Day 3 of the World Cup gave us a Brazil who could not finish, a Scotland who refused to lose, a Qatar moment that will be talked about for years, and a piece of Australian opportunism that puts Group D wide open. Here's everything that happened on Saturday and what the standings now look like.
Brazil 1-1 Morocco · Group C · Inglewood
Brazil were favourites by a country mile and played most of the match like a side waiting for the inevitable. Vinícius Jr opened the scoring just before the half-hour from a Rodrygo cutback, and for forty minutes it looked like the only question was the scoreline. Then Morocco's pressing block — the same one that ruined Belgium and Portugal three years ago — woke up. Achraf Hakimi pushed higher, Hakim Ziyech began drifting inside, and Youssef En-Nesyri equalised on 71 minutes with a header that completely deceived Bento in goal. Brazil chased a winner that never came.
It is not a bad result for Morocco and a real problem for Brazil, who now need to beat Scotland and not slip against Haiti just to secure top of the group. Vinícius was excellent until the final third; finishing remains the chronic issue with this side.
Scotland 1-0 Haiti · Group C · Kansas City
Steve Clarke's Scotland did what Scotland always do at tournaments: keep it dull, stay in the game, take a chance late. Che Adams scored on 78 minutes from a Robertson cross at the back post, and a stoppage-time goal-line clearance by Jack Hendry preserved the result. Haiti can be proud of a competitive 90 minutes in their first World Cup appearance since 1974 but will rue spurning two clear half-chances in the first half. Scotland go top of Group C on goal difference courtesy of Brazil and Morocco cancelling out.
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland · Group B · East Rutherford
The match of the day, if not on quality then on history. Breel Embolo opened the scoring from the spot in the 17th minute after Granit Xhaka was hauled down in the box. Switzerland controlled the next 80 minutes — possession, chances, post-rattling shots from Ricardo Rodríguez and Dan Ndoye — but could not get the second. Qatar dug in. Then in the fourth minute of stoppage time captain Boualem Khoukhi met an Akram Afif corner with a thunderous header that flew past Yann Sommer to win Qatar their first ever World Cup point.
The bench cleared. The whole stadium, neutrals and Qatari fans alike, recognised what they had just witnessed. Switzerland will be furious — and they should be — but a draw at a World Cup is rarely just one team's failure. Qatar earned it.
Australia 2-0 Türkiye · Group D · Vancouver
The nightcap, and a result almost no one predicted. Türkiye were returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2002 with Hakan Çalhanoğlu in midfield form and Arda Güler shouldering creative responsibility. Australia were missing two senior defenders and started a teenager up top in Nestory Irankunda. That teenager scored on 27 minutes — a counterattack finish from a Mat Leckie ball — and Connor Metcalfe added the second from twenty yards on 75 minutes with a strike that arrowed in off the underside of the bar.
Tony Popovic's pragmatic, counter-punching Socceroos pick up three points in their opener and put Group D on its head. Türkiye must now beat the USA and Paraguay back-to-back to advance.
The standings after Day 3
Through three days, here is how the relevant groups now sit:
- Group B: Canada 3, Switzerland 1, Qatar 1, Bosnia 0.
- Group C: Scotland 3, Brazil 1, Morocco 1, Haiti 0.
- Group D: Australia 3, USA 3, Paraguay 0, Türkiye 0.
Live standings update across every group in real time on the Scorelisto soccer page. Day 4 previews — Germany vs Curaçao and Netherlands vs Japan headline — are on the blog index.
FAQ
Was the Qatar goal Qatar's first-ever World Cup point? First-ever point — yes. They lost all three group games as hosts in 2022. Saturday's draw is the first match they have not lost.
Did VAR intervene in Brazil vs Morocco? Yes, once. A Morocco penalty shout in the 88th minute was checked and waved away — replays showed the contact was outside the box.
Is Irankunda Australia's youngest World Cup scorer? Yes. At 19 years and 7 months he becomes the youngest Socceroo to score at a World Cup, eclipsing Harry Kewell's mark from 2006.
What's on Day 4? Four matches, all on US soil: Germany vs Curaçao, Netherlands vs Japan, Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, Sweden vs Tunisia. See the full Day 4 preview on the Scorelisto blog.