Welcome to day sixteen of the 2026 World Cup finals.
We are aiming to bring you a daily round up of the matches to come and recent results.
There are 48 countries at these 2026 World Cup finals, the most there has ever been. The matches to take place across Mexico, Canada and the USA.
The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group automatically going through and the eight best performing teams who finish third in their groups.
So only 16 of the 48 countries will be knocked out after the 72 group games have all played out, with the other 32 teams going through to the knockout stages.
We have now reached a point where 60 of the 72 group games have been played. That means only 12 group matches of the 2026 World Cup still to go, with 44 games in total when you include the knockout stages. Six of the twelve groups have now been played out and another six to be finished off.
On Thursday night (UK time) we saw Group C concluded. A comfortable win for Ivory Coast over Curacao saw the African side qualify for the last 32.
Ecuador needed to win to do so and despite going 1-0 down to Germany they turned it around to win 2-1. Germany were really poor, whilst Nick Woltemade still with no World Cup minutes but Malick Thiaw (pictured at the top) did alright when playing right-back for the final half hour.
In the early hours of Friday (UK time) two more groups were played out.
Group F saw three more teams progress to the last 32. A comfortable 3-1 victory over Tunisia meant the Netherlands won the group. Japan took a second half lead but Anthony Elanga with a brilliant equaliser meant Sweden as well as Japan also progress.
Group D was predictable, another three teams progressing. The USA were already guaranteed to top the group, they made nine changes and lost 3-2 to Turkey who had already been knocked out. Paraguay and Australia both knew a point each would put them on four points and guaranteed to go through, that match ending in a draw and not a single goal scored to threaten that…
It is now 177 goals in 60 matches and this 2026 World Cup no longer on track to average three or more goals per game for the first time since the 1958 World Cup, although not far short of that three goal average. The closest since 1958 was the 1970 Mexico World Cup that averaged 2.97 goals per match, this 2026 World Cup now averaging 2.95 goals per game after the opening 54 matches.
The next eight matches to be played across Friday and Saturday are detailed below, all kick-offs are shown as UK times and with the channel that is showing them.
Thursday 25 June
Czech Republic 0 Mexico 3 Group A
South Africa 1 South Korea 0 Group A
Curacao 0 Ivory Coast 2 Group E
Ecuador 2 Germany 1 Group E
Friday 26 June
Japan 1 Sweden 1 Group F
Tunisia 1 Netherlands 3 Group F
Paraguay 0 Australia 0 Group D
Turkey 3 USA 2 Group D
Norway v France 8pm (ITV1) Group I
Senegal v Iraq 8pm (ITV4) Group I
Saturday 27 June
Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia 1am (ITV4) Group H
Uruguay v Spain 1am (ITV1) Group H
Egypt v Iran 4am (BBC2) Group G
New Zealand v Belgium 4am (BBC1) Group G
Croatia v Ghana 10pm (ITV4) Group L
England v Panama 10pm (ITV1) Group L