The FIFA World Cup 2026 has seen several historic firsts, with teams achieving significant milestones in the group stage and beyond. Notable performances include Paraguay‘s advancement to the knockouts and Egypt‘s long-awaited victory.
Breakthroughs and records
Paraguay secured their first regulation time goal in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup. This came during a match where Julio Enciso scored with a header, contributing to their eventual victory over Germany on penalties. Prior to this tournament, Paraguay had reached the knockouts four times but had not scored a goal outside the group phase, even when reaching the quarter-finals in 2010.
Egypt ended a 92-year wait for a World Cup win by defeating New Zealand 3-1. This marked their first victory in the tournament since their debut in 1934. Goals from Mustafa Ziko, Mohamed Salah, and Trezeguet secured the win. Following this, a draw against Iran allowed Egypt to progress to the knockout stage for the first time.
Canada, in their third appearance at a global competition, also achieved their first World Cup match victory, beating Qatar 6-0. Jonathan David scored the country’s first hat-trick in a World Cup during this match, leading Canada to the knockout stage for the first time.
Lionel Messi of Argentina scored his first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Algeria, netting all three goals for his team. This performance added to his legacy in the tournament.
Emerging teams and individual achievements
The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has created opportunities for less-heralded nations. Nine out of ten African teams made it to the knockouts, including debutants Cape Verde and DR Congo, who returned to the World Cup after 52 years.
DR Congo notably held Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal to a 1-1 draw, while Cape Verde secured a goalless draw against former champions Spain. Cape Verde finished second in Group H, and DR Congo qualified as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
The smallest country by population in the tournament, Curacao, scored their first World Cup goal through Livano Comenencia in a 1-7 defeat to Germany. This goal came in the 21st minute after a counter-attack.
Individual records were also set, with Dick Advocaat, coach of Curacao, becoming the oldest coach in FIFA World Cup history at 78 years old. This surpassed the previous record held by Otto Rehhagel. South Africa coach Hugo Broos, aged 74, also led his side to the knockouts for the first time.
Ousmane Dembele of France scored a hat-trick in 32 minutes against Norway, a quick achievement in the group stage. Lionel Messi is leading the Golden Boot race with six goals. Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring in six different FIFA World Cups and became the second-oldest goal scorer in World Cup history at 41 years old.
Mexico and Spain were the only two teams to advance to the Round of 32 without conceding a goal, with Raul Rangel and Unai Simon maintaining clean sheets for their respective teams. Simon has gone 430 minutes without conceding in the World Cup.
Read Also
Source: livemint.com
