Haiti and Türkiye have become the latest teams to be eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following defeats in their respective matches on Friday.
In Philadelphia, Brazil secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti in a Group C encounter, ending the Caribbean nation’s hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds.
Brazil took control of the match through an impressive first-half display. Forward Matheus Cunha opened the scoring after reacting quickest to a rebound when Vinicius Junior saw his effort saved by the Haitian goalkeeper.
Cunha then doubled Brazil’s advantage with a powerful finish from inside the penalty area as the South Americans continued to dominate possession and create chances.
Vinicius Jr completed the scoring deep into first-half stoppage time, giving Brazil a commanding three-goal lead before the interval and effectively putting the contest beyond Haiti’s reach.
The result leaves Haiti rooted to the bottom of Group C with no points from two matches and a goal difference of minus four. Their final group fixture against Morocco on June 24 will now be played only for pride.
Brazil’s victory moved the five-time world champions to the top of the group on goal difference, ahead of Morocco.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Türkiye’s World Cup journey also came to an early end after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
The decisive moment came almost immediately after kickoff when Paraguayan midfielder Matias Galarza found the net after just 64 seconds, recording the fastest goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far.
Despite pushing forward in search of an equaliser and enjoying a numerical advantage after Paraguay were reduced to ten men in stoppage time, Türkiye failed to break down the South American side’s defence.
The defeat means Türkiye have lost both of their opening matches and remain without a point, making qualification mathematically impossible with one game still remaining.
For Paraguay, the victory keeps their slim hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive ahead of a decisive final group match against Australia.
The tournament has carried special significance for both eliminated nations. Haiti returned to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1974, while Türkiye arrived with expectations of making a deep run but ultimately failed to progress beyond the group phase.
As the group stage continues, Brazil have strengthened their status as one of the tournament favourites, while Haiti and Türkiye must now turn their attention to finishing their campaigns on a positive note in their remaining matches.
