The fourteenth day of the FIFA World Cup saw Switzerland, Canada, Brazil and Morocco secure places in the round of 32, while South Africa reached the knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Group B concluded with Switzerland defeating Canada 2-1 in a match that sent both teams through to the knockout stage. After a goalless first half, Ruben Vargas broke the deadlock before Johan Manzambi doubled Switzerland's advantage. Promise David pulled one back for the hosts in the 76th minute, but Canada were unable to find an equalizer. Switzerland finished top of the group, with Canada advancing in second place.
In the other Group B fixture, Bosnia and Herzegovina claimed their first victory of the tournament, defeating Qatar 3-1. Kerim Alajbegović opened the scoring with a long-range strike before an own goal by Mahmud Abunada doubled Bosnia's lead. Hassan Al Haidos reduced the deficit before Ermin Mahmić sealed the win late in the match. Bosnia finished third and must await the outcome of other groups to learn whether they advance among the best third-placed teams.
Group C saw Brazil cruise to a 3-0 victory over Scotland. Vinícius Júnior scored twice before Matheus Cunha added a third, while Neymar made his long-awaited return to the national team, coming off the bench for his first international appearance since October 2023. Morocco also booked their place in the round of 32 with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Haiti after recovering from an early own goal by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
In Group A, Mexico completed a perfect group-stage campaign with a 3-0 victory over Czechia thanks to second-half goals from Mateo Chávez, Julián Quiñones and Álvaro Fidalgo. South Africa then defeated South Korea 1-0 through Thapelo Maseko's second-half strike to reach the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country's history.
After the conclusion of Groups A, B and C, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil and Morocco have all secured places in the round of 32, while Czechia, Qatar, Scotland and Haiti have been eliminated.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Cristiano Ronaldo responded to critics with a record-breaking brace as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0, while Colombia secured a place in the round of 32 with a 1-0 victory over DR Congo.