The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

1:37 a.m.

The game has been declared a sellout at BC Place with 52,497 fans in attendance.

___

1:34 a.m.

Australia went up 2-0 thanks to Connor Metcalfe. The midfielder launched a left-footed shot from the top of the penalty area, beating Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir in the 75th minute. He celebrated with a lengthy knee slide toward the corner flag, where he was mobbed by his teammates.

—

1:25 a.m.

Turkey’s Metin Demirel helped Australian player Mohamed Toure when he suffered cramp, stretching him out at midfield as play moved into the Australian end just before the hydration break. The gesture drew applause from Australian spectators.

1:05 a.m.

The second half is underway in the Group D match between Australia and Turkey at BC Place. Australia leads 1-0 in the first men’s World Cup game in Vancouver. The city staged nine matches, including the final, at the women’s World Cup in 2015.

___

12:51 a.m.

Australia holds a 1-0 lead over Turkey at halftime of their Group D match at Vancouver’s BC Place. Nestory Irankunda scored the lone goal of the opening half. Turkey had its share of chances, including a shot off the post and a dangerous scramble in front of Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach during stoppage time.

12:47 a.m.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was spotted in a suite at BC Place during the Australia-Turkey match. Infantino also attended Brazil-Morocco in New Jersey earlier in the day.

12:27 p.m.

Australia took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Nestory Irankunda in the 27th minute. He broke free on a well-timed run and beat goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir with a low shot. Turkey nearly knotted the score two minutes later when a shot rang off the post.

___

12:15 a.m.

The two fan bases are battling for volume, with the Turkish crowd unleashing ear-piercing whistles and the Australians responding with chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!”

___

12 a.m.

Game on. The Group D match between Australia and Turkey is underway at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium. Both countries are well represented, each with thousands of fans on hand, although Australia appears to have the edge with one corner of the stadium nearly all gold.

11:55 p.m.

The boisterous crowd at BC Place was relatively subdued as the Turkish and Australian players walked out onto the field, with giant flags of both countries draped on either side of the pitch, but they audibly sang along to the national anthems of both countries. Cheers rang out once again after each song.

___

11:41 p.m.

BC Place has turned into a singalong as fans wait for kickoff between Turkey and Australia. The yellow-clad Australian supporters belted out Men at Work’s ‘Down Under.'” Not to be outdone, Turkish fans let out a roar when Tarkan’s “Dönmüyor Giden” played over the speakers.

—

11:20 p.m.

Turkey’s players emerged from the tunnel to loud cheers from throughout the stadium. The noise reverberated again every time the team was shown on the big screen during their warm-ups.

11:15 p.m.

Australia’s players came out for warm-ups to a mixture of boos and cheers from the still-arriving crowd. A large section of yellow-clad Socceroo fans occupied the stands behind the net as the athletes passed balls back and forth on the field. The stadium speakers blasted AC-DC as the players ran drills on the newly installed grass pitch.

___

11:06 p.m.

The so-called “last mile” walk to BC Place has been thronged with a sea of supporters for the Australia-Turkey match in Vancouver. Among them is Dane Johnson from Sydney, Australia, among a group of four new friends all dressed in green and gold, except for one dressed as a kangaroo, complete with a joey in its pouch.

They say they only met in Vancouver on Friday while out drinking, and Johnson says “everyone who watches Australia play” are mates. The group say they’ve already drunk so much beer that the pub ran out.

11:02 p.m.

Scotland, on a 28th-minute goal from John McGinn, held on to defeat Haiti 1-0 tonight in the World Cup opener for both squads. With Brazil and Morocco playing to a 1-1 draw earlier in the day, Scotland leads Group C with three points, while Brazil and Morocco each have a point. Haiti has no points.

10:30 p.m.

Players and staff from both Australia and Turkey have arrived at BC Place in Vancouver ahead of tonight’s World Cup opener. Wearing dark suits, white shirts and dark ties. Minutes later, boisterous cheers and whistles greeted Turkey’s players as they emerged from the tunnel wearing red warm-up shirts and black shorts or track pants. Some of the Turkish players greeted their Australian counterparts at midfield.

10:06 p.m.

Organizers of the official FIFA Fan Festival at Hastings Park in Vancouver say it’s a full house in the venue’s amphitheatre, where ecstatic fans watched the Brazil-Morocco match and are preparing for tonight’s Australia-Turkey pairing.

Thousands of fans are packed into the standing zone in front of the main stage in the amphitheatre that’s emerged as one of the most high-energy places to watch the World Cup in Canada.

9:52 p.m.

Scotland, with a 28th-minute goal from John McGinn, leads underdog Haiti 1-0 at halftime. It’s McGinn’s 21st international goal and Scotland’s first World Cup goal since 1998.

9:05 p.m.

Busy day and night in the Boston area with a Haitian fan parade, parties and Scottish fans — known as the Tartan Army — setting up camp and making their presence felt through kilts and random bagpipe performances. The game at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., is now underway. It’s the first World Cup game for both nations in years — Scotland last played in the 1998 tournament, while Haiti played in 1974.

8:41 p.m.

There’s a heavy police presence outside BC Place Stadium in Vancouver ahead of tonight’s match between Australia and Turkey. With half an hour before gates open, dozens of officers are patrolling outside, some carrying rifles. Officers could also be seen posing with supporters who have started pouring toward the stadium for Vancouver’s first match of the tournament.

8:34 p.m.

Moments after the final whistle of the 1-1 Brazil-Morocco draw — the only group stage match of the tournament between teams in the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings — the crowd full of more than 75,000 yellow-clad Seleção fans, were still buzzing about Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior’s highlight-reel moment.

With Brazil trailing Morocco more than 30 minutes into each team’s tournament opener Saturday, the soon-to-be 26-year-old left winger passed the ball to Bruno Guimarães to draw in three defenders and then did the rest himself.

8 p.m.

Despite playing 10 minutes of stoppage time, Brazil and Morocco had to settle for an emotionally-charged 1-1 draw in their Group C opener. Brazil led in shots on target (5-4), yellow cards (2-0) and had a slight advantage in possession (54 per cent to 46). Scotland and Haiti, the other two teams in Group C, will play later tonight in Boston.

6:55 p.m.

Brazil and Morocco are tied 1-1 after a thrilling first half of their Group C opener. Ismael Saibari chipped a ball past Brazilian keeper Alisson Becker to give Morocco a lead in the 21st minute. Vinicius Junior equalized in the 32nd minute by cutting in and curling a shot into the net.

6 p.m.

Brazil’s quest for a sixth World Cup starts now. Brazil faces Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J., to kick off Group C play. It’s a marquee matchup between a pair of top-10 teams, with Brazil in sixth and Morocco seventh in the FIFA rankings. Brazil last won the World Cup in 2002. Morocco, meanwhile, became the first African and Arab nation to reach the tournament’s semifinals in 2022.

5:32 p.m.

Ramazan Kilic is one of thousands of Turkish fans gathering in Vancouver for tonight’s first-ever men’s World Cup match in the city. Turkey opens its tournament against Australia tonight at BC Place Stadium. Kilic says he will get goosebumps when Turkey’s national anthem rings around the venue. He bought four tickets for a total of $5,000, purchasing his seats before prices started to drop as matchday approached. He calls it “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

5:09 p.m.

Boualem Khouki’s stoppage-time equalizer helps Qatar steal a 1-1 draw with favoured Switzerland in its World Cup opener, securing the country’s first-ever point at the tournament. Khouki headed in a cross from Homam El Amin to stun the Swiss, who dominated play with 68 per cent possession. The result creates a four-way tie in Group B after Canada drew Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 on Friday. Canada faces Qatar and Bosnia takes on Switzerland on Thursday.

3:56 p.m.

Switzerland leads Qatar 1-0 at halftime in its World Cup opener. Swiss striker Breel Embolo calmly slotted home a penalty kick past keeper Mahmoud Abunada in the 17th minute to put the team ahead in a one-sided first 45 minutes.

3 p.m.

Play is underway between Canada’s next two opponents to kick off today’s action. Qatar and Switzerland meet at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in the second Group B match, a day after Canada opened with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto. Switzerland sits 19th in the FIFA rankings and is favoured to win the group. Canada is ranked 30th, followed by No. 56 Qatar and No. 64 Bosnia-Herzegovina. Canada faces Qatar on Thursday and Switzerland on June 24, with both matches in Vancouver.

1:26 p.m.

Two Peruvian police officers disguised as World Cup mascots Maple and Clutch helped arrest a suspected drug dealer during Thursday’s tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City. Maple is a moose representing Canada, while Clutch is a bald eagle representing the United States. Police in Lima said the undercover agents used a sledgehammer to break down a door before arresting 48-year-old suspect Carlos Cabrera. Authorities said they found 2,524 packets of cocaine base and a firearm.

12:10 p.m.

Police detained two people while investigating the possible theft of equipment from an England team vehicle in Kansas City, Missouri. The incident occurred last night as staff prepared the team’s base at Swope Soccer Village ahead of the squad’s arrival from Florida. The English Football Association confirmed the possible theft to The Associated Press but said it could not provide further information. England opens Group L play against Croatia on Wednesday at Dallas Stadium.

10:32 a.m.

The World Cup has gotten off to a strong start for the three co-host nations. Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over South Africa on Thursday, the United States followed with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay last night, and Canada earned a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina earlier in the day. Host nations now have an all-time record of 18 wins, one loss and seven draws in World Cup openers, with Qatar’s 2-0 defeat to Ecuador in 2022 remaining the only opening-game loss by a host country.

10:23 a.m.

Canada is headed to Vancouver after opening its home World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on Friday. Cyle Larin scored a late equalizer for Canada, which earned its first point in seven all-time World Cup matches. The Canadians will face Qatar on Thursday at BC Place before wrapping up group-stage play against Switzerland on June 24.

___

10:20 a.m.

The FIFA World Cup arrives in Vancouver tonight when Australia faces Turkey in the first tournament match, 9 p.m., at BC Place. The game will provide the first World Cup test for the stadium’s new natural grass playing surface, a temporary pitch installed over artificial turf to meet FIFA requirements. The field is supported by irrigation, ventilation and UV-light systems and has undergone months of preparation ahead of the tournament.

10:15 a.m.

Ghana has protested Canada’s decision to deny Thomas Partey a visa for the World Cup and says it is considering legal action to overturn the ruling. The Ghanaian government said Canadian authorities found the midfielder inadmissible because he is awaiting trial in England on multiple rape charges, which Partey denies. Ghana opens its tournament Wednesday against Panama in Toronto.

___

10:10 a.m.

Day 3 of the FIFA World Cup features four group-stage matches, beginning with Qatar against Switzerland in Santa Clara, Calif. The day’s marquee matchup sees sixth-ranked Brazil take on seventh-ranked Morocco in East Rutherford, N.J. Haiti faces Scotland in a meeting of two teams returning to the tournament after long absences, while Australia opens its campaign against Turkey in Vancouver.

With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

The Latest from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada

What's Trending