The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to deliver drama, surprises, heartbreaks, and insanity. What started out as some surprising results during the first week has ended with last gasp qualifications for the knockout stages, internal team recriminations, mounting fan impatience with “hydration” breaks, incredible personal stories, and epic matches.
CST’s José Guerra and Gracin Galbreath give you a digestible review of the second week’s performances that closed out all the group competitions.
HOST CHECK
Every host made it out of their group into the knockout stages, but not without triggering some traps along the way. The United States beat Australia 2-0, only to then stumble with a rotated squad against Türkiye 2-3. Despite the struggles from a late game winner given up to the eliminated European squad, they still qualified in first place, and our FCC man Miles Robinson started and acquitted himself very well.
Mexico, to the surprise of everyone including its fans, finished its group competitions with a perfect three wins, qualifying in first place. The 1-0 win over South Korea is more surprising due to their eventual elimination from the group stage. The 3-0 celebration over Czechia was extra.
Canada qualified, but their performance was mixed with a 1-1-1 record and a rough 2-1 loss to Switzerland. Nonetheless, they qualified in second place. – Jose
VALIDATIONS, CHAOS, SURPRISES
The second week of group-stage matches delivered a smorgasbord of results that would make any pundit throw up their hands in frustration and confusion.
Some of the favorites at the beginning of the tournament have either reinforced that label, raised serious doubts, or are now gone.
France and the Netherlands have shown the most balanced teams across lines and a group cohesion that is rare to see at the group stage, Les Bleus have the killer instinct and look of hunger in their eyes that promise a deep run. “Clockwork Orange” are out to prove that they can finally win the big one after having lost three finals since 1974 and made deep runs that ended their hopes in semifinals.
Argentina, while winning all of their fixtures have made a case for being a favorite but showed a big dependency on Lionel Messi. That may not matter since the G.O.A.T. seems to not be bothered by age or the rigors of the competition, but it is something to watch out for.
Germany raised hopes with their crushing first match victory even if it was over tiny Curaçao but then struggled against a strong Ivory Coast before stumbling against what had been an uninspiring Ecuador side.
Major disappointments were South Korea, Türkiye, and Uruguay, all eliminated early. Each and every one of them is a microcosm of how bad starting lineup decisions, roster building, chemistry, and internal team tensions that sabotage what on paper shows something very different. They will now have four years to ponder the “what ifs” and tough decisions to get them back on track.
Finally, the chaos created throughout the group stage is too long to touch on in one column. But the learning was that every result, every point, every goal, and every decision (from coaches, players, and, yes, match officials) can create cumulative effects that can decide moments of ecstasy and hope or moments of despair and agony. This group stage had that and more. – José
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
In terms of individual performances, we were again not left wanting.
- Johan Monzambi burst onto the world stage with a brace for Switzerland against Bosnia and even added another to his tally against Canada.
- Not to be outdone, Canada’s main striker Jonathan David scored three of the six goals against Qatar.
- In Curaçao’s second match against Ecuador, goalkeeper Eloy Room made the second-most saves in a World Cup match. with 15, just one behind Tim Howard’s record for the USA. (This was still achieved in less time, as Howard needed 30 more minutes with his record.)
- Ousmane Dembele stole the spotlight from his three other stars atop the formation, achieving a hat-trick alone in the first half against Norway.
- To no one—and, at the same time, everyone’s—surprise Haaland, Mbappé, and Vinicius held themselves to a higher standard.
– Gracin
GROUP A: LUCK AND SHOCK
Mexico’s El Tri sealed a perfect group stage by winning all three of its fixtures. This is the first time that they topped a group while defeating all of their rivals. However, their win against South Korea was more due to Korea’s goalkeeper, Kim Seung-gyu, crashing into a teammate and dropping a seemingly easy cross, straight into the feet of the waiting Luis Romo for the score.
To add to that insult, South Korea crashed out when they were shockingly defeated by South Africa’s Bafana Bafana 1-0 and did not qualify as one of the best eight third places. In their place, South Africa qualified for the first time in their World Cup history to the knockout rounds as second place.
Qualified teams: Mexico in 1st, South Africa in 2nd. – José
GROUP B: AT THE TOP, THEY SPEAK FRENCH
A Swiss team needing a result pulled off a second-half rout against the stout Bosnian defense, with three straight scored by substitutes. The Bosnians’ one consolation goal ended up getting buried by a last-minute Swiss penalty, but their work would not go unrecognized. Bosnia & Herzegovina would find a knack for scoring in a later 3-1 victory over Qatar which allowed them to qualify as a third-place team.
Canada saw their greatest result yet as a footballing nation, putting up six goals against Qatar in the widest margin of victory for a host ever. Their silent strikers broke out with five goals combined, the final one added from a free kick. The only moment that made the day not quite perfect was top midfielder Ismael Kone suffering a gruesome leg break that will surely end his tournament.
Canada and Switzerland would face each other for first place, in a close affair which saw two early second-half goals netted by the Swiss. A later goal for the hosts sparked hope, but it was not enough to propel them into an equalizer, dooming Canada to second place.
Qualified teams: Switzerland in 1st, Canada in 2nd, Bosnia & Herzegovina 3rd. – Gracin
GROUP C: ORDER ESTABLISHED, PARTY IS OVER
Brazil made statement wins against Haiti and Scotland. Their six goals (three apiece) in their final two group matches were the announcement that they would be a force to be reckoned with for the remainder of the competition. However, it came at a cost when their star winger Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury which puts his participation in doubt for the rest of the tournament.
Morocco continued to show their semi-final finish in 2022 was no fluke, as they won their last two matches defeating Scotland 1-0 and Haiti 4-2. They secured second place but only because of intra-group results with Brazil and goal differential. Otherwise, they could have topped the group.
Failing to qualify, the Scottish Tartan Army fans will be greatly missed, but the country’s soccer needs serious work to proceed further. While they head home in last place, Haiti left a pleasant taste in soccer fans for their open tactics and indomitable spirit.
Qualified teams: Brazil in 1st, Morocco in 2nd. – José
GROUP D: GOODBYE GÜLER
A long-awaited matchup between the USA and Australia ended with a decisive 2-0 victory for the hosts and only sparse sniffs of goal for the Aussies. In fine fashion, the Stars and Stripes became the second team to advance. In the nighttime affair that followed, the Turks were unexpectedly eliminated by an early Paraguayan golazo, despite again putting up loads of shots.
The Paraguayans played against Australia in a rough battle for second place, which ended in a scoreless draw that secured both sides’ qualification. The final match of the group was a back-and-forth scoring affair between Turkey and a rotated USA side that ended in a very late goal that spoiled the perfect group record for the hosts. The Turks leave the tournament with a consolation win and a bitter taste in their mouths.
Qualified teams: United States in 1st, Australia in 2nd, Paraguay in 3rd. – Gracin
GROUP E: HOLD MY BEER(STEIN)…MAYBE
Germany continued its march to erase two previous consecutive failures in World Cup by topping the group. Head-to-head and goal differential allowed them to win the group with some question marks towards the end. Die Mannschaft defeated Ivory Coast at the very end of added time of the second half and then fell to Ecuador in their last group stage match. Was this Germany relaxing because they already had first place tied up or something else? Meanwhile, the win over Germany propelled Ecuador in as a third-place qualifier.
Ivory Coast again showed why the African continent is rapidly becoming a force in global soccer. With their second-place finish, tied in points with Germany, they have also announced they will be a tough competitor in the following stages.
The darlings of the World Cup, Curaçao, won the hearts of everyone with their joyous displays of just being and winning a point from CONMEBL powerhouse Ecuador.
Qualified teams: Germany in 1st, Ivory Coast in 2nd, Ecuador in 3rd. – José
GROUP F: ORANJE AND BLUE BATTLE
The Netherlands put on a goal fest, much like their pre-match celebrations, in two multi-goal wins–a 5-1 rout over Sweden and a simple 3-1 over Tunisia. While the Dutch topped the group, the Japanese would keep it tight. Their 4-0 result over Tunisia was a characteristically genius performance with link-up play and vertical movement.
It was the final match of the group against Sweden that secured Japan’s second place and their opponent’s third place, as a 1-1 draw—courtesy of very well taken second half blows—allowed both into the knockouts. The Tunisians would exit the tournament as, uncomfortably, the worst side.
Qualified teams: The Netherlands in 1st, Japan in 2nd, Sweden in 3rd. – Gracin
GROUP G: EUPHORIA AND AGONY
As expected, Belgium topped the group but not before many questions about how deep of a run they would make in the tournament. With two draws against Egypt and Iran and win against a relatively weak New Zealand, questions still abound, but they got the job done for the group stage.
Egypt also got the job done in a relatively weak group, also winning two and drawing one (against Belgium). How far they will go remains to be seen, but there is the added attraction of this probably being the last World Cup for the great Mo Salah.
Iran, a bit of a sentimental favorite because of the extremely difficult conditions under which they had to prepare and travel, came agonizingly close to qualifying as a third-place team. The flurry of exchanged goals between Austria and Algeria in Group J gave hope, only for the final equalizer in added time by Austria to eliminate Iran.
Qualified Teams: Belgium in 1st, Egypt in 2nd. – José
GROUP H: BLUE SHARKS CAN DREAM
This time around, Spain was not friendly to a lesser-ranked opponent, netting five against Saudi Arabia and barely even letting them touch the ball. That same night, a 2-2 thriller between Uruguay and Cape Verde saw the African underdogs net an equalizer and fearlessly defend to achieve their first-ever point at a World Cup.
For the Uruguayans, it felt more like a loss, as they went into their final group match against contenders Spain not being able to save their chances as they lost by a slim 1-0 margin. Meanwhile, the Cabo Verdeans made history as the smallest team to qualify for the knockouts with another valiant 0-0 draw, this time against Saudi Arabia.
Qualified teams: Spain in 1st, Cape Verde in 2nd. – Gracin
GROUP I: VIKINGS RUN AGROUND AGAINST LES BLEUS
The anticipated closing match of this group between Norway and France came as drama was building all around the group stage. Would the Viking Haaland conquer the Gallic Mbappé?
Not even close. France dispatched Norway 4-1, but not before thrashing Iraq 3-0 in their previous match. Les Bleus scored 10 goals in their three group matches and allowed only two.
Norway came in second, but they did rotate their squad for their last match against France. Haaland rested for their final match so the much anticipated duel between the two exciting and lethal players will have to wait.
Senegal managed to sneak into the knockout stages by coming in third with a win and two losses. However, they did manage to score seven goals in three matches so they will give teams problems in these next stages.
Qualified teams: France in 1st, Norway in 2nd, Senegal in 3rd. – José
GROUP J: HE’S THE HEADLINER AGAIN
As if Messi had not stolen the headlines already this tournament, his brace for Argentina against Austria were enough to surpass the monumental record that Miroslav Klose set. That 2-0 result sent the champions back into the knockouts. An all-Arab fight between Jordan and Algeria ended in a devastating elimination for the Jordanian debutants, as the Algerians found two unanswered in the second half.
The Argentinians added another 3 points against Jordan with big performances by their bench, including a 30-minute cameo for Messi, who piled another magical goal onto the record. Algeria and Austria fought to a wildly entertaining 3-3 draw with two goals were scored in stoppage time; for three minutes, a lead for the Algerians left the Austrians stranded over the abyss, but they would equalize with the last kick. The result allowed them both to qualify for the knockouts.
Qualified teams: Argentina in 1st, Austria in 2nd, Algeria in 3rd. – Gracin
GROUP K: COFFEE ON THE RISE
Colombia has usually underperformed in World Cups, especially when they are tagged as one of the favorites. However, after two wins and one draw in their group, which included favorites Portugal and a strong DR Congo, there is talk of them making a deep run. Colombia topped their group with a good balance across lines and the always dangerous James Rodriguez giving them an added edge.
Portugal remains one of the favorites, but questions about Ronaldo’s helpfulness and utility are getting louder and louder. So far, head coach Spaniard Roberto Martinez says he is committed to the Portuguese star.
DR Congo was another African country that announced their continent is now a force not to be ignored. They may have finished third in the group, but their draw against Portugal (1-1), tight defeat against Colombia (0-1), and win over Uzbekistan (3-1) gave notice they are not to be underestimated.
Qualified teams: Colombia in 1st, Portugal in 2nd, DR Congo in 3rd. – José
GROUP L: THE CLAWS GREW BACK
Carlos Quieroz’s defensive-oriented Ghana side managed to hold an impenetrable deep block against England for all ninety minutes, frustrating them into a scoreless draw. The Croatians got off and running with a slim 1-0 win over Panama, another defensively strong side.
England would shoulder the pressure–their two later goals against Panama’s low block reclaimed their position at the top and sent their opponents to the bottom. They would end the evening there, as Ghana were unable to tie them in points with a 2-1 loss to a late goal from Croatia. Much like other groups, the result was not serious enough to eliminate either side, and this experienced generation of Croatians took the second spot as expected.
Qualified teams: England in 1st, Croatia in 2nd, Ghana in 3rd. – Gracin
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