Five things we've learned from the opening round at the 2026 World Cup

So far, the tournament is cooking along nicely and there's been plenty to enjoy from what we've seen up and down the twelve groups and across the 48 teams. 

So, now we are a week into proceedings in North America, what have we taken so far from this year's finals? 

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Harry Kane reveals Tuchel’s half-time message that inspired England victory

The superstars have stepped up 

Often it takes the big names to grow into the tournament, what with the hype that surrounds them going into a World Cup, but the heavy-hitters have wasted no time in making their mark. 

Vinicius Jr showed why he could be Brazil's talisman with his flash of brilliance, before Michael Olise's Player of the Match performance saw him continue the form that saw him crowned Bundesliga's best last season. 

That France win was also the platform for Kylian Mbappe to spark into life with two goals that make him his country's record goal-scorer, too. 

Michael Steele / Staff

He's not the only one breaking records either; Lionel Messi proved he's still the main man with a hat-trick against Algeria, drawing him level with Miroslav Klose on the all-time World Cup goals list. 

And then there's Harry Kane. Two more goals in a season where he's already netted 61 shows that he could have a big say in both the Golden Boot and England's fate. 

That's without mentioning the performances of Alexander Isak, Jude Bellingham and Luis Diaz. The stars are out to play. 

The minnows aren't here to make up the numbers 

The beauty of the expanded format is that we've seen nations qualify for this World Cup for the very first time, and they've proved they are not just in North America for a holiday. 

Other than Curacao - who even had their own moment against Germany - the so-called 'lesser' teams have more than held their own against some of the big guns in the tournament. 

Uzbekistan gave Colombia a scare, while Jordan were also more than a match for Austria. But the result of the tournament so far was Cape Verde's goalless draw against 2010 champions Spain. 

Even teams expected to struggle like DR Congo and Qatar have got their first World Cup points, and it's already made the groups more interesting than many thought they would be. 

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The hydration breaks are questionable 

Perhaps the biggest bone of contention at the World Cup thus far has been the hydration breaks during games. 

Implemented to combat the intense heat in the States, their merits have now been brought into question following several examples of the breaks interrupting the momentum of teams and a chance for sides to swing the narrative of the game.

The length of the break is also under the microscope, with a feeling that it's more for the advertisers in the US than players needing a whole three minutes to rehydrate, especially when a handful of the stadiums are actually air-conditioned. 

It will be interesting to see how the breaks are used going forward now there is more spotlight on their usage. 

Is it one dance too far?

As well as the big players have done in the opening round, there has to be some concern with some of the game's most famous names and a feeling that this might be one tournament too far. 

Luka Modric couldn't quite influence the game against England like we've seen throughout his career, and he was even at fault for giving away the penalty in the first half. 

Then there's Cristiano Ronaldo. Are Portugal now actually a better team without their captain leading the line? He had little impact in their 1-1 draw with DR Congo, and given the riches that Portugal have in the squad, is time their number seven took a back seat for the greater good? 

The stadiums are rocking 

Much was made of ticket prices - and rightly so - and what the atmosphere would be like in the US, but so far, so good from each one of the hosts. 

The actual stadia are some of the best arenas we've seen as a collective for a tournament and inside them they've created a big-game atmosphere that's befitting of a World Cup stage. 

As the countries embrace the finals more and more, it should create a truly memorable setting in North America. 

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