Côte d'Ivoire down Curaçao to advance as Ecuador stun Germany
Netherlands see off Tunisa to top Group F while draw sends Japan and Sweden through
Australia progress after scoreless draw with Paraguay and Türkiye down USA late on
It was a record-setting day at the as the total attendance hit 3,605,357 during the opening fixture in New York New Jersey. That set a new record for the highest aggregate attendance at any World Cup edition, surpassing the previous benchmark of 3,587,538 at USA 1994.
History was also made by Côte d'Ivoire as they saw off Curaçao to advance from the group stage for the first time, while goals in either half saw Ecuador stun Germany to also advance.
Netherlands finished top of Group F as they eased past Tunisia in Kansas City, while Japan's 1-1 draw with Sweden means that the Asian heavyweights advance from the group stage for the third consecutive edition. The Swedes also punched a Round of 32 ticket as one of the best third-place finishers.
In the day's final fixtures, co-hosts USA fell to a late Türkiye goal in a 3-2 thriller while a scoreless draw with Paraguay ensured that Australia finished as Group D runners-up.
Côte d'Ivoire knew that a win over debutants Curaçao would send them into the knockout stage for the first time and it took them just seven minutes to strike in Philadelphia. It was a goal crafted through the persistence of starlet Yan Diomande and swept home by Nicolas Pepe.
The Blue Wave weren’t without chances of their own but a second from Pepe shortly after the hour saw them exit the tournament, leaving the Elephants to celebrate their history-making progression.
Even with Germany already safely through to the knockouts, Julian Nagelsmann resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes and they went ahead after just two minutes as Leroy Sane rolled the ball low past the right hand of the diving Hernan Galindez.
That left Ecuador, yet to score at the tournament, with an almighty task. But it was a challenge they rose to. Nilson Angulo got his nation off the mark and resored parity just seven minutes later as he lashed home from the top of the D. Gonzalo Plata’s late, close-range, volley then won it for the South Americans, who advance to the knockouts for just the second time.
Needing to match Japan’s result in their clash with Sweden in the simultaneous section-closers, the Netherlands raced into a two-goal lead inside the first seven minutes in Kansas City to take control of the group.
An Ellyes Skhiri own goal and a third in two matches from Brian Brobbey had the Dutch in a commanding position, only for Hazem Mastouri to hand Tunisia a lifeline shortly after the restart. Defender Jan Paul van Hecke, though, struck just after the hour to restore the two-goal buffer and ultimately see the Dutch finish top and set up a Round of 32 clash with Morocco.
Japan were chasing a win and goals to try and overhaul the Netherlands at the section summit when they met a Sweden side also desperate for a positive result in Dallas.
After a tight opening period ended scoreless, Ritsu Doan’s defence-splitter saw Daizen Maeda sweep home nine minutes into the second half, only for Anthony Elanga to strike back for the Swedes six minutes later. The 1-1 draw means that Japan finish second to set up a clash with Brazil in the Round of 32, while Sweden also advance as one of the best third-place teams.
Australia knew that a point would ensure they qualified for the knockouts for a second straight World Cup, while a draw would also likely be enough for Paraguay to join them. With neither side taking many first-half risks there was a combined total of two shots – both coming from Australia – at the break.
The second half was a touch more lively, with Nestory Irankunda and Jordan Bos both sending efforts wide for the Socceroos, who end as group runners-up. They’ll now face the Group G runners-up in Dallas on 3 July.
With the co-hosts safely through to the Round of 32, coach Mauricio Pochettino rotated his starting XI, with two of those changes combining to open the scoring early on, as Auston Trusty swept home a Sebastian Berhalter corner at the back post.
Coming after just two minutes and 13 seconds, that was the USA’s second fastest World Cup goal. Within half an hour the lead would evaporate though, as firstly a move started and finished by Arda Guler drew Türkiye level and then a Baris Alper Yilmaz strike put them ahead just after the half hour.
The man who created America’s first, Berhalter, then lashed home a leveller from the top of the box to restore parity in the second half, but Kaan Ayhan spoiled the co-hosts' party as he popped up with a 98th-minute winner for Türkiye.
Despite the loss, USA finished as group winners and are now set for a Round of 32 show-down with Bosnia and Herzegovina in San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on 1 July.
Nicolas Pepe's seventh-minute goal is the fastest scored by Côte d'Ivoire in their World Cup history
Ecuador have only reached the knockout stage once before, when reaching the Round of 16 at Germany 2006
This was the first time in their 58 World Cup matches that the Netherlands have scored two goals in the opening seven minutes of a game
Japan have gone unbeaten in the World Cup group stage for the first time
June 26 (all times local) 15:00 (Group I) 15:00 (Group I) 18:00 (Group H) 19:00 (Group H) 20:00 (Group G) 20:00 (Group G)
Sources: FIFA Official
