​The 2026 World Cup group stage defied expectations in several surprising ways. While favorites dominated many groups, there were plenty of unforeseen outcomes, including Cape Verde and DR Congo earning draws against Spain and Portugal, respectively, and the rarity of teams winning all three group games. Here are the winners and losers as the tournament transitions from 48 teams to 32.
Winners: Cape Verde
Cape Verde, the third-smallest nation to reach the World Cup, became the smallest to advance to the knockout rounds after a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia. Although they hadn’t won a match in the tournament yet, three draws—highlighted by a 0-0 stalemate with Spain—secured them second place in Group H. Their reward is a Round of 32 matchup against Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Cape Verde will be a massive underdog, but facing Argentina in a World Cup knockout game is a remarkable moment for a country with just over half a million people.
Soccer’s stars on display
The group stage showcased the sport’s biggest names, who delivered standout performances. Lionel Messi demonstrated why he remains one of the world’s most dangerous players at 38, including his first-ever World Cup hat trick and two goals against Austria. Kylian Mbappé kept pace with Messi in the all-time World Cup goals race and appears poised to overtake him at the next tournament. Vinícius Júnior has driven Brazil’s attack, Harry Kane set England’s World Cup scoring record with his goal against Panama, Erling Haaland scored twice in his first World Cup, and Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice against Uzbekistan to become the oldest World Cup goal-scorer at 41. The question going forward is whether these top stars can continue to excel as the field narrows.
Norway
Norway deserves credit for its approach in the final group game. After strong World Cup qualifying, they faced a group containing France, a perennial finalist, and Senegal, one of Europe’s best. Norway answered by securing six points from their first two matches to guarantee a knockout berth before facing France. While resting many regulars for the France match, they still faced a heavy favorite and lost, setting up a Round of 32 tilt against Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast is formidable, but a healthy Norwegian side makes the tie winnable. The path ahead could include a potential meeting with Brazil in the Round of 16, though Germany would have been a plausible opponent if Norway had prioritized different strategic goals.