Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Andrew Beasley

Red-hot strikers, errors and smart subs: why the 2026 World Cup is a goal-fest

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal against Austria, Cape Verde's Helio Varela goes past Uruguay's Fernando Muslera before scoring their second goal, Deniz Undav scores Germany's second goal against Cote D'Ivoire.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal against Austria, Cape Verde's Helio Varela goes past Uruguay's Fernando Muslera before scoring their second goal, Deniz Undav scores Germany's second goal against Côte D'Ivoire. Composite: Guardian Design; Reuters; Clicks Images/Getty Images

The 2026 World Cup has begun in very entertaining fashion. On Wednesday we reached the point at which all 48 nations had played twice, with only four of the matches ending goalless.

Even then, three of the 0-0 draws delivered unexpected points for Cape Verde, Curaçao and Iran against Spain, Ecuador and Belgium respectively. There was a gripping tension and excitement to override the lack of goals each time. England also drew 0-0 with Ghana in a rather more boring match, but you can’t have everything.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.