Messi, Mbappe and Haaland make flying starts at the 2026 World Cup

One of the most entertaining and star-filled matchdays of the opening round at the 2026 World Cup has come to an end. France, Norway, Argentina and Austria all played their first matches, while Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi became the main heroes of the day.

France began their tournament with a 3-1 victory over Senegal. After a goalless first half, Didier Deschamps’ side stepped up after the break. Kylian Mbappe scored twice and became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the France national team, taking his tally to 58 goals. Bradley Barcola also found the net for France. Senegal managed to pull one back in stoppage time, but Mbappe had the final word.

Erling Haaland’s World Cup debut was no less impressive. Norway comfortably defeated Iraq 4-1, with the striker scoring twice in his first-ever match at the biggest tournament in world football. Iraq looked dangerous at times and created chances, but failed to convert them. Norway punished those missed opportunities late on: Leo Ostigard scored, while another goal was recorded as an Aymen Hussein own goal.

The main event of the day came in the match between Argentina and Algeria. The reigning world champions won 3-0, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick. For the 38-year-old Argentina captain, this is already the sixth World Cup of his career — another historic milestone. Thanks to his three goals, Messi moved level with Miroslav Klose on the all-time World Cup scoring list, with both players now on 16 goals.

In the final match of the day, Austria defeated Jordan 3-1. For Austria, it was a return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998, and the team marked it with a victory. Jordan, making their World Cup debut, also made history: Ali Olwan scored the national team’s first-ever goal at the tournament. However, Austria proved stronger, and veteran Marko Arnautovic converted a late penalty to seal the final score.

All results from the 2026 World Cup matchday:

France — Senegal — 3-1
Iraq — Norway — 1-4
Argentina — Algeria — 3-0
Austria — Jordan — 3-1

The opening round of the World Cup is nearing its conclusion. The final matches of the first group-stage round will take place today, with two more global football stars set to take the spotlight — Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane.