The 2026 World Cup group stage continues Saturday with four matches on U.S. soil. Hosts USA take on Australia aiming to move closer to the knockout rounds, Morocco face Scotland in Boston, Brazil meet Haiti in Philadelphia hoping for their first victory, and Turkiye square off against Paraguay.
Off the pitch, Canada are celebrating a historic win over Qatar but are concerned about key midfielder Ismael Kone’s fitness after a serious injury. Meanwhile, Mexico became the first team to qualify for the knockout stage, while the USA are waiting to see if captain Christian Pulisic will be fit to face Australia.
Saturday’s fixtures:
- USA vs Australia: 12:00 PDT (19:00 GMT) in Seattle, Washington
- Scotland vs Morocco: 18:00 EDT (22:00 GMT) in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Brazil vs Haiti: 20:30 EDT (00:30 GMT Sunday) in Philadelphia
- Turkiye vs Paraguay: 20:00 PDT (03:00 GMT Sunday) in Santa Clara, California
Scotland vs Morocco prediction: The sides have met only once at a World Cup, Morocco winning 3-0 in the group stage in 1998. According to the Opta supercomputer, Morocco are heavy favorites with a 54.2% chance of victory, Scotland 20.9%, and a draw 24.9%.
USA vs Australia prediction: Both won their opening matches, but the USA are rated higher with a 58.5% chance of winning based on 25,000 simulations. Australia have only a 20.6% chance, with a draw at 20.9%.
Brazil vs Haiti prediction: Brazil have won all three previous meetings, scoring 17 goals and conceding just once. Opta gives Brazil an 87.3% chance of winning, while Haiti have only 4.3%.
Turkiye vs Paraguay prediction: This is the first World Cup meeting between the teams. Turkiye are slight favorites with a 49.4% chance of winning, Paraguay 23.7%, and a draw 26.9%.
Other notable news:
Canada secured an impressive 6-0 victory over Qatar but lost midfielder Ismael Kone to a serious injury after a challenge from Assim Madibo (who received a red card). Coach Jesse Marsch confirmed Kone has undergone surgery in hospital due to a broken leg.
Mexico became the first team to secure a spot in the knockout stage with a 1-0 win over South Korea thanks to a goal from Luis Romo and two outstanding saves from goalkeeper Raul Rangel.
USA captain Christian Pulisic trained alone for a fourth consecutive day due to a calf injury and will be a game-time decision. Coach Pochettino said if Pulisic cannot play, he will be ready for the next match.
