First Week of the 2026 World Cup — Recap

Between June 11 and 15, the 2026 World Cup kicked off its group stage with moments that had the world glued to their screens. A recap of the highlights from the first week.

Thursday, June 11: The Party Begins at the Azteca

Shakira, Burna Boy, J Balvin, Los Ángeles Azules, Maná, and Danny Ocean headlined the opening ceremony in front of 80,824 fans. Mexico did not disappoint: Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 9th minute and Raúl Jiménez sealed it with a header in the 66th. The 2-0 win over South Africa was bittersweet due to three red cards (a record for an opening match), but the victory was the perfect result. That same day, South Korea pulled off an epic comeback: trailing 0-1 to Czech Republic (Krejci goal, 59'), two goals in the final 20 minutes (Hwang Inbeom 67', Oh Hyeongyu 80') turned it around. Final: Korea 2-1 Czech Republic.

Friday, June 12: The Hosts Take Charge

The United States thrashed Paraguay 4-1 with a Bobadilla own goal (7') plus two strikes from Folarin Balogun (31', 45+5') and a stunner from Giovanni Reyna (90+8'). The 82,000 fans saw the home side dominant from start to finish. Canada, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Bosnia-Herzegovina — Cyle Larin scored in the 78th minute to earn the first point in the history of the Canadian men's team at a World Cup. Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco (Vinícius Jr. was Brazil's scorer).

Saturday, June 13: Scotland Makes History

Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 with a John McGinn goal (28'), their first World Cup win since 1978. Australia surprised with a 2-0 win over Turkey (Irankunda 27', Metcalfe 75').

Sunday, June 14: European Goal Fests

Germany demolished Curaçao 7-1 in a masterclass of attacking football. Sweden thrashed Tunisia 5-1 (Tunisian manager Lamouchi was sacked the next day). The Netherlands and Japan drew 2-2.