Spain’s Lamine Yamal scores first World Cup goal, plus other highlights from the second weekend

💪 Three teams are through to the 32-team knockout stage after winning their groups over the weekend: Mexico (Group A), the U.S. (Group D), and Germany (Group E). Applause, applause.

• Sadly, three teams have also been mathematically eliminated from the WC, but will still finish their group stage campaigns later this week: Haiti (Group C), Türkiye (Group D), and Tunisia (Ground F).

🇺🇸 Back to the USMNT, the boys topped Australia 2–0 on Friday, even without injured superstar Christian Pulisic. That locked them into a July 1st Round of 32 date with a still-undecided opponent, but first they’ll need to complete the group stage on Thursday against aforementioned Türkiye. LFG.

🇨🇦 As for fellow co-hosts CanMNT, Ismaël Koné was given a hero’s welcome back to camp after undergoing surgery on his broken leg, a gruesome injury suffered in Canada’s first-ever men’s WC win. That 6–0 Thursday dub over Qatar included a hat trick from striker Jonathan David, plus a goal from midfielder Nathan Saliba, who subbed on for Koné.

• CanMNT hasn’t yet clinched a spot in the knockouts, but their chances are high: If Les Rouges win or draw against Switzerland on Wednesday, they’ll win Group B.

🙌 Spanish teen Lamine Yamal scored his first WC goal yesterday, the opening golazo in Spain’s 4–0 win over Saudi Arabia. Hours later, Egypt won their first WC game, a 3–1 victory over New Zealand.

👏 First-time WCer Cabo Verde remains undefeated, stymieing megawatt Uruguay 2–2 yesterday, a draw that included the West Africa island country’s first and second-ever goals.

😱 Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 16 saves, tying legendary American goalkeeper Tim Howard’s WC record, as the tiny Caribbean nation stunned the tourney by drawing Ecuador 0–0 on Saturday for their first WC point. Crown them.

📺 We’ll be treated to four games apiece today and tomorrow as the last of the game twos wrap up. Here’s a few you can’t miss:

• 🇦🇷 Argentina vs. 🇦🇹 Austria (Group J) — Today at 1 p.m. ET: Lionel Messi is one goal away from breaking the all-time men’s career WC goals record. Yeah, go ahead and take that long lunch.

• 🇳🇴 Norway vs. 🇸🇳 Senegal (Group I) — Today at 8 p.m. ET: If you can only watch one game, it should be this one: Norway’s Golden Boot contender Erling Haaland takes on formidable Senegal for control of the tourney’s toughest group.

• 🇵🇹 Portugal vs. 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan (Group K) — Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET: After failing to win their opening match against DR Congo, pressure’s on powerhouse Portugal (and specifically, Cristiano Ronaldo) to silence the naysayers and deny debutante Uzbekistan.