Spain Wins Big and Morocco Gets the Job Done to Set Course for the World Cup Knockout Stage
- Spain’s Rout: The Best Football Is Back
- Morocco Clings to Its Dream
- Standout Performances by the Netherlands and Japan
- Tunisia and Turkey Say Goodbye
- Uruguay on the Brink Against Spain
Spain is back. De la Fuente’s team bounced back with a convincing rout, and Morocco took a giant step forward in its group, on a weekend also marked by standout performances from the Netherlands and Japan and by the stumbles that knocked Tunisia and Turkey out of contention. Uruguay, meanwhile, heads into the final matchday needing to beat Spain itself to stay alive.
Spain shook off all doubts from its opener with a resounding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, delivering its first standout performance at the 2026 World Cup. Luis de la Fuente shook things up with as many as four changes from the disappointing opening draw, and the reaction was immediate: more pace, more depth, and a much more recognizable dominance from the European champions.
El tercer gol de España y doblete de Oyarzabal pic.twitter.com/SrFOd8QJGo
— Maiki (@maikiarg78) June 21, 2026
Lamine Yamal returned to the starting lineup with the impact everyone expected and capped off his performance with his first goal of the tournament, capping a game-changing display from the right wing. Mikel Oyarzabal was the star of the show, scoring a brace and also providing an assist to Lamine himself, confirming that La Roja’s attack functions much better when it finds partners between the lines and gets runs from deep. The rout puts Spain well on track for the Round of 16 and, above all, sends a message that the setback against Cape Verde was a one-off.
Morocco Clings to Its Dream
The Moroccan national team also closed out the weekend with a crucial 0-1 victory over Scotland, thanks to a goal by Saibari, which strengthens their case for a spot in the knockout stage. After holding their own against Brazil in a highly competitive match a few days ago, Morocco reinforced the impression of a mature team—solid at the back and with enough firepower to compete head-to-head with world powers.
The victory comes amid intense pressure in the group stage and keeps the North African team in control of its own destiny to advance to the next round. The Atlas Lions thus confirm the upward trajectory of recent years, with a generation already being watched by Europe’s top teams—as is the case with Bouaddi, the sensation of the World Cup.
Standout Performances by the Netherlands and Japan
Saturday was marked by the Netherlands’ scoring prowess, as they opened the day with a resounding 5-1 victory over Sweden in Group F, a result that puts the Oranje in an unbeatable position heading into the final matchday. Ronald Koeman started Brian Brobbey in the starting lineup, and the forward responded with a first-half brace.
Japan capped off the night with its best performance in World Cup history, thrashing Tunisia 4-0 and scoring more goals than ever before in a single World Cup match. With four points and the same goal differential as the Netherlands, the Japanese team has earned the reputation of being a extremely dangerous opponent heading into the final group match, with Ayase Ueda shining on offense and scoring a stunning goal from the edge of the box—one of the best goals of the tournament.
Tunisia and Turkey Say Goodbye
For Tunisia, the loss to Japan was the final blow: two matches, two lopsided defeats, and mathematical elimination following the 4-0 loss in Monterrey. Hervé Renard’s last-minute move failed to halt the decline of a team that was already demoralized after the crushing 5-1 defeat in its debut against Sweden.
Turkey, for its part, has also been eliminated after falling 2-0 to Australia in Vancouver, in a match marked by the Socceroos’ efficiency and Turkey’s inability to respond under pressure—despite a strong performance by Güler, who was highly critical of the team’s performance after the game. The loss, combined with previous results, seals the elimination of a team that had arrived with expectations of, at the very least, advancing past the group stage.
Uruguay on the Brink Against Spain
Group H has become extremely tight after Uruguay let slip a victory that seemed all but assured against Cape Verde. La Celeste came back from Kevin Lenini’s stunning free-kick goal and went into halftime leading 2-1, but a serious defensive error allowed the Africans to salvage a 2-2 draw, which greatly complicates the South Americans’ plans.
With Spain’s 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and that draw in Miami, Uruguay heads into the final matchday needing to beat De la Fuente’s team if it wants to advance to the knockout stage. It will be a pivotal match for Spain, which will finally face a top-tier team led by Bielsa—a preview of the knockout-round clashes to come.
Given the results so far and with Morocco finishing second in the group, the Americans would face the Netherlands in the round of 16, while Spain would take on Austria.
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