World Cup: 14 Nations Compete Across a Packed Group Stage Weekend

The weekend of 13–14 June saw seven matches hosted in North America, with games played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Co-hosts the United States made a winning start in Los Angeles, defeating Paraguay 4-1. Former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun scored twice, becoming only the second American player to score more than once in a World Cup match.

In Group B, Qatar and Switzerland played out a dramatic 1-1 draw. Qatar celebrated their first-ever World Cup point after Switzerland's Miro Muheim scored an own goal deep into stoppage time. The result keeps Group B balanced, following Canada's 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier in the week. Switzerland's opening goal came from a penalty awarded after a collision between striker Remo Freuler and Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada. Replays appeared to suggest Freuler may have been offside in the build-up.

Saturday's opening Group C fixture ended in a 1–1 draw between Brazil and Morocco. The atmosphere at New York New Jersey Stadium was lively, with Brazilian and Moroccan supporters adding to the celebrations already taking place in the city following the New York Knicks' first basketball championship success in 53 years.

Scotland enjoyed a memorable moment, recording their first World Cup victory in 36 years. A deflected first-half effort from John McGinn proved enough to secure a 1-0 win over Haiti.

Sunday began with Australia claiming a 2-0 victory over Turkey, while Germany scored seven goals in a commanding 7-1 win over World Cup newcomers Curaçao in Houston, Texas.

The final match saw Japan fight back to earn a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands. Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring with a header before Japan's Keito Nakamura quickly levelled. After the Dutch regained the lead, Japan struck again in the 88th minute to rescue a point. Both sides have been tipped as potential dark horses for the tournament.