World Cup 2026 Group Stage - Early Reactions and Predictions

[Midnight Georgia]

We are a few days into the 48-team World Cup and the expanded format is generating exactly the kind of chaotic variety you would expect. The US beat Paraguay 4-1 in their opener in Los Angeles, more emphatic than anyone predicted. Brazil and Morocco face off today in New Jersey which is the group stage match of the tournament so far. Scotland have Haiti in Boston which is a game the Tartan Army absolutely cannot afford to drop.

The 48-team format means 12 groups of four with eight third-place finishers advancing, creating a more forgiving path for smaller nations. Opinions are already divided on whether that is a good thing.

What have you watched so far, what has surprised you, and who do you think falls over in the group stage that everyone expects to coast through?

[DQ Eric]

The US win over Paraguay was genuinely impressive. The VAR mistaken identity check in the first half was a bizarre distraction but once resolved they looked comfortable