World Cup news LIVE: Latest updates as Ecuador shock Germany, Scotland suffer new blow

Hello and invited to Sports Mole's regular World Cup 2026 quality blog connected Friday, June 26!

The matchday 3 radical games proceed to travel heavy and accelerated pursuing a sextet of fixtures connected Thursday, arsenic much knockout and elimination fates were decided.

Stay wholly up to day with everything happening successful North America with our unrecorded commentary instrumentality below!

What's happening astatine the World Cup today?

The World Cup 2026 radical signifier is officially halfway complete, aft sections D, E and F concluded connected Thursday evening, erstwhile results mostly followed expectations.

The objection was Ecuador stunning Germany 2-1 successful Group E, but Julian Nagelsmann's men had already qualified arsenic radical winners, and El Tri's triumph was capable to spot them done arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed teams.

Elsewhere successful the group, Ivory Coast eased past Curacao 2-0 to seal 2nd spot and destruct the debutants, portion the Netherlands overcame Tunisia 3-1 to beforehand to the past 32 arsenic Group F winners.

Japan's 1-1 gully with Sweden also saw the Blue Samurai advancement successful 2nd place, but the latter's full of 4 points besides sufficed for third-placed advancement.

The aforesaid cannot beryllium said for Paraguay conscionable yet, though, arsenic the South American federation took the bronze medal successful Group D aft a goalless gully with Australia, but they indispensable hold to larn whether their 4 points is capable to suffice arsenic 1 of the champion third-placed nations.

The Socceroos finished 2 points down the USA successful 2nd place, aft the Yanks' 3-2 nonaccomplishment to already-eliminated Turkey, who needed a 98th-minute victor from Kaan Ayhan to enactment their archetypal - and lone - points connected the board.

Attention present turns to the last circular successful Groups G, H and I, the erstwhile of which sees Egypt instrumentality connected Iran and New Zealand conflict Belgium with each knockout places inactive astatine stake.

In Group H, Spain and Uruguay collide aft Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, anterior to which Norway vs. France and Senegal vs. Iraq successful Group I kicks disconnected proceedings.