Soccer <\/p>\n
The opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> Group Stage is complete.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n All 48 teams have played their first match, and advancement scenarios are becoming clearer.<\/p>\n Let’s take a closer look at how every MLS player fared and what the road ahead entails.<\/p>\n Reminder: This summer’s tournament features 45 MLS players<\/a> representing 22 clubs and 17 countries.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n How things look after match round one. \ud83d\udd22#FIFAWorldCup<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Captained by LAFC<\/a> star Son Heung-Min<\/a>, South Korea came from behind to defeat Czechia, 2-1<\/a>, in their opening match.<\/p>\n After one game, South Korea sit second in Group A, level on points with hosts Mexico.<\/p>\n They’ll take on El Tri in Jalisco in their second game, with the winner earning passage to the Round of 32.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Also in Group A, South Africa are coming off a 2-0 defeat<\/a> to Mexico in their World Cup opener.<\/p>\n Mbekezeli Mbokazi<\/a> (Chicago Fire FC<\/a>) started at center back and played the full 90 minutes, while Philadelphia Union<\/a>‘s Olwethu Makhanya<\/a> did not feature.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Now, Bafana Bafana’s World Cup hopes hang in the balance when they take on Czechia in Atlanta. Points are a must if South Africa are to stay alive in Group A.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Co-hosts Canada<\/a> were dealt a bit of a scare in their Group B opener, battling back to secure a 1-1 draw<\/a> vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina.<\/p>\n The result was historic for Les Rouges, who earned their first-ever<\/a> World Cup point. Now, focus shifts to their second group-stage match vs. Qatar, who opened their World Cup with a 1-1 draw<\/a> vs. Switzerland.<\/p>\n Three points for the Canadians could nearly ensure a spot in the knockout rounds.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Despite being labeled the underdogs in Group C, Haiti showed well in a tightly contested 1-0 loss<\/a> to Scotland in Boston.<\/p>\n Philadelphia Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques<\/a> and FC Dallas<\/a> forward Louicius Deedson<\/a> both started, while Toronto FC<\/a> winger Derrick Etienne Jr.<\/a> did not play in the defeat.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Next up for Les Grenadiers is powerhouse Brazil. Currently last in Group C, Haiti will look to pull off a shock result against one of the world’s best teams or potentially face an early elimination.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Co-hosts USA<\/a> opened the World Cup in style, putting together a dominant 4-1 victory<\/a> over Paraguay in front of over 70,000 fans in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n A brace from Folarin Balogun and a late goal from Gio Reyna highlighted the win, while MLS standouts Matt Freese<\/a> (New York City FC<\/a>), Tim Ream<\/a> (Charlotte FC<\/a>) and Sebastian Berhalter<\/a> (Vancouver Whitecaps FC<\/a>) all played key roles.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Now, a matchup with Australia, who also secured three points in their first game, looms in Seattle. Should the USMNT win and T\u00fcrkiye lose\/draw vs. Paraguay, they’ll advance to the Round of 32 as Group D winners.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Australia are coming off an exceptional result in their Group D opener, defeating T\u00fcrkiye, 2-0<\/a>, behind goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.<\/p>\n NYCFC midfielder Aiden O’Neill<\/a> started and played the full 90 minutes, while club teammate Kai Trewin<\/a> and Colorado Rapids<\/a> defender Lucas Herrington<\/a> were on the bench.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Socceroos have put themselves in a great position to advance to the Round of 32, and a win over the United States would guarantee their place in the knockouts, as well as the top spot in Group D.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Paraguay’s first World Cup match in 16 years didn’t go as they hoped, as they fell 4-1 against the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n Atlanta United<\/a> star Miguel Almir\u00f3n<\/a> and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andr\u00e9s Cubas<\/a> both started, while Mat\u00edas Galarza<\/a> and Orlando City<\/a>‘s Braian Ojeda<\/a> remained on the bench.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Now behind the eight-ball, Paraguay must earn at least a point against T\u00fcrkiye to keep their World Cup hopes alive. A loss would see them eliminated.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Herman Johansson<\/a> and Sweden got their 2026 World Cup campaign off to a flying start, as they soared to a 5-1 triumph<\/a> over Group F opponents Tunisia in Nuevo Le\u00f3n.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thanks to a 2-2 draw<\/a> between the Netherlands and Japan, Sweden find themselves in first place after one matchday.\u00a0<\/p>\n They’ll battle the Dutch, who are considered group favorites, in their second Group F match. Should they pull off a shock win, the Swedes will qualify for the knockout stages.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Tunisia were on the wrong end of the 5-1 result vs. Sweden to open Group F play. The loss resulted in the dismissal of manager Sabri Lamouchi, with the experienced Herv\u00e9 Renard taking over.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Rayan Elloumi<\/a> did not feature in their first match.<\/p>\n Next up for Elloumi and the Eagles of Carthage is a crucial matchup against Japan. Earning at least a point is a must if Tunisia are to stay alive.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Entering the World Cup as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, New Zealand turned heads in their first match of Group G, drawing 2-2<\/a> with Iran, thanks to a brace from Elijah Just.\u00a0<\/p>\n Center backs Michael Boxall<\/a> (Minnesota United FC<\/a>) and Finn Surman<\/a> (Portland Timbers<\/a>) cemented the All-Whites’ backline, and both played 90 minutes in the opener.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Next up for the Kiwis is a matchup against Mo Salah and Egypt. A victory in that game would be New Zealand’s first-ever in World Cup play and would put them in pole position to reach the Round of 32.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Expected by many to advance from Group H, Uruguay suffered a slight setback in a 1-1 draw<\/a> with Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n Real Salt Lake<\/a> wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria<\/a> came on as a halftime substitute and played the entire second half, as La Celeste settled for a tie.<\/p>\n However, thanks to a 0-0 draw<\/a> between Spain and Cape Verde, all teams enter Matchday 2 with one point.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In perhaps the biggest result of the first round, Cape Verde shocked World Cup contender Spain by holding the reigning European champions to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta.<\/p>\n Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira<\/a> started and played 90 minutes, helping guide the Blue Sharks to what was likely the greatest result<\/a> in their history.<\/p>\n Thanks to a 1-1 draw between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, Group H remains wide open, with every team on one point. Cape Verde face Uruguay next in Miami, looking to shock the world once more.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Iraq’s first World Cup match since Mexico 1986 ended in a 4-1 defeat<\/a> to Norway, who got a brace from star striker Erling Haaland.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nashville SC<\/a> midfielder Ahmed Qasem<\/a> made his World Cup debut as a second-half substitute, playing the final 17 minutes. He recently filed a one-time switch to represent the Lions of Mesopotamia.<\/p>\n The road ahead doesn’t get any easier, as Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and World Cup contenders France await in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Cometh the hour, cometh the man.<\/p>\n In what will likely be his final World Cup, Lionel Messi<\/a> got his tournament off to as good a start as possible, scoring a hat trick to lead Argentina to a 3-0 win<\/a> over Algeria. It was Messi’s first-ever World Cup hat trick and tied him with Miroslav Klose for most goals in World Cup history<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fellow Inter Miami<\/a> star Rodrigo De Paul<\/a> played the entire game and added an assist on Messi’s first goal.<\/p>\n La\u00a0Albiceleste looked primed to make a run at back-to-back World Cup titles, and a victory over Austria in their second match would guarantee advancement to the Round of 32.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Viewed by many as the likely runners-up in Group L, Croatia held strong against group favorites England on Wednesday in Dallas, eventually falling 4-2<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n FC Dallas striker Petar Musa<\/a> started up top and netted a brilliant equalizer in first-half stoppage time, scoring on his World Cup debut. Orlando City winger Marco Pa\u0161ali\u0107<\/a> also made his World Cup debut, coming on as a second-half substitute.\u00a0<\/p>\n Next up for Croatia is Panama. Both sides will be looking for a win to keep their World Cup hopes alive.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Mere moments from a historic first-ever point in the World Cup, Panama were left heartbroken as Ghana netted a second-half stoppage-time goal to earn a 1-0 victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n Minnesota United FC midfielder Carlos Harvey<\/a> played the full 90 minutes in the loss, while San Diego FC<\/a> midfielder and Panama\u2019s all-time appearances leader An\u00edbal Godoy<\/a> came on as a late substitute.<\/p>\n Los Canaleros face an uphill battle to advance out of Group L, with matches against European heavyweights Croatia and England upcoming.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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