The World Cup enters its next stage after witch doctors, surprises and emergency beer deliveries
- Written by: Weekend Times
We are two weeks into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the knockout rounds starting after the group stages concluded.
On Monday morning, co-hosts Canada left it late to beat
South Africa to win through to the round of 16 for the first time in men’s World Cup history.
So, what have been the key moments so far and what are the most important games to watch as the tournament heats up?
The group stages delivered plenty
Despite numerous controversies in the lead-up, coverage of the tournament has been largely positive, on and off the pitch.
News coverage has praised visiting fans, particularly those from Scotland and Japan.
Scotland’s first two matches, against Haiti and Morocco, were both held in Boston. This was Scotland’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years and their fans were keen to celebrate.
The “Tartan Army” made a big impression, primarily with their bagpipes, their fondness for putting traffic cones on famous sculptures, their singing and their drinking.
Pubs ran out of beer and had to schedule emergency deliveries, as sales were triple those seen on other busy drinking occasions such as St Patrick’s Day and the Superbowl.
The Boston Globe newspaper devoted a full page to thank Scottish fans as they left to go to Miami for their final group match against Brazil.
Japanese supporters continued their tradition of helping clean the stadium after games.
Norwegian fans also went viral, performing a mass viking row in Times Square in New York.
Dutch fans took over Texas and turned it orange for their games against Japan and Sweden.
So, the fans have been great – but what about the teams?
A new format
The 2026 World Cup is the biggest World Cup ever.
Expanding the competition from 32 teams in 2022 to 48 this year has given more countries the opportunity to be involved.
Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all made their World Cup debuts in 2026.
Read more: Curaçao and Cabo Verde are into the World Cup. What impact can these ‘minnow nations’ make?
More teams means more games in the group stage and a more complicated process to qualify for the knockout stage.
In previous World Cups there have been eight groups of four (32 teams) in the group stage. The top two teams from each group (16 teams total) made it to the knockout stage.
The number of teams still playing halved in each round (eight in the quarter finals, four in the semi finals) until there are only two teams left in the final.
However, halving 48 multiple times does not eventually leave two teams. So, a different format was required.
This year, 32 teams qualified for the knockout stage: the top two teams in each of the 12 groups (24 teams), along with the eight highest-ranked third-placed teams.
The ranking of third-placed teams was based on factors such as points scored and goal difference.
The 2026 format results in two thirds of teams making the knockout stage.
This format reduces the danger of early elimination for stronger countries, and also allows lower-ranked countries a better chance of making the knockout stage.
Surprises and failures
Most of the highly ranked teams have made it to the knockout stage, with teams from Africa, Europe and South America performing particularly well.
The highest-ranked teams to miss out were Uruguay (16th) and Turkey (22nd).
Belgium (9th) and Senegal (15th) only made it through after strong wins in their final group match.
Some of the biggest surprises have been draws rather than wins.
Examples include Cabo Verde (ranked 67th) drawing with Spain (2nd), New Zealand (85th) drawing with Iran (20th), and Ghana (73rd) drawing with England (4th).
The biggest ranking difference for an upset win was South Africa (60th) beating South Korea (25th).
The lowest-ranked teams to make the knockout stage are Ghana (73rd), Cabo Verde (67th), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (64th).
Ghana’s qualification for the knockout stage may or may not have been helped by a renowned Ghanaian witch doctor putting a curse on English captain Harry Kane.
Thankfully for Kane, the curse was reversed after the 0-0 draw against Ghana, and he scored again in England’s final group game against Panama.
The big guns are firing
The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals at the World Cup.
143 different players contributed to the 215 goals scored during the 72 group-stage matches. The average of 2.99 goals per game is the highest average since the 1950s.
Unsurprisingly, some of soccer’s biggest stars are at the top of this list.
Lionel Messi (Argentina) is currently leading with six goals.
Other stars such as Kylian Mbappe (France), Ousmane Dembele (France), Vinicius Junior (Brazil) and Erling Haaland (Norway) all have four goals.
Messi is now at the top of the all-time World Cup scorers’ list with 19 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) meanwhile became the first player to score at six consecutive World Cups.
What to look for in the knockout stage
So, as we look ahead to the knockout round, what are some of the must-watch matches?
For Australians, the Socceroos’ match against Egypt on Saturday morning must be top of the list. These teams have similar world rankings and it should be close.
Morocco vs Netherlands should be another cracking contest. These teams, currently ranked 6th and 7th, would not have expected to meet this early in the tournament.
Finally, the match between Argentina (ranked 1st) and Cabo Verde (64th) will be fascinating.
Can the smallest country ever to make the knockout stage stop the defending champions? The contest between Messi and Cabo Verde’s inspirational 40-year old goalkeeper Vozinha will be key.
Vaughan Cruickshank does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
