This summer, Americans and the entire world have been captivated by the largest global sporting event: the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted this year by the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico, 48 teams are competing for the title of world champion in soccer. This event is hosted every 4 years and is by far the most watched sporting event. The 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar saw nearly 1.5 billion total viewers, surpassing other events like the NFL Super Bowl, Tour de France, and even the Summer Olympics.
With such a global phenomenon coming to North America–along with its super fanbase–we’re seeing plenty of amazing viral moments. The Group Stage of the Cup ended on June 27, kicking off the Round of 32, where the top ⅔ of teams compete in an elimination-style bracket the following day. As the knockout stage gets on its way, let’s recap the top moments from the first stage of the World Cup.
Curacao’s 1st Cup
Curacao is a tiny island nation in the southern Caribbean, just north of Venezuela, with a population of less than 200,000. They quickly stole the world’s heart when they qualified for their first-ever World Cup, then went on to score a goal against Germany. While they went on to place 4th in their group, concluding the Group Stage, their one goal was nothing short of a victory for the island.
While Germany went on to win the June 14th game 7-1, Curacao scored first and enjoyed Germany’s brief upset. Many Curacao natives have taken to social media to express their support and excitement at even just qualifying for the Cup. Ranked 82nd in the world in soccer, their performance against Germany, as well as Cote D’Ivoire and Ecuador, is nothing short of inspiring.
Cabo Verde’s Goalkeeper
Another unlikely star from the Cup so far has been a 40-year-old goalkeeper playing for Cabo Verde, the 3rd-smallest country competing. Vozinha, born Josimar Dias, debuted at the Cup in their game against Spain, tied 0-0. Considering the many attempts made on goal by the Spanish strikers, Vozinha expertly defended each one for a perfect defense against a leading global team.
In a mere two days, the newly-discovered soccer star went from 50k followers on Instagram to over 12 million, and counting. All eyes are now on Cabo Verde as they enter the Round of 32 after placing 2nd in their group.
Visitors in America
Of course, the World Cup couldn’t happen without its millions of fans, many of whom have found themselves visiting America to watch their teams compete. Safe to say, this was quite the culture shock for most visitors.
Europeans were amazed at all of the options that superstores like Costco and Walmart had to offer. Over in Boston, Scotland’s Tartan Army drank many of the local pubs dry after celebrating their team’s win against Haiti.
Messi’s 6th World Cup
Messi has, once again, made history at his 6th World Cup. He is one of the few players–tied with Cristiano Ronaldo, among others–to make it to 6 World Cup appearances, and he has set the record for the most World Cup goals scored. He was the youngest Argentina goal scorer back at his first Cup in 2006, and now he is the oldest to score a goal for Argentina. During his 2026 games, he has scored in 7 straight matches, setting yet another world record. There is no doubt that he has earned his spot as one of soccer’s greatest players.
1st All-Female Referee Trio
Steps are being taken towards equality with each coming World Cup, and this year has set a new record. During the group stage, we saw the first all-female USA referee trio. Tori Penso, alongside assistants Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt, refereed the June 18 match of Czechia vs South Africa.
This comes only 4 years after Stéphanie Frappart made history in 2022 as the first woman to ever referee a men’s World Cup match. This marks an important step forward for feminism in both the United States and around the world.
Pride at FIFA
Pride was on full display at the June 26 matchup of Egypt vs Iran in Seattle, where many fans brought pride flags to wave during the game. It was previously decided that the match, which fell on the weekend of Seattle’s Pride festival, was to be included in the city’s celebrations, much to the protest of the two competing teams.
Both Egypt and Iran are known to have some of the strictest laws surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, so both countries filed petitions about the inclusion of Pride at their match. FIFA, however, sided with the host country of the U.S.A to allow pride flags to be on full display. This is a huge win for the LGBTQ+ community, as FIFA has stood up to both Egypt and Iran to promote equality, inclusion, and love at a global level.
WHAT’s Next?
The World Cup will continue over the coming weeks until the final match on July 19th at the New York New Jersey Stadium, where 1 out of 48 teams will be crowned as the champions.