One of the Premier League’s most gripping personal feuds goes global on Sunday when Brazil face Norway in the World Cup last 16.
Norway’s irresistible force of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland comes up against Brazil’s immovable object in the shape of Arsenal defender Gabriel in New York New Jersey Stadium.
Haaland and Gabriel have been central figures as their clubs battle for domestic supremacy, creating a rivalry that regularly boils over into animosity.
The outcome of their latest confrontation will go a long way to deciding whether it is Brazil or Norway who advance to the quarter-finals, where they will face either England or Mexico.
Former England striker Chris Sutton told BBC Sport: “For all the battling for the Golden Boot between the greats such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Haaland, there have not been any great personal duels. Now we have one.
“This is the standout personal duel of the World Cup so far and make no mistake, it will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the game.
“It is the standout because of the bad feeling we know exists between the pair. I am sure there is a level of respect great players have for each other, but everything we’ve seen between them suggests they don’t like each other too much.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer is also relishing the confrontation between the pair, saying: “That will be a great battle because there is definitely a bit of niggle there.
“They don’t like each other which is fine, you don’t have to like your opponent, and we have seen them have clashes before so that’s definitely one to look forward to.”
Adding further intrigue is the statistical quirk that five-time world champions Brazil have never beaten Norway in four attempts – drawing two and losing two.
This makes Norway the only side the Selecao have faced, but never won against.
Four wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.
Who: Brazil vs Norway What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16 Where: New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, US When: Sunday, July 5, at 4pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.
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Two of the world’s most exciting forwards, Vinicius Jr and Erling Haaland, will light up Sunday evening in New Jersey when Brazil face Norway in a blockbuster round of 16 clash.
For all their dominance on the world stage, Brazil have historically struggled to find a way past Norway, and after four failed attempts, the Selecao will hope the fifth time is the charm.
Carlo Ancelotti’s talented side has its fair share of flaws, and having narrowly escaped elimination in the last 32 against Japan, they need an improved performance against Norway – one of the dark horses at this tournament.
Spearheaded by Haaland and Martin Odegaard, Norway arrive with bragging rights – they are one of only three countries Brazil have faced at a World Cup without registering at least one victory.
How did Brazil and Norway reach the round of 16?
Brazil finished at the top of Group C, with wins over Scotland and Haiti, and a draw with Morocco. They fought from a goal down to beat Japan 2-1 in stoppage time in the last 32.
Norway came second in Group I, winning against Iraq and Senegal and falling to France. They sealed a late 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast in the last 32 – the Scandinavian nation’s first World Cup knockout victory after previous exits to Italy in 1938 and 1998.
Can Haaland extend Norway’s dream run?
Be it for club or country, towering forward Haaland’s impact cannot be understated.
Of the 10 goals Norway have scored at the tournament, Haaland is responsible for half – numbers that are remarkable for a 25-year-old making his World Cup debut.
Come Sunday, Norway will need their 1.95-metre- (6.4ft)-tall, pony-tailed talisman to strike again if they are to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
Brazil will be wary of Norway’s lethal striker Erling Haaland [Paul Ellis/AFP]
Norway could take inspiration from their 1998 World Cup side, which famously beat Brazil 2-1 in a group game. And they need not look further than their coach Stale Solbakken – a midfielder in that Norwegian squad – for words of advice.
“Brazil are favourites, of course they are, but we are hopeful that we will give them a match, and we are not playing the game for fun – we are playing to win the game and to reach the quarterfinals,” said Solbakken. “It’s possible, but it’s very difficult.”
The Norwegians will be wary of Brazil’s very own trump card Vinicius, whose four goals at the tournament have made him the team’s leading scorer and most influential player. Vinicius became the first Brazilian since Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002 to score in all three group stage matches at a World Cup. That was the last time Brazil lifted the trophy.
Brazil vs Norway prediction
The Opta supercomputer gives Brazil a 53.6 percent likelihood of winning in regulation time, while Norway’s chances of winning are 22.4 percent.
The model estimates a 24 percent probability of the game going to extra time.
Brazil vs Norway: Kickoff time, TV channel
Brazil: SBT, CazeTV (4pm, Brasilia Standard Time)
Norway: TV2, NRK (9pm, Central European Summer Time)
United Kingdom: ITV1, ITVX, STV, STV Player (8pm, British Summer Time)
United States: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (4pm, Eastern Daylight Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
Norway fans do the traditional rowing celebration in the stands [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]
Who will the winner face in the quarterfinals?
The winner of the Brazil vs Norway match will face either Mexico or England in the quarterfinals in Miami on Saturday, July 11.
Brazil vs Norway: Head-to-head
Norway hold the rare distinction of never having lost to Brazil, with two wins and two draws from their four previous meetings, including a memorable 2-1 victory over Brazil in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup.
Brazil and Norway last met in a friendly in 2006, which ended 1-1.
More worryingly for Ancelotti, Brazil have been eliminated from each of their last six World Cup knockout ties against European opponents since beating Germany in the 2002 final.
Brazil vs Norway: Team news
Brazil’s Lucas Paqueta picked up a hamstring injury in the last game, while Raphinha, who also picked up the same issue in the second game, has resumed individual training and could make the bench.
Norway’s Julian Ryerson is out with a thigh injury.
Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes has four assists at the World Cup – only Pele recorded more (six) for the five-time world champions at a World Cup [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]
The round of 32 is nearly complete, with several teams already set to play in the round of 16, including tournament co-hosts U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Cup knockout stage matches being played Friday, Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
Friday’s round of 32 matches
Australia vs. Egypt
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring against New Zealand on June 21.
The buzz: Australia finished second to the U.S. in its group but stumbled into the round of 32, going 195 minutes without a goal. It’s the first time since 1974 that Australia has gone scoreless in consecutive World Cup games. The Socceroos are playing in the knockout stage for the third time in 20 years but have yet to win an elimination game. Unbeaten Egypt also finished second in its group, on a goal-differential tiebreaker. Its five goals have come from five players. The Pharaohs, Africa’s oldest national team, will be playing in the second round for the first time.
Argentina vs. Cape Verde
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, left, and Jordan’s Noussair Mazraoui battle for the ball on June 27.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. Time: 3 p.m. TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: The last World Cup loss for Argentina came in its 2022 opener, making its nine-game unbeaten run the longest under one coach since 1986, the year it won its second championship. Speaking of streaks, when Lionel Messi came off the bench to score in the group finale, it gave him goals in a record seven consecutive World Cup games. He is tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race, having scored six of Argentina’s eight goals. Unbeaten Cape Verde is playing in the World Cup for the first time, advancing to the knockout stages behind three straight draws, two of them clean sheets by Vozinha, the team’s 40-year-old keeper. It is the first debutant to go unbeaten in the group stage since Senegal in 2002. The smallest country ever to advance out of World Cup group play, Cape Verde had just seven shots on target in the group stage.
Colombia vs. Ghana
Colombia’s Gustavo Puerta reacts during a match against Portugal on June 27.
The buzz: Unbeaten Colombia won its group but scored just once in its final two games. It’s 59 shots tied for third in the group stage, but just four of those found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, on the other hand, has been called on to make just four saves. Ghana is back in the knockout stages for the first time since 2010, advancing as a third-place team.
Saturday’s round of 16 matches
Canada vs. Morocco
Canada’s Alphonso Davies plays against South Africa on June 28.
The buzz: Canada, the first World Cup host to play outside its borders, eliminated South Africa on a stoppage-time goal from LAFC midfielder Stephen Eustáquio at SoFi Stadium in the team’s first-ever elimination game. Playing again in the U.S., Canada could be even stronger and more confident with Alphonso Davies back from injury. Morocco, one of nine African teams to reach the knockout stages, got a stoppage-time goal from defender Issa Diop to send its round-of-32 game with the Netherlands to penalty kicks, then got a big save from keeper Yassine Bounou to knock off another major European power. Four years ago, Morocco eliminated Spain on penalties.
Paraguay vs. France
France’s Kylian Mbappé scores against Sweden on June 30.
(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Time: 2 p.m. TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Paraguay, the third-place team from Group D, was dominated by Germany everywhere but on the scoreboard, stunning the four-time champion on penalties in the upset of the tournament. Germany had the ball 76% of the time and outshot Paraguay 21-7, but Paraguayan keeper Orlando Gill was phenomenal, especially in the shootout. France has been the dominant team of this World Cup, winning all four of its games while outsourcing opponents 13-2. Captain Kylian Mbappé has six of those goals.
Sunday’s round of 16 matches
Brazil vs. Norway
Norway’s Erling Haaland celebrates after a win over the Ivory Coast on June 30.
The buzz: Brazil rallied from a halftime deficit to eliminate Japan, 2-1, on a stoppage-time goal from second-half substitute Gabriel Martinelli. That kept alive a couple of streaks: Brazil has made it to the round of 16 in every World Cup since 1966, while Japan has yet to win an elimination game. Norway, playing in the tournament for the first time since Erling Haaland was born, has gotten five goals from its captain, including the winner in the 86th minute of his team’s round-of-32 victory over Ivory Coast, Norway’s first-ever win in the knockout rounds.
Mexico vs. England
England’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 1.
The buzz: Mexico rode a pair of first-half goals to a 2-0 win over Ecuador, its first victory in the knockout stages since 1986, the last time the World Cup was played in Mexico. El Tri is averaging two goals a game and has yet to concede one. A win here, in the smoggy and thin air of Azteca, would send Mexico to the quarterfinals, again for the first time since 1986. England, meanwhile, needed two goals from Harry Kane in the last 15 minutes to get past the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kane has scored five of England’s eight goals.
The round of 32 is in progress, with several teams already moving on the round of 16, including tournament co-hosts Canada and Mexico. The U.S. will be looking to do the same when it faces Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Cup knockout stage matches being played Wednesday, Thursday and Friday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
Wednesday’s round of 32 matches
England vs. DR Congo
England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates with teammates after scoring against Panama on June 27.
(Steve Luciano / Associated Press)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Time: 9 a.m. TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: England was unbeaten in group play, but it looked sluggish, failing to score in a goalless draw with Ghana then needing two second-half scores to beat Panama. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have combined for five of England’s six goals while Jordan Pickford hasn’t given up a goal since the opening half of the first game. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, playing in the World Cup for the first time since 1974, made it out of the group stage for the first time ever by beating Uzbekistan with three second-half goals.
Belgium vs. Senegal
Belgium’s Leandro Trossard celebrates after scoring against New Zealand on June 26.
The buzz: Unbeaten Belgium didn’t score a goal of its own until routing New Zealand 5-1 in its group-play finale. That allowed it to finish atop of its group and advance to the knockout stages, something it failed to do four years ago. Senegal started with consecutive losses, but routed Iraq 5-0, giving it the best goal differential of all third-place teams and allowing it to advance.
U.S. vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
U.S. forward Christian Pulisic shoots during a loss to Turkey at the World Cup on June 25.
The buzz: The U.S. won its group, winning twice in the first round for the first time since 1930. But it has won just once beyond the group stage in its history and hasn’t beaten a European team in 12 tries dating to November 2022. Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Qatar in its group-stage finale to advance to the knockout rounds for the first time. Ermin Mahmic has two of the team’s five goals.
Thursday’s round of 32 matches
Spain vs. Austria
Austria’s Marko Arnautovic celebrates after a goal against Algeria on June 27 at the World Cup.
The buzz: Spain did not allow a goal in the group stage with keeper Unai Simón making just four saves in the three shutouts. But No. 3 Spain has struggled offensively; leave out its 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia and it scored just once. Austria needed a goal deep in stoppage time to draw Algeria and finish second in its group, advancing to the second round for the first time since 1982. Marko Arnautovic has two of the team’s six goals.
Portugal vs. Croatia
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo attempts an overhead kick against Colombia at the World Cup on June 27.
(Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)
Where: BMO Field, Toronto Time: 4 p.m. TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: Call this the Geritol Cup. Unbeaten Portugal finished second in its group with Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, becoming the second-oldest male to score in a World Cup and the only man to score in six consecutive tournaments while Croatia saw Luka Modric become the oldest player in history to record a World Cup assist. Croatia has reached the semifinals of the last two tournaments, but its golden generation is aging. Portugal, a quarterfinalist in 2022, is hoping to give Ronaldo the one title he’s missing.
Switzerland vs. Algeria
Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi heads the ball against Canada at the World Cup on June 24.
(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
Where: BC Place, Vancouver Time: 8 p.m. TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: Unbeaten Switzerland held off Canada in its last game to win its group for the first time since 2006. The Swiss have not won a knockout-round game since 1954. Midfielder Johan Manzambi, the team’s youngest player at 20, has three of Switzerland’s seven goals. Algeria drew Austria in its group-play final to advance as a third-place team. Riyad Mahrez, 35, had a brace in that game and leads Algeria with two goals.
Friday’s round of 32 matches
Australia vs. Egypt
Egypt’s Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring against New Zealand at the World Cup on June 21.
The buzz: Australia finished second to the U.S. in its group but stumbled into the round of 32, going 195 minutes without a goal. It’s the first time since 1974 Australia has gone scoreless in consecutive World Cup games. The Socceroos are playing in the knockout stage for the third time in 20 years but have yet to win an elimination game. Unbeaten Egypt also finished second in its group, on a goal-differential tiebreaker. Its five goals have come from five different players. The Pharaohs, Africa’s oldest national team, will be playing in the second round of the World Cup for the first time.
Argentina vs. Cape Verde
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, left, and Jordan’s Noussair Mazraoui battle for the ball at the World Cup on June 27.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. Time: 3 p.m. TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: The last World Cup loss for Argentina came in its 2022 opener, making its nine-game unbeaten run the longest under one coach since 1986, the year it won its second championship. Speaking of streaks, when Lionel Messi came off the bench to score in the group finale, it gave him goals in a record seven consecutive World Cup games. He is tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé in the Golden Boot race, having scored six of Argentina’s eight goals. Unbeaten Cape Verde is playing in the World Cup for the first time, advancing to the knockout stages behind three straight draws, two of them clean sheets by Vozinha, the team’s 40-year-old keeper. It is the first debutant to go unbeaten in the group stage since Senegal in 2002. The smallest country ever to advance out of World Cup group play, Cape Verde had just seven shots on target in the group stage, according to FIFA.
Colombia vs. Ghana
Colombia’s Gustavo Puerta reacts during a match against Portugal at the World Cup on June 27.
The buzz: Unbeaten Colombia won its group but scored just once in its final two games. It’s 59 shots are tied for third in the tournament but just four of those found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, on the other hand, has been called on to make just five saves. Ghana is back in the knockout stages for the first time since 2010, advancing as a third-place team.
Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner late in injury time to give five-time champions Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in Houston.
Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the match on Monday appeared to be heading to extra time.
Brazil will next face either the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the round of 16.
Casemiro had earlier equalised with a header in the 56th minute off an assist from Gabriel Magalhaes after just missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot sailed just out of reach of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.
Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced pass in midfield before his right-footed shot from above the half-circle put Japan ahead after 29 minutes.
Kaishu Sano celebrates scoring the first goal [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]
Vinicius Junior, who has scored four goals so far in the tournament, had a chance to put Brazil on top in the 58th minute, but his shot from the left was deflected by goalkeeper Suzuki and went past the far post.
Brazil had two chances to even the score early in the second half before breaking through late on. First, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimaraes in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro’s header bounced off a defender’s head and Suzuki’s face.
Japan have never won a World Cup knockout match.
The win was Brazil’s 12th in 15 games against Japan. The teams have also played to two draws, while Japan got their first win in the series in a friendly in Tokyo in October.
This was a match-up between two countries with deep ties, Brazil being home to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, which is the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
Those ties extend to football, where Brazil superstar Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and help build Japan’s professional football network. He coached the Japan national team from 2002–06, leading the team to the World Cup in 2006.
That team lost to Brazil 4-1 in the only previous meeting between the teams at the World Cup.
Brazil won Group C after a draw with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland.
Monday’s victory came on the anniversary of their first World Cup championship in Sweden in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored two goals in the final against the host country.
Japan reached the round of 32 as runner-up in Group F after draws with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss snaps a 10-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2-0 defeat to the United States in September.
Brazil players celebrate after the match [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]
Gabriel Martinelli scores a dramatic 95th-minute winner with Brazil coming from behind to beat Japan, set up a World Cup last-16 tie against Norway or Ivory Coast.
Five wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win World Cup 2026? Click here.
Who: Brazil vs Japan What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – round of 32 Where: Houston Stadium, Houston, United States When: Monday, June 29, at 12pm (17:00 GMT) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream.
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Carlo Ancelotti faces his first major test as the Brazil coach when the record five-time world champions take on Japan, arguably the best Asian team at the tournament, in the round of 32.
Monday’s meeting in Houston offers Brazil the chance to exact revenge for their friendly defeat to Japan late last year, as the South American giants lock in on their target of a deep run in North America.
The odds are heavily in Brazil’s favour, but after Japan came out of a tricky group with flying colours, it would be foolish to write them off.
There is also a mutual respect and camaraderie between the nations, given the overwhelming Brazilian influence on professional football in Japan.
Al Jazeera tells you everything about the second game of the round of 32:
Of all the seven goals Brazil registered across three games, Real Madrid star forward Vinicius Jr scored four of them, while Matheus Cunha netted three. Bruno Guimaraes bagged the most assists (three).
Brazil’s forwards Matheus Cunha, left, and Vinicius Jr are spearheading Brazil’s attack at the World Cup [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]
Ancelotti in relaxed mood ahead of Japan clash
Since their low-key display in the first game, Brazil appear to be growing into the tournament, showing glimpses of their all-round potential, with some of the Selecao stars finding their rhythm.
Ancelotti knows Japan will be no pushovers, describing the record four-time Asian champions as “one of the best teams” in the world.
During Sunday’s pre-match press conference, the Italian was relaxed and betrayed no signs of feeling the pressure, despite Brazil being cast as the clear favourites for the knockout tie.
“We need a lot of things: A strong mind, a strong heart, a clear mind,” he told the media. “I think we have to be ready for anything that might take place in a knockout match, and a lot can happen in a knockout match.
“I think the team is ready. They’re motivated, they’re confident,” added Ancelotti, who is leading Brazil’s charge for a record-extending sixth world title.
How did Japan reach the round of 32?
Japan started their campaign by holding the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw before thrashing Tunisia 4-0 in the second game. They wrapped up the first round with a 1-1 draw with Sweden, which saw them finish with five points, confirming a second spot in Group F.
Ayase Ueda and Daichi Kamada are the joint top scorers for Japan so far, with two strikes each, while Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito and Daizen Maeda have also scored one each.
Japan’s Junya Ito, right, has scored once in the tournament, while Ayase Ueda, left, and Daichi Kamada, centre, have two goals each [Daniel Becerril/Reuters]
Dark horses Japan are ‘united’, says Moriyasu
Japan have lived up to their billing as the “dark horses” at the tournament, holding two formidable European sides – the Netherlands and Sweden – to draws.
After beating Germany and Spain en route to a round of 16 run at the 2022 World Cup, Japan have shown the world they are capable of pulling off upsets, especially on the sport’s biggest stage.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said his side’s collective spirit can fire them into the last 16 again.
“All the players will do what they can for the team and contribute,” Moriyasu said on Sunday. “The team is united, and that feeling is getting even stronger now.”
Japan’s best finish at the World Cup has been reaching the round of 16 on four occasions: 2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022. They have never won a World Cup knockout game.
Brazil vs Japan: master vs the apprentice
Launched in 1993, Japan’s top-flight, the J-League, took much of its inspiration from Brazil and also employed plenty of their players.
Zico, the creative lynchpin of Brazil’s fabled 1982 World Cup team, was enticed out of retirement to join Kashima Antlers, while internationals Bismarck and Elivelton started a run of Brazil national team players making the move to Japan.
By the late 1990s, seven of the Brazil team that won the 1994 World Cup, including captain Dunga, had played or were playing for Japanese clubs and, by extension, lent their influence to a rapidly developing scene.
Brazil vs Japan predictions
Opta’s supercomputer has calculated a 58.3 percent probability of Brazil winning this fixture in regulation time, while Japan is assessed an 18.1 percent chance of victory.
The probability of going to extra time – or potentially penalties – is 23.6 percent.
Who will the winner face in the round of 16?
The winner of Brazil vs Japan will face either Norway or the Ivory Coast in the round of 16.
Brazil vs Japan: Kickoff time, TV channel
Brazil: CazeTV, TV Globo, GETV, Globoplay, sportv (2pm, Brasilia Time)
Japan: NHKBS1, DAZN, Fuji TV (2am on Tuesday, Japan Standard Time)
United Kingdom: ITVX, ITV1, STV Player, STV (6pm, British Summer Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
Brazil vs Japan: head-to-head
In the all-time head-to-head record, Brazil have only lost once to Japan (W11 D2 L1). In their only World Cup contest 20 years ago at Germany 2006, Brazil won 4-1.
Significantly, Japan’s sole victory over Brazil came in their most recent clash, a 3-2 victory in a friendly in October 2025 in which Brazil let a two-goal lead slip in Tokyo, with Ueda scoring the hosts’ winner.
Brazil vs Japan: Team news
Raphinha remains sidelined for Brazil due to a hamstring injury, while Japan’s Takefusa Kubo is out with a sprained knee.
Neymar, who made his first appearance for Brazil since October 2023 when he came off the bench in the last game, will be available to play more minutes against Japan. The star forward is working his way back to full fitness after dealing with a lingering calf injury.
Group play is over and it’s knockout time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The round of 32 is set, with tournament co-host Canada kicking things off Sunday when it faces South Africa at SoFi Stadium.
Here’s everything you need to know about World Cup knockout stage matches being played Sunday, Monday and Tuesday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).
Sunday’s round of 32 match
Canada vs. South Africa
Canada’s Alphonso Davies warms up before a World Cup match against Qatar on June 18.
The buzz: Both teams are making their first appearances in a World Cup knockout round, Canada (1-1-1) after losing its group-play final to Switzerland and South Africa (1-1-1) after upsetting South Korea. Canada, the first World Cup host to play a game outside its borders, could get a boost if Alphonso Davies, its best player, can play after missing the team’s first three games. South Africa scored just one goal of its own in the group stage; Canada got six in one game alone.
Monday’s round of 32 matches
Brazil vs. Japan
Brazil’s Matheus Cunha celebrates after scoring against Haiti at the World Cup on June 19.
The buzz: Brazil won Group C, posting consecutive 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland to close out the first round and run goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s shutout streak to 249 minutes. Vinícius Júnior, with four goals, and Matheus Cunha, with three, have accounted for all of Brazil’s scoring. Brazil hasn’t been eliminated in the first knockout stage of a World Cup since 1990. Japan has received goals from five players in an unbeaten run through Group F, where it finished second to the Netherlands. Japan has not won a World Cup knockout-round game in four tries.
Germany vs. Paraguay
Germany’s Kai Havertz reacts during a match against Curaçao at the World Cup on June 14.
The buzz: Germany scored 10 goals in the group stage, but the four-time tournament champions lost to Ecuador and had to rely on a tiebreaker to win the group over the Ivory Coast. Deniz Undav, with three goals, and Kai Havertz, with two, are the only Germans who have scored more than once. Paraguay gutted out a scoreless draw with Australia in its final game to finish third in Group D and squeeze into the round of 32. It has just two goals in the tournament, but it is coming off back-to-back shutouts.
Netherlands vs. Morocco
Brian Brobbey celebrates after scoring for the Netherlands in a win over Sweden at the World Cup on June 20.
The buzz: Morocco, a semifinalist four years ago, did not lose in the group stage but finished second to Brazil on goal differential, setting up this challenging matchup with the Netherlands. Morocco is ranked sixth in the world by FIFA, one spot ahead of the Dutch, who matched Germany with a tournament-high 10 goals in the first round. The Netherlands haven’t lost a first-round knockout game since 2006. Brian Brobbey has three goals for the Dutch while Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville have two apiece. Ismael Saibari has scored in each of Morocco’s three games.
Tuesday’s round of 32 matches
Ivory Coast vs. Norway
Norway’s Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring against Senegal at the World Cup on June 22.
The buzz: Norway rested many of its regulars in its group-play finale, a 4-1 loss to France, to settle for second in Group I. Erling Haaland, playing in his first World Cup, had braces in Norway’s first two games. Ivory Coast finished second to Germany on a tiebreaker but advanced to the knockout stages for the first time. Villarreal’s Nicolas Pépé has two of the team’s four goals.
France vs. Sweden
France’s Kylian Mbappé points during a win over Norway at the World Cup on June 26.
The buzz: Unbeaten France, which has played in the last two World Cup finals, has designs on returning after dominating its group, winning two of its three games by three goals. Kylian Mbappé had braces in the first two games and is tied with Ousmane Dembélé for the team scoring lead for four goals. Sweden finished third in Group F, winning its first game by four goals and losing its second by the same margin. Sweden’s seven goals allowed matches Norway and Algeria for most by a round-of-32 qualifier.
Mexico vs. Ecuador
Mexico’s Luis Romo gestures during a win over Czechia at the World Cup on June 24.
The buzz: Mexico hasn’t won a knockout-stage match since 1986, the last time the tournament was played in Mexico. El Tri didn’t allow a goal in winning its group easily. Colombian-born Julián Quiñones leads the team with two goals. Ecuador beat Germany 2-1 in its final group-play match to squeeze into the knockout stages for just the second time, advancing as a third-place team. It was shut out in its first two matches.
Three Brazilians with a combined age of 316 have been recognised as the world’s longest-living trio of sisters. Researchers are studying their DNA to better understand the genetic factors behind healthy aging and exceptional genetic longevity.
First, Scott McKenna was caught on the ball by Bournemouth forward Rayan and Vinicius Jr skipped past Angus Gunn to score.
Gunn and full-back Nathan Patterson were then caught under a Bruno Guimaraes cross as Vinicius Jr nodded in his and Brazil’s second before half-time.
And Manchester United’s Mateus Cunha made it three after the break on a night where Scotland huffed and puffed, but were ultimately outclassed.
“We lose poor goals at poor times against a team that can punish you with quality,” McGinn told BBC Sport. “We had a few chances but we’ve got to wait now.
“The lads are gutted, we fell short on quality but we gave it absolutely everything. The lads are empty now. It’s unlikely [that we qualify] but we’ll wait and see.
“It’s a bit raw at the minute but we appreciate the support of the fans, we know it’s difficult to be there. Hopefully the journey is not over and if we have to go again, we will go again.”
Remaining group schedule, teams, as well as the best third-round group fixtures at the tournament in North America.
After 48 matches in North America, it’s time for the final round of games in the group stage at World Cup 2026.
Sixteen teams will be eliminated after these fixtures, with 32 nations heading through to the knockout stages.
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The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – will proceed to the next phase.
Here are the top five “must-watch” matches in the second round of fixtures from June 24 until June 27.
Neymar could return for Brazil against Scotland [Reuters]
⚽️ Scotland vs Brazil
Miami Stadium – Wednesday, 6pm (22:00 GMT)
These two sides will meet at the World Cup for the fifth time and there’s plenty to play for in an intriguing encounter in Miami.
Brazil are looking to secure their place in the knockout stages as group winners and are currently tied with Morocco on four points at the top of Group C.
Scotland are aiming to escape the group for the first time at a major international tournament and know that a point will almost certainly guarantee a spot in the round of 32.
Expect Group C to change a lot during these final fixtures, with Morocco taking on Haiti at the same time.
If that isn’t enough, Brazil’s Neymar is also set to make his first appearance at this World Cup.
Sweden have been unpredictable at this tournament [Raquel Cunha/Reuters]
⚽️ Japan vs Sweden
Dallas Stadium – Thursday, 6pm (23:00 GMT)
It’s difficult to predict which Sweden will turn up in Dallas on Thursday.
Graham Potter’s side beat Tunisia 5-1 in their opening match of the World Cup, before losing by the same score to the Netherlands.
Japan have been entertaining to watch at this tournament and were in fine form during their 4-0 win over Tunisia at the weekend.
Expect plenty of goals in this match and plenty of drama. The winner will secure a top-two finish in Group F, so there is a lot to play for.
France’s Kylian Mbappe has scored four goals so far [Kyle Ross/Reuters]
⚽️ Norway vs France
Boston Stadium – Friday, 3pm (19:00 GMT)
Norway and France are already through to the knockout stages, but this game looks set to be a blockbuster affair with both sides looking to top Group I.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have both scored four goals so far and they’ll be desperate to add to their tally as they chase down Lionel Messi.
France are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup next month and are looking to end the group stage with three wins from three.
But Norway have the opportunity to prove that they truly are dark horses in this tournament and can compete with elite international sides.
Buckle in for a big one in Boston.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Victor Munoz celebrate after the match against Saudi Arabia [Claudia Greco/Reuters]
⚽️ Uruguay vs Spain
Seattle Stadium – Friday, 6pm (00:00 GMT on Saturday)
Group H has been a tight affair following some surprise results in the opening round of fixtures.
Uruguay drew with Saudi Arabia, while Cape Verde shocked the world with a goalless draw against Spain.
La Roja bounced back by thrashing Saudi Arabia and they go into their final game as group leaders, with Uruguay two points behind in second.
Spain will secure top spot with a win in Seattle, ensuring that they avoid Argentina in the round of 32.
Egypt are looking to reach the knockout stages at the World Cup for the first time [Anne-Marie Sorvin/Reuters]
⚽️ Egypt vs Iran
Seattle Stadium – Friday, 8pm (04:00 GMT on Saturday)
Neither of these sides have ever made it out of the group at a World Cup, but on Friday, at least one of them will achieve that feat.
Group G is closely bunched after a number of drawn matches and it sets things up nicely for an intriguing final round of fixtures.
Victory for either Egypt or Iran will guarantee them a spot in the knockout phase, so expect both sides to be up for this one.
Iran have faced numerous challenges at this World Cup, with restrictions on travel and visa issues before the tournament even began.
If Iran progress, there’s also still a chance that they will face the US in the knockout stages.
World Cup 2026: Remaining group-stage full schedule
Wednesday, June 24
Switzerland vs Canada at 12pm PT (19:00 GMT) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Bosnia vs Qatar at 12pm PT (19:00 GMT) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
Scotland vs Brazil at 6pm ET (22:00 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
Morocco vs Haiti at 6pm ET (22:00 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Czechia vs Mexico at 7pm CST (01:00 GMT on Thursday) – Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City, Mexico
South Africa vs South Korea at 7pm CST (01:00 GMT on Thursday) – Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Thursday, June 25
Ecuador vs Germany at 4pm ET (20:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Curacao vs Ivory Coast at 4pm ET (20:00 GMT) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Japan vs Sweden at 6pm CDT (23:00 GMT) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Tunisia vs Netherlands at 6pm CDT (23:00 GMT) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US,
Turkiye vs USA at 7pm PT (02:00 GMT on Friday) – Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, US
Paraguay vs Australia at 7pm PT (02:00 GMT on Friday) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco, US
Friday, June 26
Norway vs France at 3pm ET (19:00 GMT) – Boston Stadium, Boston, US
Senegal vs Iraq at 3pm ET (19:00 GMT) – Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia at 7pm CDT (00:00 GMT on Saturday) – Houston Stadium, Houston, US
Uruguay vs Spain at 6pm CST (00:00 GMT on Saturday) – Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Egypt vs Iran at 8pm PT (03:00 GMT on Saturday) – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, US
New Zealand vs Belgium at 8pm PT (03:00 GMT on Saturday) – BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Saturday, June 27
Panama vs England at 5pm ET (21:00 GMT) – New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, US
Croatia vs Ghana at 5pm ET (21:00 GMT) – Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, US
Colombia vs Portugal at 7:30pm ET (23:30 GMT) – Miami Stadium, Miami, US
DRC vs Uzbekistan at 7:30pm ET (23:30 GMT) – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, US
Algeria vs Austria at 9pm CDT (02:00 GMT on Sunday) – Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, US
Jordan vs Argentina at 9pm CDT (02:00 GMT on Sunday) – Dallas Stadium, Dallas, US
Those trapped in the compounds include Chinese, Philippine, Taiwanese, Malaysian and Brazilian nationals.
Published On 23 Jun 202623 Jun 2026
More than 5,300 people remain trapped in online scam centres in Myanmar near the Thai border, despite a multinational crackdown in the region last year, a human rights group says.
The Thai-based Civil Society Network for Human Trafficking Victim Assistance (CSNHTV) sent a letter to Thai police urging them to take action. It said many of those trapped were foreign nationals held at four locations inside areas controlled by the Myanmar Democratic Karen Buddhist Army militia.
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According to the CSNHTV, an estimated 1,600 people trapped are Chinese nationals, and about 200 are people of Myanmar, along with people from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.
“Many of these compounds have yet to be dismantled or subjected to rescue operations to free all remaining victims,” it said.
“As a result, these syndicates continue to engage in online fraud and human trafficking, causing harm to victims around the world, particularly in the United States and Europe.”
Scam centres in Southeast Asia, including those in Myanmar and Cambodia, run illegal online schemes that are designed to defraud people worldwide.
“Litany of abuse”
The centres grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, and were initially tied to poorly run casinos and online gambling. They have now become a multibillion-dollar industry, according to the United Nations.
A UN report in February said the facilities are mostly staffed by foreign nationals who have been trafficked by criminal gangs and subjected to abuse.
It found instances of “torture and other ill-treatment, sexual abuse and exploitation, forced abortions, food deprivation, solitary confinement, among other grave human rights abuses”.
“The litany of abuse is staggering and at the same time heart-breaking,” UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk said.
“Yet, rather than receiving protection, care and rehabilitation as well as the pathways to justice and redress to which they are entitled, victims too often face disbelief, stigmatisation and even further punishment.”
WASHINGTON — Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella has vowed to crush criminal groups and slash government programs. He promises to bomb “narco-terrorist” camps and build sprawling mega prisons if he wins Sunday’s runoff election.
De la Espriella’s views have earned him the vociferous backing of President Trump, who has broken with White House tradition by publicly seeking to tip the scales in foreign elections — particularly in Latin America.
After Trump gave his “complete and total endorsement” to De la Espriella, whom he referred to by his nickname, “El Tigre,” the candidate posted an AI-generated image of a bald eagle and a tiger, with American and Colombian flags waving side by side.
“You have paved the way for the people to defeat the entrenched powers that have long held sway,” he wrote to Trump. “In Colombia, we have now begun to follow the same path.”
De la Espriella, a political newcomer who built his campaign around gym workout videos and vows to “disembowel” the left, is part of a new wave of far-right, MAGA-aligned politicians in Latin America openly borrowing from Trump’s playbook, presenting themselves as outsiders who will trim the government, curtail immigration and militarize law enforcement.
In a region that remains plagued by high crime and inequality after a decades-long period of leftist domination known as the “Pink Tide,” the playbook appears working.
More Latin Americans now identify with the right than at any time over the last two decades, according to polling firm Latinobarómetro. A series of conservatives have won presidential elections in recent years, giving Trump a slate of willing partners as he seeks to expand U.S. power in the region, combat drug cartels and counter growing Chinese influence.
President Trump meets with El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, in the Oval Office of the White House on April 14, 2025.
(Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
Among Trump’s many allies are Argentina’s Javier Milei, a libertarian firebrand whose dramatic cuts to state services were a blueprint for Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE; and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, a mano dura autocrat who housed U.S. deportees in his notorious prisons to assist Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa has welcomed U.S. Special Forces, who are attacking drug traffickers in his country, and Chile’s José Antonio Kast has pledged a border wall along his country’s frontier with Peru and Bolivia in his quest to “make Chile great again.”
Trump might soon gain another ideological bedfellow in Peru with the election of Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of late autocrat Alberto Fujimori. With ballots still being counted, Fujimori was on track for a narrow victory
In a sea of nations led by conservatives, the left now retains power in just three key countries: Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
It faces serious challenges in two of them.
Ahead of October’s presidential election in Brazil, incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist stalwart and one of the last vestiges of the Pink Tide, has been polling even with Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally convicted of convening a Jan. 6-style insurrection.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, right, with President Trump during a dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on March 7, 2020.
(Alan Santos / Associated Press)
And then there’s Colombia, where De la Espriella, a criminal defense attorney, surged ahead in the first round of voting and this weekend faces off against Sen. Iván Cepeda, an ally of leftist President Gustavo Petro.
Petro drew Trump’s ire by denouncing the U.S. military campaign to oust leftist President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and a spate of lethal U.S. attacks on alleged drug boats.
Petro slammed Trump’s endorsement of De la Espriella, calling on Colombians to “vote freely and not allow ourselves to become either slaves or anyone’s colony.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also accused Trump of electoral interference after the U.S. announced drug trafficking charges against several members of her ruling Morena party and The Times revealed that two more sitting governors are under investigation.
“Is it truly a legitimate interest to combat organized crime?” Sheinbaum asked of the U.S. investigations. “Or are we perhaps witnessing how sectors of the American far right … intend to influence the 2027 election in our country?”
President Trump meets with Argentine President Javier Milei during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025, in New York.
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
The White House has declined to comment on Sheinbaum’s criticism. But Trump earlier this month warned Mexico that his administration is “focused on coming in by land” to deter drug trafficking.
“President Trump has been clear that Mexico must do more to combat the drug cartels running rampant in their country,” a White House official told The Times when asked whether Trump is planning a military operation there.
Trump, who publicly backed Kast and President Nasry Asfura of Honduras, as well as Milei’s political party ahead of Argentina’s midterm elections last fall, has openly mused that he should charge money for endorsement of leaders in foreign countries.
Guillaume Long, who served as foreign minister in Ecuador under leftist President Rafael Correa and who is now a fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, criticized Trump’s “unprecedented, unabashed interventionism in Latin American politics.”
“There are a number of taboos that have been broken,” he said.
Long added that Latin America is mirroring the United States in its political divisions. “I think we’re likely to see in the coming decades a very polarized politics,” he said. “And that doesn’t bode very well for political stability.”
Much of Trump’s activity in the region, including the deposing of Maduro, has been presented as part of a war on drug cartels, which the White House has formally declared terrorist organizations. Long described that rationale as a “pretext” for expanding U.S. political and economic influence in the region.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are escorted by federal agents as they make their way to an armored car for a trip to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5.
(XNY/Star Max/GC Images)
He said he believed that focus on cartels had pushed some Latin American politicians to the right “because they think being security hawks will make them popular with the Trump administration.”
But James Bosworth, the founder of Hxagon, a company that provides political risk analysis in Latin America, said many leaders in the region have come to tough-on-crime policies on their own.
“I think that some of the hemisphere is willing to play along with it because the hemisphere has issues, including security issues, where the U.S. can be of assistance,” Bosworth said. “Many Latin Americans do want a greater military focus, so there’s certain alignment that’s occurred.”
Conversely, Mexican journalist Alex González Ormerod said he believes Trump has been influenced by Latin American leaders, including Bukele, who suspended civil liberties and began locking up alleged gang members en masse in 2021.
“I think there’s a lot of cross-pollination going on,” he said, crediting groups like the Conservative Political Action Conference, a gathering of right-wing activists and elected officials that has hosted events in Brazil and Argentina.
Many analysts cautioned that Latin America operates on a pendulum, swinging every few years between right and left.
“There’s a lot of evidence that voters are just unhappy and voting for the opposition, and then losing patience very quickly with whoever is in office,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Stimson Center.
Voters dissatisfied with the status quo so often vote out incumbents there is a phrase for it: voto castigo, or “the punishment vote.”
Ceballos reported from Washington and Linthicum from Mexico City.
Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha scores twice as Brazil comfortably beat Haiti – who become the first team to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha scores Brazil’s first two goals in 3-0 win against Haiti as FIFA event progress nears.
Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026
Vinícius Junior scored and assisted on one of Matheus Cunha’s two goals as five-time champion Brazil eliminated Haiti from the World Cup with a 3-0 victory.
Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation that qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, became the first team guaranteed not to reach the knockout round. Meanwhile, the Selecao got the decisive performance they needed on Friday.
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Cunha, the Manchester United standout, got the start and showed with every surf-and-slide goal celebration why he should have been in the starting lineup in Brazil’s listless 1-1 draw against Morocco. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti made the surprising decision in the opener to instead insert Cunha as a late substitute.
Cunha thrilled the Brazilian fans who made up the bulk of the 68,324 spectators at Philadelphia Stadium when he tapped in a rebound for his first career World Cup goal. He then sent a left-footed strike into the upper left corner for a 2-0 lead in the first half against the overmatched Haitians.
Brazil forward Raphinha, who was subbed out with an injury in the first half, had an early goal disallowed on an offside call that only temporarily muted the yellow-clad Seleção fans in an otherwise festive atmosphere at the home of the two-time Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles — whose cheerleaders did their part to rally the crowd.
Haitian fans danced and sang “Grenadye Alaso” (“Grenadiers to the Attack”), the traditional battle cry of the national team. Brazilians chanted back, reminding them their country is the five-time World Cup champion and the home of the king of soccer: “A thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals! Only Pele, only Pele!”
Cunha added to the frivolity in Philadelphia, home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian immigrants, when he flashed his familiar surfing celebration.
Vinícius, whose 32nd-minute goal helped Brazil earn the tie against Morocco, helped Brazil get on the board when his shot was stopped by goalkeeper Johny Placide and Cunha was there to slam home the rebound to make it 1-0. Cunha extended both arms as if trying to catch some tasty waves and was mobbed his teammates.
Vinícius slid a pass through the defense to find Cunha and he powered one high into the net that Placide never had a chance to stop to make it 2-0. Cunha slid on his stomach and mimicked a swimming motion that all but put Haiti in the drink — and validate the Brazilians’ fans decision not to tempt fate and dress the Rocky statue in team gear for bad luck.
Vinícius closed the half with a goal and that was enough to keep Brazil — seeking its first World Cup title since 2002 — happy before it closes Group C play against Scotland on Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Neymar was ruled out of Brazil’s second straight match because of a lingering calf injury.
The 2026 World Cup will have 13 different kickoff times. You can use the Al Jazeera Sport widget to find out exactly when your team is playing in your local time.
Who: Brazil vs Haiti What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C match Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia When: Friday, 6:30pm local time (00:30 GMT Saturday) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 21:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
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Brazil’s draw with Morocco in their opening match left fans with more doubts than belief, with millions wondering if the record five-time champions are still among the world’s best teams.
Having slipped to third in a group that they were expected to dominate, Brazil now face minnows Haiti in their second group game, needing a World Cup reset.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti will need to address several shortcomings with his team if he wants to avoid another disappointing performance during the group stage.
Here is all to know before Brazil vs Haiti kicks off:
No need to panic yet, suggests Brazil
While Brazil’s weak showing in the first game has raised questions about the team’s odds of a deep run, Ancelotti believes it is no cause for concern just yet.
Against Morocco, Brazil showed signs of nerves during the early stages and struggled to cope with the AFCON champions’ attack. Some players also struggled to cope with the intensity of the encounter.
The Italian coach, who has been in charge for just over a year, said the upcoming match with Haiti offers his side an opportunity to address their weak points.
“You don’t win the World Cup in the first match,” Ancelotti told reporters in Philadelphia on Thursday.
“The players’ self-criticism was very positive. I think we’ll sort out the problems; I remain confident that we’ll be competitive.”
Critics have argued that Brazil lacks an identity under Ancelotti, but the 67-year-old – nicknamed “Don Carlo” – believes adapting his tactics according to gametime situations is more important.
“I don’t want a single identity,” he said. “I want my team to have multiple identities.”
Former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti took over the team in May 2025 [Caean Couto/Imagn Images via Reuters]
Haiti want to make their people proud
It took Haiti more than half a century to return to the World Cup, and the Caribbean underdogs have somewhat of a cruel challenge at hand, being grouped alongside world-class Brazil, African giants Morocco, and Scotland.
While their 1-0 defeat to Scotland in the opening game did not dampen their spirit, Haiti know they face a far more difficult task against Brazil, who have no shortage of talent in their squad.
The odds are stacked against Haiti, but in a tournament where upsets have not been uncommon, their fans are daring to dream.
“Tomorrow [Friday], we’ve got everything to gain in a match like this. It’s been 52 years since we last featured in a World Cup, and now we’re up against Brazil – we’ve got to live up to our fans’ expectations,” coach Sebastien Migne said.
“It’s a privilege to be here, and I hope we can make the Haitian people proud of us.
“It would be absolute madness in Haiti if we won this match,” he added.
World No 85 Haiti, still looking for their first goal of this World Cup campaign, enter the match 80 spots below Brazil on the FIFA rankings.
Haiti coach Sebastien Migne gives instructions to his players during a hydration break [Brian Snyder/Reuters]
Brazil vs Haiti prediction
Stats provider Opta’s supercomputer has handed Brazil a whopping 87.3 percent probability of winning against Haiti, who have a mere 4.3 percent chance of winning. There is an 8.4 percent probability of a draw.
Overall, Brazil are seventh in the list of title favourites – with a 5.2 percent probability – behind a bunch of teams including France, Argentina and England, who make up the top three.
Haiti: TNH, Tele Haiti (8:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time)
United Kingdom: STV, STV Player ITV1, ITVX (01:30 Saturday, British Summer Time)
United States: FOX, FOX One, Telemundo App, Telemundo Network, Peacock (7:30pm Eastern Daylight Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
How does the group stage work?
Brazil, Haiti, Morocco and Scotland are in Group C.
Scotland lead the group with three points, followed by Morocco in second spot with one point. Brazil is in third place, also on a point, while Haiti is at the bottom with no points so far.
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.
(Al Jazeera)
Form guide
(Last five games, latest first)
Brazil: D-W-W-W-L
Haiti: L-L-W-D-L
Brazil have performed significantly better than Haiti in their last five matches.
They started their campaign in North America with a 1-1 draw with Morocco. Before the World Cup, Brazil registered victories over Egypt and Panama in friendlies and beat Croatia in March. But they lost to France in March.
Haiti suffered a defeat to Scotland in their opening World Cup game. They lost to Peru and beat New Zealand in pre-World Cup friendlies earlier this month, while they drew with Iceland and lost to Tunisia in friendlies in March.
Brazil vs Haiti: Head-to-head
Brazil have faced Haiti three times, winning on all occasions. Their last meeting dates back to a 2016 Copa America group game, in which Brazil thrashed Haiti 7-1.
Friday’s meeting between Brazil and Haiti will be their first at a World Cup.
Brazil vs Haiti: Team news
Just as in their opening match, Brazil’s oft-injured star Neymar Jr has been ruled out of the Haiti game.
A lingering calf strain will keep the veteran forward – Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals – sidelined with the team hoping he recovers in time to feature in their final group game on June 24 against Scotland. He has not played for Brazil since October 2023.
Neymar was diagnosed in late May with the injury and has featured in just half of the games for his club side Santos this year due to various fitness issues.
For Haiti, striker Nazon – who was on the bench last time – is doubtful.
Neymar has not travelled with the rest of the Brazil team for their second World Cup game [Caean Couto/Imagn Images via Reuters]
Brazil predicted XI
Ancelotti is expected to make changes following criticism over his decision to start striker Igor Thiago and right-back Roger Ibanez against Morocco. Danilo and Cunha are widely tipped to replace them in the lineup against Haiti.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned that the United States should not interfere in his country’s upcoming presidential race, which is being held in October.
Wednesday’s remarks came after both Lula and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, attended the Group of 7 (G7) conference in Evian-les-Bains, France.
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During a news conference, Lula said Trump was entitled to continue his relationship with the Bolsonaro family, whose patriarch, Jair Bolsonaro, led Brazil as president from 2019 to 2023.
“As far as I’m concerned, he can continue liking Bolsonaro, the father, the son, the grandson,” Lula said. “There is no problem with that. It’s his problem. There’s no accounting for taste.”
But Lula then proceeded to establish a firm red line: no interference in Brazil’s elections.
“Now, don’t meddle in the Brazilian elections, because the Brazilian elections are a Brazilian problem, just as American elections are their business, not mine,” Lula continued.
“All I want is the same respect for Brazil that I have for the United States. That’s it.”
US President Donald Trump arrives on June 17 to a G7 meeting where India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, are already seated [AFP]
A race between Lula and Bolsonaro
Lula is currently a leading contender ahead of October’s race. If the left-wing incumbent wins, it will be his fourth term as president of Brazil. He previously served from 2003 to 2011, before being re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2022.
But Lula’s top election rival is a member of the Bolsonaro family: Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, Jair’s eldest son. Flavio is running as the candidate for Brazil’s far-right Liberal Party.
Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has been accused of seeking to sway Latin American elections in favour of right-wing candidates.
But in Brazil, questions have swirled as to whether Trump’s actions have already amounted to illegal intervention in the country’s judicial system.
Trump has made little secret of his support for the Bolsonaro family. Last year, after Jair Bolsonaro was charged with seeking to overturn his electoral defeat in 2022, Trump issued a public letter calling the trial a “witch hunt”.
“The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,” Trump wrote. “This Trial should not be taking place.”
He proceeded to impose tariffs on certain Brazilian goods and sanctions on members of Brazil’s justice system, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
In September, Jair Bolsonaro was nevertheless sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting an alleged coup and seeking to subvert Brazil’s democracy.
World leaders, including Lula (third from left) and Trump (second from right), pose for a group photo at the G7 summit, on June 16 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo]
Trump calls Brazil ‘rough’
But the legal fallout has continued for the Bolsonaro family. After Jair’s third son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, lobbied the Trump administration on his father’s behalf, he was accused of orchestrating US interference in Brazil’s justice system.
Just this week, he was sentenced to four years in prison, after Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled his actions amounted to coercion. Eduardo has denied the charges and called the case a conflict of interest for Brazil’s courts.
Speaking at the G7 summit, Trump tried to address Eduardo’s sentence, though he appeared to mix the younger brother up with his older sibling, Flavio, the presidential candidate.
“ I hear they arrested somebody that’s running for office today,” Trump said. “ I heard that they arrested the Bolsonaro junior, who was doing well in the polls.”
Trump also suggested that Brazil had become “dangerous” for right-wing political views, an idea he has expressed before.
“It’s become a little rough country, right? Politically. A little dangerous, politically,” Trump said at one point.
At another, he appeared to compare the US election system to Brazil’s. “ They play pretty tough, but nobody plays tougher than the United States. Look, our elections are totally rigged. We have rigged elections,” he said.
But at Lula’s news conference, which was held separately, the Brazilian president dismissed concerns about the country’s electronic voting machines.
He called paper ballots a technology “of the last century” and offered to show Trump — a critic of electronic vote tabulation — how the machines work.
Reflecting on Trump’s assessment of Brazil, Lula also questioned the US president’s familiarity with the South American nation.
“I think he doesn’t know Brazil very well,” Lula said. “If he knows Brazil only through his relationship with the Bolsonaro family, then he doesn’t really know Brazil.”
A panel on the Brazilian Supreme Court has voted to convict Eduardo Bolsonaro of lobbying the United States to interfere in the trial of his father, former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.
On Tuesday, three of the four justices on the panel voted in favour of conviction, with one remaining justice yet to vote.
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They determined that Eduardo Bolsonaro’s actions amounted to coercion against Brazil’s justice system and sentenced him to four years and two months in prison.
“It wasn’t merely an expression of opinion or a political stance, but rather conduct that clearly threatened Brazilian authorities and Brazilian citizens themselves,” Justice Cristiano Zanin said, calling Eduardo Bolsonaro’s actions “illegitimate and criminal”.
The conviction is the latest legal setback for the Bolsonaro family, which remains a dominant force on Brazil’s political right.
Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for his efforts to remain in power after losing the country’s 2022 election.
Prosecutors described his actions as an attempted coup. Bolsonaro and his family have portrayed the trial as a political witch-hunt.
The ex-president’s third son and a member of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Bolsonaro has been active in his father’s defence.
In March 2025, he pledged that he would move to the US full time to “focus 100 percent” of his energy on “a single cause”: freeing his father.
Prosecutors accused him of mounting an illegal campaign to court US President Donald Trump and use foreign influence to pressure Brazilian officials to drop the case against Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump, an ally of Bolsonaro, had likewise tried to remain in office despite his loss in the 2020 election and has accused Brazilian officials of persecuting right-wing voices like Bolsonaro.
In July 2025, Trump issued a letter announcing 50 percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products, citing Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, specifically, as a reason.
“This Trial should not be taking place,” Trump wrote at the time. “It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY.”
Trump also issued an executive order sanctioning one of the Brazilian Supreme Court justices involved in the Bolsonaro case, Alexandre de Moraes, on the basis that he worked to “target political opponents” and “suppress dissent”.
He called de Moraes a “threat” to the US, and his administration later expanded the sanctions to include the justice’s family members, as well as other Brazilian judicial officials.
Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has denounced those actions as an attempt to interfere in Brazil’s domestic affairs.
As relations with Lula grew more cordial, the Trump administration relaxed its tariffs against Brazil. In December, it also repealed the sanctions against de Moraes and his family.
Lula, meanwhile, visited the White House in May and praised what he described as a productive meeting with his US counterpart.
But it remains unclear what role Trump may seek to play in Brazil’s upcoming presidential elections.
The left-wing Lula is campaigning for a fourth term, and he is likely to face his stiffest competition from Jair Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.
A CNT/MDA poll released on Tuesday projected that Lula would receive 49.3 percent of the vote in a run-off election against the senator’s 40.2 percent.
Flavio Bolsonaro has faced his own legal trouble in recent months, with police opening a probe in April into whether he defamed Lula. His connections to a disgraced banker have also raised media scrutiny.
Jair Bolsonaro, meanwhile, faced questions this week about the presence of a firearm in his home in Brasilia, where he is serving three months of his sentence on medical grounds.
Justice de Moraes likewise asked the elder Bolsonaro’s legal team to explain the presence of the weapon, which police discovered during a routine inspection on Monday.
A security guard for Bolsonaro initially said the 9mm Glock pistol was his own, but it was later revealed to be the ex-president’s.
De Moraes gave Bolsonaro’s legal team 24 hours to explain why “the convicted man kept a firearm at home”.
Oliver Tree, a genre-defying singer-songwriter and Santa Cruz native, was one of six people killed when two helicopters collided Sunday morning in Brazil, according to the Associated Press. He was 32.
Tree, a quirky artist known for his highly theatrical music videos and crisp bowl cut, had been traveling through South America as a part of his world tour. CNN Brazil reported Argentinian YouTuber Gaspar Prim, also known as Gaspi, was among those killed in the crash.
The mid-air collision occurred in Rio de Janeiro, with one of the helicopters landing in the parking lot of a car dealership, the AP reports. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Tree, born Oliver Tree Nickell, broke out in the electronic music world first performing as, simply, Tree. He released an e.p., “Demons,” in 2013, which included a cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police.” He later attended CalArts north of Los Angeles, and signed to Atlantic Records for his major-label debut e.p. “Alien Boy” in 2018.
To find his distinct look, he told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that “I was making a statement with it. Everybody’s trying to look so beautiful and sexy nowadays. It was my way of rebelling against that. So, I tried to make myself look as silly and ridiculous as possible.”
Tree was an instant hit on the festival circuit for his outlandish stage productions and outsider charisma, performing at Lollapalooza, Coachella and Outside Lands. He collaborated with Skrillex, David Guetta and Zeds Dead, and was fiercely protective of his meticulously weird visual identity and video concepts, telling Rolling Stone that “That’s kind of my signature. The people who do f- with me know me because of my videos..Music is my day job but my real dream is to be making feature films.
He released his major label debut LP, “Ugly Is Beautiful,” in 2020. His hit song “Life Goes On” and collaboration “Miss You” with German DJ Robin Schulz earned him international recognition and climbed onto the Billboard Hot 100. He released four full length albums as Oliver Tree, most recently April’s independent LP “Love You Madly Hate You Badly.”
Tree had performed in Buenos Aires on June 4.
From July to October, he had shows scheduled throughout Europe, Australia and China. This year, he performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year as a special guest of electronic producer Subtronics. In one of his last social media posts, he made a point to spotlight an upcoming show on Aug. 9 in his hometown at the Quarry Amphitheater at UC Santa Cruz.
“I can’t believe Oliver is gone,” Schulz posted on Instagram. “You were such a lovely soul and a one of a kind character. Working with you on ‘Miss You’ was an honor. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and everyone who loved him.”
Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant goal to dig Brazil out of trouble after Ismael Saibari had put Morocco ahead.
A moment of magic from Vinicius Junior salvaged Brazil a point against Morocco in New Jersey, as the five-time World Champions made a shaky start to the tournament.
Ismael Saibari ran through to give Morocco a 21st-minute lead with a clever scoop in the Group C opener on Saturday, but a solo effort from Vinicius ensured the points were shared in this much-anticipated group match.
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Here are the biggest takeaways from the 1-1 draw at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti at half time [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]
Brazil make a slow start
Brazil are chasing a record sixth World Cup title, 24 years after last lifting the trophy, but this performance suggests there is a lot of work to be done by Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
They showed signs of nerves during the early stages of the game and struggled to cope with a lively Morocco attack.
A fifth-placed finish in South American qualifying underlined the scale of the challenge facing Ancelotti, and this performance has done little to ease concerns about the quality of the Brazil squad.
A number of their players struggled to cope with the intensity of the Moroccan team, with midfielder Casemiro subbed off at half-time after a difficult opening 45 minutes in the heat.
The World Cup final is a long way off in New Jersey, but Brazil will have to vastly improve if they are to have any hope of making it.
Morocco look like the real deal
The Atlas Lions stunned the world of football in 2022 as they made it all the way to the semifinals in Qatar.
Four years later, Morocco have the chance to show that it was not a one-off run to the last four and they are the real deal.
Judging by their performance in New Jersey on Saturday, the North African nation are truly a force to be reckoned with.
They arrived in North America as African Cup of Nations champions, after being retrospectively awarded the title following a controversial final defeat to Senegal, and they continued their strong form with a commanding performance against Brazil, playing with a high level of confidence and plenty of attacking threat.
Morocco appear set for another strong tournament showing.
Vinicius Junior showed his importance to Brazil with a brilliant solo goal in the first half [Jewel Samad/AFP]
Vinicius shows his top quality
If Brazil are to make it to the latter stages of this tournament, they will rely heavily on Vinicius to provide goals and assists in North America.
The Real Madrid man has consistently scored for his club this season, including 16 goals in La Liga and five in the Champions League, and it now appears that he is bringing this form to the world stage.
With Brazil struggling in the first half, Vinicius received the ball from Bruno Guimaraes on the left side of the area before cutting back onto his right foot and hammering into the far corner past Yassine Bounou.
It was the kind of magic moment that he regularly produces for Real Madrid, and the Selecao will be looking for more individual brilliance in their coming games.
Neymar injury hangs over Brazil
The Neymar soap opera is set to dominate another tournament for Brazil, with the 34-year-old on the sidelines for yet another major tournament match.
Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer is still recovering from a calf injury, having not played for his country since 2023.
He was dramatically recalled to the national squad, despite not featuring in Ancelotti’s plans during the Italian’s year in charge, but he remains under scrutiny over his fitness and form following years of injury trouble and an underwhelming spell back at Santos.
It is unclear exactly when Neymar will be fit enough to return to first-team action, but judging by the media’s focus on him during Saturday’s match, this saga is set to dominate discussion around Brazil.
Brazil’s Neymar Jr reacts after the match in New Jersey [Caean Couto/Reuters]
Draw leaves Group C wide open
Brazil and Morocco are the clear heavyweights in their group, but Saturday’s draw in New Jersey has left Group C somewhat in the balance.
Scotland currently sit top of the table after a 1-0 victory over Haiti in Boston, and they will now be eyeing the chance to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Morocco and Brazil remain heavy favourites to finish in the top two automatic qualification spots, but Scotland know that any points in their final two group games will almost certainly book their spot in the round of 32.
Béla Guttmann may be the most consequential soccer coach you’ve never heard of. But if it weren’t for Guttmann, you may never have heard of Pelé.
And Brazil may never have become the greatest soccer-playing country on Earth.
That’s because Guttmann changed the shape of modern Brazilian soccer — and changed the sport forever — when he imported the revolutionary 4-2-4 system from Hungary to Sao Paulo in 1957. A year later, Brazil won the first of five World Cups and the joga bonito was born.
But what Guttmann brought to Brazil isn’t nearly as interesting as how he got it there. That’s just one of the fascinating stories in “The Beautiful Game … The Untold Story,” the exhibit that will open the Holocaust Museum LA on Sunday at the Goldrich Cultural Center, a $70-million expansion that will double the size of the Pan Pacific Park museum’s campus to 70,000 square feet.
A soccer ball from the holocaust is among the items on display in the exhibit “The Beautiful Game … The Untold Story” at the Holocaust Museum LA.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
The exhibit was unveiled during a private reception on Saturday followed by a free preview day open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The grand public opening will take place in August.
The show’s launch coincides with eight local World Cup matches, which kicked off with the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium, and it shines a light on the important but largely overlooked relationship between Jewish life and the global game, as well as how Jewish innovators like Guttmann shaped the modern rhythm, style and culture of the sport.
“It was in the same intellectual level as jazz, as art and everything modern and progressive,” journalist Allon Sander, who helped curate the exhibit, said of Jewish participation in European soccer in the years before World War II.
“The origin of the game and how it intersects with Jews and the Holocaust and the impact that these Jewish footballers and coaches had to shape the game and help popularize the sport is so fascinating,” added Beth Kean, the museum’s CEO. “And it’s an unknown history.”
Much of that story can be told through Guttmann, who was born in Budapest in the final year of the 19th century and developed into one of the sport’s first Jewish stars, representing Hungary in the 1924 Olympics and playing for nine teams in two countries before retiring to become a coach.
But none of that success mattered when the Hungarian government began introducing anti-Jewish laws in 1938, costing Guttmann his job and nearly his life when he was sent to a Nazi forced-labor camp, where he was tortured. Just days before he believed he would be shipped to Auschwitz, which meant certain death, he escaped alongside Erno Erbstein, another Jewish coach.
Erbstein revolutionized soccer in Italy before dying in 1949, along with the entire Torino team, when their plane crashed into a hilltop outside Turin. Four years ago, he was inducted into the Italian soccer hall of fame. Guttmann, meanwhile, who lost much of his family in the Nazi death camps, would go on to coach for 42 years in 14 countries, winning championships in six of them yet only staying in a single place for more than two years just once.
“He’s running away from his demons,” said Ronen Dorfan, a journalist and sports historian based in Budapest whose research was instrumental in putting the exhibit together. “His father was murdered, his sister was murdered. You never know how you survived in Budapest during the war so he had guilt feelings.”
A jersey worn by player Max Wozniak and a jersey from the 1930s are displayed in an exhibit called “The Beautiful Game … The Untold Story.”
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
The exhibit was designed in three sections, the first devoted to the years before World War II, the second is about the Holocaust and the third is the postwar years. And while it details Jewish participation in, and influence on, global soccer, it also challenges the cliché that Jews were intellectuals, artists and laborers but not athletes.
“We are always trying to challenge stereotypes. Stereotypes that we might have about ourselves and even stereotypes that we believe about others,” said Jordanna Gessler, the museum’s vice president of education and exhibits who helped curate the show. “It’s crucial to help people find their place and their voice and really see the unity, the similarities between people.
“This is a story that was lost in time and we’re really bringing it out,” Gessler added. “To really have this conversation and encourage people to explore stories that they might not know.”
One thing people might not know is that in the 1920s and ‘30s, Europe’s best teams weren’t in England, Germany or France, but in Austria and Hungary, where they were led by Jewish players and coaches such as Hugo Meisl, Jozsef Braun, Arpad Weisz, Marton Bukovi, Gusztav Sebes and Gyula Mandi. Weisz and Braun were both killed by the Nazis.
A soccer ball from the 1974 World Cup is displayed at an exhibit called “The Beautiful Game … The Untold Story.”
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
The surge of antisemitism and fascism in Germany, Italy and Eastern Europe helped spread the influence of those revolutionary players and coaches around the world.
“With the rise of the Reich and the Holocaust, the coaches ran away,” Dorfan said. “And they ran to every corner of the world, to Brazil, to Argentina, to Portugal [and] provided coaches to Real Madrid, to Barcelona, to Benfica, to Flamengo.
“There isn’t one of these clubs that doesn’t owe its tactical development in the ‘40s and ‘50s to the Jewish coaches, which came primarily from Hungary.”
The primary tactical development was the shift from the popular but rigid 2-3-5 formation, which required immense physical endurance and tactical discipline, to the fluid 4-2-4, which spread the wingers to the touch line and allowed for improvisation and creativity on the attacking end, a formation pioneered in Budapest in the 1920s.
“They developed a more refined game of passing the ball, keeping it on the carpet rather than the English kick and run, and really put thought into tactical thinking,” Dorfan said.
Guttmann, who played or coached for more than two dozen teams in his career — including one, in Romania, that paid him in vegetables during the postwar period — brought the Hungarian approach to Brazil in 1957 when he coached Sao Paulo to a championship. After Vicente Feola, the manager Guttmann replaced at Sao Paulo, took over the national team a year later, he brought the formation with him, popularizing many of the tactics still used in modern soccer, such as fluid defensive wingers, overlapping full backs, the use of a withdrawn striker and an attacking midfield.
The soccer team at the Theresienstadt concentration camp’s flag is displayed in a Holocaust Museum LA exhibit called “The Beautiful Game … The Untold Story.”
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“He is the whole exhibition in one man,” Dorfan said of Guttmann.
“Obviously if we wouldn’t have had the Holocaust, those [coaches] wouldn’t be kept out of Europe, Europe would be much stronger, much more developed. [And] then the development of Brazil or the success of Brazil would be coming much later,” Sander said.
Dorfan spent the better part of two years tracking down many of the more than 100 trophies, uniforms, photos and trinkets that make up “The Beautiful Game” exhibit, a search that required determination, perseverance and more than a little luck. Many of the items, because of their ties to Jewish athletes and teams, were hidden during the war and presumed lost. Others resurfaced only through detective work that sent Dorfan following leads that spanned decades and crossed more than a dozen borders.
That also cost money. So Alan Rothenberg, the man who, as president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, first brought the World Cup to Los Angeles 32 years ago, stepped up to lead an effort that raised more than $1 million to fund the exhibit.
“The story really needs to be told, particularly with what’s going on right now with respect to antisemitism,” Rothenberg said. “It’s really important for people to realize what can happen. And soccer is a great vehicle to draw them in. The one main thing in the museum is bringing schoolkids in.”
The Nazis and their collaborators failed in their attempt to erase the history of Jewish soccer pioneers; in fact, they inadvertently popularized both the men — and women — and their ideas. But the sport also helped other Jews survive a dark period and Kean said that may be the most beautiful and uplifting part of “The Beautiful Game.”
“The main reason we decided to do this exhibition in the first place is because for years so many survivors, when they talk about their life before the war, so many of them talk about soccer. So many of them were passionate and fond of the sport,” she said.
“We knew the exhibit opening was going to coincide with the World Cup. L.A. is going to be on the world stage. This is a great opportunity for the museum to get these stories out.”
The World Cup continues on Saturday, with Brazil beginning their campaign and three more group-stage matches taking place across North America.
Brazil take on Morocco in the day’s biggest match, while Qatar face Switzerland, Haiti meet Scotland and Australia play Turkiye as more teams get their tournaments under way.
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Away from the football, there has been plenty to talk about. Donald Trump skipped the United States’ opener, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was at the US game instead of Canada’s, and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss his team’s first match after Canada denied his visa application.
In Peru, police made headlines after carrying out a drug raid dressed as World Cup mascots.
Here is what to know:
What’s the World Cup schedule on June 13?
Qatar take on Switzerland at BC Place in Vancouver, with kickoff scheduled for 12pm local time (19:00 GMT).
The day’s action concludes with Haiti meeting Scotland at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is set for 8pm local time (01:00 GMT on June 14).
Australia and Turkiye then get Group D under way at Lumen Field in Seattle, with kickoff at 9pm local time (04:00 GMT on June 14).
What do the predictions say for Brazil vs Morocco?
Brazil and Morocco have only faced each other once before at a World Cup, with Brazil winning their 1998 group-stage meeting. Morocco got their revenge in a 2-1 friendly win in 2023.
Brazil have won seven of their eight World Cup matches against African opponents, with their only defeat coming against Cameroon in 2022.
The five-time champions have not lifted the trophy since 2002. Since then, they have usually exited in the quarterfinals, apart from their run to the 2014 semifinals.
Opta’s 25,000 simulations give Brazil a 57.7 percent chance of winning. A draw happened in 23.5 percent of the projections, while Morocco won in 18.8 percent.
The winner could put themselves in a strong position to top Group C.
What do the predictions say for Qatar vs Switzerland?
Qatar and Switzerland have met only once before, with Qatar claiming a 1-0 friendly win in 2018 thanks to a late goal from Akram Afif. Afif is among nine players from that squad still in Qatar’s 2026 World Cup team, while Switzerland have seven survivors from that defeat, including Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler.
Opta’s 25,000 simulations make Switzerland the clear favourites in this Group B clash, giving them a 76.0 percent chance of victory. Qatar won just 9.1 percent of the projections, while 14.9 percent ended in a draw.
A point would likely be considered a positive result for the Gulf side.
What do the predictions say for Australia vs Turkiye?
Australia and Turkiye have met only twice before, with Turkiye winning both friendlies in 2004. Turkiye have also won all four of their previous World Cup matches against Asian opponents.
Opta’s 10,000 simulations give Turkiye a 55.3 percent chance of victory, compared with 20.5 percent for Australia and 24.1 percent for a draw.
Neither side has a strong record in World Cup openers, however. Turkiye have lost both of their previous first matches, while Australia have lost five of their six opening games.
What do the predictions say for Haiti vs Scotland?
Haiti and Scotland have never faced each other before, making this one of several first-time matchups at the expanded 48-team World Cup. It will also be Haiti’s first-ever game against a team from the British Isles.
Opta’s 25,000 simulations make Scotland clear favourites, giving them a 59.0 percent chance of victory. Haiti won 19.2 percent of the projections, while 21.8 percent ended in a draw.
Haiti vs Scotland
What else is shaping the World Cup?
The football has only just started, but the World Cup is already making headlines away from the pitch, too.
Trump did not attend the US World Cup opener
The US president did not attend the US men’s national team’s World Cup opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles.
His absence drew attention because Trump has recently attended several high-profile sporting events, including Game 3 of the NBA Finals earlier this week. He is also expected to host a UFC event at the White House on Sunday.
A White House official said Trump instead plans to attend the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The US president called into a USMNT team meeting with some words of support via Andrew Giuliani, the White House’s World Cup task force CEO.
Partey denied entry into Canada
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss his country’s World Cup opener against Panama after Canada denied his visa application while he awaits trial in the United Kingdom on multiple rape charges, which he denies.
FIFA confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old would not be permitted to travel from Ghana’s base camp in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to Toronto for Wednesday’s match.
“His visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” FIFA said in a statement.
“FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”
Trudeau attends the US’s World Cup
As Canada and the US kicked off their World Cup campaigns on the same day, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in California rather than Toronto.
The 54-year-old did not attend Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field. Instead, he was at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood alongside pop singer Katy Perry, who performed during the pre-match opening ceremony before the US faced Paraguay.
Peruvian officers use World Cup mascot costumes in Lima drug bust
Peruvian police have gone viral after carrying out a drug raid in Lima dressed as World Cup mascots.
Video shared by police showed officers dressed as World Cup mascots breaking through a metal gate with a battering ram before entering the property.
Once inside, they arrested a suspected drug dealer and recovered weapons and bags of what authorities believe were narcotics.
The World Cup may be decided on the pitch, but another competition is already under way off it: Which host city has the best food?
In a report for Al Jazeera, Lou Browne travelled across North America to find out what fans can expect beyond the stadiums.
In Mexico City, taco vendors are hoping the tournament brings more customers. “Well, now the World Cup is coming, and we hope we’ll get customers,” a tortilla cook at El Califa de Leon told Al Jazeera. “I imagine there will be a lot of people, foreigners or locals.”
Philadelphia is proudly backing its famous Philly cheesesteak. Locals say visitors should learn how to order properly. “You want to tell them what kind of cheese you want,” Anthony Rossi, a cook at Geno’s Steaks, explained. “And you say if you want onions, which is ‘wit’ or ‘wit-out’ … Keep it simple.”
Across the border, Toronto is making the case for poutine, the Canadian dish of fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. “Poutine is the … not the best … dish, but poutine is from Canada,” said Lisa Deni, a French tourist.
In Kansas City, barbecue is a point of pride. “This is really good,” diner Camilla Thomas said. “We’ve been enjoying coming here. and bringing people from out of town here and giving them a little taste of Kansas City.”
And in Miami, locals insist the Cuban sandwich is a must-try. “The Cuban sandwich, croquetas, and cafecito are really the way to go,” said Daniel Figueredo, cofounder of Sanguich. “The Cuban sandwich really is the thing you have to have when you come to Miami.”
For fans travelling across North America this summer, the hardest choice may not be picking the World Cup winner, but deciding which host city serves the best food.
