Match Day 2 of the 2026 World Cup kicks off Thursday with eight Group A and Group B games over four days, and the action starts early. Mexico and South Korea, both winners in Match Day 1, meet in a pivotal Group A showdown in Guadalajara at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina also get going at 3 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. All four of today’s matches air on FOX or FS1 and stream on FOX One. World Cup Schedule for Thursday, June 18 Czechia vs. South Africa Player to Watch The Bayer Leverkusen forward is the focal point of Czechia’s forward line with 26 international goals in 53 caps. While Schick is one of Czechia’s many set piece targets, he has a variety of ways in which he can score. Czechia needs to be more of a threat from the run of play and that starts with Schick. With Bayer Leverkusen, nearly all of Schick’s 16 Bundesliga goals and four Champions League goals this season were from the run of play. Czechia should be aggressive from the early going and look to get Schick involved. If Schick plays well, it could be a good day for Czechia. Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina Player to Watch The FC Astana midfielder had a strong game against Canada, when he went 61 minutes and created several chances, specifically through his accurate crossing. It was his corner in the 21st minute that eventually resulted in Bosnia’s goal. His central midfield partnership with Benjamin Tahirovic was also very effective in the first half. Against Switzerland, Basic should once again be very important to setting up Bosnia and Herzegovina’s attackers, especially if Džeko plays as he has elite aerial ability. Canada vs. Qatar Player to Watch With Canada struggling for most of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was Larin who came off the bench and delivered the equalizer. Jonathan David did not play well in the opener, and his first season at Juventus was largely disappointing. Despite the infamous end to Southampton’s season, Larin played very well for the team down the stretch to lead it into the promotional playoffs. Marsch might be tempted to ride the hot hand in this critical game and start Larin. Whether that means playing in place of David or alongside of him in a two-striker formation, Larin might be the team’s best goal-scoring threat right now based on form. Mexico vs. South Korea Player to Watch With 125 career caps and 46 career goals for Mexico, it was not until last week’s win over South Africa when Jiminez finally scored in the World Cup. Now 35, the Hidalgo native is likely in his final World Cup. He was very good in the opening win, even beyond the goal. He created chances through his hold-up play, he passed well and made good runs to draw defenders. With momentum, he will be difficult for South Korea to contain. How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup All World Cup matches air on FOX and FS1, with every game streaming live and on demand on FOX One.
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