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To find the World Cup's Cinderellas, we have to start with the group stage

NPR News · Jun 9, 2026, 6:05 PM · Also reported by 2 other sources

Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.

Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde and Curacao are making their World Cup debut. Meanwhile, Scotland, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand (just to name a few) have never made it past the group stage.

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To find the World Cup's Cinderellas, we have to start with the group stage

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