World Cup what to know: Stakes ratchet up as World Cup teams play their second group-stage games

Every team has played a game in this oversized World Cup filled with big surprises.

The stakes rise quickly as the 48 teams begin playing their second group-stage matches.

Cape Verde, Qatar and Congo have earned points for the first time in the World Cup, raising hope for an improbable run to the knockout round.

Spain, Portugal and Brazil, among the pre-tournament favorites to win it all, need wins to keep up in their groups after opening with draws. Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia and Switzerland are in the same boat.

On Thursday, hosts Mexico and Canada, along with Switzerland and South Korea, will be among the teams playing for a second time.

— Czech Republic vs. South Africa, noon EDT in Atlanta (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 3 p.m. EDT in Inglewood, California (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Canada vs. Qatar, 6 p.m. EDT in Vancouver, British Columbia (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

— Mexico vs. South Korea, 9 p.m. EDT in Guadalajara, Mexico (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)

Mexico will look to take control of Group A against South Korea following a thrilling start as World Cup host.

Four years after a major disappointment in Qatar, the Mexicans roared out of the gate with a 2-0 win over South Africa. The dominant victory thrilled a capacity crowd of 80,824 at famed Azteca Stadium and drew 7.1 million viewers in the United States, making it the most-watched opening match for an English-language broadcast.

The next match may be a little tougher.

South Korea opened its 12th World Cup appearance by scoring twice in the second half for a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.

While Mexico will have to travel 600 miles from Mexico City for its second match, South Korea remained in Guadalajara following its opener.

Mexico also will be without defender Cesar Montes, who received one of three red cards in the match against South Africa.

South Africa will be short-handed for its Group A match against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.

Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane both received red cards against Mexico, which carries an automatic one-game suspension.

Zwane’s suspension was increased to thee games by FIFA on Wednesday, deeming his contact to the face of Mexico's Roberto Alvarado to be serious foul play. South Africa is appealing FIFA's decision.

Canada and Qatar made history in their openers, scoring late goals to earn their first World Cup points. The teams meet on Thursday looking for their first win.

Qatar had a forgettable run in the 2022 World Cup, scoring a single goal while becoming the first host country to lose all three of its matches. The Qataris opened this year’s tournament with a shocker, scoring in stoppage time to pull out a 1-1 draw against Group B favorite Switzerland.

Canada followed a rousing opening ceremony with a slow start against Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday in Toronto. Substitute Cyle Larin turned disappointment into celebration, scoring in the 78th minute to secure a 1-1 draw.

It marked Canada’s first World Cup point after it scored one goal while losing all six games in 1976 in Mexico and four years ago in Qatar.

Canada’s bid for a first win could be hampered by captain Alphonso Davies’ nagging hamstring injury. He didn’t play against Bosnia and has been limited in training from an injury suffered while playing for Bayern Munich on May 6.

Switzerland is trying to bounce back from the shocking tie against 56th-ranked Qatar that created a four-way tie in Group B.

The next chance for the Swiss comes against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which had the opposite reaction to opening with a draw.

At No. 64 in the world, the Bosnians are the lowest-ranked team in the group, yet pulled out a draw against the host country. That came after Bosnia stunned Italy in the final of the European playoffs.

— Christian Pulisic still training separately, increasing concern for the US at the World Cup

— Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal held to a 1-1 draw by Congo at the World Cup

— Cape Verde star goalkeeper Vozinha’s mother gets visa to attend next World Cup match

— FIFA hydration breaks spark backlash and blamed for killing momentum at World Cup

— Iran and Egypt will meet, uncomfortably, in Seattle’s World Cup ‘Pride Match’

— Turkish state broadcaster drops veteran World Cup commentator over Iran-New Zealand mix-up

— Highlights from Day 7 in photos

Harry Kane's two goals against Croatia gives him 10 in his World Cup career, matching Gary Lineker’s England record and five others for seventh all-time. The others with 10: Argentina's Gabriel Batistuta, Peru's Teófilo Cubillas, Poland's Grzegorz Lato and Germans Thomas Müller and Helmut Rahn.

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Harry Kane greats fans after the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Croatia in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

South Africa's Sphephelo Sithol, left, and Mexico's Erik Lira battle for the ball during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Qatar's Pedro Miguel, yells as he celebrates after teammate Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi, right scored his sides first goal during the World Cup Group B soccer match between Qatar and Switzerland in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the World Cup Group K soccer match between Portugal and Congo in Houston, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Canada's Cyle Larin (9) scores his sides first goal of the game in the second half of the World Cup Group B soccer match between Canada and Bosnia, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Sam Balkansky)

DETROIT (AP) — Established veterans Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin helped deliver the Professional Women’s Hockey League a major post-Olympic boost coming out of the Milan Cortina Games in February.

On Wednesday, it was the youngsters’ turn to take the spotlight at the draft.

In being selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes, U.S. national team and Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey kicked off a parade of 11 Olympians — five of them Americans — taking downtown Detroit's Fox Theater stage over the first two rounds of the six-round event.

The draft class was regarded as the league’s deepest and most talented, and represented a reason behind the PWHL adding four new markets, growing to 12 teams entering its fourth season. And it's a reason why Harvey experienced nerves before finally hearing her name called.

“There’s always this, you have no idea until you officially hear it,” said Harvey, who kicked off the day being named the International Ice Hockey Federation's female player of the year.

“This draft class is just so deep and so many phenomenal players. Anyone could get picked at any time,” she added. “It’s just a surreal feeling, and I had no idea. I mean it could have been anyone. But I’m grateful to have my name called.”

The draft was held in one of the PWHL’s new markets and featured its share of tears and cheers.

Seated next to Harvey, Laila Edwards grew emotional while congratulating her longtime friend and teammate upon being selected.

“It caught me off guard. After I gave her a hug I started crying, and I couldn’t stop,” said Edwards, who was chosen fourth by San Jose. The 22-year-old Edwards is from Cleveland, and became the first Black player selected in the first round of the PWHL draft.

As for the cheers, numerous went up any time Detroit or Knight — the expansion team’s star addition — were mentioned. And the biggest roar in the packed theater was heard when Detroit finally made its first selection in the second round by choosing Switzerland Olympic goalie Andrea Brandli.

“I had the whole crowd with me,” the 29-year-old Brandli said. “I just felt like a big family up there and I’m so excited.”

This was the atmosphere the PWHL has become accustomed to generating while growing its brand in the wake of the Americans’ thrilling 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the Olympic final. The win created a surge of attention for women's hockey in North America, with Knight and gold medal-clinching goal-scorer Megan Keller appearing on Saturday Night Live.

“Milan was just one of those amazing things that keeps happening to us,” PWHL executive board member Stan Kasten told The Associated Press. “You see what the city of Detroit is going to do for this team, right? We just think the more people that get exposed, the more fans we make.”

On Wednesday, Americans swept the top five picks and made up nine of 12 first-round selections, with the 23-year-old Harvey continuing to cement her reputation as being her generation’s most accomplished player.

She’s a two-time Olympian and was the tournament MVP in Milan. At Wisconsin, she won three NCAA titles and capped her four-year career winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as college hockey’s MVP.

From Pelham, New Hampshire, Harvey is the second American player to go No. 1 after Minnesota chose Taylor Heise with the first pick in the league’s inaugural draft in 2023.

Fellow U.S. Olympians followed with Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy chosen second by Seattle, Penn State forward Tessa Janecke going third to Las Vegas. After Edwards went fourth, Wisconsin forward Kirsten Simms rounded it out in going eighth overall to Toronto.

“It’s a little bittersweet,” Simms said of watching her Badgers’ teammates go their separate ways. “I’m just happy for all of them. They’re unbelievable players and unbelievable people and so every team is super lucky. But, obviously, I’m gonna miss them.”

Finland national team defender Nelli Laitinen was the first European player selected, going No. 6 to Hamilton. The first Canadian selected was Ohio State defender Sara Swiderski, who went ninth overall to Minnesota.

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

FILE - United States' Abbey Murphy (37) challenges with Canada's Sarah Fillier (10) during a women's ice hockey gold medal game between the United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

FILE - United States' Laila Edwards (10) poses after the United States' women's ice hockey team was presented with the gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

FILE - United States' Caroline Harvey shoots on goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Switzerland and United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

FILE - Olympic-hopeful U.S. hockey player Caroline Harvey poses for a photo at Team USA Media Summit, Oct. 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

FILE - United States' Caroline Harvey celebrates with teammates after scoring her side's first goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between USA and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)