⚽🔥 World Cup 2026: The Story So Far

Kickoff happened on June 11 at Estadio Azteca, and a week later this tournament has already delivered more drama than most World Cups manage in a full month. With 48 teams in the mix for the first time ever — split across 12 groups, with the top two plus the eight best third-place finishers advancing to a brand-new Round of 32 — every single match has mattered from minute one.

🌟 The legends showed up early
Lionel Messi opened with a hat-trick that pulled him level with Miroslav Klose atop the all-time World Cup scoring chart, a statement that he's not just here for the farewell tour. Kylian Mbappé got on the board as France handled Senegal 3-1, with Michael Olise running the show. Erling Haaland bagged a brace in Norway's 4-1 win over Iraq, and Harry Kane scored twice as England outlasted Croatia 4-2 in one of the most entertaining games of the week so far, Croatia leveled before halftime, then Bellingham and Rashford put it away.

😱 The shocks nobody saw coming
Cape Verde, in their World Cup debut, held Spain to a scoreless draw and instantly became the tournament's feel-good story. Portugal stumbled out of the gates too, drawing 1-1 with DR Congo in a match where Ronaldo barely got a sniff. Saudi Arabia held two-time champions Uruguay to a draw, and African sides are quietly having a moment, five nations already on the scoreboard, with real knockout-stage ambitions building.

⚡ The goal-fests
Germany put seven past Curaçao in one of the most lopsided scorelines of the century for the competition. Sweden weren't far behind, putting five past Tunisia. Netherlands vs Japan turned into an instant classic, with Japan clawing back from two separate one-goal deficits to snatch a 2-2 draw. Colombia opened strong too, beating Uzbekistan 3-1 thanks to a Luis Díaz masterclass and a stoppage-time dagger from Jámínton Campaz.

🗺️ What's next
Group play runs through the rest of June, with the new-look Round of 32 kicking off June 28. Plenty of giants, Brazil, Argentina, Germany — still have work to do to lock in their spot, and the door is wide open for a few more surprise packages to crash the knockouts.

Who's been the standout for you so far — Messi's chase for the all-time record, or one of the underdogs punching above their weight? Drop your pick below 👇 and don't forget to grab your first-post reward while the Gate World Cup promo is live!