The opening round of the 2026 World Cup, hosted across the USA, Mexico, and Canada, has officially concluded. The tournament, which has expanded to a 48-team format for the first time, delivered both expected triumphs for the favorites and major upsets that overturned bookmakers' predictions.
A historic evening for Lionel Messi
The highlight of the opening matches was the successful title defense by the reigning champions, the Argentina national team. The team started the tournament confidently, with their leader Lionel Messi playing a key role. The Argentine scored a historic hat-trick, allowing him to equal the number of World Cup goals scored by the legendary German striker Miroslav Klose.
Record routs and unexpected draws
The first round demonstrated a huge gap in class between some opponents. The German national team staged a true rout, scoring seven goals against the team from Curaçao. Convincing victories were also secured by the national teams of France, England, the USA, Sweden, and Norway.
However, not all favorites managed to celebrate a victory. Strong teams from Brazil, Portugal, and Belgium failed to secure the maximum number of points, settling for draws against stubborn opponents. Special attention was drawn to Spain's match, which ended in a goalless draw against the absolute debutants of the tournament — the Cape Verde national team.
Results of the first round
Over the course of a week, 24 matches were played across 12 groups. The statistics were distributed as follows:
- 15 matches ended in a victory for one of the teams;
- 9 matches ended in a draw.
The tournament format stipulates that the top two teams from each group, as well as the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16.