The opening round of matches at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered plenty of drama, surprise results and goals as all 48 teams began their campaigns across 12 groups.

Debutants Cape Verde made a shocker opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw on Monday. Despite...

While the World Cup is recording strong attendance and viewership through its initial matches, challenges remain.

Spain, considered by many as one of the favourites to win the title, failed to impress in their opening match against Cape Verde, which ended in a nil-nil draw, as La Roja star…

NEW DELHI: The race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage is beginning to take shape after the first round of matches for 32 teams across the first eight groups, with Monday…

Keep up to date with every match in the 2026 Men's World Cup and where each team stands in their respective groups.

Every team has played a game in this oversized World Cup filled with big surprises. The stakes rise quickly as the 48 teams begin playing their second group-stage matches.

From tournament favourites to the strugglers, every team assessed following first week of action

Traditionalists feared that expanding the FIFA World Cup would dilute the quality, but a thrilling opening week filled with African heroism and underdog magic proves the change is…

Ronaldo, who matches Messi in a record sixth World Cup appearance, failed to become the first player to score in six different tournaments in his nation’s opening fixture against…

Lionel Messi shines, Cristiano Ronaldo misfires, and FIFA alters its refereeing directives after a chaotic, record-shattering start to the tournament.

Seven of 16 European teams won their 2026 FIFA World Cup openers while six drew and three lost, exposing vulnerabilities in the expanded 48-team format.

Every team has now played once at expanded 48-nation tournament in North America

The Athletic's data team analyse the nuances of the first round of fixtures at the 2026 World Cup

African teams had a mixed start to the World Cup, conceding 16 goals and scoring 7 in the first round. Get the full breakdown of their performance.

African teams had a mixed start to the World Cup, conceding 16 goals and scoring 7 in the first round. Get the full breakdown of African World Cup performa

The opening round of matches at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered plenty of drama, surprise results and goals as all 48 teams began their campaigns across 12 groups.

Every team has now played their opening match of the 2026 World Cup - how do they rank?

From viral fan moments to on-field controversies, as well as the biggest stars, best performances, upsets and more.

With 75 goals, a record number of opening-round draws and several shock results, the first 24 matches of World Cup 2026 have offered a glimpse into a tournament | Football News

The opening round of matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered far more than goals and upsets, it gave football fans breathtaking