The Short Version
As of 18 June, the second round of Groups A and B is under way. Canada won the first World Cup match in their history, thrashing nine-man Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver behind a Jonathan David hat-trick. Mexico became the first team to reach the round of 32, edging South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara. Switzerland blitzed Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 late on, and Czechia and South Africa shared a 1-1 draw and their first points.
Group B: Canada make history, Switzerland strike late
The day belonged to Canada. In front of a roaring home crowd at BC Place, the co-hosts won a World Cup match for the first time, routing Qatar 6-0, with Jonathan David scoring a hat-trick, as FIFA’s match report recorded. Cyle Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute and David volleyed a second before the half-hour. Qatar’s afternoon then unravelled: Homam Elamin was sent off for a last-man foul, David completed a quick treble in first-half stoppage time, and Assim Madibo was dismissed soon after the hour for the challenge that left Ismaël Koné with a serious leg injury and on a stretcher. Playing the man up Canada poured it on — Nathan Saliba’s free kick, a Mohamed Manai own goal and David’s third made it six, per ESPN.
The numbers framed the moment. David became the first Canadian to score a World Cup hat-trick, and the first player from the CONCACAF region to do so since the USA’s Bert Patenaude in 1930. Canada’s six-goal margin equalled the record winning margin for a World Cup host, and the result doubled their entire World Cup goal tally at a stroke. Amid the joy there was real concern: Saliba marked his goal by lifting the injured Koné’s empty number 8 shirt to the crowd.
Earlier in Los Angeles, Switzerland looked stuck. The game was goalless with little more than ten minutes to play before the Swiss erupted, scoring four times in a late surge to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, with young Johan Manzambi running riot, as ESPN’s recap detailed. The win lifted Switzerland level with Canada on four points, separated only by goal difference.
| Group B — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Canada – Qatar | 6–0 |
| Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4–1 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 4 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 |
| 3 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 |
| 4 | Qatar | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 |
Group A: Mexico go through, Czechia and South Africa share the points
Mexico did not need to be at their best to make history of their own. In a scrappy, low-quality match in Guadalajara, a goalkeeping error decided it: South Korea’s Kim Seung-gyu spilled a routine catch into the path of Luis Romo, who finished calmly in the 50th minute for a 1-0 win, as ESPN’s round-up noted. It was enough to make Mexico the first team at the tournament to seal a place in the round of 32. South Korea pressed late but could not find a leveller and now face a nervier final group game.
In Atlanta, Czechia and South Africa each claimed their first point of the tournament in a 1-1 draw. Michal Sadilek put Czechia in front from a set piece — the source of nearly all their recent goals — before South Africa, reduced to ten men in their opener, hit back with a late equalizer. Neither result does much for two sides that lost their openers, and both go into the final round still needing a win.
| Group A — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Mexico – South Korea | 1–0 |
| Czechia – South Africa | 1–1 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| 2 | South Korea | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
| 3 | Czechia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 |
| 4 | South Africa | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 |
The day in one line
Two co-hosts seized the headlines: Canada for the win their football had waited a lifetime for, Mexico for being first into the knockouts. Switzerland’s late thunder keeps Group B finely poised, while Group A’s draw leaves Czechia and South Africa with work still to do, as the full results show. Spare a thought, too, for Ismaël Koné, whose injury cast a shadow over Canada’s brightest night.
Frequently asked questions
What were the June 18 results? Canada beat Qatar 6-0, Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, Mexico beat South Korea 1-0, and Czechia drew 1-1 with South Africa.
Why was Canada’s win historic? It was the first World Cup match Canada have ever won, and Jonathan David’s hat-trick made him the first Canadian to score three in a World Cup game.
What records did the Canada result match? Canada’s six-goal margin equalled the record winning margin for a World Cup host, and David was the first CONCACAF player to score a World Cup hat-trick since 1930.
Which team qualified for the round of 32? Mexico became the first team at the tournament to reach the round of 32, after their 1-0 win over South Korea.
How did Mexico beat South Korea? A goalkeeping error let Luis Romo score the only goal in the 50th minute in Guadalajara.
What happened in Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina? The game was goalless until late before Switzerland scored four times in a closing surge to win 4-1, with Johan Manzambi starring.
How do Groups A and B look now? Mexico lead Group A on six points; Canada and Switzerland top Group B on four points each, with Canada ahead on goal difference.
Was there any concerning news? Yes. Canada’s Ismaël Koné suffered a serious leg injury and was stretchered off, with Qatar’s Assim Madibo sent off for the challenge.
About the author: James O’Connor is investigative football correspondent at Touchline Global, the London-based independent football journalism outlet founded in 2012 and specializing in FIFA governance, commercial reporting, and football’s political economy. O’Connor has covered every FIFA World Cup since Brazil 2014. Contact: james.oconnor@touchline.global · LinkedIn: /in/james-oconnor-touchline · X: @JamesOConnorTG
