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The day of Wednesday, June 24, saw the resolution of Groups A, B, and C of the , with six teams securing their spots in the round of sixteen and South Africa delivering the tournament's most unexpected result by eliminating South Korea.
Mexico completed a historic group stage by thrashing 3-0 against the Czech Republic at the Estadio Azteca, becoming the only team in the tournament to earn nine points out of nine possible.
The team led by Javier Aguirre dominated Group A from start to finish, without conceding a single goal in their three matches, and advanced as the clear leader to the knockout stage.
The most moving moment of the night came when Guillermo Ochoa entered the game in the second half to play minutes in his sixth World Cup, matching Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in World Cup appearances.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper thus becomes the first Mexican footballer to join the roster for six editions of the tournament, a record that is unlikely to be repeated.
The other big news from Group A came from Monterrey, where South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 with a goal from Thapelo Maseko in the 63rd minute, achieving something they had never accomplished in their three previous World Cup appearances: advancing past the group stage.
The Bafana Bafana, who had not progressed past the first round in 1998, 2002, or 2010 — when they were hosts — finished second in the group with four points and are now waiting for Canada in Dallas for their debut in a knockout round.
In Group C, Brazil crushed Scotland 3-0 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with a brace from Vinícius Júnior and a goal from Cunha, finishing the phase unbeaten with seven points as the leader.
La Canarinha, led by Carlo Ancelotti —the first foreign coach to lead Brazil in a World Cup— also welcomed back Neymar, who came on in the 76th minute to play his first minutes of the tournament after overcoming physical discomfort.
Morocco also advanced from Group C by defeating a tenacious Haiti 4-2, which managed to take the lead on two occasions, with Achraf Hakimi being the standout player for the Atlas Lions.
In Group B, Switzerland defeated Canada 2-1 in Vancouver with goals from Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi to finish as the leader, while the Canadians advanced as runners-up and became one of the three host countries to progress past the first phase.
The picture of the day closes with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which defeated Qatar 3-1 with goals from Kerim Alajbegovic, an own goal by Sultan Al-Brake, and Ermin Mahmic, accumulating four points while waiting to see if they can qualify among the best third teams.
Qatar, for its part, was eliminated in the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup.
With three groups already finalized, the 2026 World Cup is fully entering its decisive phase, and the first confirmed matchup in the round of sixteen pits South Africa against Canada in Dallas.
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