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World Cup Day 3: Parity Emerges, Swiss Penalty History, and Sticker Album Surprises
The Athletic has live coverage of Germany vs Curacao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Welcome to The Athletic’s daily World Cup cheatsheet, your guide to which teams are up, which are down — with the data analysis to back it up.
We unpack the key talking points from each matchday and give you the stats you need to stay informed. And if you want to go deeper, we point you toward some of The Athletic’s best World Cup coverage.
What happened on day three of the World Cup?
The World Cup’s expansion to 48 teams aimed to make it more global, and day three suggested the gaps between confederations may be narrowing. Qatar scored a 93rd-minute equalizer — the third-latest in a group-stage game in recorded World Cup history — to draw with Switzerland and earn their first World Cup point. African champions Morocco went toe-to-toe with Brazil in another 1-1 draw. Haiti nearly drew with Scotland, and Australia ran their socks off to beat Turkey 2-0.
Early signs point to parity at the 2026 World Cup. Few easy wins exist, and players from less established nations, including Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach, are stepping up. Beach’s eight saves against Turkey are the most by any goalkeeper on their World Cup debut since 2002.
This might look silly if Germany thrashes World Cup debutants Curacao on Sunday, but fans of competitiveness have enjoyed the action so far.
Morocco were more than a match for Brazil on day three of the 2026 World Cup. (Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images)
What does that mean for the tournament?
Draws are common in soccer, but in this format, they set up a dramatic final round of group games. With eight of 12 third-place teams advancing to the round of 32, close groups mean a permutation frenzy awaits in a couple of weeks.
What You Should Read Next
Keep an eye on Group B, which started with two 1-1 draws. Qatar’s chance of progressing has risen to 30 percent, based on advanced data. Scotland top Group C after one game. Brazil and Morocco are still favored to progress, but if one does so as a third-placed side, they will be a major loose cannon in the bracket.
Percentage chance of progressing after one game
Thing to tell a friend or colleague today
For sticker collectors, Brazil vs Morocco was discombobulating. Both squads had seven players included in Panini’s official sticker album but absent from the final World Cup squad. Only Ghana have more, with eight. The combined total of 14 players is the highest for any group-stage match.
Guessing final squads is not easy, so credit to Panini: eight teams have zero incorrect players.
Stat of the day
Switzerland, home to over 75 sports organizations including FIFA, had a curious gap: no Swiss player had scored a penalty in a World Cup game (excluding shootouts) until Breel Embolo converted against Qatar. The award was controversial, but Embolo ended the drought in Switzerland’s 42nd World Cup match, their 13th appearance.
Breel Embolo makes history for the Swiss. (Fran Santiago / Getty Images)
Match-up of the day to look out for
Germany vs Curacao on Sunday could be a mismatch in landmass terms. As the chart shows, this is the biggest disparity of dry land in World Cup history since 2002, followed by Canada vs Qatar on June 18. Other landmass mismatches include Curacao vs Ivory Coast and Ecuador, and Saudi Arabia vs Cape Verde. But as Curacao shows, it’s not how much land you have, but what you do with it (build soccer pitches to develop players).
What You Should Read Next
What each team needs to do to have their best World Cup in history
The expansion to 48 teams means this question is not as simple to answer as it once was
Who’s winning the World Cup?
Brazil hired Carlo Ancelotti, one of the greatest club coaches in history, to win this World Cup. Yet they met their match in Morocco, coached by Mohamed Ouahbi in his first competitive senior match, who outplayed Brazil in the first half. If Brazil don’t win, it will be their longest stretch without a title since 1958. A draw with Morocco hasn’t hurt their prospects, but another underwhelming display against Haiti will sound alarms.
