WORLD CUP DAILY, June 26: Six matches today include New Zealand vs. Belgium in Vancouver, 8 p.m.

WORLD CUP DAILY, June 26: Six matches today include New Zealand vs. Belgium in Vancouver, 8 p.m.

Published 7:00 am Friday, June 26, 2026

FIFA World Cup Trophy displayed at BC Place Stadium on July 26, 2024 in Vancouver. (Ethan Cairns/Getty Images for FIFA)

Daily FIFA World Cup soccer match updates and news for Black Press Media publications.

Today another six matches are scheduled to avoid fixing on the final day of play for Groups G, H and I, with two games in each group played simultaneously at noon, 5 and 8 p.m.

In Vancouver, New Zealand plays Belgium at 8 p.m. Friday in a Group G match, timed with an Egypt-Iran encounter in Seattle.

Group I battles are France vs. Norway in Boston and Iraq vs. Senegal in Toronto, noon starts Friday.

Group H action sees Saudi Arabia vs. Cabo Verde in Houston and Spain vs. Uruguay in Gaudalajara, 5 p.m. games.

Matches this week lead to the World Cup knockout phase (Round of 32), which runs Sunday, June 28 to Friday, July 3. With the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams for 2026, 32 teams advance from the group stage — the top two from each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers.

Prior to Friday’s games, 13 teams have qualified to play in the coming Round of 32 including Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, United States, Germany, Argentina, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Netherlands, Ivory Coast and Japan, with more to be decided later today and Saturday.

Thursday, Ecuador upset Germany 2-1 in New York while Ivory Coast blanked Curacao, 2-0, among other scores.

World Cup numbers: 39-day FIFA soccer tournament started June 11 in Mexico.

2026 FIFA World Cup: An in-depth look at Canada’s midfielders and forwards.

2026 FIFA World Cup: An in-depth look into Canada’s goalkeepers and defence.

TROZZO: What a doctor on Canada’s bench in ’86 bench taught me about the World Cup.

PHOTOS: B.C.’s Science World fully transforms into FIFA World Cup match ball.

Vancouver’s 1st World Cup match led to TransLink’s busiest Saturday since Olympics.