It's Not Just Stars Making an Impact at the World Cup
The article highlights lesser-known players who made a significant impact during the World Cup, showcasing their achievements and contributions to their teams.
It's not just the big names in football who are attracting attention at the World Cup. While stars like Messi and Mbappé dominate the spotlight, the expanded tournament has also given room for lesser-known players to shine. Let's take a look at some of their performances in the opening matches that ended on Wednesday. One example is Livano Comenencia, who became the first goalscorer in World Cup history for Curaçao, the smallest country to qualify for the tournament. Curaçao fans may not remember the 7-1 defeat they suffered against Germany, but they will certainly remember Comenencia's goal, which came from inside the box. "The goal was absolutely fantastic for all of us, for the nation as well," said striker Kenji Gorre. "It's more history in the making. The first goal ever scored on the world stage, it's just phenomenal, and we're all grateful to be here to experience it (with) all the people in the stadium." Comenencia, a 22-year-old midfielder who plays for Zurich in the Swiss Super League, only recently broke into the first team. He had previously played for the reserve teams of PSV Eindhoven and Juventus before securing a move to Zurich ahead of the 2025-26 season. Now he has a World Cup goal under his belt. On the other hand, defender Boualem Khoukhi, 35, did not score, but jumped with Swiss midfielder Miro Muheim for a cross that resulted in an own goal for Muheim, leveling the match in the final minutes. Khoukhi celebrated the goal as if it were his own, running towards the corner of the field as his teammates surrounded him on the ground. His efforts helped Qatar secure their first point in World Cup history. Despite having played professionally for over 15 years, Khoukhi has almost never left Qatar. The defender spent the first seven years of his career with Al-Arabi and the last nine with Al-Sadd. Jovo Lukic, meanwhile, had never scored for Bosnia before their opening game against co-hosts Canada. Playing for Universitatea Cluj in Romania, Lukic had made just one appearance for his country before 29 May. However, with Edin Dzeko and Haris Tabakovic injured, Lukic was called up to make his first competitive appearance for Bosnia in Toronto. The forward found the net with a close-range header from a corner in the first half and will always be the answer to the trivia question: "Who scored the first World Cup goal on Canadian soil?" Elijah Just put in an impeccable performance in New Zealand's opening match. He needed just two shots to score twice against Iran in a 2-2 draw. The striker plays for Motherwell in Scotland and also had spells in Denmark and Austria. He became the first New Zealand player to score two goals in a World Cup match. A good way to score your first international goal. Emam Ashour, with a shot from outside the box, opened Egypt's World Cup lead in a 1-1 draw against powerful Belgium. Teammate Mostafa Zico was so excited for Ashour that he tackled him during the celebration. Despite the stars on the field in Seattle — including Jérémy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah — it was Al Ahly's winger who was named man of the match. Ashour spent just oneseason in Europe, spending most of his professional career in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. But the World Cup has a habit of featuring unlikely stars.
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