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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Kedar Bayley

World Cup winners who made poor starts, as contenders Spain stumble during their 2026 tournament opener

World Cup Spain Lionel Messi Argentina Italy
Mikel Oyarzabal stretches as Pico Lopes speaks with teammates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Cabo Verde.

When Lionel Messi entered the 2022 World Cup with a fairytale script to end all others resting upon his shoulders, the Argentina national team were stunned by a 2-1 group stage loss to Saudi Arabia.

Shortly after, social media was flooded with 'cope' - a reminder that 2010 World Cup victors Spain also lost their first game, and that Messi's loss wasn't guaranteed to be costly.

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