World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Biggest takeaways from the group stage

North America Sports Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:34:42 GMT Moderate confidence — 74/100

Before 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.

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.

Before 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.

Sources: Al Jazeera