The 2026 FIFA World Cup is already off to a rousing start with several sparkling performances across the United States.
We’ve only played just a handful of matches in the first round of group play, but the soccer fans across the world have been treated to some memorable performances.
On Monday, 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha emerged as a new star in Atlanta. Vozinha was remarkable, making seven saves as Cabo Verde earned a 0-0 tie with Spain, one of the favorites to win the World Cup. It was the country’s first advancement point ever earned in World Cup competition.
Last Friday, the host USA opened play with an impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay in Los Angeles. In his World Cup debut, striker Folarin Balogun scored two first-half goals, thus becoming the first USA player to score multiple goals in a World Cup match since 1930.
The USA will resume play on Friday against Australia at 2 p.m. in Seattle.
On Monday, 40-year-old Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha emerged as a new star in Atlanta. Vozinha was remarkable, making seven saves as Cabo Verde earned a 0-0 tie with Spain, one of the favorites to win the World Cup. It was the country’s first qualifying point ever earned in World Cup competition.
Vozinha became an overnight superstar with his stunning performance against a powerful Spanish team. He was named the Man of the Match for his performance. He also saw his Instagram account grow from 50,000 followers to tens of millions.
On Tuesday, the sport’s superstars came out and put their personal stamp on the first week of the World Cup. The first was French superstar Kylian Mbappé, who scored two goals to lead France to a 3-1 victory over Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Mbappé became France’s career leading scorer in World Cup competition.
Norway’s Erling Haaland followed Mbappé’s performance with two goals of his own to lead his team to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in a match held in Boston. The 6’5″ Norwegian is one of the biggest and brightest superstars in the sport.
Those two performances merely set the stage for all-time great Lionel Messi, whose Argentinian team opened play in Kansas City on Tuesday night against Algeria. Messi scored all three goals, leading Argentina to a 3-0 win in front of a festive crowd at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the 38-year-old Messi’s first hat trick in the World Cup. He became the first player to compete in six World Cups. His three goals gave him a total of 16, which ties him for the career lead in World Cup play.