We are now almost a month away from the 2026 World Cup. It somehow feels as if the days of the warm-and-fuzzy group stage — when Team Algeria was embraced by rural Kansans and South Korean and Mexican fans were simultaneously going viral — were both hours and ages ago. The feel-good element of the early weeks of the World Cup certainly continues, but as all tournaments progress, the stakes rise – and the atmosphere becomes anxious.
Every World Cup has its share of high-tension miracles and dramatic controversies, but this year feels even more complicated due to the expanded field (48 teams up from 32), the vast geographic spread of the venues (16 stadiums across the US, Mexico, and Canada), and hyperspeed coverage and recollection of every single moment online. This World Cup is projected to be the most watched World Cup ever, surpassing Qatar’s more than 5 billion viewers, largely due to the proliferation of free and easily accessible livestreams (such as Casimiro Miguel’s CazTV, which kickstarted the Wojinha Instagram craze). More views from all angles and perspectives on a 24/7 cycle means, naturally, more intensity.
With so many people watching and seeing and commenting on all the tremendous athleticism and off-the-field antics, things were always crazy. Here’s a recap of the biggest dramas, wildest controversies and most entertaining storylines from the 2026 World Cup so far. Let’s start with the beginning…
Lightning and potential Viagra in Mexico vs. England
In my opinion, the best game of the tournament so far was Mexico vs England in the round of 16. England won 3–2, with Jude Bellingham scoring two goals and Harry Kane scoring one.
There was electricity in the air (literally, the start was delayed an hour due to nearby lightning) and entropy on the ground, as a red card flew against England’s Jerrel Quansah early in the second half, reducing the team to 10 men for a large portion of the contest. England defended as if their lives depended on it, especially when Mexico’s Raul Jimenez brought his side within one with a penalty on 69 minutes.
Its cinema included it all: the battle of the two benches, world-class performances from English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, and the relentless noise of 80,000 fans in Mexico City’s famously high-altitude Estadio Azteca (where Mexico had not lost a single international competition match since 2013). The absurdity of the story began even before kick-off – there were reports that England would be allowed to use Viagra to help avoid altitude sickness. According to coach Thomas Tuchel, he did not, yet continued to work hard even in the air. It bore fruit.
Last minute withdrawal in Argentina vs Egypt
Also worth highlighting: the Argentina vs. Egypt round of 16 match, which Argentina won almost miraculously, staging a massive comeback in the final game from 2–0 down. They finished 3–2.
The defending champions were held scoreless for 79 minutes, their momentum catalysed by a timely header from centre-back Cristian Romero. Then Lionel Messi came in with a blast from 12 yards on 83 minutes; he is on now Eight The only goal in this tournament. Enzo Fernandez sealed the deal in extra time, and the rest is history. Even Tom Brady tweeted: “Yeah, so it could be up 28-3,” referring to the New England Patriots’ famous comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in the 2017 Super Bowl.
Talking about Messi’s goalscoring ability: There is an active race going on for the Golden Boot, an honor given to the top scorer of the World Cup. The biggest and brightest stars are faring better than in previous years: in addition to Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland each have seven, while England’s aforementioned Kane follows with six. All these people and their teams are still in the race, so the numbers are likely to increase. For context, Mbappé won with eight goals in 2022, and Kane won with six goals in 2018, but the depth of field during either of those competitions was not as impressive as it was in this year’s edition.
