3 min readJun 20, 2026 09:18 AM IST
First published on: Jun 20, 2026 at 06:36 AM IST
FIFA World Cup 2026 Highlights, June 20: Ismael Saibari’s 70th-second strike eventually proved to be the only differentiator in Morocco and Scotland’s Group C encounter at the Boston Stadium on Friday afternoon.
Saibari’s lightning-fast strike was the earliest goal at this year’s World Cup and the fastest since Alphonso Davies’ 68-second goal for Canada against Croatia in 2022. The record lasted only a few hours until Paraguay’s Matias Galarza struck in 64 seconds against Turkey in San Francisco.
The feat also makes him only the second African player, alongside Mohamed Salah, to find the back of the net in his first two World Cup appearances. Morocco, who reached the semifinals at the last World Cup in Qatar, drew 1-1 with Brazil in their Group C opener.
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Saibari slipped behind two Scotland defenders and Brahim Diaz dropped the ball over the top to him. Saibari gathered and blasted it into the top left corner of the net, well outside the reach of goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
Saibari, currently linked with a summer move to Bayern Munich, owed his latest goal to Brahim’s playmaking. The pair have locked down a unique piece of history, combining for both of Morocco’s goals at this World Cup—only the second time an African duo has achieved a double-assist combination in the tournament’s history.Brahim put on a masterclass, leading all players with three created chances and three completed dribbles. This attacking spark allowed Morocco to dominate the underlying numbers, outperforming Scotland in expected goals (0.97 xG) from 12 shots versus Scotland’s (0.54 xG from six).
USA qualify for WC knockouts
USA continued to reign supreme in their storied rivalry against Australia as a 2-0 win helped them breeze through the group stages and secure a berth in the knockouts. The co-hosts were helped with an own goal from Cameron Burgess and an Alex Freeman header.
Although the USA has capitalized on five total World Cup own goals—including two in this tournament alone—they are also making history of their own. For the first time since the inaugural 1930 tournament, the Americans have scored multiple first-half goals in back-to-back World Cup matches.
With six goals already in the bag, the U.S. need just one more to equal their single-tournament record of seven (set in both 1930 and 2002), a milestone they will aim to break against Türkiye in their final group fixture.
Galarza resets fastest goal record
Late in the night, Galarza smashed the net just 64 seconds after kick-off with a sharp left-footed hit into the bottom corner.
FIFA WC 2026 recap: Morocco's Ismael Saibari netted the fastest goal of the edition while USA walloped Australia to reach the round of 32. (AP Photo) 
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