World Cup 2026: Key takeaways from the opening group stage matches

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkLionel Messi's hat-trick was among the most memorable events to occur in the opening week of World Cup 2026 [Claudia Greco/Reuters]By Manasi PathakPublished On 18 Jun 202618 Jun 2026A first-ever hat-trick for Lionel Messi, heavyweights Spain stunned by tiny Cape Verde, and DR Congo silencing Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal.What more could you ask from the opening week of a FIFA World Cup?Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Top five ‘must-watch’ World Cup matches of the second group phaselist 2 of 3World Cup Day 8: Mexico face South Korea as Golden Boot race heats uplist 3 of 3Zidane Iqbal: The footballer who gave Pakistan its first World Cup momentend of listAfter the first round of group matches, here are our top 10 takeaways:Last dance? Perhaps not, Lionel Messi has more in storeBefore the tournament kicked off in North America, many thought Lionel Messi would be gearing himself up for his final act. But after his first-ever World Cup hat-trick – one that also matched the record for most World Cup goals – Messi has reminded us his story is not over just yet.Where is Cristiano Ronaldo? Portugal star goes missingWhile the Messi mania dominated headlines over recent days, his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also made the news, albeit for the wrong reasons. “Is he past his prime?” was the collective question of viewers after his mostly anonymous display in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday.There is no stopping Kylian MbappeBecoming France’s all-time leading scorer always seemed a matter of when, not if, for Kylian Mbappe, and achieving the feat in their opening World Cup match was further proof of his extraordinary talent. The 27-year-old, now just two shy of matching the all-time haul for most World Cup goals, is making a habit of chasing records.The Golden Boot race is taking shapeLong-range rockets, tap-ins, headers and more. There was no shortage of goals, and Argentinian legend Messi is the outright leader with three strikes. As many as seven players – including England’s Harry Kane, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Mbappe – are tied for the second spot with two goals each.Lionel Messi has taken the early lead in the race for the Golden Boot, an award handed to the tournament’s highest goal scorer [Amy Kontras/EPA]The title favourites are having a hard timeThis is, by far, the upset of the tournament. Spain – the absolute frontrunners for the World Cup – stumbled at their first hurdle, being held to a shock goalless draw by Cape Verde, the archipelago west of the African continent of about half a million people, and whose team sits 65 places below the World No 2 in the FIFA world rankings.Do not write off DR CongoYoane Wissa‘s first-ever goal, DR Congo’s first at a World Cup, sparked joy among millions from Kinshasa to Niangara. And for the other teams competing in the tournament, the 1-1 draw with No 5-ranked Portugal sent a warning that the underdogs are out to challenge some of football’s best sides, especially when the world is watching.Dear Curacao, welcome to the World CupThe 7-1 thrashing by Germany did little to dampen the spirit of Curacao fans, many of whom made the journey to the United States. For the Caribbean tiny island – the smallest-ever country to play at a World Cup – defeat meant nothing in comparison to the happiness of seeing one of their own score at the sport’s biggest stage. Livano Comenencia is a hero for all of Curacao.Pink boots are everywherePink seems to be the colour of the month, well, at least at the World Cup. Several players were seen wearing the vibrant, monochromatic boots – or cleats, as Americans would say – regardless of the manufacturer. Be it Nike, Adidas or Puma, sportswear giants have joined this trend of making their boots “electric fuchsia”.The Portugal team in the famous bright pink boots [Phil Noble/Reuters]From beats to booze, fans bring the party to the World CupIt’s safe to say a World Cup is the biggest celebration of football. And some countries just do it better than others.With their green-and-yellow shirts, flags and pounding drums, Brazil fans brought a slice of Rio to New York, while Moroccans later joined the party, the red smoke from the flares lighting up the World Cup mood. In Boston, Scotland’s famous Tartan Army chugged pint after pint, nearly ⁠draining some pubs of all their beer in the first weekend during their World Cup occupation of the city.Meet Mexico’s unofficial mascot: Merlin the duckTo best sum up the football craze in tournament co-host Mexico, the fandom is not limited to humans. A ‌domesticated duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom ⁠duck socks, has ⁠waddled his way into the hearts of many, becoming an unlikely unofficial mascot for the country’s World Cup campaign.Merlin, a duck wearing a Mexico national football team (‘El Tri’) jersey, shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue in the capital went viral following the World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11 [Paola Garcia/Reuters]