World Cup Group Stage: US and Germany Aim for Authority

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States — The group stage is almost done, but the co-hosts are only just getting started.

On Thursday, the United States and Germany step out with perfect records on the line and something more intangible at stake: authority. Momentum. The sense that this World Cup is beginning to bend in their direction.

US already through, but in no mood to cruise

The United States have done the hard work early. Two wins from two, over Paraguay and Australia, have locked up top spot in Group D with a game to spare. The job, on paper, is simple now: avoid injuries, avoid suspensions, and move cleanly into the last 32.

But the venue and the opponent make that theory harder to follow. In Los Angeles, against already eliminated Turkey, there will be pressure to perform, to entertain, to send a message.

Mauricio Pochettino has decisions to make. Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams and Folarin Balogun all walk a disciplinary tightrope, one more yellow card away from missing the next round. Rotation is not just an option; it is almost a necessity.

One man who will want minutes is Christian Pulisic. Limited to just 45 minutes so far by a calf injury, the forward is fit again and pushing to be involved.

“Going into the knockout rounds will definitely feel better with a win, so that's why we're going to push for it,” Pulisic said, framing a dead rubber as anything but. “It's an amazing opportunity... We don't necessarily need a win, but it's a World Cup game, and we all want to give our best and do well.”

The United States have not reached the quarter-finals of a World Cup since 2002. Two sharp, composed displays on home soil have stirred the belief that this group might be capable of more than just a respectable showing. Nights like the one in Los Angeles, against a side with nothing to lose, often reveal how serious a contender really is.

Behind them, the rest of Group D still has everything to play for. Australia and Paraguay meet in Santa Clara in what amounts to a straight fight for second place. The numbers lean slightly towards the Socceroos: a draw would suit them thanks to a superior goal difference, and could even be enough for Paraguay to sneak through as well. The margins are thin, the stakes anything but.

Germany hunt perfection, Ecuador cling to hope

Germany arrive at their final Group E fixture in a very different mood from the scars of recent tournaments. Two wins — one routine against Curacao, one far tighter against Ivory Coast — have already secured top spot and banished, at least for now, the spectre of back-to-back first-round exits.

Julian Nagelsmann, though, is in no mood for self-congratulation.

“I'm very happy that we're not at the end of our journey yet, but it is very important that we remain modest,” the Germany coach warned. “We have won two matches, one was clear, one was very close. We want to win again tomorrow and we'll see who we play on Monday (in the last 32).”

Ecuador stand in their way, and for them there is no luxury of rotation or reflection. They need a win to survive. Anything less and their stay at this World Cup is almost certainly over.

Ivory Coast, by contrast, have placed themselves in a commanding position to finish second. They face debutants Curacao, who are still alive thanks to a stubborn 0-0 draw with Ecuador that kept the group simmering. Curacao have already shown they can dig in. Now they must find a way to do it again, against a side with more power, more pedigree, and a clear path to the knockouts.

Group F on a knife-edge

If Group D and E have their favourites established, Group F is chaos in comparison. The Netherlands, Japan and Sweden can all still finish top. Every goal in the final round will carry weight.

In Kansas City, the Dutch meet a Tunisia side in disarray. Two games, two heavy defeats, and a coaching change that has done nothing to halt the slide. Tunisia were thrashed 5-1 by Sweden in their opener, a result that cost Sabri Lamouchi his job. Herve Renard was rushed in, a firefighter with a rich international résumé, but his first act on the touchline brought another collapse: a 4-0 loss to Japan and a swift exit from the tournament.

For the Netherlands, who dismantled Sweden 5-1, this is an opportunity to stamp their authority on the group. For Tunisia, it is about pride, about avoiding a third straight humiliation.

Japan, level with the Dutch on four points, meet Sweden in Arlington. The Swedes exploded into the World Cup with that five-goal show against Tunisia, only to be torn apart by the Netherlands in their second outing. The pendulum has swung wildly in their campaign already. Now they face a Japanese side that has blended ruthlessness with control, and knows that a result here could set up a far kinder route through the knockouts.

Every tackle, every set piece in Arlington will echo in Kansas City. Group F is that tight.

Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland already through as shocks keep coming

Elsewhere, some of the biggest names have already done their business.

Brazil sealed first place in Group C on Wednesday, beating Scotland 3-0 in Miami. Vinicius Junior scored twice, adding to his growing tally and underlining his status as one of the tournament’s central figures. Neymar, back in a Brazil shirt for the first time since October 2023, eased into the action as Carlo Ancelotti’s side cruised.

Top spot on goal difference means Brazil will face the runners-up from Group F in the last 32. Morocco, edged out by that slender margin despite also finishing on seven points, will take on the Group F winners.

The North Africans had to work for it. Twice they trailed against Haiti, twice they came back, eventually winning 4-2 to secure their place in the knockouts. It was a wild, breathless contest that left Haiti out but not disgraced, and left Scotland sweating.

The Scots must now wait and watch, hoping that their three points and goal difference are enough to squeeze them through as one of the eight best third-placed sides. Their fate rests in other people’s hands.

On the other side of the draw, the party is already in full flow. Co-hosts Mexico marched into the last 32 with a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic in a raucous Estadio Azteca, wrapping up a perfect Group A record. Their reward is as much emotional as tactical: they will play their last-32 tie in the same iconic stadium, with the same wall of noise at their backs.

The story of the day, though, belonged to South Africa. A 1-0 victory over South Korea delivered something no previous generation had managed: qualification for the knockout phase. It was a shock on paper, a seismic moment in reality, and it reshaped Group A in an instant as South Africa claimed second place.

Group B also found its resolution. Switzerland edged Canada 2-1 in Vancouver to finish as group winners, silencing the home crowd and underlining their tournament know-how. Bosnia-Herzegovina joined them in the last 32, a 3-1 win over Qatar lifting them into one of the coveted third-place spots.

So the bracket begins to take shape. Giants like Brazil, Germany, and Mexico are already safely through. Emerging forces such as Morocco and South Africa have forced their way into the conversation. The United States stand on the brink of a flawless group stage.

Now comes the real question: when the knockouts start and the margin for error disappears, who will still be standing?