Brazil finally got their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign up and running with a comfortable victory over Haiti, while 10-man Paraguay boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout stage by eliminating Turkey in a fiery encounter.
Two goals from Matheus Cunha and a fine strike by Vinicius Junior before half-time secured Brazil’s first win and first clean sheet of the tournament, sparking celebrations among supporters dressed in the famous yellow colours in Philadelphia.
However, the scoreline masked another underwhelming display from the five-time world champions. Ranked more than 80 places above Haiti in the FIFA standings, Brazil failed to register a single shot on target after the interval and were outshot 7-2 by their opponents in the second half.
Haiti, who became the first nation to be eliminated from the expanded World Cup following the defeat, showed remarkable resilience and ambition despite ultimately falling short.
The victory eased some pressure on the Selecao, but concerns remain over their performances after rivals Argentina and France made more convincing starts to the tournament.
Elsewhere, Paraguay overcame the sending off of Miguel Almiron to claim a hard-fought victory that kept alive their hopes of reaching the last 32 and brought Turkey’s campaign to an end.
Paraguay made the perfect start, with Matias Galarza finding the net after just 64 seconds with a long-range effort that became the fastest goal of the tournament so far and ultimately proved decisive.
Controversy erupted in first-half stoppage time when former Newcastle United midfielder Almiron became the first player to be sent off under a newly introduced World Cup rule after covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkish defender Mert Muldur. Following a VAR review, Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton produced a red card.
Both teams had entered the match under pressure after opening-round defeats, and the high stakes produced a tense and combative affair, with Paraguay managing to hold on despite playing much of the contest with 10 men. Turkey has also been eliminated.
Meanwhile, Scotland were left frustrated after a 1-0 defeat to Morocco in a match overshadowed by contentious officiating decisions.
The Scots appealed for two penalties during the encounter, with former referee Christina Unkel believing one of the incidents warranted a spot-kick. However, pundits Roy Keane and Ange Postecoglou disagreed with their ITV colleague’s assessment.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke adopted a measured tone after the match, admitting he was “not too sure” about several decisions made by Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev.
Former Scotland internationals also questioned why Morocco defender Issa Diop escaped a red card in the first half, while ex-winger Pat Nevin described the officiating display as “bizarre.”
