Matchday 11 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup saw plenty of drama, controversy and goals fly in. Here we recount what happened across the four matches, the latest first:
New Zealand 1 - 3 Egypt
(Surman 15' - Zico 59', Salah 67', Trezeguet 82')
Egypt earned their first-ever win at a World Cup, with a stellar second-half comeback taking them top of Group G with four points, as New Zealand fell to the bottom.
Finn Surman opened the scoring for New Zealand in the fifteenth minute. Tim Payne sent in a peach of a delivery from a corner, and Surman rose high at the near post to glance the ball into the net, leaving Mostafa Shoubir no chance in the Egypt goal. Elijah Just also came close for New Zealand, but they went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Egypt were transformed in the second half, and made their dominance pay just before the hour mark. Mostafa Zico was left unmarked in the box when Mohamed Zany swung in a cross from the right wing and he powered home the equaliser with his head. The comeback was complete in the 69th minute, as Mohamed Salah exchanged a 1-2 with Zico before curling a low drive into the bottom corner.
Hossam Hassan's side made sure of the historic victory in the 82nd minute, as substitute Trézéguet ran onto Salah's corner at the near post and flicked a header into the net.
Uruguay 2 - 2 Cape Verde
(Araujo 44', Canobbio 45'+6'; K.Pina 21', Varela 61')
Cape Verde pulled off another shock as they held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw for their second straight point in their maiden World Cup.
Kevin Pina opened the scoring with a rocket of a freekick from way out, as Cape Verde took a shock lead in the first half. Uruguay poured forward looking for an equaliser. Nothing stuck against a solidly organised Cape Verde defence before a Manuel Ugarte cross was headed onto the post by Rodrigo Bentancur and Maxi Araújo dived in for a header from a yard or so out. This prompted a new wave of attacking from Uruguay, and that ended with Agustin Cannobbio guiding home an Araujo header after more good work from Ugarte in midfield.
Cape Verde came back in the second, Hélio Varela got them level after snatching on a defensive calamity when Fernando Muslera was left stranded after coming out to try and kickout a throw-in. After that, both teams gave as good as they got and Cape Verde came close to pulling off an even more shocking result on several instances.
A superb, tense encounter ended with yet another draw for Group G (the first three matches have been draws) as Belgium dominated for large swathes before having to hang on towards the end after Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 66th minute.
Alireza Beiranvand was Iran's hero on the day after pulling off some spectacular saves - none more stunning than when he reached a hand out to stop a Maxim de Cuyper close range hit while prone on the floor. In front of him, Iran's defence and midfield were quite tight, closing spaces and not allowing the likes of Kevin De Bruyne to dictate play. In attack, Iran threatened occasionally, their best moment coming from a cleverly worked set piece where Ehsan Hajisafi shaped to take a free kick from 25m out but slipped in Mehdi Taremi to slot home; but the Iranian talisman was just offside.
In the second half, pressure from Taremi saw Ngoy lose the ball at the halfway line and after Taremi stole it and raced forward, Ngoy brought him down for the straight red. Iran then controlled the game and created a few chances but couldn't convert.
Both teams are now on two points ahead of their third and final game of the group stages.
Spain 4 - 0 Saudi Arabia
(Yamal 10', Oyarzabal 21', 24', Al Tambakti (OG) 49')
Lamine Yamal returned to the starting lineup, and Spain returned to their fluent best (while he was on the pitch) as they smashed four goals past Saudi Arabia to get their first win of the 2026 World Cup.
Yamal prompted all the early play, ripping Saudi Arabia open repeatedly down his flank, before he opened the scoring early when he got on the end of a sensational Mikel Oyarzabal cross from the left. Oyarzabal made it two when the ball pinballed around the Saudi Arabia box before Dani Olmo and Aymeric Laporte combined to nod it on for Oyarzabal to tap it in. Olmo was at it again when he cushioned a Marc Cucurella cross for Oyarzabal to get a second tap-in from close range.
Oyarzabal clipped the bar with an outrageous outside of the boot chip from a tight angle, but that was as close as he got to a hattrick after he and Yamal were subbed off at half time. Four minutes into the second, Cucurella made a nuisance of himself and forced an own goal off Hassan Al Tambakti to make it four. With Yamal off, Spain looked ponderous in possession again and did not manage to add to the lead, even if they had enough control to keep the scoreline at 4-0.