Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The first round of World Cup games delivered shocking results and unexpected performances from teams across all groups.
- Host nations showed mixed form while some heavy favorites stumbled against determined underdogs.
- One manager's bold mid-tournament decision and several standout individual efforts have already shifted tournament expectations dramatically.
Every team at the 2026 World Cup has now played their opening game. The first salvo of World Cup action was thrilling in every sense of the word. The vibes across the United States, Mexico and Canada have been impeccable and the action on the pitch has found a way to live up to the hype. Along with exciting games, the World Cup has already produced its fair share of twists and turns. We've seen unexpected results and jaw-dropping individual performances. We've even seen a manager fired.
With the opening round of games in the books, let's look at the biggest shocks from each group.
Group A standings: South Africa picks up two red cards
South Africa was always fighting an uphill battle to advance to the knockout rounds in their group with Mexico, South Korea and Czechia. We just didn't expect them to be this dead in the water after just one game.
Bafana Bafana were lucky to get out of the World Cup opener against Mexico with only a 2-0 scoreline. They were thoroughly outplayed. Worse still, they picked up not one but two senseless red cards. Starting CM Sphephelo Sithole will miss Thursday's game against Czechia. Attacking midfielder Themba Zwane was hit with a three-match ban for his red card after FIFA judged his conduct to be serious foul play. For the record, team conduct (i.e. accumulation of cards) is one of the third-place tiebreakers.
Group B standings: Canada draws Bosnia and Herzegovina
We saw what a host country boost can look like in impressive victories for Mexico and the United States. Canada didn't get the memo, apparently. They toiled to a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzogovina. Yes, it was their first point in World Cup play. You've got to start somewhere. But when you're the hosts and playing a team ranked 64th in FIFA's world rankings, you've got to find a way to win.
A draw by Switzerland and Qatar at least keeps Canada in contention to win the group.
Group C standings: Morocco > Brazil
They may have emerged with one point each, but anyone who watched Morocco vs. Brazil could tell you the former were the better team. By now, we should respect Morocco as one of the elite teams in the tournament. The surprise was how toothless Brazil looked by comparison. The fact that they missed Neymar, a 34-year-old who has scored 12 goals in club play over the last two seasons, is a problem.
Group D standings: The United States is good...really good
The Team USA bandwagon is filling up quickly after their 4-1 dismantling of Paraguay. With what is widely considered the best performance by a USMNT at the World Cup, the Americans made quite the statement. It was loud enough to make some forget just how dire the United States has been on the soccer pitch for the last decade-plus.
For those who haven't been paying attention before the start of the World Cup, USA soccer has been unwatchable for a long time. That performance was an outlier in the extreme. A very, very welcome one given the timing. Frankly, what was shocking was seeing the United States talent actually show up. That those individuals put on a show wasn't the surprise. It's that the team lived up to its potential.
Group E standings: Curacao captures imaginations for half an hour
For a few brief, shining minutes, Curacao was the darling of the World Cup neutral. As one of the smallest nations to ever appear on the world's stage, the Blue Wave shocked Germay with a 21st-minute game-tying goal. Sure, the Germans went on to rout them 7-1, but what we'll all remember is Livano Comenencia's strike and how bright the islanders looked in that first half hour of play.
Group F standings: Tunisia's fires manager mid-tournament
The World Cup always manages to deliver a few shocking firsts. This year, it's the first ever mid-tournament managerial change. Tunisia did the honors, sacking Sabri Lamouchi after his team suffered a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Sweden.
Listen, Tunisia was going to be hard-pressed to make it through as a third-place team in a group with the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden. They needed a result against Sweden, and they no-showed. The Swedes thoroughly unraveled them. So the frustration and disappointment were certainly high. But firing the manager after one game? That's a helluva bold move.
Group G standings: New Zealand sits in first
Belgium is the runaway favorite in Group G, but a draw against Egypt made it clear they won't actually run away with things. At least not that easily. Still, that result wasn't the biggest shock in the group. Instead, it's New Zealand who opened eyes in the opening round of play.
The All Whites matched Iran in a 2-2 draw thanks to a brace from Elijah Just. The forward was excellent, but the true standout of the occasion was Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood. The 34-year-old put his stamp on the game with his movement and vision, setting up both of Just's goals. New Zealand is 85th in FIFA's world rankings, the lowest-ranked team in the whole field. They didn't look like it. In fact, with Wood playing like that, they've got a chance to make it to the knockouts.
Group H standings: Cape Verde delivers the only 0-0
No one, and I mean no one, expected Cape Verde to pick up a point against Spain, one of the World Cup favorites. Their defensive masterclass produced one of the most shocking outcomes in the history of the tournament.
La Furia Roja was furious indeed as they struggled to break through Cape Verde's defense. Spain's lack of a go-to goal scorer once again reared its ugly head as Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal and Gavi combined to provide nothing. Lamin Yamal might be that guy, but coming back from a hamstring injury, it wasn't his time.
The game ended as the only 0-0 draw in the group stage so far. That in itself is a shock; by this point in 2022, there were four 0-0 draws, and that was in a group stage with fewer games.
Group I standings: France's first half malaise
To be honest, nothing about Group I this far has been shocking. It was always going to be France and Norway competing for that top spot. And that's the way it is after both notched commanding wins in their first game. So we're nitpicking here out of necessity. Basically, France's first half against Senegal was terrible. Landon Donovan called them arrogant. Whether you agree with that or not, they were certainly listless. And Mbappe looked like the Monstars had stolen his talent.
Luckily at halftime he got a hold of some of Michael's Secret Stuff (TM) and came back to life. Mbappe scored a brace as the French won 3-1.
Does it matter that France was uninspiring in the first half of their first game? No, probably not.
Group J standings: Messi is the GOAT, even at 38
In a moment, we're going to have to talk about an aging star who has clearly lost it and should probably just hang up his boots. Lionel Messi is not that player. Somehow, someway, Messi hasn't let the years sap him of his scoring ability. He scored a hat trick with a series of magnificent strikes as Argentina demolished Algeria 3-0.
It's worth noting that Algeria is not a minnow. They're a respectable 28th in the FIFA world rankings. In the lead up to the World Cup, they had an unblemished defensive record in four-straight friendlies, including cleansheets against Uruguay and the Netherlands.
Group K standings: Ronaldo played the full 90, poorly
Like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is playing in his sixth World Cup. Unlike Messi, he looks every second his age at 41. Portugal, one of the tournament favorites, suffered a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, with the aging striker playing the full 90.
All three of Ronaldo's shots were off target. He created zero chances. He offered nothing and spent most of the game walking like there was lead in his boots.
To be fair, I don't find it shocking that Ronaldo was poor. What I do find shocking is that manager Roberto Martinez kept him on the pitch the whole way. That decision effectively had Portugal playing with 10 men.
Group L standings: Ghana's extra-time winner
Ghana are the lowest-ranked team to win their opening game at the World Cup and it's not close. The Ghanaians are 73rd in the FIFA world rankings. The next closest opening round winners were No. 42 Scotland. The Scots beat No. 83 Haiti to secure three points. Ghana beat No. 34 Panama. Panama were in good form coming in. Ghana hadn't won a game since October 2025. And they were without Thomas Partey, their midfield anchor. Partey was denied a visa to Canada because of pending rape charges in England, where he used to play.
Simply put, Ghana getting three points in their first game was unlikely. Getting those three points with a 95th-minute winner from 20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi was even more shocking.
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