The 5 Biggest Shocks Of World Cup Group Stage 2026

Cape Verde finishing second in their group and shocking the world

   World Cup newcomers Cape Verde were expected to be on the earliest plane back home, but they have shocked the entire planet by drawing all their games against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia therefore qualifying automatically and going unbeaten. Their defense has been outstanding throughout the whole group stage. They won nearly 70% of their duels and their super keeper, Vozinha, made a grand total of 9 saves in 3 games and undoubtedly kept them in the tournament. As well as keeping teams out, they have been good at scoring, as they secured 2 goals to their name in their 2-2 stalemate with Uruguay. Footballing nations should look at Cape Verde and it shows them that anything is possible. However, they have the hardest round of a 32 tie against world champions, the mighty, the one and only, Argentina.

Japan proving themselves against elite opposition.

   We all know Japan are a good side, but when they were drawn in with Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia, they were not expecting or expected to do this well. They held the Dutch to a captivating 2-2 draw and then thumped Tunisia 4-0 before drawing with a good Sweden side to qualify on 5 points and without any losses. In these games, they have gone there to play and done just that, scoring 7 goals and just letting in 3. This Japanese side is very defensively solid and are hard to get past. They are one of the most clinical sides in the tournament and boast a 26% conversion rate. This statistic is very important as it means that Japan can take their chances and in knockout football, this is key as chances don't come often and goals win games. It also means that they can keep teams from scoring as well, which preserves a good defensive record throughout the tournament. They are no easy roll over and will shake up other teams defenses.

Image: Светлана Бекетова, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Uruguay embarrassing themselves 

    Former winners Uruguay have bailed out of the World Cup at the earliest opportunity. They finished third in their group and got a mere 2 points against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde; who they should be beating and beating well.  Uruguay didn't win a game the whole group stage, which against this sort of opposition, they should be doing. They had a Goal Difference of -1 and were on 2 points, which is not enough to be at best third placed finishers. They had poor form in the run up to the tournament, most notably losing 5-1 to the USA. Their high pressing 4-2-3-1 formation was draining them, especially in the American heat, and teams were running through them with ease. The thing with this shape is that it is so high pressing and aggressive, it means that they are vulnerable to counter attacks. In addition, there was reportedly a lot of friction in the dressing room, this is evident when Agustín Canobbio got sent off in the 94th minute in their last game vs Spain where their exit from the tournament was indeed confirmed. This caused an all out brawl between the 2 benches and they not only went out, but went out in ugly style.

Image: Yahoo Sports 

Just how good are France?

   In probably the toughest group with Senegal and Norway, France were in for a challenge. Coming in as one of the favourites, they have used their elite talents like Ousmane Dembélé, William Saliba and Kylian Mbappé, they have fired in 10 goals with only 2 in reply. They have had some very tough games against Senegal, who they eased past 3-1 and Erling Haaland's Norway who were swept aside 4-1 thanks to a Dembélé masterclass. France are not just winning games but winning them in style and with a lot of swagger and efficiency. Deschampes' side averaged an unbelievable 3.33 goals per game and had a pass success rate of 88%. Les Blues are a top team for a reason and in this group stage, they have just blown their opponents out the park and are now probably favourites for the tournament due to their exceptional performances and players who can pull this off persistently.

Image: Bryan Berlin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Colombia topping their group above Ronaldo's Portugal 

   When going into Group K, South American side Colombia were hoping to place second or third, but they topped their group, winning 2 and drawing 1. They have only let in 1 goal and scored 4, they were the better side in all their games and really played well as a team. They utilised Bundesliga and Premier League winner Luis Díaz to be their main creative outlet and managed to acquire 1 goal and 1 assist and have been a great change creator. In defense, they have Crystal Palace defender Daniel Muñoz, who has got 2 goals in the same amount of names. He has been a key player both in defence and in attack and as playing as a wing back, he can launch forward while the defence stay rigid. They have been a great side and have taken every team with confidence and wil be fancying themselves in a round of 32 match against Ghana.