One lucky winner and one unlucky one: what happened in Groups E and F at the 2026 World Cup
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group F - Tunisia v Japan - Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico - June 21, 2026 Tunisia players look dejected after the match REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
At the 2026 World Cup, another team has been determined that will definitely play in the playoffs, and another loser.
The lucky team in Group E was Germany, which in a tough match, already in the added time of the second half, snatched a victory from Côte d’Ivoire – 2:1.
In the same group, Ecuador drew 0-0 with Curaçao, which was more of a success for the latter. Now, in Group E, Germany has secured a spot in the playoffs and first place in its group, while three teams will be vying for the second spot.
The standings of the teams before the third round in Group E:
In Group F, the Netherlands crushed Sweden 5-1, erasing the goal advantage the Swedes had built in the first round, while Japan crushed Tunisia 4-0. Even a coaching change couldn’t help the latter. So Tunisia is eliminated from the tournament for good.
The remaining teams will decide everything in the third round. It’s too early to make any predictions here.
The situation in Group F before the third round is as follows:
Today, Spain will play Saudi Arabia in Groups H and G. Kickoff time is 7:00 PM Kyiv time. Belgium will play Iran. That game kicks off at 10:00 PM.
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