World Cup 2026: Best moments and players from the group stage according to the BBC

After 72 matches across three countries, the 48 teams that qualified for the 2026 World Cup were reduced to 32. Records were broken by some of the star players, who shone on football's biggest stage, while new heroes emerged. A group of BBC reporters in the United States, Canada and Mexico chose their best teams, players, matches and moments from the group stage.

Best team *Ian Dennis, BBC Radio 5 Live* France. I've watched every game in the group and they've managed three wins from three matches for the first time since winning the World Cup in 1998. They're still not perfect, so there's room to improve as they become stronger under a coach who has the necessary experience, while Didier Deschamps is seeking his third successive World Cup final.

*Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer* France. Just looking at their attack with Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé and what it can do when it works — and the strength of Didier Deschamps' squad as a whole — makes me think they will be very difficult to stop. There are other strong competitors, but they are the most dangerous team in the tournament.

*John Bennett, BBC World Service* After a sloppy start against Senegal, France exploded into action when Michael Olise was moved to number 10. The attacking quartet is frightening, with Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappé is happier than he has ever been in a major tournament, William Saliba is one of the best defenders in the competition, the underrated Adrien Rabiot connects everything wonderfully and there is still a lot of strength on the bench. I saw them live twice, in New Jersey and Philadelphia, and I would be surprised if they didn't make it to the finals.

*Liz Conway, BBC Sport journalist* France looks like it will be difficult to stop. They have the best attacking trio in the tournament and their depth means they can rotate as the tournament progresses. Kylian Mbappé is already in great form and, now that he has started to work, it will be difficult to stop him.

*Gary Rose, BBC Sport journalist* Lionel Messi is stealing the show and rightly so, with his six goals in three matches so far at this World Cup, but it would be unfair to say that Argentina are solely dependent on him. Often a collection of brilliant individuals, this Argentina team feels more like a united team, and the result has been three wins, no goals conceded and five goals scored. They started the World Cup with a bang and it looks like they're going to be hard to stop.

Best player *Ian Dennis, BBC Radio 5 Live* Lionel Messi. The ageless 39-year-old continues to be a pleasure to watch with his skill, perception and intelligence, and he continues to produce on the biggest stage. *Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer* Lionel Messi. Timeless genius, but this is also the World Cup where greats like Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo came to leave their mark. A wonderful tournament so far.

*John Bennett, BBC World Service* Having followed France here in the US, my obvious choice would be Kylian Mbappé, but I'm actually selecting a player I couldn't stop watching during the first game I watched in New Jersey — Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi. I had to check his age because his movement, decision making and passing ability were incredible for an 18 year old. I told oneBBC colleague at one point during the Brazil game: "This guy reminds me of Patrick Vieira." There can be no greater compliment than that.

*Liz Conway, BBC Sport journalist* Lionel Messi. Six goals in three World Cup games and looking sharper than ever. His humility with the press off the field is equally admirable, while on the field he possesses an aura that few athletes in history have had. Every time he plays, it feels like you're watching something special.

*Gary Rose, BBC Sport journalist* Perhaps it would be easy to pick a top scorer here, especially with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland excelling in the tournament. But my vote at this stage goes to Michael Olise, who has played a key role in France's victories so far. He put in a player-of-the-match performance in the opening, a 3-1 win against Senegal, before providing two assists in the 3-0 win over Iraq.

Best match *Ian Dennis, BBC Radio 5 Live* Ecuador 2-1 Germany. The first group stage match with a real sense of danger. It was win or die for Ecuador and they responded by playing boldly as their fans created an incredible atmosphere. Audacious and courageous, they changed the game. The defense in the end was chaotic, but the chaos added to the drama as they secured a place in the knockout stages.


*Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer* Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde. Cape Verde have provided one of the stories of this World Cup so far and this match was a classic as they opened the scoring, fell behind and then equalised. Football can be clean and clinical at times. Cape Verde played with quality, emotion and challenge.

*John Bennett, BBC World Service* Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde. This wasn't a game I saw live at the stadium, but watching it from a distance on TV brought back great memories of covering this very likeable team on their journey to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and 2023. From Kevin Pina making history with Cape Verde's first World Cup goal with that long-range free kick, to the team's fight to equalize after being 2-1 down and the confusion of the final stages, when both teams had chances to win. To add to the fun, the cameras continued to focus on Luis Suárez in the audience going through every emotion possible and looking desperate for this experience to end. More chaos from Cape Verde, please.

*Liz Conway, BBC Sport journalist* England 4-2 Croatia. England's second half performance against Croatia was really exciting and showed how the Three Lions can play when they are at their best. They haven't repeated that yet, but that performance proves they can be a threat in this tournament. They produced fluid attacking football and it was, without a doubt, the best 45 minutes of this tournament.

*Gary Rose, BBC Sport journalist* Argentina 3-0 Algeria. In a stunning Kansas sunset, Lionel Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick, equaling the World Cup goals record with his 16th, and proved once again that he is one of the greatest players of all time. Argentina fans started the party long before kick-off and the atmosphere in thestadium was phenomenal, as everyone realized they were witnessing history.

Best moment *Ian Dennis, BBC Radio 5 Live* Cape Verde surprising Spain in their World Cup debut and the subsequent reaction of their goalkeeper Vozinha. His post-game emotions, after his brilliant seven-save performance, were so touching — and what a moment for the entire nation. A reminder that not all heroes wear capes... sometimes they wear a yellow shirt.

*Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer* Ecuador fans and players celebrating their dramatic upset of Germany to qualify for the last 32. The atmosphere inside the New Jersey Stadium was electric and the scenes after the match will live long in the memories of all of us who were lucky enough to be there.

*John Bennett, BBC World Service* A goal and also a celebration. When Portugal scored early against the Democratic Republic of Congo, everyone expected them to win easily, but Sebastien Desabre's team had other plans. Yoane Wissa equalized with a great header just before half-time, scoring DR Congo's first goal in World Cup history. To make the moment even more special, he ran to the halfway line, where he seemed to be welcomed by the entire bench, as well as every player on the field, and they began a choreographed dance they made famous at Afcons, called "fimbu". The crowd loved it, except the Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo fans, of course. Not bad for DR Congo's first World Cup game in 52 years.

*Alex Howell, BBC Sport journalist* It's hard not to remember Lionel Messi's hat-trick as Argentina began the defense of their World Cup title. Messi is already 39 years old, but with the team built around him, he managed to score his first World Cup hat-trick.

*Liz Conway, BBC Sport journalist* Not many people would have imagined that 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha would become the hero of his country's World Cup debut against Spain. Their performance, backed by incredible fan support, made Cape Verde everyone's second favorite team. It's the kind of overcoming story that makes the World Cup so special, and now they've completed that by reaching the knockout stages.

*Gary Rose, BBC Sport journalist* There are others, I'm sure, but I want to focus on one that I saw personally and that was the US victory over Australia. Outside of the United States, it might not seem like a game that could have the greatest momentum, but hearing how much the US fans supported their team from start to finish — belting out an extremely loud version of Country Roads at the end — was a moment that made you realize that football fans in this country are fully involved in this tournament and supporting their national team, despite suggestions to the contrary before the start of the World Cup.

*Neil Johnston, BBC Sport journalist* Seeing some of the younger players in this tournament step up and deliver for their countries. Ibrahim Mbaye, aged 18 years and 143 days, became the fourth youngest scorer in World Cup history when he scored for Senegal against France, but watching 20-year-old Johan Manzambi of Switzerland play — and score — was a delight.