World Cup 2026: Key takeaways from the opening group stage matches

From viral instrumentality moments to on-field controversies, arsenic good arsenic the biggest stars, champion performances, upsets and more.

A first-ever hat-trick for Lionel Messi, heavyweights Spain stunned by tiny Cape Verde, and DR Congo silencing Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal.

What much could you inquire from the opening week of a FIFA World Cup?

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After the archetypal circular of radical matches, present are our apical 10 takeaways:

Last dance? Perhaps not, Lionel Messi has much successful store

Before the tourney kicked disconnected successful North America, galore thought Lionel Messi would beryllium gearing himself up for his last act. But aft his first-ever World Cup hat-trick – 1 that besides matched the grounds for astir World Cup goals – Messi has reminded america his communicative is not implicit conscionable yet.

Where is Cristiano Ronaldo? Portugal prima goes missing

While the Messi mania dominated headlines implicit caller days, his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, besides made the news, albeit for the incorrect reasons. “Is helium past his prime?” was the corporate question of viewers aft his mostly anonymous show successful Portugal’s 1-1 gully with DR Congo connected Wednesday.

There is nary stopping Kylian Mbappe

Becoming France’s all-time starring scorer ever seemed a substance of when, not if, for Kylian Mbappe, and achieving the feat successful their opening World Cup lucifer was further impervious of his bonzer talent. The 27-year-old, present conscionable 2 shy of matching the all-time haul for astir World Cup goals, is making a wont of chasing records.

The Golden Boot contention is taking shape

Long-range rockets, tap-ins, headers and more. There was nary shortage of goals, and Argentinian fable Messi is the outright person with 3 strikes. As galore arsenic 7 players – including England’s Harry Kane, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Mbappe – are tied for the 2nd spot with 2 goals each.

Lionel Messi has taken the aboriginal pb successful the contention for the Golden Boot, an grant handed to the tournament’s highest extremity scorer [Amy Kontras/EPA]

The rubric favourites are having a hard time

This is, by far, the upset of the tournament. Spain – the implicit frontrunners for the World Cup – stumbled astatine their archetypal hurdle, being held to a shock goalless draw by Cape Verde, the archipelago westbound of the African continent of astir fractional a cardinal people, and whose squad sits 65 places beneath the World No 2 successful the FIFA satellite rankings.

Do not constitute disconnected DR Congo

Yoane Wissa‘s first-ever goal, DR Congo’s archetypal astatine a World Cup, sparked joyousness among millions from Kinshasa to Niangara. And for the different teams competing successful the tournament, the 1-1 gully with No 5-ranked Portugal sent a informing that the underdogs are retired to situation immoderate of football’s champion sides, particularly erstwhile the satellite is watching.

Dear Curacao, invited to the World Cup

The 7-1 thrashing by Germany did small to dampen the tone of Curacao fans, galore of whom made the travel to the United States. For the Caribbean tiny land – the smallest-ever state to play astatine a World Cup – decision meant thing successful examination to the happiness of seeing 1 of their ain people astatine the sport’s biggest stage. Livano Comenencia is simply a leader for each of Curacao.

Pink boots are everywhere

Pink seems to beryllium the colour of the month, well, astatine slightest astatine the World Cup. Several players were seen wearing the vibrant, monochromatic boots – oregon cleats, arsenic Americans would accidental – careless of the manufacturer. Be it Nike, Adidas oregon Puma, sportswear giants person joined this inclination of making their boots “electric fuchsia”.

The Portugal squad successful the celebrated agleam pinkish boots [Phil Noble/Reuters]

From beats to booze, fans bring the enactment to the World Cup

It’s harmless to accidental a World Cup is the biggest solemnisation of football. And immoderate countries conscionable bash it amended than others.

With their green-and-yellow shirts, flags and pounding drums, Brazil fans brought a portion of Rio to New York, portion Moroccans aboriginal joined the party, the reddish fume from the flares lighting up the World Cup mood. In Boston, Scotland’s celebrated Tartan Army chugged pint aft pint, astir ⁠draining immoderate pubs of each their brew successful the archetypal play during their World Cup concern of the city.

Meet Mexico’s unofficial mascot: Merlin the duck

To champion sum up the shot craze successful tourney co-host Mexico, the fandom is not constricted to humans.  A ‌domesticated duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico garment and customized ⁠duck socks, has ⁠waddled his mode into the hearts of many, becoming an improbable unofficial mascot for the country’s World Cup campaign.

Merlin, a duck wearing a Mexico nationalist shot squad (‘El Tri’) jersey, changeable to fame aft a accidental brushwood connected Reforma Avenue successful the superior went viral pursuing the World Cup opening lucifer betwixt Mexico and South Africa connected June 11 [Paola Garcia/Reuters]