Canada Thrashes Qatar 6-0 for First World Cup Win as Mexico Reaches Round of 32

Q: A 20-year-old scored twice for Switzerland. Why did his own captain deny him a historic World Cup hat-trick?

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka took the late penalty himself because, he said, the team follows a set penalty order that favors experienced players over younger teammates in that situation. That decision denied 20-year-old Johan Manzambi the chance to complete a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Manzambi had already scored twice after coming off the bench and had made history as the youngest player ever to score multiple goals as a substitute in a World Cup match. If he had taken and converted the 97th-minute penalty, he would have become one of the youngest hat-trick scorers in World Cup history and only the second player to score a World Cup treble after starting on the bench. Xhaka explained the call bluntly: “It’s not about the individual thing. We have rules. He’s young, he has a big future in front of him, so let’s put the experienced players first for penalty takers. His time will come.” There was also a competitive reason behind it. With group placement potentially influenced by goal difference, Xhaka prioritized making sure Switzerland converted the chance rather than turning the moment into a personal milestone. Manzambi accepted it, saying he asked whether Xhaka was taking it, was told yes, and was happy because “the victory was more important than scoring a hat-trick.”

3 articles · Updated · FOX Sports · Jun 18

Canada earned its first-ever men’s World Cup victory with a 6-0 rout of Qatar in Vancouver, matching the biggest win by a host nation in tournament history.
Jonathan David scored a hat trick—the first by any Canadian in a World Cup—while Canada became the first team from outside Europe or South America to score at least five goals in a World Cup match.
The win came with a setback: midfielder Ismaël Koné left injured, and teammate Nathan Saliba held up Koné’s number after scoring Canada’s fourth goal.
Mexico also advanced, beating South Korea to win Group A and extend its home group-stage World Cup record to 6 wins and 2 draws.
Elsewhere on Day 8, Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 for its first win of the tournament, while Czechia and South Africa drew 1-1.