The USA lost and advanced anyway. Today, Haaland meets Mbappé.

Who won yesterday's World Cup games?

Thursday closed out Groups D, E, and F, and it went out screaming. The headline for American living rooms stings a little. The headline for American brackets does not. Both are true at the same time, and honestly that is the most World Cup thing that can possibly happen.

Türkiye 3, United States 2 — SoFi Stadium, Inglewood

Here is a sentence that short-circuits the American sports brain: the USA lost its last group game on a buzzer-beater and it did not matter even a little. Auston Trusty headed the USMNT in front in the 3rd minute, Sebastian Berhalter later smashed an absolute screamer from distance to make it 2-2, and then Kaan Ayhan stabbed home the winner in the 98th minute, the very last touch of the night. Gut punch. Except the US had already banked two wins, so it still finished first in Group D and cruised into the Round of 32. Picture a No. 1 seed that already clinched its bye, resting up in Week 18, dropping a meaningless game, and losing absolutely nothing that counts. The scoreboard hurt. The standings shrugged.

Ecuador 2, Germany 1 — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford

Germany had already won the group, so this was its dead rubber, and Ecuador treated it like a smash-and-grab. Leroy Sané put the Germans ahead inside two minutes, and you figured that was that. Then Ecuador said no thanks: Angulo curled one past Manuel Neuer to level it, and Gonzalo Plata poked in the winner in the 77th minute. Final: Ecuador 2, Germany 1, and it was enough to push Ecuador into the last 32 as one of the best third-place teams. Germany had never lost a World Cup group game to a South American side in ten previous tries. Today it tried an eleventh and got mugged on the way out the door.

Ivory Coast 2, Curaçao 0 — Group E

Nicolas Pépé and the Ivorians did exactly what they needed, handling Curaçao 2-0 to lock up second place in Group E. For Curaçao, the smallest nation by population ever to reach a World Cup, the ride ends here, but the ride happened, and nobody can take that back. Ivory Coast moves on to the knockouts. Tidy, professional, no drama, the soccer equivalent of a team that wins 20-3 and lets you go to bed early.

Netherlands 3, Tunisia 1 — GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

The Dutch needed any kind of result to win Group F, and they got the emphatic kind, beating an already-eliminated Tunisia 3-1 to top the group. The Oranje look the part of a contender and now wait to see who falls to them in the Round of 32. This was the No. 2 seed taking care of business at home and locking up the better playoff path. Nothing fancy, just done.

Japan 1, Sweden 1 — AT&T Stadium, Arlington

Sometimes a tie is a party for everybody. Japan and Sweden played to a 1-1 draw that sent Japan through in second place and lifted Sweden into the knockouts as one of the best third-place finishers. Both teams shook hands knowing they had punched their tickets, which is the rare soccer result where nobody leaves mad. Think two college teams backing into bowl eligibility in the same game and both buses going home happy.

Paraguay 0, Australia 0 — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara

The grindiest game of the day decided second place in Group D, and it decided it with a whole lot of nothing. Paraguay and Australia slogged to a scoreless draw, and the point was enough to send the Socceroos through in second behind the USA. Paraguay was left sweating the third-place math in the other groups, the soccer version of finishing your season and then camping on the couch praying the right scores roll in. A 0-0 is not the prettiest way to advance. It still counts.

Who plays today? (June 26, 2026)

Today wraps Groups G, H, and I, which means the games come in same-time pairs again so nobody can sit back and scoreboard-watch. Six matches, three windows, and the curtain-raiser at 3 p.m. is the best game on the entire board.

Norway vs. France — 3 p.m. ET on Fox. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA. Two unbeaten group leaders, both already through, scrapping for first place. We break it down below.

Senegal vs. Iraq — 3 p.m. ET on FS1 and Universo. BMO Field, Toronto. Both sit on zero points: a draw sends both home, a win keeps a faint third-place pulse going.

Uruguay vs. Spain — 8 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo. Estadio Akron, Guadalajara. Spain is arguably the best team on the planet right now, unbeaten in 33 straight competitive games. Uruguay probably has to win to advance.

Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia — 8 p.m. ET on FS1 and Universo. NRG Stadium, Houston. Cape Verde, an island nation of about 525,000 people, is one win from the knockout rounds after drawing both Spain and Uruguay. This is the Cinderella game.

New Zealand vs. Belgium — 11 p.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo. BC Place, Vancouver. Belgium arrived a top-ten team in the world and has been a flop so far. Win and the Red Devils are safe.

Egypt vs. Iran — 11 p.m. ETon FS1 and Universo. Lumen Field, Seattle. Mohamed Salah's Egypt leads the group and can clinch with a draw. At least one of these two is moving on.

What's the must-watch game today?

Norway vs. France, 3 p.m. ET, and it is not close. Two teams, two perfect records, two of the best goal scorers walking the earth, one group title on the table. In NFL terms, picture a pair of 2-0 teams that have both already clinched playoff spots meeting in Week 18 for the No. 1 seed and the only first-round bye. Nobody is going home today. Everybody is playing for the comfy chair.

The twist that adds spice: France only needs a tie. A better goal differential means Les Bleus win the group even if the game ends level, which is the soccer version of clinching the division on a tiebreaker while the other guy needs the outright win. So Norway has to go take it.

Now the headliners. Erling Haaland is Norway's battering ram, a 6-foot-4 wrecking ball who scores the way Derrick Henry runs people over: you know it is coming, you still cannot stop it. Kylian Mbappé is France's blur, a take-the-top-off-the-defense speed merchant, Tyreek Hill with a soccer ball at his feet. Both have four goals. Both are tied for the tournament scoring lead, which soccer calls the Golden Boot and you can think of as the rushing title. Two MVP front-runners, head to head, with a trophy race riding shotgun. You do not need to know a thing about the sport to know that is appointment television.

Honest read: because both teams are already through, there is a real chance one or both manage the game and bubble-wrap their stars, the way a coach sits the franchise quarterback once seeding is locked. But with the Golden Boot dangling and pride on the line between two heavyweights, do not bank on a sleepy 0-0. Bank on fireworks. We broke down why the group winner usually lands the friendlier bracket, and why chasing seeding matters even after you have clinched, over on the GameDay School YouTube channel. Watch it before kickoff so you know exactly what you are looking at.

Norway vs. France: What Time and Channel Today?

Norway vs. France kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT on Friday, June 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), and you can stream it on the Fox Sports app, Fox One, or Fubo, or catch the Spanish call on Peacock. Check the full How-to-Watch cheat sheet for every option, or grab a streaming pass here.

What channel are today's World Cup games on?

• 3 p.m. ET — Norway vs. France: Fox / Telemundo (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
• 3 p.m. ET — Senegal vs. Iraq: FS1 / Universo (BMO Field, Toronto)
• 8 p.m. ET — Uruguay vs. Spain: Fox / Telemundo (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara)
• 8 p.m. ET — Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia: FS1 / Universo (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 11 p.m. ET — New Zealand vs. Belgium: Fox / Telemundo (BC Place, Vancouver)
• 11 p.m. ET — Egypt vs. Iran: FS1 / Universo (Lumen Field, Seattle)

See the complete How-to-Watch guide or stream every game here.

New here? Start with these

Just got pulled in because the World Cup is in America and your group chat will not shut up about it? Perfect timing. We explain every confusing soccer rule and moment using NFL and baseball terms over on the GameDay School YouTube channel. Subscribe and you will actually know what is happening when the knockout rounds start this weekend.

• How the 2026 World Cup Works — groups, knockout rounds, and how those best third-place spots actually work
• How to Watch the 2026 World Cup — every channel and streaming option
• Yesterday's recap (June 25) — the USMNT's last-kick loss, South Africa's history, and the group stage closing out

FAQ: World Cup June 26, 2026

What time is Norway vs. France today?

Norway vs. France kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT on Friday, June 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), with streaming on the Fox Sports app, Fox One, Fubo, or Peacock for the Spanish broadcast. Both teams have already qualified, so this one decides who wins Group I, and France takes the top spot with any draw.

Did the USA win their World Cup game?

No. The USA lost 3-2 to Türkiye on June 25, conceding the winner in the 98th minute on the final kick of the game. The good news: it did not matter. The USMNT had already won its first two games, so it finished first in Group D and advanced to the Round of 32 anyway.

What channel is Spain vs. Uruguay on?

Uruguay vs. Spain airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish) at 8 p.m. ET from Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico. You can also stream it on the Fox Sports app, Fox One, Fubo, or Peacock. Spain leads the group and is unbeaten in 33 straight competitive matches, while Uruguay likely needs a win to survive.

Is Cape Verde going to make the knockout round?

Cape Verde controls its own fate. A win over Saudi Arabia at 8 p.m. ET sends the islanders of roughly 525,000 people into the Round of 32, and a draw might be enough if other results cooperate. They have already drawn both Spain and Uruguay, two former World Cup champions, so betting against this Cinderella run has not gone well so far.