Day 10 of the 2026 World Cup will feature four more group stage matches, led by the Netherlands vs. Sweden in Houston. Germany will play Ivory Coast in Toronto, Ecuador will play Curacao in Kansas City and Tunisia will face Japan in Monterrey.
Away from the game, the U.S. defeated Australia to advance to the finals, and Brazil moved closer to qualifying. Algeria have reportedly filed a complaint with FIFA over the referee’s decision in their loss to Argentina, and questions continue to be raised about the rising cost of attending matches in Vancouver.
What is the schedule for Saturday?
Netherlands vs. Sweden, 1pm (18:00 GMT) at Houston Stadium, Texas, USA, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, 4:00pm (20:00 GMT) at Toronto Stadium, Canada, Ecuador vs. Lasso, USA at Kansas City Stadium 8pm (Sunday, GMT) 8pm (Sunday, GMT) Tunisia vs. Japan at Mexico’s Monterrey Stadium at 12am EDT (06:00 GMT Sunday)
What are your predictions for Netherlands vs Sweden?
The Netherlands and Sweden have played each other 20 times, most recently in 2017 with the Netherlands winning 2-0 in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Of the last seven meetings with the Orange, Sweden has only won once.
Despite Sweden’s strong opening win over Tunisia, the Netherlands are favorites to win.
Opta’s supercomputer gives the Netherlands a 55.9 percent chance of winning, compared to 20.8 percent for Sweden and a 23.3 percent chance of a draw.
What are your predictions for Ecuador vs Curacao?
This will be the first meeting between Ecuador and Curaçao. Ecuador are unbeaten in their last 13 matches against CONCACAF opponents, with seven wins and six draws.
Ecuador was the overwhelming favorite to win, winning in 86.1% of Opta’s 25,000 simulations. The probability of a draw is 9.2 percent, but Curacao’s probability of winning is only 4.7 percent.
But this World Cup has already produced some surprises and given hope to the underdogs.
What are your predictions for Germany vs. Ivory Coast?
Germany and Ivory Coast have only met once before, drawing 2-2 in a friendly in 2009. Germany generally performed well against their African opponents at the World Cup, losing just one of their eight matches.
Opta’s supercomputer makes Germany the favorites, giving them a 44.4% chance of victory. Ivory Coast’s scoring rate is 30.0%, with a draw rate of 25.6%.
The Elephants are hoping to make history as they have never won two World Cups before.
What are your predictions for Tunisia vs. Japan?
Japan dominated this match, winning five out of six matches against Tunisia. Tunisia’s only win came in a friendly in 2022.
Despite Tunisia’s recent coaching change, Japan are favorites to win. Opta’s supercomputer gives Tunisia a 61.3 percent chance of winning, a 22.9 percent chance of a draw and 15.8 percent for Tunisia.
What else is shaping the World Cup?
Introducing Osito, the World Cup’s newest viral star
Mexican fans have discovered the World Cup’s new mascot is eight-year-old rescue dog Osito. Osito made headlines when he arrived at the opening round of the tournament wearing a Mexican shirt, sunglasses and a hat, riding a cargo bike.
Owned by Mexico City deliveryman Jorge Rangel, Osito accompanies him on his daily rounds and quickly became a fan favorite, attracting legions of supporters and garnering widespread attention on social media.
Norwegian fans hold Viking procession in Times Square
Norway’s return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years brought traveling supporters to the United States, and fans soaked up the occasion with Viking-inspired chants and celebrations that quickly became popular among locals.
First red card under new World Cup rule ‘cover your mouth’
Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron received a straight red card in the win over Torquier, becoming the first player to be sent off under the World Cup’s new mouth-covering rule.
The midfielder collided with Maat Mardur in first-half stoppage time and was sent off following a VAR decision. The rule requires a red card for players who cover their mouths with their hands, arms or shirts during a collision.
The changes were introduced following concerns that players could hide offensive or discriminatory comments by covering their mouths during on-field altercations. Under the new guidelines, referees can issue a straight red card if a player deliberately covers his mouth during a confrontation.
USA advances despite Pulisic absence
The United States advanced to the World Cup finals without injured captain Christian Pulisic, defeating Australia 2-0 and taking two wins from two games in Group D.
Later, Paraguay defeated Tolkier, and the American team also secured the top spot in the group. Although Pulisic was absent due to a calf injury, the United States performed well without key players and showed that they have increased depth.
The group winners will face the third-place team in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara, California.
As Neymar’s return to Brazil approaches, expectations for the next stage increase
Matheus Cunha scored twice and Vinicius Junior added a goal and an assist for Brazil, who beat Haiti 3-0 and boosted their hopes of advancing to the World Cup finals.
The loss ended Haiti’s hopes of advancing, becoming the first team to be eliminated from the expanded 48-team tournament. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti also revealed that Neymar is expected to return from injury for the final group game against Scotland.
Tunisia looks to Cape Verde’s unrest for inspiration
Tunisia’s new coach Hervé Renard says Cape Verde’s shock draw with Spain gives his team confidence as they prepare for a must-win game against Japan.
Renard, who took over after Tunisia lost 5-1 to Sweden, believes the team must avoid defeat to keep alive its hopes of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time. The Frenchman said Cape Verde’s performance showed that even underdogs can compete if they are organized and disciplined.
Algeria officially lodges complaint with FIFA over Lionel Messi
According to Reuters, Algeria has reportedly lodged a complaint with FIFA over several refereeing decisions during their 3-0 loss to Argentina.
The complaint focuses on an incident in which Lionel Messi tried to catch captain Aissa Mundy’s calf in the first half, but avoided punishment before completing his hat-trick. Algeria also expressed concern about a second-half challenge involving Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and believes a penalty should have been awarded.
DHS’s immigration-themed World Cup post attracts attention
When the U.S. men’s team defeated Australia 2-0 to advance to the World Cup finals, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tried to connect the result with a message for immigrants.
Before kickoff, DHS shared an image on social media of three U.S. players with the slogan, “Protect our homeland. One nation. One homeland. One team.” After the win, he posted another image showing the team in front of the border fence with the caption “We built the wall.”
The message received attention because many members of the U.S. national team have immigrant backgrounds. Nearly half of the 26-player roster are first-generation Americans or have close family roots overseas, and six players were born outside the United States.
Match day 9, results
The United States advanced to the finals, won Group D, and Brazil moved closer to advancing to the finals. Morocco strengthened its position in Group C. Paraguay remained in contention for Group D. Haiti and Tolkier became the first teams officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup.
Beyond soccer: World Cup fever meets affordability concerns in Vancouver
Al Jazeera’s David Mercer visited Vancouver, where the 2026 World Cup will be held, and found that along with the excitement to welcome the world’s biggest sporting event, there was also growing concern about who would be able to attend.
Game-day hotel room rates have reached up to $1,000 per night, drawing criticism from some tourism industry insiders who say tour operators are taking advantage of the surge in demand. The pressure was compounded after FIFA booked thousands of hotel rooms and then canceled much of its inventory, causing confusion for travel companies and tournament organizers.
“We sold on beauty, we sold on demand that we created, but we didn’t structurally address future growth,” Lois Chewin, CEO of Destination Vancouver, told Al Jazeera. “Right now we’re in catch-up mode.”
This problem extends beyond visitors looking for a place to stay. For many families in Vancouver, the biggest challenge is the cost of attending a game.
Shushan Vardanyan said her family changed their vacation plans to stay in Vancouver for the tournament, but realized a single game could cost as much as an annual trip abroad to visit relatives.
“At current prices, if you want to watch one game with your family, it’s an annual vacation to see your family overseas,” said Shushan Vardanya, a Vancouver resident. “It is unfortunate that there are such high barriers to accessing tickets for such a large and important event in our city.”
For a city that prides itself on being open and inclusive, the debate surrounding the World Cup is about much more than soccer. As fans fill stadiums and tourists flock to the city, many residents are wondering whether Vancouver’s biggest moment on the world stage will also expose its most serious affordability challenges.
