Rabat – Seventy-two matches, hundreds of chances and plenty of drama later, the 2026 World Cup group stage has finally come to an end.

While the biggest stars such as Lionel Messi, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland have largely lived up to expectations, the opening round has also produced major surprises, shocking eliminations and unforgettable stories. Before the knockout stage begins, here’s a look at the biggest winners, the standout surprises and the tournament’s first major disappointments.

Title contenders

Argentina

The reigning champions overwhelmingly dominated Group J. A convincing 3-0 win over Algeria, a difficult but deserved 2-0 victory against Austria, and a solid 3-1 success over Jordania have sent Argentina into the round of 32 full of confidence.

Lionel Messi has been on fire, already scoring 6 goals to top the World Cup scoring charts. Ahead of their Cap Verde game on 3 July in Miami, Argentina has already announced itself as the tournament favorite. And the in-form, intimidating champions could even benefit from a relatively favourable path to the semi-finals.

France

Group of death ? Not a problem for Les Bleus. After beating Senegal 3-1, crushing Iraq 3-0 and defeating Norway’s B team 4-1, France topped Group I with ease. Les Bleus’ ‘four-headed monster attack’ has been outstanding, with Kylian Mbappé still unplayable in the World Cup and Ousmane Dembélé waking up in the national team, both scoring 4 goals.

Chasing a third consecutive World Cup final, France look well equipped to beat anyone, starting with Sweden on June 30 in Boston, in what appears to be one of the most one-sided round-of-32 fixtures.

England

The Three Lions opened their tournament with an entertaining 4-2 win over Croatia before being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Ghana and edging Panama 2-0. England looked less convincing afterward, but ensured the top of Group L.

Thomas Tuchel’s side look like they can speed up at any moment, with Harry Kane still lethal and Jude Bellingham regaining confidence. England now head into their round-of-16 clash in Atlanta with DR Congo as favourites, although the Congolese could prove a defensively tricky opponent, such as Ghana.

Honourable mentions : The Netherlands, Morocco

Dark horses

United States

The main host nation has impressed with an enthusiastic style of play. After an emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay, followed by a solid 2-0 victory against Australiathe, United States finished top of Group D despite a 3-2 defeat to Turkey in a match with nothing at stake.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are dreaming of a historic run on home soil, in front of their fans. Their knockout journey begins with their round-of-32 fixture in Santa Clara against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first obstacle on what looks like a favorable path to the semi-finals.

Colombia

Drawn into a difficult group, Colombia comfortably beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and DR Congo 1-0 before settling for a 0-0 draw against Portugal, a match in which Los Cafeteros deserved more. Still, the South Americans topped Group K and impressed throughout the group stage with their high tempo, attacking football, characterized by their right back Daniek Munoz, despite a lack of efficiency.

The last Copa America runners-up have shown they can compete with anyone and now head into the round-of-32 against Ghana in Kansas City full of confidence

Norway

Second in a very difficult Group I, thanks to a dazzling 4-1 win over Iraq and a 3-2 victory against Senegal, Norway have established themselves as one of the tournament’s outsiders. The Nordic side scored 8 goals, including one against France despite a 4-1 defeat. In fact, their match against France should be put into perspective as Stale Solbakken rested several key players, highlighting the squad’s depth and competitiveness.

Norway will face Ivory Coast in Dallas in the round of 32 before what could be a much tougher path through the knockout stage.

Honorable mentions : Japan, Ivory Coast

Cause for concern

Portugal

La Seleçao have just finished a disappointing Group K campaign, with only one victory in three matches. Their emphatic 5-0 win over Uzbekistan was sandwiched between two frustrating results: a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, unable to break down a low block, and another 0-0 draw against Colombia, in which they were actually dominated.

Roberto Martinez’ side looked short of ideas and too reliant on individual brilliance. Their round-of-32 clash in Toronto against Croatia, finalists and semi-finalists of the last two World Cups, promises to be a major test.

Germany

The Maanschaft reached the knockout stage for the first time since their victorious 2014 campaign, but there are still reasons for concern. Other than their 7-1 dismantling of Curaçao 7-1, one of the tournament’s weakest teams, the Germans have been underwhelming and short of creative spark in the opposite box. Despite finishing top of Group E, both their hard-fought last-minute 2-1 win against Ivory Coast and their 2-1 to Ecuador showed a team still searching for an identity and working on the finishing touches of its project. .

With Manuel Neuer no longer in his prime and defensive leader Nico Schlotterbeck injured, the rest of the tournament could prove difficult, starting with their round-of-32 match against Paraguay in Boston.

Senegal

After opening with defeats to France 3-1 and Norway 3-2, the Teranga Lions were on the brink of a group exit before their final group match. A convincing 5-0 win over Iraq, the weakest team in Group I, secured the qualification as one of the eight best third-placed teams, but doubts remain.

Kalidou Koulibaly’s place on the bench and Edouard Mendy’s injury reflect the difficulties the Teranga Lions have faced so far. After escaping elimination, Senegal now face Belgium in Seattle in the round of 32, a match that could either revive their campaign or confirm the disappointment.

Honorable mentions : Spain, Belgium

Flops

Uruguay

Uruguay’s history is glorious: two World Cup titles, 15 Copa America titles and countless legendary players. Nobody expected this nation to be eliminated this soon, especially in a Group H that looked easy and favorable on paper.

In a chaotic context before landing in the US, La Celeste made a worrying 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia before another shock result 2-2 with Cap Verde. Needing a win against Spain in the final match, they fell 1-0. This ageing generation left the tournament in dramatic fashion after a deeply disappointing campaign.

Türkiye

Türkiye’s World Cup campaign ended in soul-crushing disappointment. Twenty-four years after their historic semi-final run, the Crescent-Star failed to meet expectations despite an affordable Group D. A 2-0 shock defeat to Australia 2-0 and a 1-0 humbling by Paraguay proved costly, and even a 3-2 win over the United States in their final group match was not enough to undo the heart-breaking damage.

Despite a great generation marked by players including Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz, a lack of attacking efficiency and tactical consistency turned a promising campaign into another failure for Turkish football.

South Korea

Regular participants since 1986. One of the best teams in Asia, the Taeguk Warriors arrived as one of the best Asian teams, with solid ambitions after reaching the round of 16 in 2022. Drawn into a balanced group, a 2-1 win over Czechia put the Taeguk Warriors on the right track, but defeats to Mexico 1-0 and South Africa 1-0 ended their campaign.

Qualification for the round of 32 was well within reach, making the elimination even more painful. Head coach Hong Myung-bo was immediately dismissed upon his return to South Korea.

Honorable mentions : Iran, Tunisia