Ranking Every Single Match at the 2026 World Cup
The legendary figure of Alfredo Di Stéfano, arguably the greatest player never to grace the grand stage of a World Cup, knew what he wanted from a soccer match. “A game without a goal is like a day without sunshine,” he once wistfully mused.
Yet, some consider the exact opposite to be true. The former Italian manager Annibale Frossi infamously claimed that a 0–0 was the “perfect game” because “it is an expression of the balance between the attacks and defenses.”
Goals alone do not define the quality of a contest. The flow, fluency and feel of those 90 minutes is just as important as the context. Taking all these factors into consideration, while dispensing with any inherent bias, here’s how every match at the biggest World Cup ever compare.
100. Uruguay 0–1 Spain
A genuine travesty of a match. This was more of a fight than fútbol as Uruguay dragged Spain down to its pitiful level while crashing out of the group stage for the second World Cup on the spin.
99. Paraguay 0–0 Australia
The World Cup is littered with games in which both teams have gone through the motions of achieving a result that suits everyone. Most of them did a better job of pretending than Paraguay and Australia.
98. Czechia 1–1 South Africa
South Africa boss Hugo Broos claimed that Czechia “don’t like to play football.” He may have a point. Whatever those two served up in the second round of group games certainly didn’t resemble the beautiful game.
97. Switzerland 0–0 Colombia
Without the added tension of a penalty shootout, this match would likely be bottom of our rankings. Just 0.7 expected goals (xG) were offered up across the 90 minutes and things didn’t get much better in extra time, with most of the drama saved for the spot kicks.
96. Ghana 1–0 Panama
Who doesn’t love a late goal? Caleb Yirenkyi and the rest of his Ghana teammates certainly enjoyed his last-gasp winner against Panama. The less said about the 94 minutes which preceded it, the better.
95. South Africa 0–1 Canada
South Africa’s quest to grind out a win clashed with Canada’s shaky search for victory in the first match of the round of 32. The wait for any real quality went on until the 92nd minute, when Stephen Eustáquio struck to seal the win.
94. England 2–0 Panama
This was even worse than England’s goalless stalemate with Ghana (see below) chiefly because Panama didn’t defend nearly as well as Carlos Queiroz’s battling outfit. Chronic incompetence largely kept the Three Lions at bay for so long before Jude Bellingham belatedly showed up.
93. Qatar 1–1 Switzerland
Switzerland came into its World Cup opener pranking the media with a hoax snake pit next to the training ground. The joke was on Murat Yakin’s team who slithered towards a pair of dropped points against a far inferior opponent.
92. England 0–0 Ghana
“It was never going to be the prettiest game,” Harry Kane conceded with lashings of understatement. Ghana’s 11-man defensive block duly repelled England’s tame attempts to find a breakthrough in an ugly contest that produced a beautiful result for the African outfit, who qualified for the knockouts with the draw.
91. Mexico 1–0 South Korea
The only type of goal befitting a game of such scant quality was precisely the howler which South Korea’s goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu committed to gift Mexico the decisive strike. The boos at halftime from a demanding home crowd were entirely justified.
90. Haiti 0–1 Scotland
Dreamland. pic.twitter.com/Te35wS6u4D
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 14, 2026
A real slog of contest on a sticky night in Boston did not bother Scotland’s joyous contingent one bit. “Everyone said must win... we won,” Steve Clarke beamed. When is everyone going to start saying the Scots must play entertaining soccer?
89. Belgium 1–1 Egypt
The greatest example of a super sub in World Cup history—Romelu Lukaku forced an own goal 22 seconds after his introduction—was the highlight in a stodgy contest which left both nations dissatisfied.
88. Australia 1–1 Egypt
A game which exposed the downside to including a round of 32. Egypt may have come out on top, but neither nation came close to reaching the level befitting a side in the round of 16 at a World Cup.
87. Belgium 0–0 Iran
This tournament has been treated to some thoroughly entertaining goalless draws. This was not one of them.
While Iran boss Amir Ghalenoei may have called it “a beautiful game,” the only aspect with any claim to attractiveness was Alireza Beiranvand’s dramatic save.
86. South Africa 1–0 South Korea
For the first time ever, Bafana Bafana are in the World Cup knockout stage. pic.twitter.com/fvApRBWMPq
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 25, 2026
Hong Myung-bo devised the harebrained scheme of benching Son Heung-min, South Korea’s greatest ever player, to try and take advantage of South Africa’s tiring legs. Yet, it was Bafana Bafana who scored the only goal in the second half while Son mustered one blocked shot. “I guess I made the wrong decisions,” Hong would later concede.
85. Scotland 0–1 Morocco
The thousands of Scots which flooded into Gillette Stadium, still riding high from a week of well-documented celebrations draining breweries, booing anyone not buying alcohol and filling water fountains with dish soap, were silenced by Ismael Saibari’s opener after 69 seconds. There wasn’t much else for either set of fans to cheer thereafter.
84. Colombia 1–0 Ghana
“I felt really quickly that some of the Ghanaian players were fearful,” Carlos Queiroz damningly admitted. “They were not cool, calm, and collected when the pressure hit.”
In truth, Colombia didn’t offer much composure themself, but still managed to get the job done while Luis Díaz continued to expose his shaky appreciation for what the offside law actually means.
83. Canada 1–1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
“History is about to be made,” the stadium announcer at BMO Field blurted out ahead of Canada’s first men’s World Cup match on home soil. That prediction was doubly true as the Canucks secured their first World Cup point.
However, the emotional toll of such an occasion weighed down on the fluency of the match.
82. Switzerland 2–0 Algeria
In this battle between master and apprentice, Vladimir Petkovic was undone by his former intern, Murat Yakin thanks to a Switzerland performance resolutely devoid of any frills or spills.
81. Curacao 0–2 Cote d’Ivoire
When all eyes were on Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and the hottest transfer target of the summer, Yan Diomande, it was the unassuming figure of former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pépé who stole the show with two goals.
However, everyone came together, including players from Côte d’Ivoire and Curaçao, to form a touching huddle of support at the end of the group stage.
80. Jordan 1–2 Algeria
The scenes back in Jordan of fans waking up early to squash into vast arenas and watch their players take on Algeria were only slightly more impressive than the stubborn resolve which Jamal Sellami’s side put up.
79. Switzerland 2–1 Canada
Despite Jesse Marsch’s impenetrable ruse of pretending that a visible injured Alphonso Davies was fit, Switzerland managed to get the better of a Canada side which was oddly listless in a defeat which robbed the Canucks of home advantage.
78. USMNT 2–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
The USMNT’s victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina was rarely pretty. Mauricio Pochettino’s side scored from both its shots on target worth just 0.88xG and had to spend a large part of the game doing the dirty work after Folarin Balogun’s red card. A win is a win.
77. Croatia 2–1 Ghana
The dozens of Ghanaian fans who were locked out of Lincoln Financial Field after a ticketing snafu missed a game which only flickered into life in the closing stages.
76. Portugal 0–1 Spain
This mammoth meeting between two of Europe’s heavyweights went lengthy periods without a shot on target and quickly descended into a scrappy affair, with a late winner one of few moments of genuine excitement.
75. England 2–1 DR Congo
England’s round-of-32 victory over DR Congo had plenty of entertaining moments. An underdog lead, a late comeback, a great goal and some penalty controversy. Unfortunately, between those incidents was often a bit of a tough watch.
74. Austria 3–1 Jordan
A match hidden in the shadowy folds of every conceivable time zone may not have been worth an all-nighter, but it would have offered a bit of spice to those in Austria and Jordan who rose in the small hours to see a spiky back-and-forth.
73. Switzerland 4–1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Up until the second hydration break—the end of the third quarter, if you will—the most fascinating aspect of Switzerland’s clash with Bosnia & Herzegovina was how many fans had packed into SoFi Stadium.
The carnage really cranked up across the final 20 minutes, with five goals, two screamers and one red card stuffed into the closing stages.
72. Tunisia 1–3 Netherlands
This could have turned into something even more emphatic had the Netherlands stopped playing at halftime. “At some point we got too comfortable,” Ronald Koeman said of the group stage finale, “but it won’t happen in the next match.”
71. New Zealand 1–3 Egypt
Mohamed Salah called it a “great achievement,” “a great win,” and “a great vibe.” It was undoubtedly great in a historical sense.
Egypt’s first ever World Cup win, 96 years after the nation missed its connecting boat to the inaugural tournament following a storm in the Mediterranean, was hardly straightforward. Salah and Co. were deservedly trailing to New Zealand with almost an hour elapsed before a late surge swung the balance of play unmistakably in favor of the proud African power.
70. Czechia 0–3 Mexico
Is it even a World Cup without this man?
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 25, 2026
Guillermo Ochoa has official made it number six. pic.twitter.com/aRZLUQGdE2
It said everything about Czechia’s pitiful attempt to turn this group stage finale into a contest that Javier Aguirre felt comfortable enough sending Guillermo Ochoa on for the closing stages of what turned into an emotional testimonial.
69. Spain 3–0 Austria
Spain was so dominant against an admittedly underwhelming iteration of Austria that the opposition manager, Ralf Rangnick, came away breathlessly tipping La Roja for the title. “I dare to say that we didn’t only play the European champion, but perhaps the next world champion,” the former Manchester United interim coach gushed.
68. DR Congo 3–1 Uzbekistan
“I think that today,” DR Congo’s decisive goalscorer Fiston Mayele breathlessly reflected, “we showed the world that, listen, in Congo we have very, very good players.”
Mayele was right, but Uzbekistan’s impressive first half, capped by a lob from Eldor Shomurodov which was softer than candle light, showed that both sides had decent talents.
67. Colombia 1–0 DR Congo
For 76 minutes, Lionel Mpasi-Nzau threatened to join the likes of Vozinha and Eloy Room in keeping a heroic clean sheet for one of the World Cup’s minnows.
Yet, after repelling the first seven shots on target he faced from a Colombia attack as sparky as their support, DR Congo’s goalkeeper was deceived by a heavily deflected Daniel Muñoz shot. How cruel the fickle fates can be.
66. Scotland 0–3 Brazil
It would have been interesting to see what Brazil could have done against an opponent that didn’t so actively help them win the game. Vinicius Junior was certainly grateful for Scotland’s incompetence, as was Carlo Ancelotti, who had the perfect semi-competitive setting to send Neymar out for his first World Cup appearance.
65. Germany 7–1 Curacao
For 17 tantalizing minutes, the greatest World Cup shock of all time threatened to materialize as proud minnow Curaçao sat level at 1–1 four-time champion Germany.
However, the Mannschaft has suffered through enough schadenfreude at the previous two World Cups, romping back to put Curaçao in its place.
64. Cabo Verde 0–0 Saudi Arabia
There were no heroics required from Vozinha, whose mother watched him make just the three saves in Houston, but this 0–0 was even more historic than the stalemate with Spain. A third straight draw sent Cabo Verde through to the round of 32, becoming the smallest nation by population to reach the knockouts in World Cup history.
“We have shown that nothing is impossible,” Cabo Verde boss Bubista told reporters while draped in his country’s flag.
63. New Zealand 1–5 Belgium
Belgium had Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper on its bench. New Zealand boasted the services of Tommy Smith, who plies his trade for Braintree Town in England’s six tier.
The chasm is class was eventually exposed but the circuitous (at times calamitous) route taken to get to that point was entertaining.
62. France 2–0 Morocco
By no means a classic, but lit up by a classic Kylian Mbappé goal. After a week which saw him racially abused, become the “most hated man” in Paraguay and then miss a first-half penalty, many lesser players would have wilted under the pressure. But not Mbappé.
France’s talisman simply dusted himself down and stuffed the ball into the exact inch of space he was afforded by Morocco’s miserly backline to send Les Bleus into the semifinals.
61. Jordan 1–3 Argentina
Argentina’s first team plays at half-speed at the best of times. Lionel Scaloni’s second string barely broke out of a stroll while getting the best of Jordan in a contest which still found time for another Lionel Messi record.
60. Brazil 3–0 Haiti
Thierry Henry, a French World Cup winner thanks to a victory over Brazil in 1998, cheekily requested a return to “samba soccer” for a must-win fixture over minnow Haiti. Whether that illusion of beautiful play has ever existed is a debate for another time (it hasn’t), and it didn’t spark into existence in Philadelphia.
Brazil won comfortably thanks chiefly to Haiti’s ineptitude. When the lowly Concacaf qualifier stopped playing directly into the Seleção’s hands—and Brazil stopped playing at all—it was Haiti who dominated the second half.
59. Spain 4–0 Saudi Arabia
304 on the world stage. pic.twitter.com/sDWpK38DLr
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 21, 2026
The game that saw Lamine Yamal score his first ever World Cup goal was effectively over as a contest when Luis de la Fuente substituted his teenage talisman at halftime with Spain already 3–0 up.
58. Portugal 5–0 Uzbekistan
Did you really think? pic.twitter.com/GzO6NSdiCe
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 23, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo had two goals and two words: “I’m back.” In terms of goals at World Cups, Ronaldo hasn’t been away since 2002, finding the net for the sixth successive tournament in a fun, fizzy flourish for Portugal against Uzbekistan.
57. Panama 0–1 Croatia
Croatia’s manager Zlatko Dalić likes to say that Ante Budimir “would have scored 40” goals if he played for a club like Barcelona or Real Madrid. Yet, the ones he scores for Osasuna “are worth more.” The one he bundled in for Croatia against Panama was worth three massive points after his teammates had been subjected to a flood of decent chances from their Central American foes.
56. Germany 1–1 (3–4 pens) Paraguay
“I told the players that during the anthem I wanted to see 26 warriors,” Paraguay’s eloquent manager Gustavo Alfaro later revealed, “and at the end a group of legends.” He got his wish.
Germany, whose wait for a World Cup knockout win stretches back to 2014, will go down in history for all the wrong reasons after losing a gripping game with one of the most bonkers penalty shootouts of all time.
55. Côte d’Ivoire 1–2 Norway
Heading into Norway’s round of 32 clash with Côte d’Ivoire, Erling Haaland had scored a ridiculous 24 goals in his country’s last 12 competitve games—scoring in every single one of them. It came as no surprise then that having barely had a kick, he turned up when his country needed him most, netting an 86th minute to book a date with Brazil. It’s just what he does.
54. France 3–0 Iraq
Even if there hadn’t been a two-hour storm delay, it would have felt like an awfully long afternoon for an Iraq rearguard trying (and failing) to contain a French frontline spearheaded by a record-chasing Kylian Mbappé.
53. Japan 1–1 Sweden
Sweden is such a confusing team even its own players can lose track of what’s going on. At the end of a concussive contest, Anthony Elanga didn’t realize that a 1–1 draw would be enough for his side to advance along with Japan.
“Bless him,” Sweden boss Graham Potter said afterwards. “We did tell him.”
52. Portugal 1–1 DR Congo
https://t.co/kFW2tr5HeI pic.twitter.com/9mKWYCQgsr
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 17, 2026
For a team with a player seemingly so hellbent on scoring—even if it is at the detriment of his teammates—Portugal did an awfully good job of not trying to score a second goal after an early opener. DR Congo remembered what its aim was and punished the complacency.
51. Egypt 1–1 Iran
What a ridiculous final five minutes. Iran thought it had nudged ahead of Egypt, in the same and Group G table, only for Shoja Khalilzadeh to be belatedly flagged offside.
Egypt’s manager Hossam Hassan was still thanking a higher power by the time Saeid Ezatolahi crashed a header off the crossbar to add one more loop on a roller coaster of a stoppage-time period. The first 90 minutes were a little less dramatic.
50. Spain 0–0 Cabo Verde
The only thing more noteworthy than Vozinha’s saves were his tears after the realization of a childhood dream. Spain had 51 touches inside Cabo Verde’s box, rattled off 27 shots and forced the 40-year-old shot-stopper into seven saves.
Yet, there would be no breakthrough and Cabo Verde even flirted with a stunning winner during a chaotic few closing minutes.
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49. Mexico 2–0 South Africa
It’s remarkable to think that there were some audible whistles from the Mexican home crowd directed at their own team during this dreamy World Cup opener. There wasn’t much dissent elsewhere in a match with three red cards, two goals and one very happy Raúl Jiménez.
48. Ecuador 0–0 Curaçao
“I think I need a statue in Curaçao,” Eloy Room said, only half in jest, after making a record-equalling 15 saves to deny the luckless Ecuador in a goalless draw feverishly celebrated the World Cup’s smallest ever team.
47. Norway 1–4 France
This was a case of what could have been. The world was robbed of a direct head-to-head battle between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé by Ståle Solbakken’s preference for rotation. Regardless, the day was painted a distinct shade of Ousmane Dembélé with the second quickest hat-trick in men’s World Cup history.
46. USMNT 2–0 Paraguay
American Dreamin’. pic.twitter.com/i61xI8Vdpp
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 19, 2026
This could have been an even better contest if the USMNT maintained its momentum in the second half. The co-host would have to suffice with its best start to any World Cup since 1930.
45. Turkiye 3–2 USMNT
A true dead rubber was treated as such by Mauricio Pochettino, who couldn’t understand why everyone else was so bothered. The vacuum of jeopardy was filled by a sparky to-and-fro between the USMNT’s B team and a Türkiye side playing to avoid a torrent of rotten fruit upon its return home.
44. Saudi Arabia 1–1 Uruguay
The pressure pays off. pic.twitter.com/uUU17aReK8
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 15, 2026
This was a fun back-and-forth which inspired more joy than Marcelo Bielsa’s demeanor may have suggested. Although, with his perennially sullen expression, as though he’s sitting on an upturned nail jutting out of his cooling box perch, that isn’t hard.
43. Turkiye 0–1 Paraguay
Türkiye could still be playing now and Vincenzo Montella’s desperately underwhelming outfit wouldn’t yet have found a goal against Paraguay.
The lame dark horse was playing against 10 men for half the match after an historic red card for Miguel Almirón—who committed the new offense of covering his mouth to have a casual chat—on the cusp of the interval. Türkiye racked up 32 shots, took 50 (fifty!) touches in Paraguay’s box and amassed an xG of 2.12, but still couldn’t find a way back from Matías Galarza’s second-minute opener.
“A match like this might occur once every 50 games,” Montella lamented, thinking back to Türkiye’s opening defeat to Australia which followed a similar pattern, “so it is surprising to see it happen twice in a row.”
42. Canada 6–0 Qatar
Ismaël Koné. Sending you all the love and strength. pic.twitter.com/ZCjDGpkFMq
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 18, 2026
This game had the things that commentators like to pretend that people “don’t want to see”—mass scuffles, managers bickering with a windmill of arms—and the sort of stuff that no one actually wants to witness, namely, Ismaël Koné’s gruesome injury.
41. Senegal 5–0 Iraq
This fixture (and the convoluted new group stage format) created the rare scenario in which the fourth and fifth goals in a blowout were as important as the first and second. Senegal needed to win big to harbor any hope of sneaking through as one of the best third-placed sides and the team duly obliged.
Iraq played its part in the entertainment, offering a raucous soundtrack which peaked at 120 dB ahead of kickoff.
40. Bosnia & Herzegovina 3–1 Qatar
The sort of sneaky thriller which has been such a welcome feature of this tournament. Few could have imagined a few weeks ago that Bosnia & Herzegovina and Qatar would serve up a dizzying back-and-forth in front of a raucous crowd in Seattle, but that is precisely what took place.
39. Canada 0–3 Morocco
Canada did not limply roll over but still conspired to crash out of the World Cup in the round of 16 at the hands of Morocco. For a nation which ranked 120th in the world and actively paying TV stations to broadcast its matches less than 10 years ago, this defeat still represented progress.
38. Sweden 5–1 Tunisia
There was plenty of reason for Graham Potter to go back and pour over the tape of Sweden’s emphatic World Cup opener; the linkup play between Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, another chance to see Yasin Ayari’s ripsnorters or maybe even working out what went wrong at the set piece which Sweden conceded.
However, Potter also revealed that he would be reviewing the footage to find out who gave him a bloody ear during some excessive celebrations.
37. Cote d’Ivoire 1–0 Ecuador
Amad Diallo. pic.twitter.com/CfqrblHvQC
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 15, 2026
Every celebrity with even a vague connection to New York descended upon San Antonio to see the Knicks clinch the NBA Finals at the home of the Spurs. Yet, the city’s most famous rapper, Jay-Z, was instead in Philadelphia to watch a seemingly random group stage clash between Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador.
The music mogul was treated to an entertaining contest with a jab-jab, thrust-thrust rhythm that was capped off by Amad Diallo’s well-taken late winner. It’s unclear if Jay-Z regrets his selection.
36. Argentina 2–0 Austria
The greatest trick the human brain ever pulled was convincing everyone that Lionel Messi is perfect. He’s not. The World Cup’s greatest scorer of all time bleeds, cries and even shanks penalties.
The power of selection bias—only remembering Messi’s magical feats while the many errors he commits every game are allowed to wash away—has created a false narrative which was shattered by his wayward spot kick against Austria.
However, it is how Messi reacts to those errors which belies his greatness. The Argentine hero ended the night with two goals, a new record and another chapter in his scarcely believable legend.
35. Iraq 1–4 Norway
Erling Haaland was promised and Erling Haaland delivered. Iraq also put up a fight—drawing level with Norway in the first half—and it was only a late flurry which put the self-styled Vikings out of reach.
34. USMNT 1–4 Belgium
The controversy of FIFA’s decision to suspend striker Folarin Balogun’s ban contributed to a truly fascinating build-up to this one, but on-field events failed to match the hype. The USMNT bowed out with a whimper as Belgium romped to an uncontested victory.
33. Uruguay 2–2 Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde are defining what it all means. pic.twitter.com/IQLrxlOhPa
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 22, 2026
“We could have won the match and we also could have lost the match,” Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa accurately surmised with his usual bluntness. The recklessness of a wild ride of a game was almost as captivating as the underdog spirit displayed by Cabo Verde, who went unbeaten for a second game on the spin in its World Cup debut.
The mother of goalkeeper Vozinha, granted a last-minute visa after her son’s tears and heroics against Spain, was not the only one to enjoy the ding-dong.
32. Uzbekistan 1–4 Colombia
In what other setting would Uzbekistan ever play Colombia? And when would so many people without any connection to either country make a point of watching this unlikely pairing?
Those who fully bought in to the myth of the World Cup were treated to an entertaining affair enlivened by a jangly medley of expert finishing and goalkeeping incompetence.
31. Australia 2–0 Turkiye
Boxing corner flags like it’s ‘06. Nestory Irankunda just took us back.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 14, 2026
This is Socceroo heritage. pic.twitter.com/oIDpFWlx00
Who doesn’t like a revenge story? Türkiye bizarrely spent the buildup to this contest telling anyone who would listen how much better they were than Australia. Tony Popovic’s players heard those jibes and channeled them into the fuel for a glorious, entirely deserved victory.
30. USMNT 4–1 Paraguay
Weston McKennie had a message of defiance after growing up with soccer consistently considered an inferior sport in the U.S. landscape. “For the people [who] maybe say, ‘Oh, soccer’s boring’—well, you had five goals today,” he scoffer. The heaviest victory in USMNT World Cup history was anything but boring.
29. Morocco 4–2 Haiti
A first World Cup goal in 52 years. pic.twitter.com/GHTfXKLm0h
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 24, 2026
Haiti emerged beaten but soccer was the real winner from a triumph of World Cup play, befit with screamers and screaming fans, staggering saves and moments for both nations to savor.
28. South Korea 2–1 Czechia
This is precisely what the World Cup is all about. Two teams from different continents full of contrasts, trading very different types of blows as they figure out how each other is trying to play before even getting onto the issue of stopping them.
27. Argentina 3–0 Algeria
The oldest hat-trick scorer in World Cup history.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 17, 2026
Lionel Andres Messi will not be stopped. pic.twitter.com/JcOoN7Unxq
After months of doubts over whether Lionel Messi would even show up—before a hamstring injury on the eve of the tournament threatened to take that decision out of his hands—there was the fear that Messi may be limping towards a sad farewell. Few elite sportspeople can ever bring themselves to leave when they are actually on top.
However, Messi proved to have at least a few more good performance left up his tattoo sleeves with a hat-trick display almost too perfectly scripted.
26. Brazil 1–1 Morocco
The much-hyped clash of two top-10 ranked teams in the group stage lived up to its lofty billing. The only minor surprise was that Morocco looked so much better than the five-time champion. Carlo Ancelotti felt compelled to apologize to the Brazilian public, but no neutral needed consoling.
25. Japan 4–0 Tunisia
“Do you know what would happen if we went back home today?” Hervé Renard asked the frazzled mess of Tunisian players he had inherited after a 5–1 pummelling from Sweden.
Whatever would have been awaiting them got a whole lot worse in the wake of a 4–0 thrashing from Japan, who should be treated to a hero’s welcome when they return to Tokyo for the beguiling brand of versatile attacking play they conjure up.
24. Spain 2–1 Belgium
This one is perhaps aided by the stakes of being a World Cup quarterfinal. Belgium had to work hard defensively and seemed destined to be taking Spain to extra time, only for a late error from stand-in goalkeeper Senne Lammens to gift Mikel Merino an 88th-minute winner.
23. France 3–1 Senegal
Senegal very much threatened to pull off a repeat of 2002 for large swathes of a high-spec affair between two technically gifted teams before the Kylian Mbappé show kicked into gear.
The pilloried forward failed to attempt a single shot across the opening 45 minutes. He would end the match as France’s all-time record scorer with two more goals for his personal tally. “I’ve always wanted to go down in history,” Mbappé smiled after the match. Mission accomplished.
22. Mexico 2–0 Ecuador
The Estadio Azteca was absolutely rocking as co-hosts Mexico looked to end 40 years of misery in the knockout stages of the World Cup. “Dale, Dale, Dale, Mexico!” rained down from the stands Javier Aguirre’s side did exactly that, inspired by a brilliant Julián Quiñones performance. Mexico City as a whole may never be the same.
21. Norway 3–2 Senegal
Two talented teams trading blows in front of a feverish atmosphere is the recipe for any engrossing encounter.
You couldn’t even take your eyes off the match after the final whistle, as Erling Haaland and Co. sat on the pitch to perform the “Viking Row” which Norway’s fans have been showing off in the stands, streets and escalators of local malls.
20. Argentina 3–1 Switzerland
This scoreline does not do Switzerland justice as the underdog put up a real fight against Argentina in the quarterfinals, but they simply did not have enough to keep La Albiceleste out in extra time. The belated victory was undoubtedly deserved, even if Argentina did profit from some red card controversy.
19. Ecuador 2–1 Germany
This was a game so good a national holiday was declared in its honor. The real Ecuador belatedly stepped up to bloody Germany’s nose and book a spot in the knockout rounds with a dramatic comeback.
“We make mistakes,” Sebastián Beccacece beamed, “but we have purity in our group.”
18. Iran 2–2 New Zealand
A second fightback, and a point rescued. pic.twitter.com/po3y8W6zW2
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 16, 2026
The soccer match which no one cared about just so happened to be one of the most entertaining affairs of the entire tournament. Go figure.
Months of fraught political tension culminated in protests from Iranian Americans against their own national team ahead of kickoff, with fans promising to actively root against a set of players framed, unfairly or not, as the regime’s propaganda tool. Yet, when the whistle blew and Iran twice pegged New Zealand back, the SoFi Stadium was soon transformed into a feverish pit of frazzled excitement.
“Two good teams, playing good football,” New Zealand boss Darren Beazley summarised with a smile.
17. Germany 2–1 Côte d’Ivoire
Der Joker. A German football term for a substitute player who comes off the bench and makes an important impact on the game, often by scoring.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 20, 2026
Also known as Deniz Undav. pic.twitter.com/5s2mP4NuYz
This game will be remembered for Deniz Undav’s decisive contribution off the bench—once against justifying Julian Nagelsmann’s insistence that he thrives against tired opponents and “tends to fade a bit when he has to work hard during the match”—but Côte d’Ivoire played its role in making this a fascinating encounter by taking the lead and threatening to extend it before a dramatic collapse. As Emerse Faé rightly surmised; “We had a great game.”
16. Norway 1–2 England
While lacking a little bit of end product, England’s quarterfinal victory over Norway was an end-to-end, even affair that had something for everyone. Andreas Schjelderup’s accidental screamer was eventually undone by a Jude Bellingham double, sealing a win that could have very easily gone in the other direction.
15. France 3–0 Sweden
The talk prior to France's game with Sweden was that Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé and either Bradley Barcola or Désiré Doué is an unstoppable front four.
Sweden found out that talk was 100% accurate, as it was put to the sword by an attacking clinic. Olise? Sensational with every touch. Dembélé? Impossible to pick up. Barcola? (who got the nod over Doué) Bursting with speed. And Mbappé? Absolutely world class.
14. Paraguay 0–1 France
This game was really a question of taste. Can you appreciate the endeavor shown by a side so desperate to win they will resort to any means necessary? Even if you can’t, the way France brushed off Paraguay’s battling with a typically Gallic shrug was deeply satisfying for all outside that slice of South America.
13. Brazil 1–2 Norway
Soccer is a simple game. Twenty-two players run around for 90 minutes and at the end, Erling Haaland scores. The Nordic goal-gobbling sensation struck twice again across the final 11 minutes of an engrossing round of 16 victory over Brazil which was being chiselled into Norse myth at the MetLife Stadium.
12. England 4–2 Croatia
Jude Bellingham, again. pic.twitter.com/PyqfobrHyY
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 17, 2026
England only scored five goals while suffering through to the final of Euro 2024. This new, disarmingly fun iteration under Thomas Tuchel racked up four in one entertaining clash with Croatia to kickstart its World Cup campaign.
The German manager’s message to his players at halftime was telling—and entirely un-English: “Let the shackles off,” he told his players while the score was 2–2, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
11. Netherlands 5–1 Sweden
After finding his Sweden side well and truly bullied by the human embodiment of a clench bicep that is Brian Brobbey, Graham Potter picked a fitting Mike Tyson quote to paraphrase: “You get a smack in the face and then you have to change your plan.”
10. Belgium 3–2 Senegal
Senegal was cruising to victory in the round of 32, two goals up on Belgium before Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans struck late to send the game to extra-time, where the Aston Villa midfielder buried a 125th-minute penalty to seal a remarkable comeback.
9. Netherlands 2–2 Japan
Something about footballers walking through the tunnel just looks different. Pure aesthetic. pic.twitter.com/SVG4HB2giT
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 14, 2026
This was an instant epic. A game that didn’t so much ebb and flow as wildly zig-zag as two tactically astute coaches exchanged as many duels as the wonderfully gifted players on the pitch.
And to think, it could have been even better if Japan hadn’t wasted the first 45 minutes playing with an inferiority complex it emphatically banished in the second half.
8. Brazil 2–1 Japan
Don Carlo keeps his head, when all around are losing theirs. pic.twitter.com/y342UYCjZz
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) June 29, 2026
A match of ludicrously high quality for a fixture as early as the round of 32 wasn’t decidedly until stoppage time. While it was cruel on Japan, who enjoyed a wonderful tournament and pushed Brazil to its limit, Carlo Ancelotti’s cool-headed changes ultimately paid dividends, with substitute Gabriel Martinelli firing home the winner.
7. Algeria 3–3 Austria
The greatest conclusion to any group stage in any World Cup ever. Algeria and Austria weren’t only playing with their own tournament futures while exchanging a pair of stoppage time goals, Iran’s qualification was also at risk during a dizzying conclusion.
Sixteen days of 72 group games came down to the final 60 seconds as Algeria snatched a 3–2 lead which bumped them up to second, knocked Austria out of the competition and handed Iran a lifeline. The goal took everyone by surprise as the two sides had spent the previous 20 minutes playing out a draw. Riyad Mahrez’s finish came after an unbroken sequence of 110 Algerian passes which Austria just let happen.
Forced belatedly into action, Saša Kalajdžić’s headed equalizer sent Austria going through, tossed Algeria to the other side of the bracket and dashed Iran’s hopes at the death.
To quote Sir Alex Ferguson, “Football, bloody hell.”
6. Netherlands 1–1 (2–3 pens) Morocco
A game full of emotions, both on and off the pitch, was decided by another chaotic penalty shootout. Momentum swung each way and it was impossible to tell which side was going to come out on top until the very last second, when Morocco finally claimed the advantage.
5. Portugal 2–1 Croatia
There are few things in life which can make you feel emotions inspired by sport. Croatia rattled between both extremes in a matter of seconds. BMO Field was still vibrating from Joško Gvardiol’s prod over the line in the 13th minute of second-half stoppage time when a VAR review found that Croatia’s Mario Pašalić had straight into an offside position.
At the end of an engrossing encounter which also included Roberto Martínez unraveling, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring and a touching tribute for Diogo Jota, Croatia boss Zlatko Dalić lamented: “Emotions have been literally killed.”
4. Colombia 0–0 Portugal
There were more than five million requests for tickets to see the group stage finale between Colombia and Portugal in Miami at the end of June. Even Portugal boss Roberto Martínez had to use his influence to secure tickets for his loved ones back in December.
Those that did squash into the Hard Rock Stadium were treated to a dazzling spectacle of end-to-end soccer. The only thing missing was a goal, but that absence didn’t detract from the brilliance of the occasion.
3. Argentina 3–2 Egypt
Argentina’s defense of its World Cup crown looked to be over in the 78th minute of its round-of-16 clash with Egypt. Trailing 2–0 and struggling at both ends of the field, the reigning champions looked down for the count.
Three goals in the 13 minutes that followed capped off one of the all-time great World Cup comebacks, with Lionel Messi recovering from a missed penalty to offer a goal and an assist en route to victory.
2. Argentina 3–2 Cabo Verde
“More so than just playing this was about showing the world our identity,” Cabo Verde boss Bubista declared triumphantly at the end of a 3–2 defeat.
That identity is one of resilience, twice equalizing against the world champion; technical excellence, Sidny Lopes Cabral’s stunner was an instant goal of the tournament contender; and tactical competence, Lionel Messi admitted that Argentina never found a way to press Cabo Verde.
“I think everyone should thank the players for their tournament, because they showed what our small country is about,” Bubista concluded. They should be lauded for their role in this game alone.
1. Mexico 2–3 England
Like any good drama, the suspense was allowed to build. An hour delay due to the threat of lightning strikes in Mexico City did not dilute an electric encounter at the Estadio Azteca. There were five goals, two penalties and one red card as England became the first nation to ever beat Mexico in the country’s capital at a men’s World Cup.
In a game which inspired a dizzying array of adjectives, Jordan Pickford picked the best one: “Unreal.”
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