INGLEWOOD, California — For the second time in six days, Switzerland surrendered a win they should have had. For the second time in six days, Bosnia-Herzegovina came away from a World Cup match with a point they will gladly take.

A 1-1 draw at SoFi Stadium on Thursday afternoon left Group B exactly as murky as it was before kickoff, with all four sides — Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, and Qatar — now holding two points apiece heading into the decisive final round of fixtures. The result extended Bosnia-Herzegovina’s remarkable unbeaten run and deepened the frustration that is fast becoming the defining characteristic of Murat Yakin’s Swiss side at this tournament.

Switzerland finished the match with 27 shots to Bosnia-Herzegovina’s eight, an overwhelming statistical dominance that translated into precisely one goal — a familiar story for a team that had already tormented itself against Qatar with 26 attempts and just one converted chance.

How the Match Unfolded

Switzerland’s inability to convert pressure into goals has become the central tension of their tournament. Murat Yakin’s side completely dominated tempo and territory against Qatar in their opener, racking up 26 attempts and 10 shots on target before conceding a 94th-minute own goal that cost them the win. Against Bosnia-Herzegovina at SoFi, the pattern repeated itself in the most deflating fashion possible.

Bosnia-Herzegovina arrived in Los Angeles as a side built on shape, discipline, and the ability to absorb punishment. They took the lead through a header from Jovo Lukic in their opener against Canada and conceded late in the second half to Cyle Larin, a result that left them with a point but also exposed their vulnerability in the final stages of matches.

Bosnia’s last four competitive games have all ended 1-1, and Thursday’s result made it five consecutive draws — a statistical quirk that speaks to both the resilience and the ceiling of Sergej Barbarez’s side. They can hold. They struggle to win.

Switzerland’s Clinical Problem

Switzerland were underwhelming in their opener but, in a stadium in which the heat would not be a factor, Yakin’s side were expected to have enough to register a win that essentially sealed their place in the knockouts. That expectation made the result all the more damaging to process in the Swiss camp.

Switzerland found the net just once from 26 shots against Qatar, with Breel Embolo’s goal coming from the penalty spot. Embolo, who enters every tournament as one of Europe’s most physically imposing strikers and has scored in four of his last six games for Switzerland and carries 24 international goals from 86 caps, is the focal point of Yakin’s attack — and the man Switzerland most need to find form at the right moments.

Yakin’s primary challenge was to address his wide overloads and move the ball with much higher vertical velocity, utilising the explosive pace of Dan Ndoye and Noah Okafor to stretch the Bosnian backline and create high-value cutbacks for Embolo. Whether that plan was executed effectively against a disciplined Bosnian defensive block remained Switzerland’s central problem throughout the match.

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Defensive Blueprint

Sergej Barbarez’s disciplined defensive framework was highly effective in frustrating Canada in Toronto, but Matchday 2 demanded a sharp recalibration in transition. While Bosnia’s rigid low-block structure successfully limited open-play opportunities for long stretches in their opener, the team naturally fatigued late in the second half, ultimately conceding a 77th-minute equaliser to Cyle Larin.

The Zmajevi came to SoFi with a significant injury concern unresolved. Sead Kolasinac’s availability was a question mark after he limped off in the draw with Canada. Nidal Celik missed the rest of the tournament with an injury sustained in training and has been replaced in the squad by Arjan Malic of Sturm Graz.

Bosnia and Herzegovina arrived at their second-ever World Cup after a 12-year absence, and coach Sergej Barbarez has built a side that is hard to beat rather than one that overwhelms opponents. Their qualifying campaign delivered five wins and four draws, a record that reflects their tactical identity — a team that competes intelligently but rarely imposes itself on the scoreline with authority.

The Group B Picture

The result leaves Group B in a state of perfect equilibrium with one matchday remaining, setting up a decisive final round that could send any of the four teams through or eliminate any of them. With all four Group B sides deadlocked on one point after Matchday 1, the draw was effectively a four-way contest for two knockout places and every result carried maximum weight. Now, with all four sides on two points, that remains equally true.

Switzerland have reached the knockout rounds in each of the last three World Cups, though they have never gone beyond the last 16. The Swiss are the most experienced side in the group and the most expected to advance — but back-to-back draws against Qatar and Bosnia-Herzegovina have left them in precisely the same position as everyone else.

Before the tournament, if you had given Barbarez a draw against Switzerland, he would have probably taken it, given how the Swiss seemed the strongest team in this group on paper. However, after two 1-1 draws in the first group games, all possibilities remain wide open.

What Comes Next

The final round of Group B matches will pit Switzerland against Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina against Qatar — simultaneous kickoffs that will determine which two nations advance to the Round of 32 of the expanded 48-team tournament. Switzerland have no margin for error. Their final group game with Canada cannot be a must-win scenario they can afford to enter lightly.

For Bosnia-Herzegovina, Thursday’s draw extends their extraordinary recent run but leaves them needing a result against Qatar that Barbarez’s side — with their draw-heavy tendencies — may struggle to guarantee. A group built around four entirely winnable matches has become, through collective failure to convert dominance into victory, one of the most unpredictable brackets in the entire tournament.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — When the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s Group A leaders take the field at Estadio Guadalajara on Thursday night, the stakes could scarcely be higher. Mexico and South Korea, the only two teams in Group A yet to drop a point, meet in what amounts to a de facto battle for group supremacy — and potentially, an early ticket to the knockout stage of a tournament that has already delivered some of its most memorable moments.

After winning their respective opening matches at the World Cup, Mexico and South Korea will fight to claim all three points again and book their place in the next round when they face each other in Guadalajara on Thursday. Mexico, playing the first match of this World Cup, humbled South Africa 2-0 in an electrifying atmosphere at the Mexico City Stadium. South Korea, meanwhile, were trailing against Czechia but turned it around in the second half to claim all the points in a 2-1 win.

Both sides are on three points with first place in Group A on the line. Win this and you are all but through to the knockout rounds and likely topping the group.

Mexico’s Path to This Moment

Mexico’s opening-day performance was everything the raucous crowd at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City could have hoped for. Julián Quiñones settled any early nerves by firing El Tri ahead just eight minutes into the match. While South Africa’s discipline unraveled with red cards handed to Sphephelo “Yaya” Sithole and Themba Zwane, Mexico maintained their composure. Raúl Jiménez sealed all three points with a clinical finish in the 66th minute, though a late red card for defender César Montes marred an otherwise perfect evening.

Centre-back César Montes will serve a one-match ban after his red card against South Africa. Expect Mateo Chávez to replace him in a like-for-like change at the back. No further changes are expected from Javier Aguirre following the opening-day win.

The loss of Montes is a manageable blow for a squad with depth in defensive positions, and Aguirre’s side come into the game in settled, confident form. Mexico arrive in excellent form, winning four of their last five matches and drawing one. Their most recent pre-tournament result was the 2-0 victory over South Africa, and they also recorded a commanding 5-1 win over Serbia in a pre-tournament friendly on June 5.

There is also a layer of history embedded in this fixture. Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is in the squad for a record sixth World Cup appearance, bringing experience and presence to the back line. Rafael Márquez serves as assistant to Aguirre and has been confirmed as Mexico’s next head coach after this tournament, adding a layer of narrative continuity to a group of players who understand the weight of what they are representing on home soil.

South Korea’s Resilience on Display

South Korea arrive in Guadalajara with momentum after one of the tournament’s most compelling early performances — a composed, character-driven comeback that announced them as genuine contenders. Hwang In-Beom was named Player of The Match after scoring South Korea’s first goal and setting up the second. The spotlight in the team is mostly reserved for stars like Son Heung-Min, Lee Kang-In and Kim Min-Jae, but it was Hwang who grabbed the headlines with his outstanding performance in the 2-1 win over Czechia.

South Korea showed real character to come from behind in the opener, and they arrive full of confidence. The team is built around its attacking talent: Lee Jae-Sung and Lee Kang-in operate just behind Son Heung-Min, and that trio carries the creativity and finishing to trouble any defense. Hwang In-beom, who scored the equalizer against Czechia, anchors the midfield.

Son Heung-min, now playing his club football at Los Angeles FC after a storied tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, enters the match as the most decorated player on either side. Son, with 56 international goals from 144 caps, remains the creative focal point, and Lee Kang-in’s ability to unlock defenses from midfield means South Korea are not simply a reactive side.

Two South Korea players appeared on the World Cup injury table after their comeback win over Czechia. Kim Tae-Hyeon and Bae Jun-Ho both resumed team training and could be options for this clash. Coach Hong Myung-bo is otherwise expected to name a nearly identical lineup to the one that dispatched Czechia.

The Head-to-Head History

The sides have previously met 15 times, with Mexico winning both of their World Cup meetings: 3-1 in the 1998 tournament in France and 2-1 in the 2018 edition in Russia. Their most recent meeting was a 2-2 draw in 2025.

The 2018 result carries particular resonance for a South Korean side motivated to reverse that outcome. Eight years ago in Russia, Mexico’s 2-1 Group F victory helped El Tri through to the round of 16, while South Korea were eliminated. The most notable meeting came at the 2018 World Cup, when Mexico beat South Korea 2-1 in the group stage on the way to the round of 16.

A 2-2 tie in a friendly last September continued a recent goal-heavy head-to-head trend, with the Mexicans edging a five-goal thriller in 2020 and winning 2-1 when they met at the 2018 World Cup.

The Tactical Picture

Mexico looked the better side against South Africa even before the red cards, and at altitude with the crowd behind them, they will fancy this. Estadio Guadalajara sits at roughly 1,566 meters above sea level — a factor that has historically favored Mexican sides playing at home in World Cup competition and one that can significantly affect teams unaccustomed to the thin air.

The central battle here is Edson Álvarez against the South Korea forward press. Álvarez, with 98 caps to his name, is the axis around which Aguirre’s entire structure rotates. When Mexico win the ball in midfield, they move quickly through Álvarez and into the forwards. South Korea, however, defend with a compact mid-block and rely on Son Heung-min pressing from the front to force errors in the opposition’s build-up.

South Korea’s counter-attacking quality through Son means this could just as easily end level. At the same time, there are signs of inconsistency at the back, having shipped four goals against Ivory Coast and five versus Brazil in the last 12 months. Even against a Czechia side that struggled to create chances, they still conceded, suggesting that they can be exposed when under pressure.

Under Javier Aguirre, who guided the side to a 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup triumph, El Tri have rebuilt steadily and their 2-0 opening win over South Africa demonstrated defensive solidity and the cutting edge of a side motivated to go deep in a home tournament. With Raúl Jiménez and Santiago Giménez available up front, Mexico have genuine attacking threat against a South Korea defense that was breached in the opener.

What a Win Means

Javier Aguirre’s side know that a point here will all-but-mathematically seal their place in the knockout stages. A victory would go further, all but guaranteeing Group A top spot heading into the final matchday. For South Korea, a win would produce the same result — and likely set up a more favorable bracket draw for the knockout rounds.

The match kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday and will be televised on Fox Sports in the United States.

Lloyds Engineering on Thursday announced the acquisition of an 88.12% stake in Steel Infra Solutions Company (SISCOL) in a deal valued at about Rs 1,073 crore, with boutique investment firm MK Ventures, owned by veteran investor Madhu Kela, among the shareholders who will receive Lloyds Engineering shares as part of the transaction.

The acquisition will be executed through a combination of cash and share swap. Lloyds Engineering will acquire a 52.16% stake in SISCOL for around Rs 635.4 crore, while group entities Lloyds Enterprises and Streamland Estate LLP will each acquire a 17.98% stake for Rs 219 crore.

As part of the share swap, MK Ventures, which owns a 4.27% stake in SISCOL, will transfer 17.33 lakh shares of the company and receive about 72.95 lakh equity shares of Lloyds Engineering through a preferential allotment, according to the company’s filing.

The overall transaction values SISCOL at around Rs 1,220 crore.

Lloyds Engineering’s board also approved a preferential issue of up to 7.06 crore equity shares worth Rs 503.56 crore to SISCOL’s selling shareholders through the share swap route. It separately approved a preferential issue of 7 lakh shares worth Rs 4.99 crore for cash. Both proposals are subject to shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for July 15.

The acquisition significantly expands Lloyds Engineering’s presence in engineering, structural fabrication and EPC services, positioning the combined entity to undertake large infrastructure, industrial and commercial projects.
SISCOL has executed 187 structural steel projects across 22 states since 2018. Its portfolio includes Delhi Airport Terminal 1, Noida International Airport, the Dwarka Convention Centre, the International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, railway and road bridges, data centres and industrial projects in India and overseas.The company counts L&T, Shapoorji Pallonji, Tata Projects, Adani Group companies, KEC International, Jindal Stainless and DP World among its clients.

Following the acquisition, the combined platform will have more than 10 manufacturing facilities, six engineering and design centres, structural fabrication capacity of around 1.5 lakh metric tonnes per annum, with plans to expand it to 2 lakh MTPA, along with enhanced EPC and civil execution capabilities.

Lloyds Engineering said the acquisition will strengthen its ability to offer integrated design-to-delivery solutions across airports, industrial infrastructure, transportation, defence, data centres and urban development while creating operational synergies across procurement, engineering, manufacturing and project execution.