Qatar stoppage-time – Qatar avoided a winless start at the 2026 World Cup by scoring a tying goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time against Switzerland, while other openers delivered mixed relief and sharp stakes—setting up a Sunday slate that includes Germany facing debutant C
The World Cup can turn on a single moment, and on Saturday it happened so late that it left the Swiss staring at the scoreboard in disbelief.
Qatar had been marching toward a familiar kind of pain. Four years earlier, the host nation lost all three of its matches. This time, the early signs pointed to another rough start in its 2026 opener against Switzerland. Then Boualem Khoukhi changed the game at the last possible second. scoring a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to earn Qatar a 1-1 tie.
It was Qatar’s first World Cup point and it left Switzerland wondering how it slipped through. “We’re looking at ourselves,” Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka said.
The day’s other results carried their own warnings. Brazil kept its unbeaten record in World Cup openers intact. stretching it to 21. but it needed a comeback after Morocco seized control early. Morocco controlled play in the opening stages and went ahead in the 21st minute with a goal by Ismael Saibari. Brazil responded in the 32nd minute through Vinícius Júnior. tying the match 1-1 and avoiding its first loss since 1934 against Spain.
As the second full day of matches arrives on Sunday, the schedule is packed: at least four games are scheduled each day until June 27. The contrast between celebration and pressure is already clear—no opener is just another opener.
The host countries began the tournament with mixed fortunes. Mexico kicked off Thursday with a dominant 2-0 win over South Africa in front of a boisterous crowd at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium. Canada followed on Friday with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto. The United States answered with its own statement, beating Paraguay 4-1 in Inglewood, California, matching the biggest U.S. World Cup victory.
Sunday’s spotlight includes Germany’s first match of the tournament against Curacao in Houston. with kickoff set for 1 p.m. EDT. Germany is a four-time champion, and the stakes are immediate. Curacao made history by becoming one of four first-time World Cup qualifiers. but the small Caribbean nation faces a daunting opener against a powerhouse.
Curacao coach Dick Advocaat. the oldest coach in World Cup history at 78. said Germany are “of course clear favorites in the group. ” adding that they are “still a big footballing country.” Advocaat framed the challenge as a measuring stick: starting against Germany is “fantastic. ” he said. because it will show “immediately where we stand.”.
Curacao is also the World Cup’s smallest country by size and population, with roughly 156,000 residents—about the size of New Orleans—and it earned its place in the 48-team bracket by going 4-0 in the opening round of qualifying and 3-0-3 in the next round.
Germany, for its part, is carrying motivation after failing to get out of the group stage in Russia and Qatar following its 2014 title. The expectation is heavy, but it’s also shaped by what the tournament has already shown: momentum can be stolen in an instant.
Other Sunday matchups carry their own storylines. Netherlands vs. Japan in Dallas at 4 p.m. EDT features teams that want more than three points. The Dutch have reached three World Cup finals and lost each time, most recently in 2010 against Spain in extra time. They also reached the 2022 quarterfinals in Qatar, losing to eventual champion Argentina on penalty kicks. Virgil van Dijk summed up the focus: “How far can we go?. Yeah. hopefully all the way. ” he said. while emphasizing that the team’s “full focus will be on Japan. first and foremost.”.
Japan arrives for its eighth straight World Cup and is seeking a third straight run to the knockout round. Japan had two of the biggest upsets in Qatar, knocking off Germany and Spain before losing to Croatia on penalty kicks in the round of 16.
In Philadelphia at 7 p.m. EDT, Ecuador plays Ivory Coast. Ecuador enters Sunday with a 19-game unbeaten streak, and the defensive confidence is part of its pitch. La Tri has allowed six goals during the streak, which dates to September 2024. Moises Caicedo of Chelsea anchors the midfield. while the back line is led by Willian Pacho. who helped lead Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League title over Arsenal.
Ivory Coast is approaching its first World Cup appearance in 12 years with a defensive edge in its build-up. The Ivorians didn’t allow a goal through 10 qualifiers and stunned powerhouse France in a friendly earlier this month. The team also has Yan Diomande. a 19-year-old forward who played high school soccer in Florida and has thrived with Lyon in the French league.
Sweden closes out Sunday’s main set in Monterrey, Mexico, against Tunisia at 10 p.m. EDT. Sweden’s opener is a test after the team failed to win any games to finish at the bottom of its qualifying group. Sweden qualified because of its performances in the 2024-2025 Nations League. a path that surprised many given the presence of two of Europe’s top strikers—Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres. Tunisia. now in its third straight World Cup. nearly reached the knockout stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a win over reigning champion France and a draw against Denmark. Tunisia’s packed-in defensive style could make it tough on the Swedes.
The broadcast schedule is set for American audiences: Fox is the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of the World Cup with all 104 matches in English on Fox or FS1. and all matches are also available on the Fox One app. Telemundo and Universo carry all matches in Spanish, Peacock streams the Spanish-language broadcasts, and Telemundo’s app includes all matches.
— Germany vs. Curacao, 1 p.m. EDT in Houston (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)
— The Netherlands vs. Japan, 4 p.m. EDT in Dallas (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, 7 p.m. EDT in Philadelphia (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Sweden vs. Tunisia, 10 p.m. EDT in Monterrey, Mexico (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)
If the opening day delivered one message, it’s that World Cup games don’t simply follow form. Qatar’s late header from Boualem Khoukhi—and Switzerland’s inability to close it out—followed a pattern that has already defined the tournament: results can swing. favorites can be unsettled. and the difference between a win and a point can come down to the final seconds.
World Cup 2026 Qatar Switzerland Boualem Khoukhi Germany Curacao Netherlands Japan Ecuador Ivory Coast Sweden Tunisia