The 2026 World Cup has completed its first round of group play, and if you tuned in expecting a slow start, you got the wrong tournament. We’re talking a 40-year-old goalkeeper sobbing on the pitch after holding Spain. A 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo looking every bit his age. And England, of all teams, putting up four goals and looking like they’re actually having fun out there. Let’s run through the early takeaways before the narratives calcify.
The expanded format gave us something real
FIFA’s move to 48 teams felt like a cash grab, and the constant hydration breaks that double as ad time haven’t helped that perception. The schedule is a mess, players are exhausted, and the product is showing cracks from burnout. But then Cape Verde happens. The tournament debutants, ranked 73rd in the world, held Spain to a 0-0 draw. Their keeper Vozinha, who didn’t turn pro until he was 25, made save after save and broke down crying at the final whistle. His Instagram went from a few thousand followers to millions overnight.
Then there’s Pico Lopes. The guy plays for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland. He got scouted for the World Cup through a LinkedIn message. Think about that. A LinkedIn message led to him marking Spanish attackers on the biggest stage in sports. That’s the kind of story the old 32-team format never makes room for.
Messi is still the main character
When Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023, people assumed he was winding down. Maybe playing golf by now. Instead he led South American World Cup qualifying in goals at age 38, and in Argentina’s opener against Algeria, he dropped a hat trick. That put him level with Miroslav Klose for the all-time World Cup goals record. The guy is on his sixth tournament and he’s still the reason Argentina can defend their title.
Lamine Yamal, Mbappe, Haaland — they’re all exceptional. But the king isn’t dead yet. He’s just older and somehow still better than almost everyone.
Spain has a problem up front
Spain dominated possession against Cape Verde. 74 percent of the ball, 27 shots. Zero goals. They didn’t start Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams, and suddenly the magic that won them Euro 2024 disappeared. Ferran Torres and Mikel Oyarzabal tried but neither is a real number nine. Spain hasn’t produced a world-class striker since David Villa and Fernando Torres. They haven’t had a Spanish player lead La Liga in scoring in 18 years. The possession game is fine until you need someone to actually put the ball in the net in a knockout game.
Ronaldo is Portugal’s biggest obstacle
Portugal drew with DR Congo and the elephant in the room was impossible to ignore. Ronaldo is 41. He’s been scoring for fun in Saudi Arabia, but the World Cup is different. He had 25 touches in that game. Zero shots on target. He hasn’t scored in an international tournament in 10 games, spanning 33 shots. He’s never scored a knockout stage goal at a World Cup. Portugal has a deeply talented squad, but they’re still structuring everything around a guy who can’t do what he used to do. That’s not loyalty. That’s a problem.
England might actually be fun now
England opened with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Texas, and it wasn’t just the scoreline. They attacked with purpose. Jude Bellingham was everywhere. They scored four, could have had more, and gave up two goals at the back which means they’re never boring. Thomas Tuchel has this team playing real football, not the cautious stuff England fans have suffered through for decades. If they keep this up, they’ll be everyone’s second favorite team. Even the neutrals who usually root against them.
One round down. Three more to go before we know if any of this holds. But it’s already been a lot of fun.
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