With seven goals apiece, Norway's Erling Haaland, pictured, and France's Kylian Mbappé are hot on the tail of Argentine legend Lionel Messi (eight goals) in the Golden Boot race.JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
Ninety-six down, eight to go.
While the number of matches at the 2026 World Cup is beginning to wind down, in reality, the truly important action is just commencing.
The sharp end of the tournament will feature six of the top 10 countries in the FIFA world rankings, with only No. 19 Switzerland and No. 31 Norway – one place lower than Canada, it should be said – as the outliers.
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But in getting to this stage, at the biggest World Cup in history, we’ve already seen some of the most memorable matches and epic performances in recent memory. Here’s a look at some of the standout themes through the first four weeks.
Shooting stars
In the 96-year history of the World Cup, only 12 players have ever scored more than six goals in a single tournament. This time around, Lionel Messi (eight goals), Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland (seven each) have already eclipsed that mark, with Harry Kane and his six goals looking odds on to join them, maybe as soon as Saturday when England take on Haaland’s Norway.
This year’s Golden Boot race has become a titanic tussle in its own right, and given the extra match that this expanded tournament affords, there is every chance that someone can hit double figures for just the fourth time at a World Cup.
For a long time, it looked like Just Fontaine’s record 13-goal haul from the 1958 event would never be equaled but, given the way this quartet of strikers seems to be pushing each other to greatness, never say never.
Messi magic
Will the wizardry ever end? While Cristiano Ronaldo’s quest for his – and Portugal’s – elusive world crown ended with a 1-0 defeat to Spain on Monday, Messi looks a serious threat to lead a team to a successful World Cup defence for just the third time in history, having outscored 30 of the 48 teams all on his own.
At 39 years old, Messi continues to dominate and his team continues to win on the game's biggest stage.Mike Stewart/The Associated Press
For the ninth consecutive World Cup match, Messi found the back of the net for his record-extending 21st tournament goal in his 31st appearance during Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Egypt. As a result, Argentina – for the first time since the 1990 World Cup semi-final – managed to overcome a halftime deficit to advance.
The defending champions now ride an 11-game unbeaten run at the World Cup.
Crash of the titans
With Norway reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in its history, and Switzerland advancing to the last eight for the first time since it hosted the tournament in 1954, others by necessity had to make way.
Before the tournament, few would have expected one of those to be five-time champion Brazil, which failed to make it out of the round of 16 for the first time in 36 years. This despite hiring Carlo Ancelotti last year to help end a 24-year championship drought.
Meanwhile, three-time finalist the Netherlands, which had never failed to make the round of 16 in each of its 11 appearances at the World Cup, didn’t even make it that far this time. And spare a thought for four-time champion Germany, which still hasn’t won a knockout match since its last World Cup title 12 years ago in Brazil.
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European hegemony
The expanded 48-team World Cup has produced some fascinating storylines. Who will ever forget Cape Verde, the Atlantic island of just 500,000 people, holding former champions Spain and Uruguay to draws, and taking defending World Cup holders Argentina to extra time?
But down to the last eight, European dominance has once again held firm, with six of the remaining teams hailing from the old continent. Africa put 10 teams in this year’s tournament, with nine moving into the knockouts. But eight of those fell at the first hurdle, leaving just one – 2022 semi-finalist Morocco – to fly that continent’s flag from the round of 16 onward.
And things are just as bleak in the CONCACAF region, with none of the six representatives making it beyond the last 16. In fact, you have to go back to 2014 and Costa Rica for the last time a team from this region made it to the quarter-finals.
But this trend is hardly new. Since the 2002 World Cup, Europe has earned 30 of the 48 quarter-final spots, with South America claiming 14, Africa three and North America one.
Premier League dominance
Arsenal's English winger Bukayo Saka, front, is one of 147 Premier League players taking part in the World Cup.IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images
The World Cup has meant the English Premier League taking something of a back seat in the soccer universe for once when it comes to headlines and hype. But scratch below the surface and the EPL’s fingerprints are all over this tournament as well.
Premier League players have started 407 games at this World Cup – more than double the 194 from the second-place Bundesliga – and they’ve more than made their presence felt. Between the 147 EPL players to take the pitch, they’ve accounted for 117 goal contributions, which is almost double the 59 produced by Spain’s La Liga, which sits in second ahead of the Bundesliga’s 50.
Closer to home, Major League Soccer has accounted for 17 goal contributions. Messi’s eight goals and one assist represent more than 50 per cent of that total.