Japan Crush Tunisia 4-0 for the Biggest Asian Winning Margin in World Cup History as Brazil, Netherlands and Spain Also Run Riot

The June 19-21 stretch of 2026 World Cup Matchday-2 fixtures across Groups C-H was three days of the heavyweights opening fire at once. Japan thrashed Tunisia 4-0 to set a new record for the biggest winning margin by an Asian (AFC) nation in World Cup history, while Brazil beat Haiti 3-0, the Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1 and Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 to shake off slow openers. Germany edged Ivory Coast 2-1 to become the third team after Mexico and the USA to clinch a place in the Round of 32. At the other end, Haiti, Turkey and Tunisia were all eliminated, while debutants Curacao and Cape Verde earned historic first points.

The headline result of the round came in Monterrey, where Japan crushed Herve Renard's Tunisia 4-0. Daichi Kamada opened the scoring inside four minutes for the fastest goal ever scored by a Japanese player at a World Cup, and Ayase Ueda struck at 31' and 83' (the latter a header) to become the first Japan player to score twice in a single World Cup match, with Junya Ito netting in between at 69'. The 4-0 win is the largest winning margin by any Asian nation in World Cup history — the previous best Asian margin was two goals — and several outlets noted the game as the 1,000th in men's World Cup history. Japan moved level with the Netherlands atop Group F on four points and an identical +4 goal difference, though they did not mathematically clinch the knockout stage or top spot, with both still to be settled in the final round. Elsewhere in Group F, the Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1 in Houston behind braces from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo. Per Opta, Brobbey's double (5', 17') was the fourth-fastest brace in World Cup history, and Gakpo's two goals (47', 54') took his group-stage tally to five, equalling Robin van Persie as the Netherlands' top scorer in World Cup group-stage matches. Anthony Elanga pulled one back at 59' before Crysencio Summerville added a fifth at 89'. The Netherlands, also on four points with a +4 goal difference, are level with Japan.

South America's contenders joined the goal rush too. Brazil beat Haiti 3-0, with all three goals coming in the first half and Vinicius Junior involved in each one. Matheus Cunha struck a brace (23', 36' — not a hat-trick) before Vinicius Junior finished one himself in first-half stoppage time (45'+3'); an Endrick effort was ruled out for offside. Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil looked much improved on their insipid 0-0 opener with Morocco and climbed top of Group C on goal difference, while Haiti became the first team eliminated from the 2026 World Cup — still seeking a first World Cup goal since 1974. In the same group, Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 through Ismael Saibari, who scored inside the opening two minutes (just over 70 seconds) for what was briefly the fastest goal of the tournament and Morocco's fastest-ever World Cup goal. It was no major upset, with the 2022 semifinalists the stronger side throughout; Morocco moved to four points and onto the path toward a second straight knockout round, while Scotland — who have never advanced from the group stage in nine World Cup appearances — missed their chance to qualify.

The round was also defined by oddity records and red cards. In Group D, Paraguay beat Turkey 1-0 through Matias Galarza, whose roughly 25-metre strike inside the opening minute (about 64 seconds) was the fastest goal of the tournament, overtaking Saibari's earlier the same day. Paraguay played most of the second half a man down after Miguel Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time — becoming the first player ever red-carded at a World Cup under FIFA/IFAB's new rule penalising covering the mouth during on-field confrontations. Vincenzo Montella's Turkey dominated possession (around 79%) but failed to score across both group games and were eliminated, a result that confirmed the USA as Group D winners. In Group E, Germany beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in Toronto. Franck Kessie put Ivory Coast ahead at 30' (assisted by 19-year-old Yan Diomande), but Julian Nagelsmann's triple substitution around the hour mark flipped the game: substitute Deniz Undav equalised at 68' and snatched a 90'+4' winner. Per Opta, Undav has now been directly involved in five goals off the bench at this World Cup (3 goals, 2 assists), the joint-most at a single edition. Germany won both of their opening group matches for the first time since 2006 and clinched the Round of 32 as the third team after Mexico and the USA.

The debutants and newcomers had their say too. In the same group, World Cup debutants Curacao held South American runners-up Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City to earn the first World Cup point in their history. The smallest nation by population ever to qualify, Curacao were carried by goalkeeper Eloy Room, whose reported 15 saves were billed as the most by any goalkeeper in a 90-minute World Cup match since records began in 1966; both sides stay alive heading into their final games on June 25. In Group G, Belgium were held 0-0 by Iran: defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off around the 66th minute for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, and ten-man Belgium piled up around 23 shots without scoring as Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made roughly seven saves. Also in Group G, Egypt beat New Zealand 3-1 for the first World Cup win in the nation's history. Trailing to a Finn Surman header at 15', Egypt hit back through Mostafa 'Zizo' (58'), Mohamed Salah (67') and Trezeguet (82'), with Salah becoming Egypt's all-time top World Cup scorer on three goals and, at 34 years and 7 days, the oldest Egyptian to score at a World Cup. In Group H, Spain thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta: Lamine Yamal scored his first World Cup goal at 10' (among the youngest scorers in World Cup history), Mikel Oyarzabal added a brace (21', 24'), and a Hassan Al-Tambakti own goal from a Cucurella shot made it four at 49'. Spain moved top of Group H on four points but, with a game still to play, did not mathematically clinch. Cape Verde, fellow debutants, drew 2-2 with Uruguay: Kevin Pina's long-range strike from around 30 yards at 21' was Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup goal, and although Maxi Araujo (44') and Agustin Canobbio (45'+6') turned it around for Uruguay, Helio Varela equalised at 61' to give the islanders a second straight draw after holding Spain.

With the final group round to come, the qualification picture is shifting with every match. Through June 21, only three teams had officially clinched a Round-of-32 spot — Mexico, the USA and Germany — while Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands and Japan lead on points but have yet to confirm their places. Check the live group standings, the new round-of-32 qualification-scenarios page (/scenarios), and the full schedule in your own time zone to see exactly what each team needs in its final group game to reach the Round of 32.