Haiti and Turkey have become the first nations to exit the FIFA World Cup 2026 after suffering consecutive defeats in their respective group-stage matches.
Haiti’s hopes of progressing ended in the early hours of Sunday following a 3-0 defeat to Brazil in their second Group C fixture.
The Caribbean nation had earlier lost 1-0 to Scotland in their opening game, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the group and mathematically eliminated from the tournament.
Turkey also bowed out of the competition after falling 1-0 to a 10-man Paraguay side in their second Group D match. Despite boasting several players from top European clubs, the Turks have failed to make an impact at the tournament.
Their elimination follows a heavy 4-1 defeat to Australia in their opening fixture, leaving them at the foot of the Group D standings with no chance of reaching the knockout stage.
Attention now shifts to Africa’s representatives as Côte d’Ivoire seek to strengthen their position in Group E when they face European powerhouse Germany later on Sunday.
The Ivorians opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ecuador and currently occupy second place in the group.
Germany lead the standings after an emphatic 7-1 demolition of Curaçao in their opening match.
Another African side, Tunisia, will be in action on Monday as they take on Japan in a must-win encounter.
The North Africans are desperate to revive their World Cup hopes after suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in their opening group match, a result that left them bottom of their group standings.
With the group stage entering a decisive phase, both Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia will be aiming to keep Africa’s hopes alive on football’s biggest stage.
Writing by Kelechi Bernard