World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Biggest takeaways from the group stage
FIFA World Cup group stage is now behind us with plenty of key talking points as the tournament enters the knockouts. Before the FIFA World
FIFA World Cup group stage is now behind us with plenty of key talking points as the tournament enters the knockouts. 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. By 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 The World Cup still revolves around the Euro-South American axis 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. Which team is the real USA? 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. Lionel Messi stakes Golden Boot claim Going into the World Cup, the Golden Boot race favourites included Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.
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