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On Day 9 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Friday, June 19), the USA beat Australia 2-0 in Seattle, Brazil thrashed Haiti 3-0 behind a Matheus Cunha brace, Morocco edged Scotland 1-0 in Boston, and Paraguay beat Türkiye 1-0 in San Francisco. Brazil moved top of Group C on goal difference, while Mexico became the first team to officially clinch a knockout-round spot.
USA 2-0 Australia: Co-hosts Take Control of Group D
The headline fixture of the day saw the United States defeat Australia 2-0 in Seattle to seize control of Group D. With Christian Pulisic ruled out due to a calf injury, Ricardo Pepi stepped into the starting XI under head coach Mauricio Pochettino and delivered, helping the Americans build on the momentum from their opening win over Paraguay. The result put the co-hosts in pole position heading into their final group game against Türkiye on June 25.
Brazil 3-0 Haiti: Matheus Cunha Finally Gets His Chance
Five-time champions Brazil needed a response after a flat 1-1 draw with Morocco in their opener – and they got it in Philadelphia. Matheus Cunha kick-started Brazil’s World Cup campaign by scoring twice in a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti in Group C, with head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to start the Manchester United forward over Igor Thiago paying off immediately.
Cunha opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, doubled the lead in the 36th, and Vinicius Jr. added a third in first-half stoppage time to put the result beyond doubt before the break. Winger Raphinha was forced off in the 40th minute with an apparent hamstring injury, while teenager Endrick made his World Cup debut, having a second-half goal ruled out for offside.
The win was significant beyond the scoreline: it ended Haiti’s hopes of progressing from the group, making the Caribbean nation – playing in their first World Cup since 1974 – the first team guaranteed not to reach the knockout round. Following Morocco’s narrow win over Scotland earlier in the day, Brazil moved top of Group C on goal difference, setting up a must-watch finale against Scotland in Miami on June 24.
Morocco 1-0 Scotland: Atlas Lions Punish Tartan Army
Earlier in Boston, Morocco got the better of Scotland 1-0, sending a clear message in Group C. The result complicated life for Scotland, who had opened the tournament well but now sit behind both Brazil and Morocco heading into the final round of group matches.
Paraguay 1-0 Türkiye: First Points for La Albirroja
In San Francisco, Paraguay picked up their first points of the tournament with a narrow 1-0 win over Türkiye, who remain winless after two matches in Group D. Both sides were chasing their first points after difficult tournament openers, but it was Paraguay who found the breakthrough, setting up a tense final-round clash with the United States on June 25.
Day 9 Results at a Glance
|
Match |
Score |
Group |
|
United States vs Australia |
2-0 |
D |
|
Türkiye vs Paraguay |
0-1 |
D |
|
Brazil vs Haiti |
3-0 |
C |
|
Scotland vs Morocco |
0-1 |
C |
What’s Next
Day 9 reshaped two groups heading into the final round of fixtures. Group C is now a genuine three-way fight between Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland, while Group D is set up for a decisive USA-Türkiye and Paraguay-Australia double-header on June 25 that will determine who advances. With the group stage wrapping up on June 27 and the Round of 32 beginning June 28, the margins are getting tighter – and Day 9 showed exactly why every group-stage point matters at this expanded 48-team World Cup.