Ronaldo Bounces Back in Round 2

Canada Make History

Canada is one of the three host nations of the 2026 World Cup. On 18 June, they played Qatar in Vancouver. Before this match, Canada had never won a game at a men's World Cup. That record changed in a very big way.

Striker Jonathan David scored three goals — a hat trick — as Canada won 6-0. It was the biggest victory ever for a host nation at a World Cup, matching wins by Italy, Brazil, and Argentina in earlier tournaments. Canada's coach Jesse Marsch walked off the field holding up six fingers and smiling.

However, not everything was happy. Canadian midfielder Ismael Koné was carried off the field on a stretcher with a broken leg after a challenge from a Qatar player. His injury means he cannot play in the rest of the tournament, which is a big loss for the team.

Captain Alphonso Davies, who is widely considered the best player in Canadian history, did not play because he was recovering from a hamstring injury. Canada won without their two most important players — a remarkable achievement.

The USA Qualify — But Worry About England

The United States had a strong second match, beating Australia 2-0 in Seattle on 19 June. With six points from two games, the US qualified for the knockout round — the first team to do so in the whole tournament.

Midfielder Alex Freeman scored one of the goals. His father played in the NFL, America's professional American football league, and Freeman said his dad was watching proudly from the stands.

Meanwhile, in England's second match against Ghana on 23 June, the English struggled. The match ended 1-1. Harry Kane, England's captain and main striker, did not score and looked out of form. Ghana played well and defended bravely. England's fans were worried. They had beaten Croatia 4-2 in the first game, but now the team did not look so confident.

Spain Wake Up — and Young Yamal Shines

In their first match, Spain could only draw 0-0 with Cape Verde — a small island nation in the Atlantic Ocean. Many people were surprised. Spain are the current European champions and one of the favourites to win the World Cup.

But in their second match on 21 June, Spain were a completely different team. They beat Saudi Arabia 4-0. Their young star Lamine Yamal, who is only 18 years old, scored his first-ever World Cup goal and then came off at half-time with Spain already winning 3-0.

Yamal is one of the most exciting young players in the world. He plays for FC Barcelona and was born in the city of Mataro, near Barcelona. He scored in the semi-final of the European Championship in 2024 just one day before his 17th birthday. His goal against Saudi Arabia was greeted with great joy by Spanish fans.

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Scotland Fight — But Morocco Win

After their wonderful first-round win over Haiti, Scotland needed points from their second match. On 19 June, they played Morocco in Boston. Morocco are a very good team — they reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

Scotland played hard and defended well, but Morocco won 1-0. Scotland's World Cup is now very difficult. They still have one game left — against Brazil. To qualify for the knockout round, Scotland probably need to beat Brazil and hope for a good result in the other group game.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke was calm after the match. He said the team would fight until the end. The Scottish fans, the Tartan Army, stayed loud and positive in the stadium, even after the final whistle. Many of them had travelled thousands of miles to support their team.

Ronaldo Bounces Back

After his disappointing first match — a 1-1 draw with DR Congo where he did not score — Cristiano Ronaldo needed a better performance. He got one. Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0, and Ronaldo scored twice.

The 41-year-old Portuguese veteran was back to his best. He celebrated both goals in his famous style, jumping and shouting 'SIUU!' For Portugal fans, it was a big relief after the frustration of the first match.

Portugal are now in a strong position in Group K. Their final group game is against Colombia, who are also playing well. The winner of that match will almost certainly top the group. Ronaldo versus Colombia's Luis Diaz will be one of the most exciting matches of the group stage.

Glossary

These words are from the article. Learn them before or after you read.

Word / Phrase	Definition
round of 32	the first knockout round of the 2026 World Cup, where 32 teams play
knockout round	a stage where the losing team goes home; there is no second chance
goal difference	the number of goals scored minus the number of goals conceded
red card	a card that makes a player leave the match permanently; their team plays with fewer players
co-host	a country that shares the job of organising a competition with other countries
bounce back	to play well again after a poor result or performance
eliminate	to knock a team out of the competition so they can no longer win
dominant	much stronger and in control; winning easily
injury	physical damage to the body, for example a broken bone or a pulled muscle
qualifier / qualify	to earn the right to move to the next stage of a competition
substitute	a player who comes on during a match to replace another player
veteran	a player with a lot of experience, usually older

Vocabulary Exercise

Choose the correct word or phrase from the box to complete each sentence. Each word is used once.

Word Box

bounce back   |   injury   |   red card   |   eliminate   |   knockout round   |   dominant   |   qualify   |   co-host   |   veteran   |   substitute

1.     Canada, the United States, and Mexico are the three __________________ nations of the 2026 World Cup.

2.     Jonathan David scored a hat trick, but the celebrations were sad because Ismael Koné suffered a serious __________________ .

3.     After a poor first match, Spain __________________ with an impressive 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.

4.     The team played so well that their opponents had no chance. They were completely __________________ .

5.     Canada __________________ for the round of 32 after winning six points from two matches.

6.     At 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most experienced __________________ players at the tournament.

7.     In the __________________ , a team that loses goes home. There is no second chance.

8.     Qatar's player received a __________________ and had to leave the field. Qatar then played with ten men.

9.     A bad result in the group stage can __________________ a team, ending their World Cup.

10.  The coach sent on a __________________ in the second half to try to change the match.

Answers Below 

Answer Key

1.  co-host

2.  injury

3.  bounce back

4.  dominant

5.  qualified

6.  veteran

7.  knockout round

8.  red card

9.  eliminate

10.  substitute