World Cup highlights: Mexico first team to qualify for knockouts as Canada rout Qatar

[p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/21T9Mrwv1D4h9QLRZHg96e?si=-WKvlxbOTeqgryT4O-KuXg&nd=1&dlsi=2949c6bb1d25458d"]You can now listen to the article via Spotify[/a].[/p][p][i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] brings you the best of the tournament in our daily World Cup highlights throughout the competition, so you don’t miss anything important.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/world-cup-highlights-england-statement-start-as-ronaldo-struggles-in-portugal-draw/vVVPdXVQ/"]Catch up on highlights from day seven here.[/a][/p][h2]The headlines[/h2][p]With the first round of fixtures complete on Wednesday, it was the turn of Group A and Group B to play their second matches of the World Cup, allowing the standings to take shape.[/p][p]Two hosts were also in action as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a] secured top spot with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mexico-O6iHcNkd/south-korea-K6Gs7P6G/?mid=On5HOkVj"]a tight 1-0 victory[/a] over South Korea. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/romo-luis/KjqnJo1F/"]Luis Romo[/a] took advantage of a defensive mishap in the 50th minute with the eventual winner.[/p][p]With a superior head-to-head record, the co-hosts cannot be overtaken at the summit of Group A.[/p][embed guid="b3bea05d-954a-4fd6-9418-b5c687ae78b9" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2067803763218215068" social-type="twitter" /][p]Before then, in Vancouver, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a] were in complete control against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a], beating the Asian side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/canada-x4toKORL/qatar-zqzHL77i/?mid=67vLrBMM"]6-0[/a] as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/david-jonathan/CSvtXj2E/"]Jonathan David[/a] scored a hat-trick. However, the contest was overshadowed by a confirmed leg-break suffered by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kone-ismael/MkgjOoBG/"]Ismael Kone[/a] in the second half. The Canadian central midfielder had to be stretchered off the field, but left sitting up and waving at the crowd. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/madibo-assim/fJdag48f/"]Assim Madibo[/a] was sent off for the challenge on Kone, as Julen Lopetegui’s side ended the game with nine men.[/p][embed guid="3d96cc59-d816-433d-ba23-27e0de8ee7bb" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2067763899164709267" social-type="twitter" /][p]Their win set up a top-of-the-table clash on June 24th back in Vancouver, after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a] needed their substitutes to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=djmY6NcJ"]see off Bosnia & Herzegovina 4-1[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/manzambi-johan/pIqmcnKc/"]Johan Manzambi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-ruben/U7XUxOei/"]Ruben Vargas[/a] both came off the bench to score as Switzerland scored four in the final 16 minutes.[/p][p]Elsewhere, in Atlanta, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a] also left it late to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/czech-republic-6LHwBDGU/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=8nrACRTs"]rescue a point[/a] against the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Czech Republic[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mokoena-teboho/MFTeufFd/"]Teboho Mokoena[/a] scored from the spot to keep his side alive going into the final matchday, where they will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-korea/K6Gs7P6G/"]South Korea[/a], after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sadilek-michal/zJiFbA7r/"]Michal Sadilek[/a]'s opener in the sixth minute.[/p][h2]Goal of the day[/h2][p]Traditionally, in [b][i]World Cup highlights[/i][/b], we go for the spectacular goals, but today we'll go for something different.[/p][p]Switzerland were on a roll late on, putting together a slick sequence off the training ground to make it 3-0 with Manzambi scoring his second of the day.[/p][image alt="Johan Manzambi's second goal for Switzerland" id="b7b11157-b1e4-42cc-a2a9-59d366a09195" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters / Kiyoshi Mio" guid="e0b0e792-6a98-4552-8a7e-6b1a67c5b68f" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]His first wasn't bad either, a crisp volley with the ball behind him, which opened the scoring. [/p][h2]Player of the day[/h2][p]For a long time, Jonathan David was the poster boy of Canadian football. On Thursday, he announced himself onto the world stage, netting a hat-trick against Qatar to earn himself a 9.7 rating using Flashscore's new-and-improved ratings system.[/p][p]He was clinical in front of goal, working perfectly in tandem with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larin-cyle/vNpXFtuQ/"]Cyle Larin[/a], becoming the first player since Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score three for a host nation.[/p][p]From Canada's 32 shots on goal, David was responsible for eight of them - a constant threat against a Qatar side who could not get out of their own half.[/p][image alt="Canada's Jonathan David against Qatar" id="cb99a3b5-9186-4acf-a428-a6a7841a6dda" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform / Albert Gea / Reuters" guid="75b0125a-af51-422c-be92-929ee9b7e70f" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][h2]Best from social media[/h2][p]Best known as 'hockey country', Vancouver's city streets turned red and white to support Canada. The march from downtown to the stadium will be remembered forever, as will the historic afternoon that followed.[/p][embed guid="f7d3c9a6-afea-4205-90da-6fd6cc335da9" url="https://x.com/sarbrajskahlon/status/2067703274036449434" social-type="twitter" /][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]