LIVE

HIGHLIGHTS | FIFA World Cup 2026, Day 8: Luis Romo fires Mexico into last 32; Canada celebrate historic win

Jonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round with a 6-0 victory over Qatar on Thursday.
Mexico's Luis Romo, third left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring g his team's first goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Korea on June 18, 2026.
Mexico's Luis Romo, third left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring g his team's first goal during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Korea on June 18, 2026. (Photo | AP)
TNIE online desk
Summary

Matchday 8 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered plenty of entertainment as Mexico became the first team to reach the World Cup knockout stage with a 1-0 victory over South Korea. Jonathan David struck a hat-trick as Canada secured their first-ever World Cup win, thrashing nine-man Qatar 6-0 to move to the brink of the round of 32.

Johan Manzambi's brace and Xhaka's stoppage time penalty gave Switzerland a 4-1 win over Bosnia, while Teboho Mokoena's late penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic and kept South Africa's hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time alive.

Ismael Kone injury horror

Canada's Group B match against Qatar was marred by a horrific injury to midfielder Ismael Kone.

Kone was carried off on a stretcher after a clumsy challenge by Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo in the 51st minute of the Group B clash at Vancouver's BC Place.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch told reporters after the game the Canadian bench had realised the severity of Kone's injury immediately.

"It was right in front of us, and everyone could hear the bone snap," Marsch said.

Mexico, Korea eye World Cup knockout berths

Mexico and South Korea will aim to punch their ticket to the World Cup knockout rounds on Thursday when they meet in Guadalajara knowing a win will guarantee a last 32 berth.

The Group A rivals head into the fixture at the Estadio Akron fresh from respective victories over South Africa and the Czech Republic in their opening games last week.

Co-hosts Mexico eased past a poor South Africa in their opening game last week but are bracing for a tougher test against a South Korean side studded with quality.

"We have to be very wary of the opponent's attacking transitions," Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said.

"When we are attacking, we can't let our guard down; if there are two Koreans up front, there need to be three Mexicans."

Canada captain Alphonso Davies available to play vs. Qatar after missing World Cup opener

Canada captain Alphonso Davies will be available to play on Thursday against Qatar after he missed his team's World Cup opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, coach Jesse Marsch said.

The left back was injured last month while playing for Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals.

In an open practice earlier this week, Davies was limited in training and was still in the return-to-play protocol.

“He's been in training this week, and he'll be available tomorrow, and we'll see how the match goes and then make a decision on how we would choose to use him,” March said Wednesday evening.

Davies has not played for Canada since March 2025, when he tore an ACL in the CONCACAF Nations League finals. He has 15 goals in 58 international appearances.

Canada's Alphonso Davies works out during a training session on the eve of the team's World Cup soccer match against Qatar, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Canada's Alphonso Davies works out during a training session on the eve of the team's World Cup soccer match against Qatar, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia.(Photo | AP)

Ivory Coast striker Wahi barred from World Cup match in Canada amid match-fixing probe

Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi, who is being investigated into suspected match-fixing, has not been authorized to travel to Canada for his team’s next World Cup match against Germany, the Ivorian soccer federation said on Thursday.

Ivory Coast faces Germany on Saturday in Toronto.

The federation said Wahi will not be able to travel with the squad because “the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

Tuchel asks FIFA to move photographers so he can see team during national anthem

England coach Thomas Tuchel was upset that photographers blocked him from seeing his team during the playing of the national anthem before a victory over Croatia in his World Cup debut.

"I'm begging FIFA to change the position of the photographers, because I could not see my team (during) the national anthem, and I was waiting for this moment," Tuchel said after England beat Croatia 4-2 on Wednesday.

During the playing of England's anthem, "God Save the King," Tuchel gestured toward the photographers - who assemble directly in front of the two benches during the anthems - attempting to get them to move.

When that didn't happen, the German put his arm around his fellow staff members as they resorted to looking up at the stadium's jumbo screen to see their players. "It was a very, very special moment today and I was standing in front of 50 photographers half a meter away and I could not see one single player," Tuchel said.

"It ruined a little bit my experience today."

Birthright citizenship helps spark US World Cup run

US President Donald Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship has gone all the way to the US Supreme Court but the issue's impact is already being felt on a giant stage: the World Cup.

Historically, anyone born on US soil automatically has the right to citizenship. Trump wants to end that as part of wider restrictions on immigration.

As Supreme Court justices prepare their ruling, Americans got a vivid illustration of the policy at work in the form of star US striker Folarin Balogun, who scored twice in the 4-1 rout over Paraguay.

Balogun may have shone in the US jersey, but if not for an accident of fate he wouldn't even be American. "(My mother) came to the US to visit her sister, and she had her return ticket but then they said that she was too pregnant. So I was born in New York," Balogun said in an Instagram video posted by the US team this week.

Even though Balogun grew up in London from the age of one month, he qualified for birthright citizenship. Still so British that he prefers English tea over coffee, Balogun ultimately chose to play for the United States over England or his family's native Nigeria.

"The way I was eligible to represent America...I'm not going to be the person to stand in the way of this story," he said in his distinct London accent.

Thursday's World Cup matches to have messaging denouncing hate speech

The eight teams playing World Cup matches on Thursday are taking part in an International Day for Countering Hate Speech commemoration, with a pre-match exchange of pennants denouncing such language.

Captains involved in the Czechia-South Africa, Mexico-South Korea, Switzerland-Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada-Qatar matches will have pennants reading "We Play Together. We Stand Against Hate" with the wording in English on one side and the teams' native language on the other. Other stadium activations involving that message are planned during Thursday's matches.

FIFA says it deleted nearly 400,000 negative or abusive posts in the first few days of this World Cup — more than it did in the entirety of the 2022 event.

Notably, FIFA had deleted more than 30 million abusive posts and comments since its social media protection service was created before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Czechia take early lead against South Africa

South Africa gets late penalty to equalise against Czechia

South Africa and Czech Republic draw 1-1 in World Cup Group A

South Africa drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic in both teams' second match of the World Cup on Thursday.

Teboho Mokoena's penalty equalized Michal Sadilek's sixth-minute opener in a result that means the winner of the match between co-hosts Mexico and South Korea later Thursday will win Group A.

Robertson and Scotland eye World Cup history against Morocco

Scotland captain Andy Robertson urged his team to build on their opening World Cup win against Haiti and get a result against Morocco on Friday which would help propel them into the knockout rounds of the tournament for the very first time.

"I don't think any of the lads or the coaching staff and backroom staff have shied away from it," Robertson told reporters at the Gillette Stadium on the eve of the game.

"We want to be the first team to be able to do that for our country. And it's obviously a nice feeling to try and do that.

“We know how difficult it's going to be. We're now playing against one of the best teams in the world.

"But we also believe that if we perform to our maximum, then we can make it difficult for anyone.

"I think we've proven that over the years," added the 32-year-old, who has just signed for Tottenham Hotspur after almost a decade at Liverpool.

Scotland kicked off their World Cup campaign in the United States with a 1-0 win over Haiti at the same venue near Boston last weekend.

Manzambi brace and Xhaka's late penalty power Switzerland to late 4-1 win over Bosnia

Johan Manzambi and Rubén Vargas made their coach look awfully clever while they led a spectacular barrage of goals that put the Swiss in control of the game and atop their group.

Manzambi opened his World Cup account with a stunning volley in the 74th minute before Ruben Vargas doubled Switzerland's lead in the 84th, shortly after Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a dangerous tackle.

Manzambi struck again in the 90th minute from a Vargas assist, while captain Granit Xhaka converted a penalty with the final kick of stoppage time as Switzerland surged late to a 4-1 victory over Bosnia.

Jonathan David hat-trick powers Canada to 6-0 rout of nine-man Qatar

Canada thrashed nine-man Qatar 6-0 to secure their first ever World Cup victory on Thursday.

Tournament co-hosts Canada had lost all six of their previous matches at the World Cup, at the 1986 and 2022 finals, but brought that run of losses to a halt in spectacular fashion at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium.

A hat-trick from Juventus striker Jonathan David, one goal apiece from Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba, and a Mohammad Manai own goal sealed Canada's win.

Mexico and South Korea get their Group A encounter underway

A general view before the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Korea in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday, June 18, 2026.
A general view before the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Korea in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday, June 18, 2026.(Photo | AP)

Canada bench 'heard bone snap': Marsch on Kone horror injury

Marsch told reporters after the game the Canadian bench had realised the severity of Kone's injury immediately.

"It was right in front of us, and everyone could hear the bone snap," Marsch said.

"I haven't spoken to Ismael yet, but he's at the hospital. He will prepare for a surgery. I'm going to go see him after this press conference. We'll see exactly what we decide to do for him.

"Everybody's a little shaken by the whole experience because of the nature of the injury, and also because Ismael is a big part of the heart of our team. It will be a big loss for us."

The score remains 0-0 at half-time

Luis Romo breaks the deadlock in the 50th minute to put Mexico 1-0 up

Raul Jimenez almost doubles Mexico's lead in the 76th minute

Mexico's Raul Jimenez, right, attempts to score against South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, left, and Lee Gi-hyeok during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Korea.
Mexico's Raul Jimenez, right, attempts to score against South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, left, and Lee Gi-hyeok during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Korea.(Photo | AP)

CLOSE: Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel makes a stunning double save to deny Cho Gue-sung twice from only yards out.

Silvia Izquierdo

Co-hosts Mexico first team into World Cup knockout rounds

Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout rounds of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over South Korea at a delirious Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.

Luis Romo's goal just after half-time put Mexico through as Group A winners with a match to go following a goalkeeping clanger.

Finishing top keeps Mexico at home in the last 32 with a game against a third-placed team in Mexico City.

South Korea are second on three points, with the Czech Republic and South Africa also still alive on one.

South Korea
South Africa
Mexico
2026 FIFA World Cup
Czechia

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com