The group stage of the 2026 World Cup crosses the equator: results of the first rounds
The massive 2026 World Cup has officially kicked off across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, treating fans to the first big upsets and fierce competition in the group stage.
For the first time in history, 48 national teams are competing for the world’s top trophy, playing a record 104 matches.
Halfway through the group stage, clear leaders have already emerged in many groups, while in others, the suspense remains at its peak.
In Group A, Mexico is confidently asserting its status as one of the tournament’s hosts. The Latin Americans first defeated South Africa 2–0 and then beat South Korea 1–0, taking the top spot in the group with 6 points.
The South Koreans themselves are in second place thanks to a hard-fought 2–1 victory over the Czech Republic. The Czechs and the South Africans currently have only one point each after a 1–1 draw.
The teams in Group B put on a real goal-scoring spectacle, with Canada leading the group. The Canadians first drew 1–1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, then crushed Qatar 6–0.
Switzerland is hot on the heels of the leaders, also with 4 points after a 4-1 rout of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a 1-1 draw with Qatar.
In Group C, the tournament’s top favorites—Brazil—began their campaign with an unexpected 1–1 draw against Morocco.
However, in the very next match, Brazil bounced back with a convincing 3–0 victory over Haiti. Morocco currently shares first place with the group leader after narrowly defeating Scotland 1–0.
The Scots, meanwhile, hold third place thanks to a 1-0 victory over Haiti.
The U.S. national team has a perfect record in Group D, having earned six points out of a possible six. The Americans confidently defeated Paraguay 4–1 and left Australia no chance, beating them 2–0.
Second place is shared by the Australians, who previously defeated Turkey 2–0, and the Paraguayans, who narrowly earned three points in a 1–0 win over the same Turkish team.
Group E was dominated by the German national team, which demonstrated incredible scoring power in the first round, crushing Curaçao 7–1. The Germans then cemented their success by defeating Côte d’Ivoire 2–1.
The Ivorians are in second place thanks to a narrow 1–0 victory over Ecuador. Ecuador and Curaçao each have just one point following their 0–0 draw.
Group F is tied between the Netherlands and Japan—both teams have 4 points after a 2–2 draw in their head-to-head match. After that, the Europeans crushed Sweden 5–1, while the Japanese confidently defeated Tunisia 4–0.
Sweden remains in contention for advancement thanks to a 5–1 rout of Tunisia in the opening round.
Group G turned out to be the lowest-scoring group, with Egypt emerging as the sole leader. The Egyptian team drew 1–1 with Belgium and convincingly defeated New Zealand 3–1.
Iran and Belgium are currently tied for second place, having played to a scoreless draw against each other and each earning two points. New Zealand sits at the bottom of the table, having earned one point in a 2–2 draw with Iran.
The situation in Group H remains unpredictable. The traditional favorite, Spain, unexpectedly dropped points against Cape Verde in a 0–0 draw but subsequently routed Saudi Arabia 4–0.
Uruguay and Cape Verde each have 2 points after a hard-fought 2–2 draw. The favorites are completely dominating Group I, where France and Norway have each earned 6 points.
The French defeated Senegal 3–1 and Iraq 3–0, while the Norwegians crushed Iraq 4–1 and edged out Senegal 3–2.
As expected, the reigning world champions from Argentina lead Group J. The Albiceleste crushed Algeria 3–0 and confidently defeated Austria 2–0.
Austria currently sits in second place thanks to a 3–1 victory over Jordan, while Algeria remains in contention after a 2–1 win over Jordan.
In Group K, Colombia took the lead by narrowly defeating the DR Congo 1–0 and beating Uzbekistan 3–1. Portugal sits in second place with 4 points, having routed Uzbekistan 5–0 following an unexpected 1–1 draw with the DR Congo.
In Group L, England and Ghana each have 4 points after a 0–0 draw. Earlier, England defeated Croatia 4–2, while Ghana beat Panama 1–0.
Croatia holds third place thanks to a narrow 1–0 victory over Panama.
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