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Josh Ball

Scotland’s dreams of reaching the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time are all but over after Brazil brushed them aside in Miami, but Bosnia and Herzegovina made history and Haiti signed off with a battling defeat on an action-packed day in North America.
Beating the five-time champions was always a long shot, but all Steve Clarke’s side needed to do was draw, or not lose too badly, to secure a place in the last 32. Losing 3-0 has not immediately ended that hope, but it will take a miracle for the minus-three goal difference to not prove fatal in the race for one of the spots going to the eight best third-placed teams.
Morocco, meanwhile, beat Haiti 4-2 to finish level on points with Brazil in Group C, and as it stands, the pair will play Japan and the Netherlands respectively in the next round.
Earlier, Switzerland’s 2-1 win over Canada ensured they won Group B, while Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 3-1 victory over Qatar all but secured their progression beyond the group stages for the first time in the team’s history.
Group A still needs resolving this morning, with South Africa taking on South Korea in Guadalupe, and the Czech Republic facing table-toppers Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Both those matches kick off at 9am.
But that’s all for later. Right now, Scotland fans will be drowning their sorrows, Canada’s are planning a trip to Los Angeles, and supporters of Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are basking in the afterglow of a job well done while most of you were sleeping.

Attacking intent
Steve Clarke sent out a side with only one thing on its mind, and that wasn’t to sit back and wait for Brazil to score, which in hindsight wasn’t the best option.
“Tonight’s a chance to make a little bit of history, why not start on the front foot and see what we can do,” Clarke said before kick-off, not realising some awful defending was just around the corner.
Two self-inflicted wounds, first from Scott McKenna and then goalkeeper Angus Gunn, either side of VAR ruling out another Vinicius Jnr effort, left the bold game plan in tatters.
Even losing 2-0 would have given Scotland a 66.8 per cent chance of staying alive in the tournament, but Matheus Cunha’s cool finish after an hour dropped that below 50 per cent.
But with Morocco breathing down their necks, Brazil did not have the luxury of sitting back and settling for a point.
However, the African side needed a far more comprehensive win than the one they managed to overhaul their South American rival’s goal difference.
In a worrying development for everyone else, Neymar came off the bench for his first run out of the tournament as Brazil finally looked like they had clicked into gear.

Oh Canada
For 45 minutes in Vancouver, there was a heavy suspicion that Canada and Switzerland seemed intent on playing out a convenient goalless draw.
A share of the spoils would have seen the home side top Group B and remain in British Columbia for the knockout stages. It would have guaranteed Switzerland a spot in the next stage of the competition as well.
As it was, the notion the Swiss would happily play along lasted less than a minute into the second half, when Ruben Vargas fired his side ahead, and was completely dispelled soon after when Johan Manzambi’s 57th-minute effort went under Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.
Substitute Promise David had been on the field for exactly 73 seconds when he pulled one back for Canada, and the home side showed more industry in the final 15 minutes than the preceding 80, all to no avail.
Still, Canada have progressed beyond the group stage for the first time, and barring a ridiculous set of results later will battle South Korea for a place in the last 16.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are likely to face the dwindling powers of their Belgium counterparts.

Making history
The expanded tournament and the potential to finish third in a group and still reach the knockout stages means several teams will be staying longer at the World Cup than in the past.
Bosnia and Herzegovina are hoping they’ll be among them, and a 3-1 win over Qatar has all but sealed a meeting with the US on July 1.
Fortunately, that means we’ll all get another look at talented teenager Kerim Alajbegovic, who scored one of the goals of the tournament to put his side in front. The 18-year-old left winger cut inside, beat two defenders and rifled the ball into the top corner with a finish that gave goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada no chance.
Bosnia scored again five minutes later when a cross from captain Edin Dzeko, on his 150th international appearance, bounced off Sultan Al-Brake and spun into the net.
Qatar, who won their first World Cup point ever in the draw with Switzerland, got a goal back through captain Hassan Al-Haydos, but Ermin Mahmic’s deflected strike restored the two-goal cushion.
Hosts in 2022 and twice Asian champions, Qatar have still not won a game at a World Cup.


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Vinicius Jnr has scored twice already against Scotland. Photo: Reuters

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Sport

Football

Brazil star scores twice, Neymar enters World Cup fray as Scotland near exit. Switzerland win Group B, Canada, Bosnia make history,


Brazil star scores twice, Neymar enters World Cup fray as Scotland near exit. Switzerland win Group B, Canada, Bosnia make history,.


Fifa World Cup 2026

World Cup while you were sleeping: Vinicius Jnr double leaves Scotland dream in tatters

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Brazil star scores twice, Neymar enters World Cup fray as Scotland near exit. Switzerland win Group B, Canada, Bosnia make history,

Brazil star scores twice, Neymar enters World Cup fray as Scotland near exit. Switzerland win Group B, Canada, Bosnia make history,