We are two-thirds of the way through the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and, while plenty of the world’s big-hitters have shown why they are backed to go far, there have been a fair few unexpected results that have caught the eye.
The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams paved the way for some unexpected inclusions in the World Cup, and two of the four debutants have pulled off shock results so far.
While some of the huge upsets detailed below are not outright wins for the underdogs, simply the avoidance of defeat against such well-fancied nations were rightly celebrated as victories, and it gives some unlikely teams a shot at qualifying for the knockout stages.
1. Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Euro 2024 winners Spain went into their opening group clash with Cape Verde as overwhelming favourites to take three points, with many expecting a walkover for La Roja.
But the World Cup debutants, whose entire population is similar to that of Spain’s 15th largest metropolitan area, Vigo, put in one of the most spirited performances in recent memory.
Despite ceding 74% possession and having to face a massive 27 shots on their goal, the Blue Sharks produced a defensive display for the ages to hold Luis de la Fuente’s side to a goalless draw in Atlanta.
They showed tremendous grit and determination, as well as an incredible level of organisation, to keep Spain at bay, sensationally picking up their first-ever World Cup point on their debut.
2. Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde
Incredibly, Pedro Leitao Brito’s side were at it again a few days later against Uruguay.
Not many believed that lightning would strike twice in Group H but those notions were put to bed halfway through the first half, as a hopefully struck free-kick from Kevin Lenini granted Cape Verde an unlikely lead over La Celeste.
Once again, the Blue Sharks were made to weather a barrage of attacks from Marcelo Bielsa’s side and a quickfire double from Maxi Araujo and Agustin Canobbio at the end of the first half looked to have sealed the victory for Uruguay.
However, Cape Verde did not collapse, like many expected, and instead had the better of the attacking play in the second half.
They had 10 shots after the break, converting one of those through Helio Varela and holding on for a point, leaving them in a surprisingly promising position to potentially qualify for the knockout stages.
3. Ecuador 0-0 Curacao
The only nation in the 2026 World Cup smaller than Cape Verde are Curacao, and the fellow debutants lived up to their expectations as they lost their first match in the tournament 7-1 against Germany.
However, a record-breaking performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room was one of the talking points of round two of the group stage, as the 37-year-old Miami FC stopper made an incredible 15 saves to hold favourites Ecuador to a goalless draw.
La Tri may have dominated the ball and had the vast majority of attacking play, but Curacao had 10 attempts of their own and were far from toothless, so they might fancy their chances in their final group game against Ivory Coast.
4. Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Qatar may not be debutants, but this is the first World Cup they have qualified for after hosting the 2022 edition and their opening round saw them pick up their first-ever point in the competition against Switzerland.
Like many other shock results at this World Cup, Qatar opted to soak up the Swiss pressure for large portions of the match, but they showed incredible fighting spirit to come back from an early Breel Embolo penalty.
All that effort looked like it would amount to nothing, though, until a late attack saw central defender Boualem Khouki challenge for a header, forcing substitute Miro Muheim into an own goal with just moments remaining.
5. Australia 2-0 Turkey
While far from the biggest shock of the tournament, the manner of Turkey’s 2-0 defeat to Australia is worth noting.
The European side were expected to get off to a good start in their World Cup opener and had a huge 30 shots on the Australian goal, but their lack of cutting edge was their downfall and the Socceroos took full advantage.
Australia converted two of their four shots on target, and the story was repeated as Turkey met Paraguay in the second round of fixtures.
The Crescent-Stars had another 32 shots in that 1-0 defeat, which saw them eliminated from the competition with zero goals from a total of 62 shots in the World Cup.
Discover more from bet365
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
