Group A and B come to a close in Seychelles

Group A
Belarus win 12–3 against Guatemala.
Belarus overpowered Guatemala with a dominant 12–3 performance in their final Group A fixture. The Belarusians set the tone early, with Hapon finishing a one-touch sequence to open the scoring six minutes into the match. Ryabko then doubled the lead with a spectacular bicycle kick, ending the first period 2–0.

The second period saw Belarus shift into high gear. Bryshtsel extended their lead to 3–0 just two minutes in. Ryabko followed with another acrobatic finish to make it four. The onslaught continued with goals from goalkeeper Ustsinovich, a header by Bokach, and Bryshtsel’s second goal of the game, bringing the scoreline to a staggering 7–0 by the end of the period.

In the final period, Bokach grabbed his second with another sharp header, while Bryshtsel completed his hat-trick from a spot kick. Guatemala fought back with goals from Crocker, Montepeque, and Marroquín, but the gap was too wide. Bryshtsel struck again with a right-side drive, and Ryabko added two more, including another bicycle kick, to bring his tally to four and seal a resounding 12–3 victory for Belarus.

Japan win 10–2 against Seychelles.
Japan secured a commanding 10–2 win over Seychelles in front of a packed Paradise Arena. The match’s opening goal came two minutes before the end of the first period, as Oba executed a stunning overhead kick to put Japan in front. Seychelles responded immediately through Bibi, the tournament’s youngest player at just 16, who slotted home a well-timed equaliser. However, Japan regained the lead with Akaguma netting his first through an overhead kick to close the period at 2–1.

Akaguma extended Japan’s lead early in the second period with a brilliant acrobatic finish. Within a minute, Bibi headed in his second goal to narrow Seychelles’ deficit, but the Japanese turned up the pressure. Akaguma completed his hat-trick, restoring a two-goal cushion. Eguro and Tsuboya both found the net for Japan, bringing the score to 6–2. A spot kick from Matsumoto and a rebound strike by Suzuki completed a dominant second period, giving Japan an 8-2 advantage.

In the final period, Oba claimed his brace with a rebound goal, before Akaguma put the finishing touch on a stunning performance by scoring his fourth and Japan’s 10th to complete a 10-2 victory over Seychelles.

Group B
Paraguay win 9-5 against Mauritania.
Paraguay earned a thrilling 9-5 victory over Mauritania in a high-scoring Group B encounter. Paraguay Goalkeeper Ovelar opened the scoring just four minutes in with a long-range effort, but Mauritania’s Ahmedou swiftly equalised. Valentin restored Paraguay’s lead before Cheikh brought levlled the score at 2-2 by the end of the first period.

The second period was a back-and-forth, with both sides pushing for a goal. Midway through the period, Cheikh volleyed home his second to give Mauritania a 3-2 edge. Paraguay struck back once more through another effort from distance courtesy of Ovelar, securing his brace and levelling the game 3-3 heading into the final period.

Just seconds into the final period, Medina fired in a left-footed strike to put Paraguay ahead 4-3. Mauritania responded through Diallo, assisted by Ahmedou, making it 4–4. Mathias then put Paraguay back in front, followed by Jhovanny, who calmly converted a spot kick to open a two-goal gap. Medina added his second to extend the lead to 7-4.

Despite Cheikh completing a brilliant hat-trick with an acrobatic finish, Paraguay powered on as Valentin grabbed his second goal of the match, and Barrios sealed their 9-5 victory over Mauritania.

Portugal win 7–5 against IR Iran.
In a thrilling conclusion to Matchday 5, Portugal edged IR Iran 7-5 in an intense contest. IR Iran struck first, as Nazarzadeh stunned the Portuguese with a spectacular bicycle kick three minutes into the game. However, Lourenço responded with a powerful header late in the first period to level the game at 1–1, which was short-lived, as Amiri immediately restored Iran’s lead with a perfectly driven strike to close the period 2-1 in their favour.

Portugal found their rhythm in the second period. Coimbra pounced on a defensive error to equalise 2-2, and moments later, Jordan converted from the penalty spot to hand Portugal their first lead of the game at 3-2. Lourenço then completed his brace midway through the period, followed by a clinical finish from Bê Martins to stretch Portugal’s advantage to 5-2.

At the start of the final period, Bê Martins scored again with a brilliant strike to make it 6-2. IR Iran responded with a moment of brilliance as Mokhtari fired home a scissor kick, cutting the deficit to 6-3. Portugal kept control, and Pintado converted another spot kick to make it 7-3. IR Iran fought back valiantly, Nazarzadeh grabbed his second goal from a rebound, and Movahed added a late strike, but it wasn’t enough to overturn Portugal’s 7-5 win.

Results
Group A
Belarus 12-3 Guatemala
Japan 10-2 Seychelles

Group B
Paraguay 9-5 Mauritania
IR Iran 5-7 Portugal

Fixtures – 06/05/2025
Group C
Senegal vs Chile
Tahiti vs Spain

Group D
El Salvador vs Italy
Oman vs Brazil

Photos: fifa.com