The Tournament at a Glance
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the 23rd edition of football's biggest competition, running from June 11 to July 19 across three co-host nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, expanded from the previous 32, and the first ever to be jointly hosted by three countries. Teams are divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing, along with the eight best third-placed finishers, into a new Round of 32. The final takes place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Nine days in, the tournament has already delivered more than enough to talk about.
Matchday 1 Review — June 11 to 17
All 48 nations saw action across the opening seven days, producing 75 goals, a string of upsets and several individual performances that will define the early narrative of the tournament.
The standout story of the opening round belonged to Lionel Messi. The Argentine captain scored his first ever World Cup hat-trick — his 61st career hat-trick overall — as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0. The treble moved him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history, with 16 goals. At 38 years of age, Messi's performance immediately put to rest any questions about his fitness coming into what is widely expected to be his final tournament.
He wasn't the only major star to make an impression. Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France beat Senegal 3-1, becoming France's all-time leading scorer at a World Cup in the process. Erling Haaland also netted a brace as Norway defeated Iraq 4-1 — a result that immediately flagged the Scandinavians as a potential dark horse.
Germany produced the biggest single-game result of the opening round, demolishing Curaçao 7-1. England also impressed, beating Croatia 4-2 in Dallas — Harry Kane scoring twice, with further goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford.
Not every established nation found things straightforward, however. Brazil were held to a 2-2 draw by Morocco, Spain were frustrated to a goalless stalemate by World Cup debutants Cape Verde in one of the most surprising results of the opening round, and Portugal were held 1-1 by DR Congo — with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to score in his opening match of a sixth World Cup.
The expanded format has already produced a clear pattern. Smaller nations are competing. The gap between football's traditional elite and the rest is narrowing, and the 48-team structure is giving those sides the platform to prove it. Asian nations were particularly impressive in the opening round, with Australia and South Korea winning their openers, Japan holding the Netherlands, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia both picking up creditable draws.
Matchday 2 Review — June 18 to 19
The second round of group stage fixtures began to separate contenders from the rest, and produced some of the more emphatic scorelines of the tournament so far.
Switzerland delivered the result of the round in Group B, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1. Co-hosts Canada went one better, crushing Qatar 6-0 — a statement win that also marked Canada's first ever victory at a FIFA World Cup.
The United States, the other North American co-host, secured their place in the Round of 32 with a 2-0 win over Australia — their first back-to-back victories at a World Cup since 1930. Mexico, meanwhile, confirmed their progression with a 1-0 win over South Korea, becoming the first team to clinch a Round of 32 spot in this year's competition.
Brazil moved through comfortably in Group C, beating Haiti 3-0. Morocco also progressed in the same group, defeating Scotland 1-0 in Boston with Ismael Saibari's early volley — struck inside the first two minutes — proving the only goal. Scotland had penalty appeals rejected on two separate occasions during the second half and now require a result against Brazil in their final group game to stand any chance of continuing in the tournament.
Key Storylines to Follow
Messi and the all-time record. With 16 World Cup goals, Messi is now level with Miroslav Klose's all-time record. If Argentina continue to progress, that record is widely expected to fall.
The smaller nations. Cape Verde, DR Congo, Curaçao and others have already demonstrated that this expanded tournament will not offer comfortable passage for the traditional powers. The upsets have already started — and there will be more.
Ronaldo's difficult start. While Messi hit three in his opener, Ronaldo remains on eight World Cup goals after failing to score against DR Congo. The contrast between the two in the early stages of this tournament has been stark.
England's ambitions. The Three Lions impressed against Croatia but face Ghana on June 23, a game that will give a clearer indication of whether they are genuine contenders for the latter stages.
Where Things Stand
The group stage runs through to June 27, with the Round of 32 beginning on June 28. Spain, Argentina, France, England and Brazil are currently considered the primary contenders for the trophy, though the opening nine days have shown that no outcome in this tournament should be taken for granted.
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