World Cup 2026: Battle of the Golden Foot, tough start for Ronaldo, Spain calls for peace
The opening days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup saw a flurry of achievements, but many top teams did not perform as expected. Key stats: Messi's hat-trick, Mbappé's record, and Ronaldo's torrid start.
In the opening days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, records have been set and stars have asserted themselves. But not all the leading players performed as expected. Let's look at some important details. **The golden leg competition is fierce** Leading Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi made their debut in the match. Mbappé became the first player to score two or more goals in five World Cup matches as he guided Senegal to a 3-1 victory. Currently, he is close to Mikroslav Klose's world record. Meanwhile, Messi scored his first World Cup hat-trick to star in Argentina's 3-0 win. The man who won the World Cup for Argentina 4 years ago now wants to end the 'GOAT' debate.  Manchester City's Erling Haaland also scored twice in a 4-1 win on his World Cup debut. **Not a good start for Ronaldo** On the back of Messi's win, Ronaldo ended his international winless streak against Congo in his team's opening match, a 1-1 draw. The 41-year-old Ronaldo entered the World Cup, but he was largely isolated in the tournament. **SPAIN DEMANDS PEACE** Spain followed up their 2024 IUEA Championship triumph with a 0-0 draw against Cain. Due to this, key players Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are out of the game. So, the Spanish team should now be ready to face Saudi Arabia in their next match. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Mundial 2026](https://azzurrigoal.com/it/news/harry-kane-segna-due-gol-nel-primo-tempo-contro-la-croazia-2026-fifa-world-cup) 2. [Mundial 2026](https://azkalsgoal.com/fil/news/messico-nagsagawa-ng-closed-door-na-ensayo-para-sa-laban-kontra-south-korea-sa-world-cup-2026) <h2>Related Articles</h2> <ul><li> <li><a href="https://verrikalam.com/ta/news/2026-2008">World Cup 2026 Final: Messi vs Yamal — 2008 'Bath'</a></li> </ul> <ul><li> <li><a href="https://verrikalam.com/ta/news/world-cup-2026-spain-2010-vs-2026-xis-compare">World Cup 2026: Spain 2010 vs 2026 Teams Comparison</a></li> </ul> <ul><li> <li><a href="https://verrikalam.com/ta/news/mbappe-56-aandu-sadhanai-saman-muller-world-cup-2026-10-goals">Kylian Mbappé equals 56-year World Cup record:</a></li> </ul> <ul><li> <li><a href="https://verrikalam.com/ta/news/ulaga-koppai-2026-thomas-tuchel-daily-mail-10il-4">World Cup 2026: Daily for England coach Thomas Tuchel</a></li> </ul> <ul><li> </a></li> </ul>
