Lionel Messi became the all-time record World Cup goalscorer with his two goals against Austria in Argentina’s second group game in Dallas, and the reigning champions guaranteed top spot in the group with a game to spare to continue their defense of the 2022 title in comfortable fashion.
Messi had another sensational performance for a man just hours away from his 39th birthday, and remains the only Argentinean to score in the World Cup with all five of his nation’s goals in the tournament so far.
He’s also controlling entire games with his timely touches and legendary positioning, and his workrate is also standing out – which was on full display in his second goal.
Argentina and Messi look completely free in this World Cup: the weight of winning the biggest tournament of all was lifted off their shoulders four years ago, and many experts didn’t put them at the very top of the list of favorites this time around.
The Albiceleste are clearly in this for a good time but also a long time, and they have a very clear plan: the other 10 players on the pitch give everything for 90 minutes, and then the ball goes to Messi and he decides the game. So far it’s working, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t continue to work.
Messi no longer needs to add a World Cup to his résumé, and he clearly just wants to enjoy his sixth and final appearance to the fullest. And that makes him as dangerous and terrifying as ever.
Michael Olise means just as much to France as Kylian Mbappé
The first weather delay of the 2026 World Cup forced France and Iraq to wait two hours to play the second half of their Group I encounter in Philadelphia, but Michael Olise made it worth the wait.
It’s easy to look at Kylian Mbappé scoring two more goals (which moved him into a tie with Miroslav Klose for second on the all-time scorers list) and think he’ll be the biggest reason for the French success in this tournament, but Olise put on another incredible show and proved he is just as important as his superstar teammate.
Didier Deschamps decided after the first game that Olise’s best position is as a number 10 through the middle, allowing him to dictate play and make decisive passes. His dribbling skills and remarkable vision make him a threat everywhere, but playing centrally in behind France’s ultra-talented front three has made him unstoppable.
He has three assists through two games but has created many more big chances with his extraordinary skill set. His season at Bayern Munich made him a worldwide superstar, but his World Cup performance will make him one of the world’s very best players if he continues to dominate games.
Erling Haaland is laughing in our faces
Erling Haaland’s first World Cup could not have started any better: two games, four goals, and one new signature celebration: he… just… laughs. It’s not a big laugh, he barely cracks a smile, but he is just extremely amused as he finds the net again, and again, and again.
Maybe Haaland thought that the World Cup stage would truly test him, that maybe all the pressure of being the sexy pick for biggest dark horses before the tournament would get to him and his team somehow. But through two games in Boston against Iraq and especially against a big, tough and physical Senegal defense, he’s made it look too easy. And he knows it. You can see it on his face that he knows it.
Norway will be in the knockout rounds but have a chance to top the group if they beat Mbappé and France on Friday in what was already one of the most anticipated games of the entire group stage but is now absolutely must-see, and Haaland will face two of the best center-backs on the planet in the World Cup arena that France tends to dominate.
Maybe he finally stops laughing. Is that a good or a bad thing for France?
Jordan deserved more from their first World Cup
Tournament newcomers Jordan were eliminated from contention in the final game of the day in heartbreaking fashion, as they took the lead against Algeria early only to concede twice in the last 20 minutes and see their World Cup dream end with zero points after the first two games.
The elimination is not a surprise, but Jordan definitely deserved better luck. Their performance in the opener against Austria was outstanding, and they were fully in control at halftime in this one before a couple of great substitutions by the Algerian coaching staff completely changed the game.
Jordan will say goodbye to their World Cup journey against Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina on Saturday, which will certainly be an unforgettable night for a team that made their nation proud.
