournament opening 4-1 win over Paraguay last week, the visitors were dangerous early, pressuring U.S. center backs Tim Ream and Chris Richards with abandon. But the home team struck first again, thanks to another own goal, this time by Socceroos center back Cameron Burgess. The U.S. became the only team in the almost 100-year history of the competition to profit from own goals in consecutive World Cup games. “If I can force an error that gives us the lead, then it’s [like scoring] a goal,” said Balogun, whose attempted pass to Ricardo Pepi Burgess turned past his own keeper. “It was a special, special start to the game to give us the momentum. And then I think we carried it.” 3. Alex Freeman Makes His Mark Just more than a year ago, the soccer-playing son of Super Bowl winner and Green Bay Packers great Antonio Freeman had never made an appearance for the senior USA squad. But in his first season as a regular starter for Orlando City in MLS, the 6-foot-2 fullback caught the eye of U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and his staff, became a starter for the national team and never looked back. He ended 2025 with his first two international goals in a World Cup tune-up win over two-time champion Uruguay and moved to Spanish power and UEFA Champions League mainstay Villarreal over the winter. On Friday, he shined bright on the biggest stage in sports, scoring the second American goal just before halftime. “I thought it was offside,” Freeman, still in uniform, said afterward. “When it took really long time [to review], I was very anxious to see whether it was a goal or not.” It was, giving him his first goal at a World Cup. 4. Take A Bow, Seattle In sports, as in life, reality surpasses fantasy. But for a city that had been waiting more than 50 years to host the U.S. at a World Cup — men’s or women’s — Friday’s game and the lead up to blew whatever lofty exceptions there were beforehand straight out of Puget Sound. This scene in Seattle was hard to describe. From Pike Place to Pioneer Square, the Emerald City was awash with USA jerseys from every era. There were also plenty of yellow Australia shirts to be seen around town and in the grandiose, almost 70,000-seat downtown arena, with visiting supporters taking up a huge area behind one of the goals and in a sprawling corner in the far reaches of the upper deck. The excitement they created was off the charts. And, as predicted by the U.S. players on the eve of the contest, the overwhelming pro-American crowd played a major role in willing the World Cup co-hosts to another unforgettable victory on home soil. “The atmosphere was incredible,” said Freese. “It’s one of those things you dream of. I’ve heard that the 12th man is what they call the crowd here. It was definitely a 12th man for us today.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Lamine Yamal is not feeling 100% fit and is not likely to start for Spain in the match against Saudi Arabia on Sunday at the World Cup. Yamal came into the tournament nursing a left hamstring injury and was only a substitute in the team’s opener on Monday — a disappointing 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. “I’m fine, I feel good, but it’s still too soon,” Yamal told Spanish network RTVE. “It’s unnecessary (to take risks). I’m going through an adaptation process, it’s not the time to play a full match yet. But I can play as many minutes as the coach wants.” The 18-year-old Yamal came off the bench in the 71st minute against Cape Verde but was not able to spark La Roja to victory against the nation of about half-million people that was making its debut at soccer’s showcase event. After facing Saudi Arabia on Sunday in Atlanta, Spain goes to Guadalajara to play Uruguay in the highlight match of Group H. The match may be decisive and having Yamal fully fit could be crucial for Spain. Yamal said teammate Nico Williams, who also arrived nursing an injury, was ahead of him in the recovery process. “Physically he’s even better than me,” Yamal said. “We’re not in a rush. We have a great team with top-level players and we have to go step by step.” Yamal arrived at the World Cup as one of the tournament’s biggest stars despite his young age. He has been thriving with Barcelona and Spain’s national team for a while, having helped La Roja win the European Championship in 2024. He led Barcelona to the Spanish league title this past season. His popularity in the United States has been evident at the World Cup. An advertisement with his image towers over Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where Spain kicked off its campaign. “I’m taking it naturally, it’s something I’m used to,” Yamal said about his popularity. “I know what I represent both outside of Spain and in Spain. I try to always give my best, that’s what the fans want. If you have your image on that building, it’s because you can do things on the field that people like, things that excite them when they see you play.” Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports