World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Biggest takeaways from the group stage
Key takeaways
- FIFA World Cup group stage is now behind us with plenty of key talking points as the tournament enters the knockouts.
- Mexico kicked off the event with a 2-0 group match win over South Africa on June 11 , the third time Mexico City has hosted the opening game.
- Here are the top 5 biggest takeaways from World Cup group play:
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
FIFA World Cup group stage is now behind us with plenty of key talking points as the tournament enters the knockouts.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Argentina's Lionel Messi has been the biggest star of the World Cup 2026 group phase [David Ramos/Getty Images via AFP]By Frank Dell’Apa Published On 28 Jun 202628 Jun 2026Before the FIFA World Cup 2026 started, there were worries regarding everything from people being priced out of attending matches to the suitability of stadiums for playing football.
Mexico kicked off the event with a 2-0 group match win over South Africa on June 11 , the third time Mexico City has hosted the opening game. Fast forward 17 days and 72 fixtures later and it was Austria and Algeria that concluded the group stage on June 28 in Dallas, with a wild 3-3 draw that ended just after midnight on Sunday.