IN BRIEFThe group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has now come to an end, leaving 32 teams still in the running.As with any iteration of football's top international tournament, this year's World Cup group stage has had some erratic twists.The 2026 World Cup's group stage has come to an end, and it didn't disappoint, producing stunning moments, record-breaking feats and heartbreaking exits.The group stage started with a wild match between Mexico and South Africa — which saw three red cards — and ended with a dramatic draw between Austria and Algeria, ending Iran's geopolitically tinged presence in the partly-US-hosted tournament.In between, the group stage delivered many memorable moments, from unexpected qualifications to superstars coming through with the goods. It also saw a new record set for the most goals scored in any World Cup group stage. There were certainly more than a few tears too: strong squads sent home earlier than expected, and some of the tournament's biggest names exiting stage left with little more than a footnote left in their wake. If you've lost track of all the drama, here's a recap of the biggest surprises and disappointments from the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.News that makes senseYour trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.SurprisesCape VerdeWhere else to start except for Cape Verde? The World Cup's great underdog squad started with a surprise draw against one of the tournament's favourites, Spain, finishing the match with a 0-0 draw.After also holding both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to a draw, Cape Verde are now the smallest country to ever reach the second phase of the World Cup.They're also the first World Cup debutant nation to reach the knockout phase in 20 years and the third-smallest qualifier in the tournament's history.MessiIt might be a bit of a surprise to see the name of one of the world's greatest athletes in a list of 'surprises', but Lionel Messi keeps on shocking the world, even at 39.Now three games into the tournament, the Argentinian superstar has already scored six goals, including a hat-trick in his first match.Having now notched up 19 goals across six World Cups, Messi has become the tournament's all-time top scorer, well above retired German striker Miroslav Klose with 16.Messi, however, is not the only star that shone during the group stage, with younger players such as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembélé and Vinicius Junior each scoring four goals for their respective nations.While all of those players are renowned, some of their group stage achievements flew in the face of naysayers.While Dembélé was a world champion in 2018, he had not scored a World Cup goal in his two previous tournaments in 2018 and 2022 and a total of 11 matches at the finals, prompting some to question his ability to deliver on the big stage for the French national team.However, his hat-trick within the space of 25 minutes in the France v Norway match quickly put some of those doubts to rest. 'Bafana Bafana'South Africa started the tournament badly, losing 2-0 to hosts Mexico and finishing the match with nine players after two red cards.Mexico also finished the match down a player, with César Montes sent off in stoppage time.With South Korea and Czechia also in Group A, many believed South Africa was the group's least likely team to advance to the next round, but the 'Bafana Bafana' secured four points and emerged in second position.Viral goalkeepersIn a social-media-saturated age, it's to be expected that feted World Cup players also see their online popularity surge — and 2026 is no exception.Cape Verdean goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, known as Vozinha, who played an important role in his country's qualification, has seen his Instagram followers soar from about 50,000 to more than 16 million.A save from Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand in the team's match against Belgium has also gone viral on social media.Curaçao's Eloy Room, who helped his team maintain a clean sheet against Ecuador, is also among the players whose social media following has skyrocketed.Meanwhile, the celebrated group-stage performance of the Socceroos' 22-year-old keeper Patrick Beach has seen a Melbourne beach temporarily named in his honour. Austria's comebackAustria's qualification from Group J — also featuring Argentina, Jordan and Algeria — was not a surprise in itself; what was surprising was how.In minute 93, the goal they conceded from Algerian star Riyad Mahrez almost sent Austria back home, but just minutes later, Saša Kalajdžić, just on as a substitute, scored the equaliser, marking one of the most dramatic games in the tournament.Stinkers (disappointments)Uruguay 'get on with' leaving the group stageIn a post-match interview after Uruguay's defeat to Spain — which confirmed the former's exit from the World Cup — head coach Marcelo Bielsa lost his patience, snapping at a reporter: "Get on with it!"It was an outburst that capped off a disappointing World Cup campaign for his side.Uruguay, who were widely predicted to advance from Group H, drew with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde and lost to Spain, finishing third in their group with only two points.By FIFA rankings, they are so far the highest-ranked team to be eliminated from the tournament.TürkiyeAfter qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 2002, and with a squad featuring stars from some of the world's top clubs, many pundits and fans expected Türkiye to advance from their group, which also featured Australia, the United States, and Paraguay.However, things didn't go as expected for the Crescent-Stars, who lost their first two matches — first to the Socceroos and then to Paraguay.While they beat the USA in their last group-stage match, it wasn't enough to qualify for the round of 32.Portugal and (maybe) RonaldoStarting the tournament as one of the main contenders, Portugal has failed to live up to expectations — two draws against DR Congo and Colombia and a routine win over Uzbekistan have left them looking well short of front-runner position.The team did not qualify as first in their group and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo — whose performance so far has been unfavourably contrasted to the stellar showing of Messi — has so far only managed to score two goals in the tournament.Hydration breaksThe disappointments of this tournament have seemingly gone beyond teams and players.Just before the World Cup began, FIFA introduced a three-minute pause midway through each half for players to drink water and cool down, saying the breaks would help protect players' health. All the FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on our World Cup pageHow to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 on SBSWatch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at our On Demand hubWhen the Socceroos matches start However, fans, pundits and some players were quick to criticise the new feature.Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk is among the critics, saying the breaks are "not great" for TV viewers."If it's really hot, obviously, it would be good to put them in. But I think you have to look at it in every game, separately, in my opinion," he said.You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.