The first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered several major surprises to fans. Favorites from Groups B, C, and D faced fierce resistance, and the suspense in the matches lasted until the final whistle. The night games rewrote the statistics for several national teams and set the tone for the entire tournament.
Qatar made history in the match against Switzerland
The Qatar national team performed the first major feat of the World Cup by taking points from the group favorite. The Swiss opened the scoring in the 17th minute: Breel Embolo converted a penalty awarded for a foul by goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada on Remo Freuler. The incident sparked controversy — replays suggested the Swiss player was offside before the foul, but VAR ignored it, and the graphics were never shown on the broadcast.
The "Crusaders" held their advantage until almost the end, but in the 90+4th minute, Qatar captain Boualem Khoukhi earned the country its historic first point in World Cup history. At the 2022 home World Cup, Qatar lost all their matches, making this draw a true breakthrough.
Ancelotti's Brazil drew with Morocco
Carlo Ancelotti's official debut as head coach of the Brazil national team at a World Cup proved difficult. The Moroccans, semi-finalists of the previous tournament, shocked the five-time champions from the start, registering five shots on Alisson's goal within the first 10 minutes.
In the 21st minute, Brahim Diaz made a precise pass to Ismael Saibari, who stylishly chipped the goalkeeper. The Brazilians responded quickly: in the 32nd minute, Vinicius Junior, following a pass from Bruno Guimarães, struck a powerful shot into the far corner. After the match, Ancelotti admitted he was dissatisfied with the performance due to lost duels and problems breaking the press.
Scotland won for the first time in 36 years
Scotland narrowly defeated Haiti, securing a historic victory at the World Cup for the first time in 36 years. The last triumph of the "Tartan Army" was a 2-1 win over Sweden at the 1990 World Cup.
In the 17th minute, Scott McTominay scored the opening goal, and in the 28th minute, Che Adams hit the goalkeeper, but John McGinn was the first to tap the ball home. For Haiti, playing in the World Cup for only the second time in history (after 1974), this defeat marked their starting shot in the new tournament.
Australia defeated Turkey 2-0
The program for the day concluded with a sensation from Australia, which defeated Turkey 2-0. The European side dominated the game, but the Australian defense and goalkeeper Patrick Beich withstood a barrage of attacks.
The Australians responded with two counter-attacks: in the 27th minute, Nestory Irankunda scored after a solo run, and in the 75th minute, Connor Metcalf scored a spectacular goal to settle all questions. In another match of the quartet, the USA comfortably defeated Paraguay 4-1.
Results of the first round
- Qatar — Switzerland 1:1
- Brazil — Morocco 1:1
- Scotland — Haiti 2:0
- Australia — Turkey 2:0
- USA — Paraguay 4:1
- Canada — Bosnia and Herzegovina 1:1
After the first round, all four teams in the group have identical statistics, making the tournament even more unpredictable.