The 11 Biggest World Cup Questions After the First Round of Group Play
The opening matches of the World Cup not often inform us who will elevate the trophy at the finish. Argentina misplaced its opener in 2022 earlier than occurring to win. Spain did the similar in 2010. Almost each eventual champion endures some form of group-stage scare, disappointing efficiency, or end result that sparks doubt.
Plenty of the favorites on this match have delivered performances that fell quick of expectations. Perhaps the most placing takeaway from the first spherical is what number of contenders are nonetheless attempting to find precisely who they’re. France seemed susceptible for the first 45 minutes and unstoppable for the subsequent 45. Brazil appeared unsure of its id. Spain is closely depending on two younger stars who’re working their manner again from damage. Portugal has a Cristiano Ronaldo dilemma that’s unattainable to disregard. Belgium and the Netherlands each dropped factors in matches they have been anticipated to win.
Meanwhile, some of the match’s largest names and most established powers seemed precisely as marketed. Lionel Messi reminded the world why Argentina stays a contender. England seemed liberated beneath Thomas Tuchel. Germany scored seven targets, once more. The United States might have produced the most complete World Cup performance in its fashionable historical past.
One spherical of matches is way too small a pattern to attract sweeping conclusions from. But it is sufficient to determine the story traces that might form the relaxation of the match. So now that every one 48 groups have taken the subject, listed below are the largest inquiries to emerge from the opening week of the 2026 World Cup.
Will England’s newfound braveness carry over into the knockouts?
Tuchel received’t be drawing Winston Churchill comparisons anytime quickly, however Harry Kane credited England’s supervisor for a rousing halftime speech that sparked a dominant second half in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia. “He told us to take the shackles off, calm down and let’s go,” Kane said. “He said, ‘What’s the worst that can happen? Show the world who we can be.’”
The message resonated as a result of it minimize immediately towards England’s instincts. For years beneath Gareth Southgate, the workforce’s default response was warning. Once they gained a bonus, they typically retreated right into a defensive shell, prioritizing solidity and threat avoidance over ambition. Southgate’s struggleball delivered respectable match finishes, nevertheless it additionally produced a model of soccer that not often appeared to match the expertise on the subject. It routinely invited lesser opponents again into matches.
England had each excuse to fall into these previous habits after Jude Bellingham’s sensible aim put it up 3-2 lower than three minutes into the second half. Instead, England put its foot on the gasoline. After producing 0.59 non-penalty anticipated targets in the opening 45 minutes, England created 1.83 after halftime. The English carved up a Croatian protection that had struggled to comprise their motion in transition.
Based on their opener, England stands out as one of the rightful three or 4 favorites to win this complete factor. But when stakes are reintroduced in the knockout stage, England might want to preserve its braveness.
Can the U.S.’s aggressive midfield technique survive towards higher opponents?
The United States thrashed Paraguay 4-1 and had one of the most spectacular opening-round performances of any workforce in the World Cup. The utter dominance and management on show in the win felt new for USMNT followers; it left zero want for the doom and gloom that has been following this workforce like a darkish storm cloud for the previous two years.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino pushed his central gamers excessive up the pitch, trusted them to make runs behind Paraguay’s line of defense, and inspired them to press relentlessly at each alternative. Against Paraguay, it labored completely. The Americans dominated territory, created a number of large possibilities by way of these ways, and cruised. The query now’s what’s going to occur when the USMNT’s opponent can really play by way of that stress. Or when groups are extra prepared and capable of counterpress the United States after they lose possession of the ball.
The USMNT’s most well-liked midfield trio is constructed round vitality, athleticism, and ball-winning relatively than possession management. Tyler Adams is one of the greatest defensive midfielders in the match, whereas Weston McKennie and Malik Tillman thrive when video games are chaotic and free kind. Against sturdy opponents, Pochettino’s midfield ways turn into a risk-reward proposition. If the press succeeds, the United States can create scoring alternatives with no need to interrupt down a settled protection. If it fails, rather a lot of area opens between the midfield and the again line.
The United States seemed proactive and fearless towards Paraguay, however the match’s elite groups are far more comfy navigating and producing stress. We in all probability received’t get a solution to this query till the knockout stage, however when the reply comes it is going to come rapidly.
Can Portugal resolve its Ronaldo riddle?
The scrutiny of Cristiano Ronaldo’s function in Portugal’s lineup started before the World Cup. The 41-year-old ahead is now not the world-beater he was throughout his prime, but he nonetheless leads the line for Portugal. After their 1-1 draw with Congo, the mild is shining immediately onto supervisor Roberto Martínez to see whether or not he’s prepared to make the laborious choice and experiment with another person as a fundamental striker.
Ronaldo’s supporters can level to his targets; he was Portugal’s most dependable aim scorer throughout qualifying play, in spite of everything. His critics can level to every thing else. Portugal boasts one of the deepest and most technically gifted midfields in the match, but too typically their possession sequences appear designed to search out Ronaldo relatively than maximize the collective expertise round him. When Portugal struggles to interrupt opponents down, the query inevitably turns into whether or not the tradeoff remains to be price it. Ronaldo isn’t including any worth to Portugal’s possession play proper now, and he’s not threatening to stretch the protection. It leaves Portugal’s dynamic midfield with few methods to go the ball ahead.
Martínez now faces maybe the most delicate choice of any supervisor at this World Cup. Is Ronaldo nonetheless Portugal’s best choice at striker, or has he turn into the most well-known untouchable starter in worldwide soccer? Benching him totally feels unlikely. But experimenting with Gonçalo Ramos or one other extra cell choice may unlock a distinct model of Portugal’s assault.
Can Turkey lastly make good on its expertise?
It’s turn into one of the most predictable narratives in worldwide soccer: Turkey enters a match as a well-liked darkish horse selection, after which underperforms. While it did make the quarterfinal of Euro 2024 in Germany, Turkey was a typical underdog decide in each Euro 2016 and Euro 2021. Both instances, the workforce failed to flee the group stage. And after shedding 2-0 to Australia in its opener at this World Cup, Turkey could possibly be headed that manner once more if it fails to beat Paraguay on Friday.
Turkey hasn’t been to the World Cup because it completed in third place in 2002, however its total expertise instantly caught the eye of soccer hipsters. That expertise was evident at instances in the loss to Australia, however so have been some acquainted flaws. Turkey struggled to create clear-cut possibilities in settled possession and have become more and more susceptible each time it chased the recreation. For all the pleasure surrounding Turkey’s particular person gamers, worldwide tournaments are sometimes determined by group, self-discipline, and avoiding errors.
Turkey’s shot map in the Australia match is especially ugly. Sixteen of its 30 shot makes an attempt got here from outdoors the penalty space, and that’s why it totaled just one.36 anticipated targets. Arda Guler was anticipated to be one of the breakout younger stars to make a reputation for himself on this match; it’s just one recreation, nevertheless it actually wasn’t Guler’s second, as he tried long-range shot after long-range shot, to no avail.
Is Yan Diomande the subsequent world soccer celebrity?
Every World Cup produces a participant who enters as a promising expertise and leaves a family identify. Jamés Rodriguez for Colombia in 2014. Kylian Mbappé for France in 2018. And the early front-runner for 2026 is Yan Diomande of Ivory Coast.
Diomande confronted off towards one of the match’s greatest defenses in Ecuador and put up a stellar efficiency as a ballcarrier. He applied relentless stress on the penalty space and created 5 possibilities with 4 dribbles. At simply 19 years previous, Diomande’s efficiency was one of the most spectacular in the total World Cup thus far.
Ivory Coast’s subsequent opponent, Germany, likes to dominate possession, management territory, and spend lengthy stretches camped in the attacking half. But there are main questions on Germany’s skill to defend in broad areas and guard towards direct assaults. That’s the place the Germans are uniquely susceptible to the precise expertise Diomande brings to the desk. If Germany pushes numbers ahead, and it’ll, each transition will current a possibility to isolate defenders towards one of the most explosive gamers in the match.
If the Ecuador match was Diomande’s introduction to the world stage, the match with Germany could possibly be the one which turns him right into a budding celebrity.
Does Hervé Renard have yet another World Cup magic trick up his (crispy white) sleeve?
Few managers have constructed a world managing popularity fairly like Hervé Renard. Since Saudi Arabia’s historic upset of Argentina in 2022, the Frenchman has turn into synonymous with underdog success and emotional speeches. Renard stalking the touchline in a crisp and lucky white shirt has turn into one of worldwide soccer’s most recognizable photographs.
Renard received AFCON with Zambia and Ivory Coast. He was speculated to be teaching Saudi Arabia at this match, however the workforce fired him in April. Now he’s taking up as the supervisor of Tunisia throughout the center of the World Cup. If Tunisia can win both match towards Japan or the Netherlands, it’ll have an opportunity to make the knockouts.
Renard has a borderline unattainable process in entrance of him, provided that he’s being dropped into a brand new workforce in the center of the match. But the World Cup wouldn’t actually be the World Cup if Renard didn’t make an look—with the white shirt, of course.
Which model of France will present up subsequent?
France’s opening match towards Senegal was an erratic efficiency for the match cofavorite. Through 45 minutes, France had tried only one shot. Its assault seemed disjointed. Its celebrity lineup badly lacked a degree guard to orchestrate. Since France didn’t actually press out of possession, Senegal saved 44 % of the possession and had extra touches in the opposing field than France.
What occurred subsequent wasn’t as a result of France stopped being “arrogant,” however relatively a tactical change that lastly gave France somebody to run the offense. Since Rayan Cherki didn’t begin and Michael Olise spent the first half remoted on the wing, France lacked a central playmaker. Once Olise moved extra centrally, he grew to become that participant. And he confirmed why he’s blossomed into one of the greatest attacking gamers in the world. He assisted the opening aim to Mbappé, tallied virtually a full anticipated help, and created 4 possibilities in a single half. Between his personal shot makes an attempt and the ones he created for others, Olise confirmed us what France could be at its best possible.
The first half confirmed that France could be susceptible to organized opponents who deny area in transition and power the French to assemble affected person assaults. The second half reminded us that France is one of the most gifted groups in the match, succesful of overwhelming opponents when the proper gamers are put in the proper positions.
That’s what makes France so troublesome to guage after one match. The ceiling stays terrifyingly excessive. Few groups can match their mixture of athleticism and technical high quality. But the opening 45 minutes additionally served as a reminder that France is not proof against tactical issues, even with all that expertise.
Can Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal discover their health in time to avoid wasting Spain?
It required an ideal confluence of occasions for Cape Verde to drag off a dramatic, goalless draw with Spain in the opening match of each groups’ World Cup. It was one of these days in soccer—one through which Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha stood on his head, Spain’s beginning striker was surprisingly ineffective, and none of its possibilities discovered the again of the internet. From Spain’s level of view, it could be a mistake to overreact to a efficiency like this; however at the similar time, it confirmed how reliant Spain’s setup is on two gamers.
Spain’s drawback wasn’t progressing the ball into harmful areas—the midfield nonetheless managed the match precisely as supervisor Luis de la Fuente would have wished. The difficulty got here as soon as possession reached the ultimate third. Too many assaults ended with innocent circulation round the penalty space as an alternative of with actions that compelled defenders to make troublesome choices.
That’s the place Yamal and Williams turn into indispensable. They are two of the few attackers in world soccer succesful of creating benefits totally on their very own. A tactical plan might help a protection hold Spain’s assault at bay, however it may possibly’t educate a defender methods to cease Yamal from chopping inside onto his left foot or Williams from exploding previous a fullback in a one-on-one scenario.
Unfortunately, each Yamal and Williams are getting back from accidents and each entered the match as subs. It needs to be alarming to Spanish followers that the workforce seemed so toothless with out them on the subject. Spain dominated territory, possession, and the passing stats, however what did it have to indicate for it in phrases of possibilities created?
Based on Opta’s shot charting, Spain managed just one large scoring likelihood. That will change as Yamal and Williams play themselves into match health, however how lengthy is that going to take? World Cups do not all the time permit groups the luxurious of step by step constructing towards peak kind. Spain nonetheless appears succesful of beating virtually anybody in the match, however its margin for error shrinks significantly if its two most explosive gamers are nonetheless looking for full health when the elimination video games arrive.
Does this Brazilian workforce have an id?
For most of fashionable World Cup historical past, Brazil has entered tournaments with a clearly identifiable id. Sometimes it was overwhelming attacking expertise. Sometimes it was technical superiority and a novel aptitude. Sometimes it was a devastating transition assault constructed round a celebrity. Even when Brazil failed, you usually knew what form of workforce it was attempting to be.
This yr feels completely different. Carlo Ancelotti has inherited a squad with some elite particular person expertise, however lower than it has sometimes loved. Is this a possession-dominant workforce constructed round controlling matches? Is it a transition-heavy facet designed to unleash Vinicius Junior in area? Is it a urgent workforce that wishes to overwhelm opponents bodily? After 90 minutes towards Morocco, the reply isn’t totally clear.
Brazil settled for a 1-1 attract its extremely anticipated World Cup opener final Saturday. The workforce’s points seemed like a mix of each personnel and construction. The midfield duo of Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro routinely gave the ball away in the first half, and it left Brazil uncovered to direct counterattacks from Morocco. Ancelotti selected to hook Casemiro at halftime, however not earlier than he picked up a yellow card and was dribbled previous 3 times.
In principle, Brazil’s greatest attacking plan is to get the ball to Vini Jr. and Raphinha as a lot as potential, and allow them to cook dinner. However, there have been only a few cases when that really occurred. Some of it is a credit score to Morocco, who denied quick access to Brazil’s elite wingers. But extra of it is a criticism of Brazil, who’s one match into the World Cup and not using a clear id of what this squad actually is.
Will African groups proceed to punch above their weight?
It’s been a stellar opening spherical of matches for African soccer. Ivory Coast upset Ecuador and Diomande had one of the match’s greatest particular person performances. Cape Verde shocked Spain in a stalemate with goalkeeping heroics from Vozinha. Egypt went toe-to-toe with Belgium in a extremely aggressive draw. Morocco did the similar towards Brazil. Congo outplayed Portugal for big stretches of their draw. Ghana beat Panama in stoppage time.
Outside of some poor goalkeeping shows from Tunisia and Algeria, and no matter occurred to South Africa in the opener, African groups have outperformed expectations. Maybe that is only a small-sample-size story that may disappear by the knockout rounds. Or possibly the African Cup of Nations—held simply half a yr in the past—served as a costume rehearsal that left African groups higher ready for the chaos of a World Cup than many of the match favorites. It’s just one spherical of matches, however throughout that spherical the continuity of the African groups outweighed the perceived hole in expertise.
How does Lionel Messi hold doing this?
Lionel Messi has already overwhelmed soccer. He’s finished nearly every thing there’s to do in the sport. And but, in the first recreation of what is probably going his ultimate World Cup, at age 38, Messi confirmed us that he’s nonetheless discovering distinctive methods to dazzle us and new data to rewrite. He scored a hat trick in Argentina’s opener towards Algeria. He benefitted from some shaky goalkeeping on the first two targets, positive, however Messi is now tied with German Miroslav Klose for many targets ever scored at the World Cup. It was additionally Messi’s first World Cup hat trick. And he grew to become the solely MLS participant to attain three targets in a World Cup match.
The first aim, particularly, completely encapsulates why Argentina can win this match regardless of an ageing and flawed roster that’s principally operating it again from 4 years in the past. The Argentines have defensive solidity constructed into their DNA and a tactical id beneath supervisor Lionel Scaloni. Yet, 16 minutes into the match, Argentina had but to enter the Algerian penalty space. Their assault seemed disjointed and unconnected. Then Messi scored from 25 yards out and erased any issues that Scaloni might have had. International soccer isn’t typically determined by the sexiest passing patterns or the most coordinated press. It’s typically received by people making game-changing performs, and Messi can nonetheless try this in addition to anybody in the match.
That’s the paradox of this Argentina workforce. It could also be extra depending on Messi now than it was 4 years in the past. The supporting solid stays organized, disciplined, and defensively dependable, however fewer gamers are succesful of creating one thing from nothing when matches turn into tense and compressed. Argentina does not want Messi to dominate video games for 90 minutes anymore. It simply wants him to ship a decisive second each on occasion.
And would you ever doubt his skill to do this?
Anthony Dabbundo
Anthony Dabbundo writes about all issues sports activities and is a podcast host featured on The Ringer Gambling Show and The Ringer’s Philly Special. He is a graduate of Syracuse University, and a proud Philadelphian who spends his summers at Citizens Bank Park.
