World Cup 2026: Early Group Stage Results Shape Tournament Picture After Wednesday Matches

The FIFA World Cup 2026 continued its group stage on Wednesday with several notable results shaping the early tournament landscape. Argentina advanced impressively with a 3-0 victory highlighted by a hat-trick from Lionel Messi, signaling strong form from one of the tournament favorites. In other significant matches, England dominated Croatia 4-2 in an anticipated Group L clash, with Harry Kane scoring twice and Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford adding goals to secure a commanding opening statement.

England's emphatic victory over Croatia showcased the depth of the English squad, with manager demonstrating the ability to deploy high-quality attacking talent off the bench, including Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers. The win positions England as heavy favorites in Group L, supporting the team's ambitions to end a 60-year World Cup title drought. Croatia mounted a comeback attempt with goals from Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, but could not overcome England's superior firepower.

In a historic upset, Congo DR earned its first-ever World Cup point by drawing 1-1 against Portugal in Group K. Making its World Cup debut, Congo displayed resilience despite Portugal's dominance in possession (75 percent). João Neves had given Portugal an early lead just six minutes in, but Yoane Wissa leveled the match with a first-half stoppage-time header. Remarkably, Congo generated superior expected goals (0.82 to 0.64) and registered 8 shots compared to Portugal's 7, with 2-1 on target. Ghana also won Group L play, defeating Panama 1-0 on Wednesday.

After one round of matches, strong early performers included Germany in Group E with a +6 goal differential, Sweden in Group F with +4, and several teams earning three points. Norway and France both advanced in Group I, while Mexico and South Korea topped Group A. The tournament schedule continues Thursday with matches across multiple groups, including Czechia vs. South Africa, Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada vs. Qatar, and Mexico vs. South Korea, as teams vie for positioning ahead of the knockout bracket.