On Thursday, June 11, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the US, Canada, and Mexico, officially kicked off in Mexico City. This past week, the first matches of the Group Stage began. In this initial round of the tournament, teams compete in small groups of four for a spot in the following round of 32.
The opening fixture between Mexico and South Africa saw an uncharacteristically aggressive start to the tournament, with three red cards dealt across the 90 minutes plus added time. That did not, however, hinder the host nation from comfortably sliding past South Africa for a 2-0 win.
The following day, Canada faced Bosnia and Herzegovina in what became the first on my list of Week 1’s most notable matches. After their win over Italy to qualify for the tournament in March, expectations for Bosnia’s performance grew exponentially. Early on, however, Canada’s relaxed and tactical playing style made Bosnia appear far more frantic than it looked against Italy. Bosnia may have found the back of the net first, but their overconfidence hindered them from a comeback after Canada’s tying goal late in the game, ending in a 1-1 tie.
Far more surprising was the result between Spain and Cape Verde: The two tied at 0-0 after 90 grueling minutes. For 67th-ranked Cape Verde, the game represents a monumental achievement—reflected by their goalie, Vozinha, who quickly grew emotional after the final whistle. For Spain, conversely, it raised questions as to how successful their World Cup run can be.
Historically, Spain has started off tournaments slowly. Notably, in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they lost to Japan despite maintaining possession for 82% of the game and were later eliminated from the tournament after a loss to Morocco. In that final match, Spain held possession for 77% of the game but only managed a single shot on target. During the 2024 Euros, it seemed Spain had finally broken its pattern of endless passing and little zeal for the actual net by winning the entire tournament.
This reason is precisely why analysts and fans alike were so surprised by the Cape Verde result. Spain reverted to the previous behavior, holding possession for 74% of the game without scoring once. It is important to note, however, that this inefficient offense may not have solely resulted from Spanish talent but was heavily exacerbated by the Cape Verde defensive strategy. Throughout the entire game, they sat back defensively—creating only a thin margin of success for the Spaniards.
As you will see in many of the games throughout this tournament, chances on goal often arise from counterattacks, a phenomenon that requires both teams to make efforts on goal. Cape Verde largely removed that possibility by only shooting six times, with one on target. Such strategies require immense consistency and stamina on the defensive end to execute; thus, the tie result is certainly a testament to the Cape Verde team’s up-and-coming skill.
On the horizon for next week, Côte d’Ivoire will face Germany on Sunday, June 20, in what could be yet another upset so far. Côte d’Ivoire is coming off two back-to-back victories: the first over tournament-favorite France in a pre-tournament friendly and the second against Ecuador on the 14th.
Another team to look out for in the coming days is Morocco, which put up a strong performance against Brazil in its opening match. Although it ended in a 1-1 tie, a draw with hard-hitting Brazil solidified Morocco’s status as a major contender for the tournament title. They will face Scotland on Friday at 6:00pm EST, and it is certainly a game to watch for those interested in seeing how a relatively young but talented team fares in the World Cup pressure-pot.
This week also saw Australia put up a strong, unexpected 2-0 win over Türkiye. Fox Sports commentator Alexi Lalas mentioned in December that having Australia in the same group as the United States was a blessing for the Americans’ chances at advancing to the Round of 32. If you are looking for a game to watch, or hoping to see Lalas proven wrong, make sure to tune in as the two battle it out on Friday at 3:00pm EST.
Group Stage matches will continue through Saturday, June 27, after which the knockout rounds will commence.
