The 2026 expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, co-hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicked off its second full matchday on June 16 with a slate of games headlined by two historic defending title bids, a shocking underdog draw, and a collection of long-awaited returns to the global soccer stage.
All eyes will fall on Kansas City, Missouri, when Argentina takes on Algeria in its opening group stage match – a contest that marks the start of the South American side’s push to become the first nation in 62 years to win back-to-back World Cup titles. For Argentine talisman Lionel Messi, this tournament is widely expected to be his final appearance on international soccer’s biggest stage. The 36-year-old generational talent, who will turn 39 later this month, finally claimed the one major honor missing from his legendary career when Argentina lifted the trophy in Qatar 2022, and now he is chasing a unique piece of history that has not been claimed since Brazil’s 1962 triumph.
Messi is also within striking distance of another all-time record: he needs just four more World Cup goals to surpass Miroslav Klose’s standing mark of 16. However, the Inter Miami star has carried visible physical fatigue into the tournament, after a hamstring strain forced an early substitution in his final club match before the World Cup. To maximize his fitness for what is being called his final World Cup hurrah, Messi sat out Argentina’s pre-tournament friendly against Honduras, prioritizing full health for his opening match against Algeria. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has already framed the opening contest as an important but not decisive fixture for the defending champions.
Later the same afternoon in East Rutherford, New Jersey, another pre-tournament co-favorite France will open its 2026 campaign against Senegal, chasing its third World Cup title and second championship in the last three tournaments. Didier Deschamps’ side claimed the 2018 trophy in Russia, before falling to Argentina in a penalty shootout in the 2022 Qatar final, bringing Les Bleus into this tournament with a star-studded roster that includes Kylian Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, and breakout 19-year-old talent Désiré Doué. Mbappé currently sits one international goal short of Olivier Giroud’s all-time France record of 56, though the 2024 Real Madrid transfer has faced consistent criticism in recent months for what pundits call a lack of defensive work rate.
History also adds extra stakes to this opening match: as the defending 1998 champions entering the 2002 World Cup, France suffered a shocking opening-round defeat to Senegal that ultimately saw the defending champions eliminated in the group stage. Entering this 2026 contest, France is listed as a heavy betting favorite, but that 2002 upset still looms over the fixture.
Before the two heavyweight favorites kick off their campaigns, the tournament already delivered one of its most surprising results on matchday one, when first-time World Cup qualifiers Cape Verde held pre-tournament favorite Spain to a scoreless draw, weathering an unrelenting Spanish attack to claim a historic point. Spanish coaches had planned to rotate key recovering stars in what was widely projected to be a lopsided rout, but Cape Verde’s squad defied all expectations, anchored by a legendary performance from 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. The veteran shot-stopper turned away multiple high-quality chances from Spain, who recorded 27 total shots on the night, and was left in tears after his heroic performance.
The gap in resources between the two sides makes the result even more remarkable: per Transfer Markt, Spain’s 17-year-old wunderkind Yamine Lamal holds a market value of 200 million euros, while star midfielder Pedri is valued at 150 million euros. By comparison, Vozinha’s total market value sits at just 50,000 euros. Cape Verde also holds a unique place in World Cup demographics: the archipelago nation off West Africa is the third-smallest country to ever qualify for the men’s World Cup, with a total population of just 525,000, compared to Spain’s 47 million residents.
The June 16 slate also includes two other opening group stage fixtures, each with their own historic backstories. In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Norway will kick off its first World Cup appearance since 1998 against Iraq, entering the tournament as long shots but boasting one of the world’s most dangerous strikers in Erling Haaland. The 25-year-old Manchester City superstar scored 16 goals in European qualifying to single-handedly drag Norway back to the global stage after nearly three decades of absence. The side went viral pre-tournament for a viral viral photoshoot titled “The Vikings are Coming”, where players dressed in traditional Viking garb and posed alongside three longships on a Norwegian fjord, captured by British photographer David Yarrow. Haaland, known for his iconic long hair, fully leaned into the bit, and enters this tournament primed to become the face of the 2026 World Cup.
Closing out the day’s action in Santa Clara, California, Austria will face first-time qualifiers Jordan in Group J. Austria’s return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence is largely credited to manager Ralf Rangnick, who turned down a coveted job offer from Bayern Munich to continue leading the national side’s rebuild, a decision that has paid off with a spot in the tournament. After winning their group at Euro 2024 before falling to Turkey, Austria secured their qualifying group to book their spot in the 48-team field, and are now targeting their first knockout stage appearance since 1982. Jordan, making their first ever World Cup appearance, will be without their top goalscorer Yazan Alnemat, who scored eight qualifying goals but suffered a torn ACL at the Arab Cup last December that ruled him out of the tournament.
Full broadcast details for all June 16 matches, airing across U.S. networks: France vs. Senegal kicks off at 3 p.m. EDT in East Rutherford, broadcast on Fox, Telemundo and Peacock; Iraq vs. Norway follows at 6 p.m. EDT in Foxborough, also airing on Fox, Telemundo and Peacock; Argentina vs. Algeria kicks off at 9 p.m. EDT in Kansas City on FS1, Telemundo and Peacock; and Austria vs. Jordan closes the day at midnight EDT in Santa Clara, airing on FS1, Telemundo and Peacock.