The World Cup is now fully underway, with the third round of matches kicking off on Wednesday and bringing the tournament's first true moment of reckoning. The United States won both opening games against Paraguay and Australia and are now set to face Turkiye for the last group phase game before the knockouts that will start over the weekend. Ready for some real action? I'm Francesco Porzio with the latest.
Wednesday, June 24 🏆 World Cup: Switzerland vs. Canada, 3 p.m. ➡️ FOX 🏆 World Cup: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar, 3 p.m. ➡️ FS1 🏆 World Cup: Scotland vs. Brazil, 6 p.m. ➡️ FOX 🏆 World Cup: Morocco vs. Haiti, 6 p.m. ➡️ FS1 🏆 World Cup: Czechia vs. Mexico, 9 p.m. ➡️ FOX 🏆 World Cup: South Africa vs. Korea Republic, 9 p.m. ➡️ FS1
Thursday, June 25 🏆 World Cup: Ecuador vs. Germany, 4 p.m. ➡️ FOX 🏆 World Cup: Curacao vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m. ➡️ FS1 🏆 World Cup: Tunisia vs. Netherlands, 7 p.m. ➡️ FS1 🏆 World Cup: Japan vs. Sweden, 7 p.m. ➡️ FOX 🏆 World Cup: Turkiye vs. United States, 10 p.m. ➡️ FOX 🏆 World Cup: Paraguay vs. Australia, 10 p.m. ➡️ FS1
⚽ The Forward Line
🇺🇸 A sign of strength for the USMNT
Getty Images The United States are preparing for their final group stage match against Turkiye, having already secured wins over Paraguay and Australia with two convincing performances. Mauricio Pochettino's team have already won the group and can now focus on the next round, but first they can also make some rotations in their last match of the first phase. Christian Pulisic is recovering and he's expected to be back on Thursday. The United States can finally enjoy some calm before the most crucial weeks of their recent history, as our own Pardeep Cattry underlined:
- Cattry: "The fact that the result technically does not matter on Thursday, though, will create a litmus test for the USMNT's depth. This has not historically been a quote-unquote "stacked team" and over the course of Pochettino's rocky spell in charge, that has remained glaringly obvious at times. He has spent much of his almost two-year-long tenure developing that depth, but by force at times, several high-profile players dealing with injuries at various points along the way. The era of experimentation, though, has delivered several notable results – defender Alex Freeman went from his first MLS start with Orlando City to a World Cup goal scorer in the span of just 476 days, for example, and Freese was also similarly uncapped in June 2025 and is now the starter in goal".
It's a good moment for Pochettino to make some rotations and experiment, as it will be his last chance ahead of the knockout phase that will kick off this weekend, while the United States will be back playing on July 1 at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California:
- Cattry: "For the experiment-prone Pochettino, Thursday offers one last chance to tinker with his personnel and his tactics before the win-or-go-home games finally begin. He may have to weigh that habit with the fact that he has repositioned himself as a vibes guy first and a skilled tactician second, so far striking the balance expertly. The distribution of weight seems to be changing over the course of the tournament – the USMNT first convened almost exactly a month ago and between their pre-World Cup friendlies and their opening games of the competition, they have four strong performances as the foundation for what they hope will be a deep run this summer. Pochettino's tactical acumen is increasingly hard to ignore and is truly just as important as the mood, down to the decision to select Pepi in Pulisic's place on Friday and go with two strikers. It is hard to understate, though, how important the vibes actually are."
Pulisic was featured in a nine-part Paramount+ docuseries that explores the pressures of performing on the world stage ahead of a World Cup cycle while tracing his journey from a small-town kid in Hershey, Pennsylvania to European stardom. Stream "Pulisic" now on Paramount+
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Golazo 48 Nations: Follow the World Cup all summer long
Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament. Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the latest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups.
The day wraps with Scoreline, a comprehensive nightly recap of every result, moment, and storyline from across the tournament. Altogether, the Golazo Network will deliver up to 12 hours of live programming each matchday, available across the Golazo Network and its YouTube channel.
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