World Cup 2026: Golden boot battle heats up, Ronaldo off to frustrating start, Spain called for calm
Records have already started falling, stars are laying down their markers and the opening days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have left plenty to unpack.
Not all heavy hitters have lived up to expectations, though, with several favourites already stumbling out of the gate.
Read on, as we revisit several key talking points.
Golden Boot race to go down to the wire
Former Paris Saint-Germain teammates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi held up their end of the bargain at the start of the tournament.
Both coming from a different universe, both aspiring to create more World Cup history, the superstar duo hit the ground running in astonishing fashion.
Mbappe inspired France to a 3-1 win over Senegal with a sublime second-half brace, becoming the first player in World Cup history to score at least two goals in five different games.
In addition to overtaking Olivier Giroud as Les Bleus’ all-time top scorer, the Real Madrid talisman is now only two goals away from equalling Miroslav Klose’s World Cup scoring record.
However, Messi beat the 27-year-old to the punch, drawing level with the legendary German striker, courtesy of his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 rout of Algeria.
After leading his country to World Cup glory in Qatar four years ago, La Pulga no longer has a point to prove. Yet, the Inter Miami megastar looks keen to settle the ‘GOAT’ debate once and for all.
Mbappe and Messi have always been the point of difference, which also applies to Manchester City’s goalscoring machine, Erling Haaland, who excelled on his World Cup debut, netting a first-half brace to set the tone for Norway’s 4-1 humbling of Iraq.
If matchday one was any indication, the battle for the Golden Boot could become one of the defining stories of this World Cup.
No fairytale start for CR7 & Portugal
Four years since Messi’s triumph in the Middle East, the eyes of the entire footballing world have turned to one man. Carrying the weight of expectations, Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal in their Group K opener against DR Congo.
Seeking the one trophy that has defined so many careers and the one that is still missing from his glittering trophy cabinet, the 41-year-old has arrived in North America with one single purpose – to bring the World Cup home.
However, Ronaldo is also a fierce competitor who has always paid attention to the way he’s perceived in world football, and after Messi’s show in Kansas City, he must have felt compelled to deliver a statement of his own.
It was nothing like that. Congo had no intention of backing down in their first-ever World Cup outing despite facing an early deficit, and they ultimately held Roberto Martinez’s toothless team to a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner often cut a frustrated figure, spending most of the game completely isolated in the box, without quality service and with no room to demonstrate his trademark shooting ability.
Sebastien Desabre’s side did a fantastic job making one of the greatest footballers of all time look irrelevant in their tournament debut. To put things in perspective, Ronaldo finished the match with two idle shots off target.
It was far from an ideal start for Portugal and their skipper.
Spain urged to ‘swallow the disappointment’
Spain headed into this summer’s tournament as bookmakers’ top pick to lift the trophy after their dominant 2024 UEFA European Championship run, but they faltered in their opening game.
Debutants Cape Verde pulled off a miracle in Atlanta, holding La Furia Roja to a stunning 0-0 draw. Not being able to count on standout wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams from the start was a mitigating circumstance, not an excuse.
Blasted by the media, Luis de la Fuente’s charges returned to their Tennessee training base six days before getting the chance to bounce back in a must-win clash against Saudi Arabia.
Spain’s underwhelming result in their opening Group H game has seemingly knocked the wind out of their sails, piling pressure on the reigning European champions ahead of round two.
However, during La Furia Roja’s recent press conference (via The Guardian), Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino insisted there’s no room for panic, admitting that “you have to swallow the disappointment.”
Merino also urged his teammates “to recover as soon as we can.”
With the margin for error growing thin, it’s reasonable to assume De la Fuente will restore several of his elite performers to the starting XI, with Yamal and Williams expected to return as the Iberian giants seek an immediate response.
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What to watch
Matchday two kicks off with a pair of ‘make or break’ fixtures.
After suffering defeat at the start of their first World Cup campaign since 2006, the Czech Republic cannot afford a slip-up against South Africa, who will be out to avenge a 2-0 loss to co-hosts Mexico.
You’d need to go back to 1970 for the last time the Czechs lost their opening two World Cup matches, and they appear a good value to get back on track at the expense of Bafana Bafana’s knockout ambitions.
In Group B, Switzerland and Bosnia & Herzegovina lock horns in a high-stakes showdown, looking to take a giant step towards qualification after drawing their curtain-raising games.
Having lost just two of their last 17 group-stage outings at major tournaments, Murat Yakin’s men head into proceedings as favourites, but they’d be naive to underestimate the Dragons, especially after being held by Qatar on day one.
Despite facing long odds, Bosnia can take confidence from winning the only previous meeting between the sides, though it was a friendly in 2016.
