The Short Version
As of 13 June, the first round of Groups A to D is complete. All three co-hosts came through unbeaten: Mexico and the United States won, Canada drew. Brazil were held 1-1 by Morocco, Australia stunned Türkiye, and Scotland quietly lead Group C. Group B is a four-way logjam after two draws.
Group A: Mexico make history, Korea come from behind
The tournament opened at a full Estadio Azteca, and Mexico finally won a World Cup opener at the eighth attempt, beating South Africa 2-0 through Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez on a night that produced three red cards — the most in any opening match. A day later in Guadalajara, South Korea trailed Czechia to a Ladislav Krejčí header before Hwang In-beom equalized and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu struck the 80th-minute winner for a 2-1 comeback. Mexico and Korea share the lead on three points each, as ESPN’s results hub shows.
| Group A — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Mexico – South Africa | 2–0 |
| Korea Republic – Czechia | 2–1 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 2 | Korea Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Czechia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 |
Group B: two draws, four teams level
Canada earned the first World Cup point in their history in Toronto, Cyle Larin coming off the bench to cancel out Jovo Lukic’s header in a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The pattern repeated the next day: Switzerland dominated Qatar — a penalty from Breel Embolo and 23 shots — only to be pegged back by Boualem Khoukhi’s late equalizer in another 1-1. Group B is the tournament’s tightest table, all four sides on a single point.
| Group B — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Canada – Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–1 |
| Switzerland – Qatar | 1–1 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Qatar | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Group C: Vinícius rescues Brazil, Scotland sneak ahead
The marquee fixture of the round delivered drama without a winner. Morocco, semi-finalists in 2022, struck first through Ismael Saibari’s chip over Alisson in the 21st minute, before Vinícius Júnior cut inside and curled in a stunning equalizer on his 50th Brazil appearance. Alisson preserved the point with a sharp double save deep in stoppage time, and Brazil stretched their run without an opening-match defeat back to 1934, as Al Jazeera tracked live. The quieter story sits on top: Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 through John McGinn’s 28th-minute finish to lead the group outright.
| Group C — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Brazil – Morocco | 1–1 |
| Scotland – Haiti | 1–0 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scotland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 2 | Brazil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Haiti | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
Group D: the USA roll, Australia shock Türkiye
The United States made the loudest statement of the round, brushing Paraguay aside 4-1 at SoFi Stadium with a Folarin Balogun first-half brace and a late Gio Reyna trivela. The group’s other game brought the day’s biggest surprise: Australia beat Türkiye 2-0, Nestory Irankunda finishing a 27th-minute counter and Connor Metcalfe striking from distance in the 75th. The result leaves the United States and Australia on three points, with Türkiye and Paraguay still searching for their first, per FIFA’s official table.
| Group D — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| United States – Paraguay | 4–1 |
| Australia – Türkiye | 2–0 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 |
| 2 | Australia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 3 | Türkiye | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 |
| 4 | Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 |
The early read
Three themes carry into matchday two. The co-hosts handled their nerves — two emphatic wins and a historic Canadian point. The favourites wobbled: Brazil were second best for long stretches against Morocco, and Türkiye, third in 2002, lost outright. And the round produced its obligatory disruptors — Scotland and Australia — to remind a 48-team field that there is no soft landing, a picture the full results bear out. Group B, meanwhile, has decided nothing at all.
Frequently asked questions
What were the Group A results? Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 and South Korea beat Czechia 2-1. Both Mexico and Korea have three points.
What were the Group B results? Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Switzerland drew 1-1 with Qatar. All four teams have one point.
What were the Group C results? Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco, and Scotland beat Haiti 1-0. Scotland lead the group with three points.
What were the Group D results? The United States beat Paraguay 4-1, and Australia beat Türkiye 2-0. The United States and Australia have three points each.
What was the biggest upset of the round? Australia’s 2-0 win over Türkiye was the standout surprise, with goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.
Did Brazil lose their opening match? No. Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco, extending their run without an opening-match defeat back to 1934. Vinícius Júnior scored their goal.
Which teams lead their groups after round one? Mexico lead Group A on goal difference, Group B is level on one point each, Scotland lead Group C, and the United States lead Group D on goal difference.
Which co-hosts have played, and how did they do? Mexico won 2-0, the United States won 4-1, and Canada drew 1-1 — all three co-hosts are unbeaten after their opening matches.
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
