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With places in the round of 32 already going up for grabs, the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to separate genuine contenders from teams already running out of time.

Several teams have already punched their tickets to the knockout stage, while others have virtually no room for error.

Read on as we revisit the standout moments and preview another day of World Cup action.

US through to the round of 32

Less than 24 hours after Mexico booked a place in the round of 16, fellow co-hosts United States eased past Australia to join them in the knockout stage.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side netted two unanswered first-half goals en route to a 2-0 victory, building upon a 4-1 rout of Paraguay in their opening game.

Cameron Burgess bundled the ball into his own net in the 11th minute to put the home team ahead in front of 72,000 people at Lumen Field in Seattle.

When Alex Freeman doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, there was no longer a way back into this game for the Socceroos.

They have now won back-to-back World Cup matches for the first time since 1930, locking in a knockout berth with a game to spare.

Having already done the heavy lifting, Pochettino’s team won’t be under any kind of pressure when they face underperforming Turkey in their final group game.

The Crescent-Stars will be fighting for their lives after losing their opening two Group D outings, including a 1-0 defeat to 10-man Paraguay earlier this morning.

Brazil back on track

Morocco held Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their Group C curtain-raiser, casting doubt on their bid to finish as group winners at every World Cup edition since 1982.

However, Carlo Ancelotti’s charges quickly bounced back with a comfortable 3-0 win over Haiti to climb to the top of the group.

Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock midway through the first half before doubling his country’s advantage in the 36th minute.

Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior put the result beyond doubt deep into first-half stoppage time, setting his side up for a routine triumph.

Buoyed by this success and their first clean sheet of 2026, Brazil will look to finish the job when they take on Scotland in Miami on Wednesday.

Unlike the CONMEBOL heavyweights, Steve Clarke’s side faltered in round two, slumping to a narrow 1-0 loss to Morocco.

As a result, they head into the group-stage finale trailing Brazil and Morocco by a point, so there will be no margin for error if they’re to progress from the top two spots.

European battle in Houston

Seeking redemption for a frustrating 2-2 draw against Japan in their maiden Group F fixture, the Netherlands will lock horns with high-flying Sweden later tonight.

This mouth-watering clash at NRG Stadium in Houston could determine the Oranje’s fate, as any potential slip-up could prove costly in their quest to reach the round of 32.

Despite avoiding defeat in their last 17 group-stage matches at World Cups, the Dutch are not in a perfect spot. They are at risk of entering round three outside the top two.

By contrast, Sweden couldn’t have imagined a better start to their first World Cup since 2018 as they trounced Tunisia 5-1 last time out.

Looking to maintain a feel-good factor and start their World Cup campaign with back-to-back wins for the first time since 1958, Graham Potter’s men head into proceedings determined to defy history.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Swedes have won just one of their last seven World Cup encounters against fellow UEFA opposition, although that lone success was on American soil back in 1994.

Sweden’s hopes of achieving that feat are likely to rest on their ability to plug their defensive holes, given that they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last 12 internationals.

Knockout place on the line in Toronto

BMO Field sets the stage for a Group E top-table six-pointer as Germany and Ivory Coast go head-to-head in their first-ever World Cup meeting.

Germany made a statement in their tournament opener, putting seven goals past minnows Curacao.

However, Curacao’s consolation strike means Die Mannschaft have now failed to register a shutout in seven consecutive World Cup outings, their longest such run since 1970.

It’ll be exciting to see whether Yan Diomande and his teammates can pounce on the Germans’ defensive woes after pulling off a narrow 1-0 win over Ecuador on day one, courtesy of Amad Diallo’s late winner.

Heavily fancied to emerge victorious here, Germany can draw confidence from their stellar World Cup record against African opposition, having lost just one of their eight previous such showdowns.

By contrast, the Ivorians have only won one of their four historical matches against European teams at the tournament, yet with a first-ever knockout appearance within reach, they won’t shy away from testing Germany’s credentials.

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After netting a brace against Curacao, Arsenal striker Kai Havertz has emerged as one of the potential Golden Boot contenders, with only Lionel Messi outscoring him.

Havertz has now scored at each of Germany’s last four major tournaments, underlining his growing reputation as a dependable performer on the biggest stage.

He’ll undoubtedly be keen to continue in the same vein, especially now that he has registered seven goal contributions across his last five appearances for club and country.

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Source: Footballtoday.com