BACKPanini Instant Recap: Storylines Taking Shape at the FIFA World Cup 2026™
Written by: Julio Vega
With every national team having played at least twice now in the FIFA World Cup 2026™, we’re finally getting a clearer picture of how the groups are shaping up. Pre-tournament predictions are collapsing, and surprises are emerging with every whistle. That’s what makes this tournament so fun: the unpredictability.
On top of that, there were plenty of noteworthy storylines worth highlighting.
The attacking stars are shining
Some of the biggest names in football history made the trip to this FIFA World Cup™ and have already lived up to their legendary status. Lionel Messi, as usual, has been the go-to man for Argentina, scoring all five of his country’s goals through two games. He’s not just here for history and a potential farewell tour; he’s here for an encore and to lead his country to consecutive titles.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland each netted a pair of braces, putting them on four goals apiece. The French talisman has shown no sign of slowing down since winning the Golden Boot four years ago. Meanwhile, the Norwegian striker is finally showcasing his world-class finishing on the sport’s biggest stage.
Jonathan David, Canada’s all-time leading scorer, is up and running after netting a hat trick against Qatar for the team’s first ever win in the tournament. Deniz Undav has been the main for Germany, totaling three goals after two games. Cristiano Ronaldo is on the mark as well, netting a double – and energizing the crowd with his iconic celebration – against Uzbekistan.
This is only the start and there’s absolutely more to come from the big names and surprising stars alike.
Records toppling
With this being the biggest FIFA World Cup™ in tournament history, records were bound to be broken.
Messi has drawn plenty of headlines with his finishing, tying Miroslav Klose’s all-time mark of 16 grand-stage goals with a hat trick vs. Algeria before taking the throne for himself following two strikes against Austria. He earned Panini Instant cards for both efforts.
Ronaldo added his name to the history books as well, with the Portuguese icon becoming the first man to ever score in six unique editions of the FIFA World Cup™ and surpassing the great Eusebio as his country’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament (10).
The timeless Luka Modric, in his fifth tournament, logged his 200th career cap during Croatia’s win over Panama. Co-hosts Mexico and United States both won their first two games to clinch the top spot of their respective groups. Many other teams have collected their first-ever points or wins.
We’re certainly in for extra surprises, so expect more history to be made as the tournament continues.
Great goalkeeping across the board
If you’re a fan of superb shot-stopping, then this has been the tournament for you. There has been a collection of incredible saves so far.
Curaçao’s Eloy Room stood on his head with 15 saves in a clean sheet vs. Ecuador, including several that looked like sure-fire goals off the boot. IR Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand was unbeatable against Belgium, making what might just be the save of the tournament by stopping a powerful shot from point-blank range.
Mexico’s Raul Rangel produced a win-clinching moment with a phenomenal double-save against Korea Republic to help win three points. In that same contest, Seung-Gyu Kim made several highlight-worthy stops against the spirited host.
Croatia’s Dominik Livaković has been as solid as ever for a team hoping for another deep run. Brazil’s Alisson Becker had a sensational double-stop against Morocco and kept Haiti at bay in his second game.
There’s been a deluge of incredible saves so far, and we haven’t even reached the knockout stage yet.
The gap is closing
While much of the attention will go to the top dogs, it should be noted that many underdogs are holding their own at this soccer showcase.
There was a worry that the expanded tournament would mean even more blowout results. While there’s been a few one-sided affairs in this edition, it’s been far from the norm.
Japan went toe-to-toe against the Netherlands. Ghana held England scoreless. Cape Verde snagged points vs. Spain and Uruguay. Curacao earned its first point in history vs. Ecuador. Qatar achieved the same feat with a draw vs. Switzerland. Morocco held five-time winners Brazil to a draw. IR Iran kept Belgium at bay … the list goes on.
The so-called “smaller countries” showed the bravery and resilience to take on the best, making this tournament all the more fun to watch.
The first two rounds of the group stage are in the books. The knockout rounds and final game beckon, and then the real fun — and chaos — begins.
You can find Panini FIFA World Cup™ Instant cards here for many of the performances listed above as well as throughout the rest of the tournament.
