Wissa’s historic goal and Germany’s seven-goal show dominate World Cup first round

The opening round of matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has produced excitement, drama and a remarkable 73 goals across 24 matches, giving football fans around the world a glimpse of what could become one of the most entertaining editions of the tournament.

Germany emerged as the biggest winners of the first round, dismantling Curaçao 7-1 to register the largest victory and highest-scoring performance of the competition so far.

Sweden followed closely with a commanding 5-1 triumph over Tunisia, while England, the United States and Norway each scored four goals in impressive victories over Croatia, Paraguay and Iraq respectively.

A total of 13 matches produced winners while 11 ended in draws, underlining the competitiveness of the expanded 48-team tournament.

The average of just over three goals per game has also highlighted the attacking intent displayed by many nations.

Among the biggest stories of the opening round was DR Congo’s historic 1-1 draw against Portugal.

The Leopards not only earned their first-ever World Cup point but also scored their first-ever World Cup goal through Yoane Wissa, marking a memorable return to football’s biggest stage after more than five decades away.

England and Colombia also made strong statements.

England defeated Croatia 4-2 in one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, while Colombia moved to the top of Group K with a convincing 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan.

At the top of the standings after the first round are Mexico, Switzerland, Scotland, United States, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand, Uruguay, Norway, Argentina, Colombia and England, each leading their respective groups.

The battle for qualification, however, is not limited to the top two teams in each group.

The expanded format allows the eight best third-placed teams to advance to the Round of 32, meaning every point and every goal could prove decisive.

Based on the opening results, some of the strongest candidates among the current third-placed teams include Portugal, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil and Canada.

All seven nations earned draws in their opening matches and remain well-positioned to challenge for automatic qualification or secure progression through the best third-placed ranking.

Portugal’s draw with DR Congo, Spain’s goalless stalemate against Cape Verde, Belgium’s 1-1 result against Egypt and Brazil’s draw against Morocco may have fallen short of expectations, but these teams possess enough quality and tournament experience to recover in the remaining group matches.

With only one round completed, the tournament remains wide open.

Yet Germany’s dominance, England’s attacking display, Colombia’s efficiency and DR Congo’s historic achievement have already provided some of the defining moments of World Cup 2026.

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