Preparation underway for the 2026 World Cup
The World Cup began its second round with teams like Argentina and France standing out, while Brazil and other favorites had challenges in their games.
The 2026 World Cup has started its second round of the group stage and we have already had the opportunity to see the 48 teams in action. Some conclusions are beginning to be drawn, although they may change with the last games of the group stage.
The favorites, such as Argentina and France, showed their strength and left no room for surprises. Argentina, led by Messi, who at almost 39 years old still impresses, had a gala performance against Algeria, scoring a hat-trick and being responsible for all of the team's dangerous plays. The team under Scaloni's command looks solid, but still depends heavily on the magic of its star.
Other teams that are among the favorites, such as England and Germany, also managed a smooth debut. However, not everyone was as lucky. Spain and Portugal, who are also among the main contenders for the title on July 19, drew their games against Cape Verde and Congo respectively.
Brazil, in turn, also had just one point, but faced a strong opponent: the Morocco team, which left a good impression. Despite the mixed results, it is important to remember that this initial phase serves as preparation for the big teams, who need to fine-tune their team for the qualifiers. The real World Cup starts now.
It is worth noting that history shows us that Italy, for example, won the title in 1982 after drawing their first three games. So this phase is just a point of contact for all teams involved.
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