Canada routs Qatar 3-0 as World Cup matchday 2 begins

Canada beat Qatar 3-0 in Thursday’s World Cup Group B match, with Jonathan David netting twice after Cyle Larin opened the scoring.skysports
Qatar’s Hassan M. Ahmed was sent off in the 33rd minute, and Mexico faced South Korea in Thursday’s late Group A match in Guadalajara.skysports
England set the early tournament pace with a 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday, as Harry Kane scored twice in Dallas.espn

FIFA World Cup 2026 Matchday 2 Gets Underway With Groups A and B in Focus

The 2026 FIFA World Cup shifted into its second round of group stage fixtures on Thursday, June 18, with four matches spread across the United States, Mexico, and Canada as the expanded 48-team tournament builds momentum heading into a packed week of action.

Thursday’s Slate

Groups A and B took center stage on Thursday, with Czechia facing South Africa in Atlanta at noon ET, followed by Switzerland against Bosnia and Herzegovina at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles at 3 p.m. ET. Canada hosted Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver at 6 p.m. ET, where the co-hosts dominated in a 3-0 victory, with Jonathan David scoring twice and Cyle Larin also finding the net after Qatar’s Hassan M. Ahmed was sent off in the 33rd minute. The day’s final match pitted Mexico against South Korea at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara at 9 p.m. ET, a clash between two teams that won their opening fixtures and are competing for a place in the knockout rounds.nbcsports

Both Group A sides entered Thursday’s late match in strong positions. Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Estadio Azteca, while South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1. In Group B, both Canada and Qatar had drawn their openers 1-1, making Thursday’s encounter a chance to seize the initiative.espn

Midweek Highlights Set the Tone

Earlier in the week, England delivered one of the tournament’s standout performances so far, beating Croatia 4-2 in a Group L opener at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Wednesday, June 17. Harry Kane scored twice, leveling Gary Lineker’s World Cup goalscoring record, before Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford added second-half goals to pull away after a 2-2 halftime score. Manager Thomas Tuchel’s halftime intervention was widely credited for transforming England’s display.espn

Also on Wednesday, Colombia beat debutants Uzbekistan 3-1 in a Group K match at Mexico City Stadium, with Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz, and Jáminton Campaz all scoring to put Los Cafeteros atop their group.espn

What’s Ahead

Matchday 2 continues through June 23, with all 12 groups set to complete their second round of fixtures before the final group stage matchday begins on June 24. England next face Ghana in Boston on Wednesday, June 24, while the remaining Group A and B sides will conclude their campaigns that same day.itv