Rondon scores 50th goal for Venezuela; Indonesia and Uzbekistan dominate; Cabo Verde, New Zealand, Curaçao suffer defeats
Germany | By Sayer Zaland
The third day of the FIFA Series 2026™ saw a wave of surprises as several World Cup-bound teams were toppled by lower-ranked opponents, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the tournament.
Key Results:
Venezuela 4–1 Trinidad and Tobago: Salomon Rondon marked his 50th international goal as Venezuela came from behind to secure a convincing win. Delvin Alfonzo netted twice, while Trinidad and Tobago briefly led through Reon Moore.
Indonesia 4–0 St Kitts and Nevis: Beckham Putra scored twice, with Ole Romeny and Mauro Zijlstra adding further strikes as Indonesia opened their campaign with a dominant victory.
Uzbekistan 3–1 Gabon: World Cup-bound Uzbekistan recovered from an early deficit to beat Gabon. Eldor Shomurodov, Jakhongir Urozov, and Alisher Odilov found the net for the White Wolves.
Bulgaria 10–2 Solomon Islands: A rout in Jakarta saw Bulgaria overwhelm the Solomon Islands, with Vladimir Nikolov completing a hat-trick.
Other notable outcomes included Chile defeating Cabo Verde 4–2, Finland handing New Zealand a 2–0 loss, and Azerbaijan demolishing St Lucia 6–1. Rwanda also recorded a 4–0 win over Grenada after a strong second-half showing. Australia narrowly edged Cameroon 1–0, with Jordan Bos scoring a late winner.
The day reinforced the high level of competition across the FIFA Series, with emerging teams challenging traditionally higher-ranked nations. The results set up intriguing matchups for the coming fixtures, including clashes between Venezuela and Uzbekistan, and Indonesia facing Bulgaria.
Tournament Context:
The FIFA Series 2026™ continues to provide a platform for international teams to fine-tune preparations ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, highlighting both established powers and rising nations in a series of competitive fixtures broadcast live on FIFA+.