World Cup 2026: What's Happened So Far

Two weeks into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there's been blowout wins, upsets, outrageous saves & stellar finishes. This has always been the tournament that has brought people from around the world together. & Now, with 48 teams making it in this edition, even more fans are able to cheer for their respective country, perhaps bringing even more attention from non-soccer (European football) viewers. Let's take a look at what's happened so far. 

Germany
Starting out strong with one of the pre-tournament favorites, Germany has looked fantastic so far. Against Curacao in the opening fixture people anticipated an easy win. But, Germany one-upped that by scoring seven goals with ease in that contest. No, the 2014 WCup champs don't have a clear/dominant forward up top like some of the other top nations. But, Kai Havertz has been very solid & Deniz Undav has come to life after having a stellar year at Stuttgart prior to this tournament. Having already clinched to spot in the group, I expect Germany to be a very tough out as the knockout rounds approach.

Morocco
After making the Semi-Final back in 2022, there was a bit of anticipation for the Moroccans to match that performance this time around. Now, there's still a long ways to go. But, claiming seven points in a group with Brazil in it is an excellent start. Ismael Saibari has been a focal point in the offense. But, it's been a whole team performance, with subs getting in on the action against Haiti as well. Talking about that game, Morocco had to face some adversity by coming back from a goal down on two occasions. It ultimately won that game 4-2. Heading into the Rof32 with an expected game against Netherlands or Japan, whoever comes out of that game could go a long ways in this tournament.

United States
As a Canadian, it's sometimes hard to give our "sporting rival" any praise. That being said, I must give credit where credit is due & the American's have sure showed up so far in the World Cup. USA has already clinched Group C, with not much to play for other than giving starters some rest in the final group stage game. I'm not going to say that the United States are battle tested quite yet as I believe that its group is quite poor. But, the start is something that American fans should be excited about & it definitely could make some noise if the matchups aren't extremely difficult early in the KO round.

Colombia
One of my favorite teams of the tournament so far has definitely been Colombia. No, the offense hasn't necessarily clicked yet. But, the defensive work has been fabulous, especially against the Congo. Up top, Luis Suarez & Luis Diaz are an electric duo. James Rodriguez, who's getting up there in age, still mans the midfield with great composure and playmaking skills. Colombia currently leads Group K & a draw against Portugal would secure top spot in the group. But, even if that doesn't happen, I'm very excited to see how far this Colombian team can go in this World Cup. 

Currently leading the way with five goals is Argentina's generational superstar Lionel Messi. In my eyes, there's no debate that he's the greatest player of all time. He's only just adding to the greatness with these performances at this World Cup. Not far behind though with four goals are elite scorers Erling Haaland & Kylian Mbappe & Vinicius Jr. Cristiano Ronaldo also got on the board with a pair of goals in his most recent outing. But, the portuguese legend still has a lot of catching up to do. This could very well turn out to be the best WC Golden Boot race of all time. 

With an estimated 2-3 million users worldwide, winning the FIFA Fantasy of the 2026 World Cup is nearly impossible. Obviously, that's a 1/2-3 million chance. That being said, through the second match-week, I was ranked inside the top 100 in the world, while being ranked as the #1 user in Canada. There's no question that maintaining this will be difficult. This should be a fun ride either way.

https://x.com/WBWins/status/2071288981531025665

Burns' Champion Projection: Spain (+550)