Mexico’s veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa will make his sixth World Cup appearance in the final group match against the Czech Republic, equalling the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Head coach Javier Aguirre confirmed the 40-year-old will start at the Azteca Stadium after back-to-back wins over South Africa and South Korea secured top spot in Group A with a game to spare. The rotation of the squad, viewed from Mexico City as a pragmatic move to rest key players, means Ochoa’s milestone moment will unfold in front of a home crowd already assured of a round-of-32 berth.

In Group B, co-hosts Canada and Switzerland are locked on four points each ahead of their decisive encounter in Vancouver. Canada’s 6-0 demolition of Qatar, powered by Jonathan David’s tournament-leading three goals, erased any goal-difference anxiety and left the team needing only a draw to win the group. Swiss forward Johan Manzambi, who scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, represents the main threat to Canadian ambitions. Canadian striker Cyle Larin told reporters the squad had always expected to be in this position, while defender Derek Cornelius stressed the need to exploit Swiss weaknesses. European analysts note that Switzerland’s experience, including Granit Xhaka’s late penalty against Bosnia, will test a Canadian side that had never won a World Cup match before this tournament.

Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar meet in Seattle with both sides on a single point and requiring a victory to retain any hope of advancing as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Bosnia’s 1-1 draw with Canada and subsequent collapse against Switzerland left them with a minus-3 goal difference, while Qatar’s 6-0 loss to Canada, compounded by red cards to Homam Al-Amin and Assim Madibo, pushed them to minus-6. Madibo’s tackle fractured the leg of Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné, ruling him out of the Switzerland match. Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez admitted the suspension of young defender Tarik Muharemovic was a significant loss but insisted the squad had sufficient depth. Qatar’s Julen Lopetegui framed the match as a “final,” acknowledging the gap between his team and the tournament’s established nations.

Elsewhere, Brazil enter their match against Scotland in Miami as overwhelming favourites, with Vinícius Júnior and Matheus Cunha in form after a 2-0 win over Haiti. Scotland, yet to register a point, face a side that has won eight of their ten previous meetings. In Group C, Morocco’s preparations for their clash with Haiti have been overshadowed by the announcement that captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in Paris on rape charges dating to 2023. Hakimi wrote on Instagram that he welcomed the opportunity to speak. The outcome of these final group matches will determine the round-of-32 pairings, with the eight best third-placed teams joining the top two from each group.