The Short Version
As of 15 June, the opening round of Groups E to H is complete. Germany hammered Curaçao 7-1 to become the World Cup’s all-time top scorers, while Spain were stunned, held 0-0 by debutants Cape Verde. Sweden routed Tunisia, and the rest tightened: Groups G and H ended with every team on a single point. Drama, debut goals and a goalkeeping masterclass defined the round.
The moments of the round
Some images will outlast the scorelines. These were the moments that defined the round.
| Moment | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Curaçao’s first World Cup goal | Livano Comenencia struck to briefly level it for the smallest nation ever at a World Cup | FIFA |
| Germany break the all-time record | Their seventh goal carried them past Brazil to 239 World Cup goals, the most in history | ESPN |
| Vozinha’s masterclass | The 40-year-old goalkeeper made eight saves to keep Spain out in a 0-0 shock | Fox Sports |
| Lukaku’s instant impact | He forced an own goal 22 seconds after coming on to rescue Belgium | ESPN |
| Kamada’s late leveller | An 88th-minute header earned Japan a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands | FIFA |
| Amad’s 90th-minute winner | A late strike settled a tight contest for Côte d’Ivoire over Ecuador | ESPN |
| Araújo spares Uruguay | His 79th-minute finish cancelled out Saudi Arabia’s lead | ESPN |
| Iran’s double comeback | They twice pegged back New Zealand in the round’s wildest game | Sky Sports |
The key players
| Player | Team | Why they mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Vozinha | Cape Verde | Eight saves to shut out Spain in the round’s biggest upset |
| Kai Havertz | Germany | A brace on a record-breaking 7-1 night |
| Yasin Ayari | Sweden | Two goals in the 5-1 rout of Tunisia |
| Mohammed Al-Owais | Saudi Arabia | A string of saves, late denial of Valverde, to hold Uruguay |
| Ramin Rezaeian | Iran | A goal and an assist — an Iran World Cup first |
| Elijah Just | New Zealand | A brace; first Motherwell player to score at a men’s World Cup |
| Romelu Lukaku | Belgium | Forced the equalizer 22 seconds after coming on |
| Amad Diallo | Côte d’Ivoire | The 90th-minute winner against Ecuador |
Group E: a German record, an Ivorian sucker punch
Germany announced themselves in Houston, beating Curaçao 7-1 with Kai Havertz scoring twice — a result that took them past Brazil as the all-time leading scorers in World Cup history with 239 goals. Curaçao, the smallest nation ever at a World Cup, still wrote their own line in the books through Livano Comenencia’s first-half strike. In the group’s other game, Côte d’Ivoire needed until the 90th minute, when Amad Diallo settled a tight contest 1-0 against Ecuador, as ESPN’s results hub shows.
| Group E — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Germany – Curaçao | 7–1 |
| Côte d’Ivoire – Ecuador | 1–0 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 3 |
| 2 | Côte d’Ivoire | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| 4 | Curaçao | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 |
Group F: Sweden roar, the Dutch are pegged back
Sweden made the early statement, sweeping Tunisia aside 5-1 in Monterrey with Yasin Ayari scoring twice. The Netherlands looked set to join them on three points after Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville twice put them ahead — but Japan, through Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada’s 88th-minute equalizer, came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw in what many called the game of the round.
| Group F — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweden – Tunisia | 5–1 |
| Netherlands – Japan | 2–2 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 3 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Japan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
Group G: four teams, four points shared
Group G refused to separate. Belgium were second best for an hour against Egypt, who led through Emam Ashour, until Romelu Lukaku came off the bench and forced an own goal within 22 seconds to rescue a 1-1 draw. The later game was a thriller: New Zealand twice led through Elijah Just’s brace, but Iran hit back both times via Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi for another 2-2. All four sides have a point.
| Group G — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Belgium – Egypt | 1–1 |
| Iran – New Zealand | 2–2 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Belgium | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Egypt | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Group H: the shock of the tournament, and another stalemate
The round’s biggest story came in Atlanta, where Cape Verde — World Cup debutants from a nation of half a million — held the European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw, goalkeeper Vozinha making eight saves as Spain piled up 27 shots without reward. Group H then stayed level all the way: Saudi Arabia led Uruguay through Abdulelah Al-Amri before Maximiliano Araújo equalized in the 79th, leaving every team on a point.
| Group H — Result | Score |
|---|---|
| Spain – Cape Verde | 0–0 |
| Saudi Arabia – Uruguay | 1–1 |
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Uruguay | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Spain | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Cape Verde | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
The early read
Two favourites went in opposite directions: Germany looked rebuilt and ruthless, while Spain were left to explain a goalless afternoon against debutants. Sweden and Côte d’Ivoire join Germany among the round’s clear winners; Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia took heart from points against bigger names, as FIFA’s tables confirm. With Groups G and H still level across the board, the second round of fixtures will start to sort contenders from passengers.
Frequently asked questions
What were the Group E results? Germany beat Curaçao 7-1 and Côte d’Ivoire beat Ecuador 1-0. Germany and Côte d’Ivoire have three points.
What were the Group F results? Sweden beat Tunisia 5-1 and the Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan. Sweden lead the group; the Netherlands and Japan have one point each.
What were the Group G results? Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt and Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand. All four teams have one point.
What were the Group H results? Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia drew 1-1 with Uruguay. All four teams have one point.
What was the biggest shock of the round? Cape Verde, World Cup debutants from a nation of half a million, held European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw, with goalkeeper Vozinha making eight saves.
What record did Germany break? Their 7-1 win took Germany to 239 World Cup goals all-time, passing Brazil’s 238 to become the tournament’s leading scorers in history.
Which game was the most dramatic? Iran’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand, in which Iran came from behind twice, was widely seen as the game of the round.
Which teams lead Groups E and F? Germany lead Group E on goal difference and Sweden lead Group F; Groups G and H are level with every team on one point.
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
