The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday, June 11, but has already brought all the entertainment that fans expected in just a few days. Some of the tournament’s most highly-anticipated teams, including Germany, United States and Mexico, have already taken the pitch, with other teams, such as Argentina, Portugal, France and England not yet playing. With all the talented rosters set to play, the entertainment is only going to get crazier and crazier as the tournament continues.
The United States made headlines in their first match of the World Cup for all the right reasons, defeating Paraguay by a score of 4-1. The match was never in jeopardy for the United States, who took a 1-0 lead in the first 10 minutes and never looked back. Two goals from Folarin Balogun left the United States with a commanding 3-0 lead entering halftime. Many have praised the United States’ style of play, claiming that it is one of the best performances that the team has put up recently in the World Cup.
Sticking to the theme of dominant wins, Germany’s opening match against Curaçao might have shown a strong performance from Germany, but undermines the historical significance of the match. Germany easily took down World Cup debutants Curaçao by a score of 7-1, however, that one goal for Curaçao marked the country’s first goal in FIFA World Cup history.
Another team that recently made its FIFA World Cup debut was Cabo Verde and they put on an impressive showing. Facing a Spain team that is currently ranked as the third best team in the world and one of the favorites to win the entire tournament, Cabo Verde held them scoreless, resulting in a 0-0 draw. While the team will need more than a draw in the future to advance, holding a team as talented as Spain to no goals in a World Cup debut is an impressive feat for the country.
Another historical match took place on Saturday, as Qatar took on Switzerland, for their second ever FIFA World Cup appearance. Qatar participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, qualifying as the host country, however, the team was defeated in all three of their group stage matches. After a 17th minute penalty kick goal, it seemed that Qatar was going to lose yet another group stage match, though, a stoppage time goal allowed Qatar to even the match at 1-1, moments before the clock expired. While Qatar is still searching for its first win in the World Cup, a draw brings them one step closer to making that outcome a reality.
Netherlands and Japan also played an exhilarating match on Sunday, with both teams exchanging goals. The first half started out quiet, with neither team scoring a goal, though, the goals kept coming in the second half. Each Netherlands goal was responded with an answer from Japan, ultimately ending in a 2-2 draw.
Tuesday’s matchups featured some of the biggest names in the sport, featuring Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland. The star players showed why they are consistently regarded as some of the best in the world, with both Mbappé and Haaland recording two goals. Reigning champion, Lionel Messi, however, recorded a hat trick, moving himself into a tie for the most FIFA World Cup goals scored in a career. At his current pace, Messi will break the record in no time, a fitting end for an iconic player’s last appearance in the tournament.
