The first weekend of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is over, and Germany trounced debutants Curaçao while other top nations avoided surprises in the opening fixtures.
Forward Kai Havertz scored twice as the Germans put seven goals past the Caribbean island nation, who still found a moment of joy when they registered the first World Cup goal in their country's history.
Meanwhile, Sweden and the United States—one of the tournament’s three host nations—recorded commanding wins over Tunisia and Paraguay respectively.
Hosts Unbeaten
The tournament’s two other host nations, Mexico and Canada, started their campaigns undefeated, although the latter had to fight back for a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mexico, playing in the highly anticipated opening game of the World Cup, were easy winners over South Africa in a fiery Group A clash that resulted in three players being sent off.
Looking ahead, the United States will face Australia later this week in their second Group D game, while Mexico takes on South Korea in Group A, and Canada looks for its first win against Qatar in Group B.
Other Wins
In a team that features two of the English Premier League's top-rated goal-scorers in Alexander Isak (Liverpool) and Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), it was midfielder Yasin Ayari who starred with two goals in Sweden's 5-1 win over Tunisia in their Group F clash.
Elsewhere, South Korea edged past Czechia 2-1 in Group A, Australia beat Turkey 2-0 in Group D, and the Ivory Coast scored a dramatic 91st-minute winner in their 1-0 Group E victory against Ecuador.
Scotland also celebrated a historic milestone, winning their first FIFA World Cup match since 1998 by securing a solitary goal to beat Haiti in Group C.
Early Draws
Also in Group C, five-time champions Brazil made an underwhelming start to the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, the breakout semi-finalists of the 2022 World Cup.
In Group F, the Netherlands let a 2-1 advantage slip as Japan scored a brilliant 89th-minute equalizer to force a 2-2 draw.
Meanwhile, in Group B, Qatar earned its first-ever World Cup point thanks to a 95th-minute own-goal from Swiss defender Miro Muheim in their 1-1 draw against Switzerland.
Upcoming Fixtures
In perhaps the most mouth-watering match-up this week, England will face Croatia in a Group L clash on Wednesday night (Thursday at 1:30 AM Sri Lanka time), which will likely decide the group winner.
The match-up between Mexico and South Korea will carry the same high stakes for Group A.
Finally, the Netherlands will face Sweden in Group F, where a defeat could make the Dutch route to the Round of 32 much trickier.
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