The 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is intensifying as the second round of group matches provides a clearer picture of the knockout stage contenders. With 48 nations vying for the ultimate trophy, the pressure is mounting on the world’s elite teams.
Among the participants, 16 European squads are representing the continent. Spain recently delivered a masterclass, defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 to bounce back from an earlier stumble against Cape Verde. Meanwhile, France, the two-time champions from 1998 and 2018, is set to face Iraq this Monday at 11:00 PM (French time) in Philadelphia for their second group encounter.
I am tracking the progress of these European selections daily to provide a comprehensive look at their performances and the major talking points from the tournament. Here is the essential breakdown of the eleventh day of competition, which took place on Sunday, June 21.
Key statistic 📊
27.2
This is the average age of the players across the sixteen European teams competing in this World Cup. Bosnia-Herzegovina currently fields the youngest squad with an average age of 26. In contrast, Scotland has the most experienced roster, averaging 28.7 years, showing a relatively narrow age gap across the European contingent.
Post-match reaction 🎙️
“I don’t have much to criticize my players for, other than our lack of efficiency. It is part of a slow start to a World Cup, a ‘diesel’ beginning. At least we know exactly what we need to achieve against New Zealand,” stated Rudi Garcia, the head coach of Belgium.
The Red Devils are currently struggling after a 0-0 draw against Iran, which followed another stalemate against Egypt. Following Egypt’s victory later in the night, the top spot in the group is no longer in Belgium’s control. To advance comfortably, they must now secure a high-scoring win against New Zealand and hope for an Egyptian slip-up against Iran.
Overnight match results
- Spain 4 – 0 Saudi Arabia
- Belgium 0 – 0 Iran
- Uruguay 2 – 2 Cape Verde
- New Zealand 1 – 3 Egypt
Focus on the Ballon d’Or curse 🔎
For the past seven editions of the tournament, no reigning Ballon d’Or winner has managed to lift the World Cup trophy the following year. Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient and star forward for Paris Saint-Germain, has the chance to shatter this historical trend. The French international will lead the Bleus against Iraq on June 22 in Philadelphia for their pivotal second group match.
Several European legends have previously failed to break this jinx. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo could not secure the title in 2014 or 2018 while holding the individual trophy. England’s Michael Owen faced a similar fate in 2002. More recently, Karim Benzema, the 2022 winner, was forced to withdraw from the Qatar tournament due to an injury sustained just days before the opening match.
European news update 📰
Spain looks transformed when Lamine Yamal is on the pitch. Despite recovering from a thigh injury and not yet being fit for a full 90 minutes, the Barcelona prodigy earned his first World Cup start against Saudi Arabia. The 18-year-old star, who will turn 19 during the final stages of this tournament on July 13, opened the scoring in the 10th minute before being substituted at halftime to manage his workload.
Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente sent a clear message to future opponents after the final whistle: “He is back.”
