World Cup 2026 team of the group stage: Lionel Messi and Argentina vs. the rest of the field

Despite the uncertainty heading into the 2026 World Cup, the expanded 48-team tourney has truthful acold delivered successful North America, with Canada, Mexico and the United States each advancing to the circular of 32.

That has surely kept section involvement high, particularly arsenic the co-hosts person performed commendably, adjacent if lone 1 of them progressed from the radical signifier with a maximum instrumentality of points.

The alleged starring nations person endured mixed campaigns, with England, Portugal and Belgium hardly mounting the tourney alight.

Strikingly, 9 of the 32 sides successful the archetypal knockout circular are from Africa, galore of whom secured qualification amid precocious play connected the last matchday, typified by Congo DR's rousing second-half comeback against Uzbekistan successful a 3-1 win.

Beyond that inspired Yoane Wissa-led fightback, Egypt, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde person each reached the archetypal knockout circular for the archetypal time, joining returning participants Morocco, Senegal, Ghana and Algeria successful the past 32.

Only Europe, with 10 representatives, has provided much round-of-32 sides than Africa, with co-favourites Spain and France progressing unbeaten, though La Roja made a stuttering commencement against Cape Verde.

Ahead of the knockout phase, Sports Mole picks retired the 3 standout teams of the radical stage.

Mexico: Aguirre's El Tri watertight astatine World Cup 2026

Setting speech the intermittent boos astatine the Azteca and Estadio Akron, Javier Aguirre's broadside completing the radical signifier with a cleanable grounds was arsenic awesome arsenic it was unprecedented.

El Tri arrived astatine these finals aft suffering a group-stage exit 4 years agone for the archetypal clip since 1978, yet they won each radical lucifer this time, a feat ne'er antecedently achieved by the nation.

While the co-hosts netted a humble six goals successful the radical stage, they did not concede once, keeping cleanable sheets against South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic.

Of the 32 teams successful the archetypal knockout round, lone Spain besides reached the past 32 without conceding, though La Roja collected 7 points from nine.

Having reshaped the broadside to go harder to bushed since the crook of the year, El Tri, who person fto successful conscionable 2 goals successful 11 matches successful 2026, caput into the circular of 32 arsenic 1 of the competition's standout teams.

Also, their radical signifier ended connected a precocious note, with Guillermo Ochoa becoming the oldest Mexican to look astatine the finals astatine 40 years and 346 days aged aft his quality against Czechia. 

France: Les Bleus flex their musculus astatine World Cup 2026

Discounting their opening 45 minutes of the tournament, France person been adjacent to flawless successful North America.

Senegal gave Didier Deschamps's men an aboriginal scare successful the opener, with Nicolas Jackson striking the station and Ismaila Sarr spurning an adjacent much inviting accidental to enactment the Lions of Teranga successful front.

However, a Kylian Mbappe-inspired 2nd fractional turned the tide, and France person not looked backmost since, contempt their caput manager suffering a idiosyncratic bereavement, arsenic underlined by their 3-1 win implicit Senegal, 3-0 victory against Iraq and 4-1 success implicit an admittedly second-string Norway.

Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele some scored 4 times successful the radical stage, making France the lone broadside with 2 players connected arsenic galore goals aft the opening round.

Having lifted the trophy successful 2018 and reached the last successful Qatar, Deschamps's star-studded squad look good placed for different heavy tally successful 2026.

Argentina: Can Messi and co. spell back-to-back astatine World Cup 2026?

Whisper it, but Lionel Scaloni's broadside amusement nary motion of losing their appetite for silverware, seemingly intent connected making up for mislaid clip aft going 28 years without a large title.

La Albiceleste person since clinched the Copa America successful 2021 and 2024, either broadside of their historical World Cup triumph astatine Lusail Stadium successful 2022.

Many assumed that occurrence would basal arsenic Lionel Messi's crowning moment, but the Inter Miami guardant appears much driven than ever to acceptable caller records.

The Argentina skipper has already moved past Miroslav Klose to go the World Cup's all-time starring scorer, adjacent if Mbappe looks good placed to overhaul that people successful owed course.

While doubts linger implicit Argentina's quality to header if Messi is intimately shackled – a triumph implicit Jordan with the skipper coming disconnected the seat is hardly conclusive grounds – Scaloni volition person been encouraged to find his broadside connected the ostensibly kinder fractional of the draw.

No federation has retained the World Cup since Brazil successful 1958 and 1962, but Argentina are determined to extremity a 64-year hold for a palmy rubric defence.