FIFA World Cup 2026 sees historic firsts for nations and players
30.06.2026
The FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America has been marked by several historic firsts for various nations and players. Among these achievements, Paraguay secured their first regulation time goal in the knockout stages and subsequently advanced past Germany on penalties, marking a significant upset.
Before this tournament, Paraguay had reached the knockout rounds four times but had not scored a goal outside the group phase. Their previous best was reaching the quarter-finals in 2010, following a penalty shootout victory against Japan after a goalless draw.
African nations make their mark
Egypt ended a 92-year wait for a World Cup victory during the group stage, defeating New Zealand 3-1. This win was particularly notable as Egypt was the first African team to participate in a World Cup, making their debut in 1934. Despite winning the African Cup of Nations seven times, they had previously struggled on the global stage.
On June 22, Mohamed Salah, Mustafa Ziko, and Trezeguet scored for Egypt against New Zealand. Following this, a draw against Iran allowed the Pharaohs to reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
The expansion of the World Cup from 48 to 32 teams has created opportunities for less-heralded teams. Nine out of ten African teams progressed to the knockouts, including debutants Cape Verde and DR Congo, who returned to the tournament after 52 years.
DR Congo notably held Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal to a 1-1 draw. Cape Verde also achieved a goalless draw against former champions Spain. These performances were not isolated incidents, as Cape Verde finished second in Group H and DR Congo qualified as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Player milestones and records
The tournament has also seen Lionel Messi continue to set records. The 39-year-old scored his first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria, netting all three goals for his team. Earlier in the competition, Messi surpassed former Germany striker Miroslav Klose for the most World Cup goals scored, extending his total to 19.
Canada, in their third World Cup appearance, secured their first-ever win by defeating Qatar 6-0 on June 18. In that match, Jonathan David scored the country’s first World Cup hat-trick, leading Canada to the knockout stage for the first time. The co-hosts subsequently advanced to the Round of 16.
Curacao, the smallest country by population at the World Cup, also made history by scoring their first World Cup goal. Livano Comenencia found the net in the 21st minute against Germany, though it was a consolation goal in a 7-1 defeat.
Dick Advocaat, the head coach of Curacao, became the oldest coach in World Cup history at 78 years old. This record was previously held by Otto Rehhagel, who managed Greece in 2010 at 71 years and 317 days. South Africa coach Hugo Broos, aged 74, also led his team to the knockouts for the first time, and he and Ghana‘s Carlos Queiroz, 73, are set to become the oldest coaches in the World Cup knockout phase.
Ousmane Dembele of France scored a hat-trick in just 32 minutes against Norway in their final league stage match, with only Erich Probst achieving a faster hat-trick in 1954. Messi and Jonathan David also recorded hat-tricks during the group stage.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cups during Portugal‘s match against Uzbekistan. At 41, he also became the second-oldest goal scorer in World Cup history and holds the distinction of being his nation’s youngest and oldest World Cup scorer.
Mexico‘s Gilberto Mora, at 17 years and 240 days, became the sixth-youngest player to make a World Cup appearance. Meanwhile, Senegal‘s Ibrahim Mbaye, Bosnia and Herzegovina‘s Kerim Alajbegovic, and Lamine Yamal, all 18, emerged as some of the youngest goalscorers during the group stage.
Eloy Room, the goalkeeper for Curacao, made 16 saves against Ecuador in a goalless draw, matching the all-time record set by Tim Howard in 2014. Only three teams, Argentina, France, and Mexico, advanced from the group stage with three wins and nine points.
Germany‘s 7-1 victory over Curacao, which included six goals in 50 minutes after Curacao had equalized, was the most dominant win of the league stage. Mexico and Spain progressed to the Round of 32 without conceding a goal, with Raul Rangel and Unai Simon maintaining clean sheets for their respective teams. Simon has now gone 430 minutes without conceding in the World Cup.
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Source: livemint.com
Ishaan Kapoor
Sports correspondent covering cricket, football and international competitions.