June 25 briefing: Brazil top Group C, Mexico perfect, South Africa make history

The scoreboard: three groups settled, two hosts split directions

Matchday 14 closed Groups A, B and C, and it did not leave much ambiguity at the top. Brazil and Morocco both finished Group C on seven points, but Brazil's 3-0 win over Scotland gave them the goal-difference edge; Mexico completed Group A with nine points and no goals conceded; Switzerland topped Group B while Canada took second. ESPN's numbers column and FIFA's official roundup both framed the day around Brazil's surge, Mexico's perfect group and first-time knockout progress for South Africa. 1 2

Matchday 14 pulse

Completed matches through the close of Groups A, B and C

Completed finals

Groups decided

Mexico points

South Africa knockout berths

first

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Results ledger

Match	Date and venue	Score and scorers	Why it matters
Switzerland vs Canada	June 24, BC Place Vancouver	Switzerland 2-1 Canada; Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi scored for Switzerland, Promise David for Canada. 3	Switzerland won Group B; Canada still advanced, but as runner-up.
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Qatar	June 24, Seattle Stadium	Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar; Kerim Alajbegovic, a Qatar own goal and Ermin Mahmic for Bosnia, Hassan Al-Haydos for Qatar. 4	Bosnia moved to four points and a strong third-place position; Qatar exited.
Scotland vs Brazil	June 24, Miami Stadium	Brazil 3-0 Scotland; Vinicius Junior scored twice and Matheus Cunha added the third. 5	Brazil won Group C; Scotland stayed on three points and must wait on the third-place table.
Morocco vs Haiti	June 24, Atlanta Stadium	Morocco 4-2 Haiti; Morocco scorers were Achraf Hakimi, Ismael Saibari, Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine. Haiti scored through a Yassine Bounou own goal and Wilson Isidor. 6	Morocco advanced as Group C runner-up; Haiti went out after their liveliest night of the tournament.
Czechia vs Mexico	June 25 UTC, Mexico City Stadium	Mexico 3-0 Czechia; Mateo Chavez, Julian Quinones and Alvaro Fidalgo scored after half-time. 7	Mexico finished 3-for-3 in Group A and eliminated Czechia.
South Africa vs South Korea	June 25 UTC, Monterrey Stadium	South Africa 1-0 South Korea; Thapelo Maseko scored the only goal. 8	South Africa reached a World Cup knockout round for the first time; South Korea fell into the third-place waiting room.

Neymar applauds after Brazil's win — Neymar's return came after Brazil had already put Scotland away; FIFA's roundup described the 76th-minute introduction as one of the day's loudest moments. 2

Group snapshots: who is safely through, who is sweating

Group A: Mexico are through as winners with nine points, South Africa are through in second on four, South Korea sit third on three, and Czechia are out with one. BBC's table after the final Group A matches lists Mexico at 6-0 in goal difference and South Africa above South Korea after the 1-0 win. 9

Group B: Switzerland finished first on seven points. Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina both finished on four, but Canada took second on goal difference; Bosnia's four points should keep them competitive among third-place teams. Qatar finished bottom on one. 6

Group C: Brazil and Morocco both reached seven points. Brazil took first on goal difference, Morocco took second, Scotland finished third on three points and a minus-three goal difference, and Haiti finished without a point. 6

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Three storylines to carry into the night window

1. Brazil look like Brazil again. Vinicius Junior has now scored in every group game, and ESPN notes he became the fifth Brazilian to score in all three World Cup group matches, joining Jairzinho, Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo. Neymar's first Brazil appearance since October 2023 adds another layer, even if Raphinha's hamstring remains the short-term caution flag. 1 10

2. Mexico have the cleanest host narrative. BBC's report says Mexico ended the group with three wins, three clean sheets and the country's first perfect World Cup group stage. The loudest emotional note was Guillermo Ochoa's late substitute appearance, but the useful football note is broader: Mexico's rotated side still won 3-0. 7

Mexico celebrate in Mexico City — Mexico won Group A with maximum points and no goals conceded; FIFA's roundup also listed them as the first nation to advance with maximum points. 2

3. The third-place table is now uncomfortable. Scotland's 3-0 loss leaves them dependent on other groups, South Korea must wait after losing a match in which a draw would have been enough, and Bosnia's four points now look like the kind of marker other third-place sides have to chase. BBC's live pages repeatedly frame Scotland and South Korea as waiting on the wider third-place picture. 5 8

Injury and squad watch

Brazil: Neymar has returned to full training and made his tournament debut off the bench against Scotland; Raphinha is still on a hamstring-treatment track after coming off against Haiti. 10
Canada: Jesse Marsch said Alphonso Davies "should be ready for the next match" after Canada managed him against Switzerland; Ismael Kone remains out after surgery on a severe lower-leg fracture. 3 10
United States: Christian Pulisic remains the main U.S. watch item before the Türkiye game after a calf issue kept him out against Australia. ESPN's U.S. schedule page still lists him in the injury watch, while The Independent has Pochettino saying he hopes Pulisic will be available for the next game. 11 10
Japan: Takefusa Kubo is ruled out for Japan-Sweden but has returned to individual training. 12
Germany: Nico Schlotterbeck is out for the tournament with an ankle ligament injury, though Germany have already sealed top spot in Group E. 13

South Africa players celebrate the 1-0 win — South Africa's 1-0 win sent them through to the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time. 8

Next fixtures board (UTC)

ESPN's daily fixture guide lists six Thursday matchups across Groups D, E and F; the UK kickoff times below have been converted to UTC. 14

UTC kickoff	Group	Fixture	Venue	Stakes
June 25, 20:00	E	Ecuador vs Germany	New Jersey	Germany are already first; Ecuador need a win to keep their route alive. 13
June 25, 20:00	E	Curaçao vs Ivory Coast	Philadelphia	Ivory Coast enter on three points; Curaçao need help and a result. 14
June 25, 23:00	F	Tunisia vs Netherlands	Kansas City	Netherlands can lock down the group; Tunisia are trying to avoid a pointless exit. 14
June 25, 23:00	F	Japan vs Sweden	Arlington	Japan can qualify with a draw; Sweden likely need a win to feel safe. 12
June 26, 02:00	D	Türkiye vs United States	Los Angeles	The U.S. have six points and can finish first; Türkiye are playing for pride and remote third-place hope. 11
June 26, 02:00	D	Paraguay vs Australia	Santa Clara	Both enter on three points, so this is effectively a knockout-position shootout. 14

Bottom line: the daytime board settled the hosts in very different ways: Mexico look controlled, Canada are through but traveling, and the U.S. still have to protect top spot in the late West Coast window. Brazil, meanwhile, are now a problem for everyone else's bracket math.