Paraguay Stuns Türkiye; Morocco Edges Scotland in Pair of Group-Stage Upsets

Group-stage chaos reigned on Friday, as underdogs claimed two significant scalps across the globe. In Silicon Valley, Paraguay stunned Türkiye with a lightning-quick strike—Matías Galarza finding the net just two minutes in—then held firm for a shock 1-0 victory at Levi's Stadium before 68,827 fans. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic at Gillette Stadium, Morocco proved equally clinical, with Ismael Saibari's second-minute finish propelling the North Africans past Scotland in a tightly contested 1-0 result watched by 64,146 spectators. Both matches reinforced an emerging tournament narrative: speed and early intensity can flatten established sides. Paraguay's lightning-strike approach and Morocco's sharp finishing rewarded their opening-minute aggression, leaving traditional powerhouses scrambling to adjust. These upsets inject genuine unpredictability into the group stage.