Argentina's Lionel Messi has been the biggest star of the World Cup 2026 group phase [David Ramos/Getty Images via AFP]By Frank Dell’ApaPublished On 28 Jun 202628 Jun 2026
Before the FIFA World Cup 2026 started, there were worries regarding everything from people being priced out of attending matches to the suitability of stadiums for playing football.
Mexico kicked off the event with a 2-0 group match win over South Africa on June 11 , the third time Mexico City has hosted the opening game. Fast forward 17 days and 72 fixtures later and it was Austria and Algeria that concluded the group stage on June 28 in Dallas, with a wild 3-3 draw that ended just after midnight on Sunday.
This article will be opened in a new browser windowBy late last week, FIFA announced the 2026 edition had surpassed the all-time World Cup attendance record of 3.6 million, surpassing Qatar 2022 at just over 3.4 million spectators, with three weeks remaining.
Here are the top 5 biggest takeaways from World Cup group play:
UEFA teams mostly lived up to their reputations, with France leading the way having a perfect record in group match play.
Even Norway, never better than a Round of 16 participant, is gearing up for a deep run. In a tactical move, coach Stale Solbakken conceded Group I to Les Bleus in their final group match on Friday to rest up for the next round.
CONMEBOL’s Argentina, Brazil and Colombia won groups, the Cafeteros holding off Portugal in the finale; and Ecuador upset Germany to advance as a third-place team.
But Europe and South America aren’t alone in their ambition at World Cup 2026.
Nine of 10 African teams advanced and Morocco is talking about getting to the final. It seems a reasonable goal after the Atlas Lions’ semifinal appearance in 2022.
The Moroccans made their way in Qatar through defending and Yassine Bounou’s goalkeeping. Now, the plan is to go for goal, one reason for Mohamed Ouahbi replacing Walid Regragui. It was slow-going to start, a 1-1 draw with Brazil and a 1-0 win over Scotland. Then, Achraf Hakimi, Ismael Saibari and reserve Soufiane Rahimi got going in the 4-2 victory over Haiti.
Then there is the United States, which has been talking about winning it all ever since coach Mauricio Pochettino was hired in 2024. Now, the US players and their new-found supporters are echoing Pochettino. Don’t forget co-hosts Mexico, which won all three group games – one of only three sides to do so alongside heavyweights Argentina and France.
Team USA started with big bang wins – 4-1 over Paraguay, 2-0 over Australia. Then, a 3-2 loss to Turkiye. So, is the team as good as it looked in the first two matches or as vulnerable as the already-eliminated Turks made them appear? The answer is probably somewhere in between.
Firing on all cylinders and with the partisan crowd behind them, the USA players look nearly as good as anyone. But questionable American squad depth and injuries to key starters caused Pochettino to make nine changes against Turkiye and exposed some of the co-hosts’ shortcomings heading into the knockouts.
Going into the World Cup, the Golden Boot race favourites included Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.
Then along came Messi, who broke Miroslav Klose’s all-time tournament goal record – and the diminutive Argentinian superstar looks capable of adding a few more goals to his current Golden Boot-leading tally of six from three matches, and not only in this World Cup.
Messi turned 39 last week and there is near-universal agreement that this would be his final appearance at the sport’s premier global showpiece. But Messi appears to be – if not getting better with age – somehow finding an extra gear, or two.
Unlike 41-year-old fellow playing legend Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Messi has demonstrated subtle ways of prolonging his effectiveness: he can take on a playmaking role; his physique, low centre of gravity, helps avoid injuries; and his generally efficient style conserves energy. Messi the GOAT? If he hasn’t proven it yet, just wait until 2030.
The bloated, 48-team field certainly diluted the competition. But Cape Verde showed it belonged, the Tubaroes Azuis finishing second in a group that included former World Cup champions Spain and Uruguay, plus Saudi Arabia. They were consistent on the field, unified off it.
None of the controversies or disputes that can spoil the campaign of inexperienced teams – or experienced ones, such as Uruguay. Curacao might deserve pity, but the Blue Wave had to be happy to actually score against Germany and earn a draw with Ecuador.
Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo – who were back in the tournament 52 years after being the first Caribbean and first Sub-Saharan African nations respectively to qualify for the tournament – also gained respect for the quality of their play, in contrast to their self-destructive 1974 debut in West Germany.
Iraq’s Aymen Hussein converted the country’s first goal, but the Lions of Mesopotamia – playing in their first World Cup since 1986 – were outmatched in one of the tournament’s toughest groups.
It was hard not to feel sorry for Iran at World Cup 2026. It was bad enough that they got the persona non grata treatment from the US authorities but luck also eluded them on the field after they were eliminated on the final day, despite forging an unbeaten record in group match play (three draws).
Confirmed: win, lose or draw – the group stage of the World Cup is the planet’s biggest party. Maybe everyone was not invited, but those who got in the door were living it up.
Fans from around the globe transformed host cities and stadia with chanting and cheering: Scots drank towns dry, without causing trouble; the Dutch transformed drab main streets into a sea of orange.
There were certainly obstacles to having a good time – exorbitant ticket prices and travelling challenges.
Hydration breaks upset the flow of games and upset fans – who greeted them with boos. But spectators conveyed a feel-good vibe and brought the event to life.
Group play finished with 72 of the 104 games played over two-and-a-half weeks, with the primary purpose to send 12 teams home. There could be questions about whether some of them belonged in the tournament, but there is no doubt their supporters did.
