FIFA World Cup 2026: 5 of the Biggest Surprises That Have Defined the Tournament So Far

• The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup has produced several surprise results and memorable moments already
• Debutants, Cape Verde, remained unbeaten in a tough group that featured Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia
• African nations proved that they could compete with the best on the world stage, as many qualified for the knockouts

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

The FIFA World Cup is in full swing, and the tournament has not disappointed thus far.

With the opening game between Mexico and South Africa delivering three goals and three red cards, the tournament got off to a rocking start. It didn’t end there either, as the rest of the first-round games delivered in one way or another and the knockouts didn’t disappoint either.

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With the expanded tournament living up to the hype, Briefly News looks at the biggest surprises of this year’s tournament thus far.

Cape Verde remained undefeated in group stages

Cape Verde has undoubtedly been one of the surprise packages of the FIFA World Cup. The Blue Sharks were drawn in Group H alongside Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in their first-ever tournament, and were given little chance of progressing.

The African side proved everyone wrong and not only remained unbeaten in the group phase but also finished as runners-up behind Spain. Cape Verde drew against each of their three opponents and only conceded two goals.

Their opening game of the World Cup against Spain proved that they were no pushovers, as they held on for a draw despite the Spanish side dominating possession.

Big guns fall in the group stage

The expanded tournament meant that more teams stood a chance of progressing to the Round of 32, allowing for smaller sides to make their mark. While this happened, only a few could have predicted that some of the bigger sides would struggle to make it past the group stages.

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South Korea, Turkey and Uruguay were all favourites to secure passage into the next round, but each failed to fire. South Korea and Turkey only secured three points, while Uruguay could only manage to get two.

Africa represents on the world stage

A total of 10 teams represented the African continent at the World Cup, and apart from Tunisia, they did not disappoint.

Nine of the sides progressed to the knockout stages of the tournament, with South Africa, Cape Verde and DR Congo all exceeding expectations in the group stage. Morocco and Egypt also showed their class during tough games against world-class opponents, as the Atlas Lions drew with Brazil and the Pharaohs held Belgium to a draw. As of 30 June 2026, Morocco even knocked out the Netherlands from the tournament, becoming the first African side to make it to the Round of 16.

Cape Verde’s goalkeeper becomes a global sensation

At 40 years old, playing in his first-ever World Cup, Vozinha proved that you are never too old to follow your dreams.

The veteran shot-stopper made seven crucial saves against Spain as Cape Verde secured a famous draw against the European giants. His performance caught the eye of many, and his Instagram follower count skyrocketed from 50,000 to over 10 million in less than 24 hours.

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During his post-match interview, after he was named Man of the Match, Vozinha broke down in tears as he expressed grief that his mother was unable to attend the game. He explained that she could not attend due to visa costs and strict regulations.

His story captivated fans globally, and the US State Department stepped in to assist his family with documentation so that they could watch him play live against Uruguay on Monday, 22 June 2026.

Vozinha will now hope to once again prove he belongs on the big stage when his team take on Argentina in their Round of 32 clash.

German giants knocked out by Paraguay

Germany came into the tournament as four-time champions, looking to prove that they were still giants of world football. Die Mannschaft were knocked out in the group stages of the 2018 and 2022 editions of the tournament but were looking to put that behind them in 2026. The Germans redeemed themselves by qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament, but that’s where it all fell apart.

Germany was beaten by Paraguay on penalties, marking the first time that the team had lost a shootout in World Cup history. Ranked 12th in the world, Germany’s defeat to 37th-ranked Paraguay will go down as one of the upsets of the tournament.

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Where the World Cup stands

Bafana Bafana’s presence in the round of 32, where they will face Canada, is a major storyline for fans and those interested in online sports betting.

Neither of these teams has ever been in the knockout rounds of a World Cup before. When the teams face off on Sunday in Los Angeles, history will be made regardless of who wins.

Easybet currently has South Africa (5.00) as underdogs. However, Bafana Bafana defied the odds already by making it out of Group A. With Canada missing Ismael Kone due to injury and Alphonso Davies doubtful, Hugo Broos’ men should not be written off.

Tyla performs at World Cup opening ceremonies

In a related article, it was announced that Tyla was set to appear at both the Mexico City and Los Angeles FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies.

Briefly News reported that FIFA confirmed that the tournament will feature three separate opening ceremonies across the US, Canada and Mexico.

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The South African singer went on to share the stage with global stars including Katy Perry, LISA, Future, and J Balvin during the historic football event.

Source: Briefly News