All 48 nations have been on the pitch for their first match of the World Cup, so what have we learned so far?
A lot or nothing at all, depending on who you ask (it is still only one round out of three in the group stage after all), but let’s take a look anyway.
Party in the hosting nations
Both Mexico and the USA won their first match, getting a brilliant start to their pursuit of the knockout phase.
Canada did not win their first match, as they tied with Bosnia-Herzegovina, but it secured the Canadians their first ever World Cup point, making the draw feel like a victory to the home crowd.
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The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout phase, and they are joined by the eight best third-placed teams, making it very realistic that all three host nations will still be in the mix when the group stage is over.
Messi is here to win
Argentina’s Lionel Messi turns 39 next week, but with a historic hat-trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria, he proved that he is still hungry for more glory.
The Argentines hold first place in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking going into the tournament. They are the reigning champions, and with a squad boasting both experience from the older players and energy from the younger players, they are very serious contenders to take home the trophy for a second time in a row.
And Messi will likely take the all-time scoring record at the World Cup, as he is now tied with Miroslav Klose for the current record of 16 goals.
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Opening-match nerves for several favourites
If you had been told before the first round of matches that Spain would not win against Cape Verde, Portugal would not win against DR Congo, and Brazil would not win against Morocco, you would probably have laughed it off.
But none of the three massive favourites managed to secure a win in their respective openers, showing that anything can happen at the World Cup.
We will probably see all three nations in the knockout phase, but they need to step up their game.
The German freight train rolls on
Agreed, Curaçao may not be the most fearsome opponent for a World Cup opener, but given how several favourites stumbled in their opening matches, nothing is certain at the World Cup.
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That is why Germany’s 7–1 win is not only decisive on paper but also shows that the German team is a well-oiled machine, and they are here to take home the trophy 12 years after they last won the tournament.
Especially since they did not even manage to progress from the group stage in 2018 and 2022.
The Three Lions want to bring it home
England last won the World Cup in 1966, and the Three Lions are starving for the trophy.
The best matchup of the first round, England vs. Croatia, was a repeat of the 2018 semi-final, when Croatia won 2–1 and sent England home. But England got their revenge with a 4–2 victory in their 2026 opener, and they are ready for more.
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With Ghana and Panama as the next two opponents, much has to go wrong for England not to advance to the knockout phase.
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