Hydration Breaks and Upsets: World Cup Opening Week Talking Points

The first set of matches at the 2026 World Cup is complete. All 48 teams have now been in action across three countries over a jam-packed seven days, with 75 goals scored and a smattering of upsets, individual brilliance, and controversy. As the biggest World Cup in history gathers pace, BBC Sport takes a look at five talking points from the opening week of the tournament.

Europe and South America Face Stiff Competition

Before a ball had been kicked, there were concerns that the expanded tournament—featuring a record 104 matches—would produce a number of boring, one-sided contests. But it has taken less than a week for those fears to be allayed. The traditional powerhouses of Europe and South America—the continents that hold 15 of the top 20 slots in the current FIFA rankings—have not had things entirely their own way.

Brazil, Uruguay, and Switzerland were all held to draws by so-called 'lesser' nations, while Spain were frustrated by debutants Cape Verde in one of the World Cup's biggest surprises of all time. The fact that the third-smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup was able to hold their own against the reigning European champions helped dispel the myth that this tournament would be riddled with mismatches.

Other underdogs have had their moments: fellow debutants Curacao scored against Germany despite being drubbed, Jordan pushed Austria for long periods, and DR Congo held Portugal. Asian Football Confederation countries have been particularly impressive, with Australia and South Korea winning, Japan holding the Netherlands, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia picking up creditable draws.

The caveat here is that it is very early days. We are only a third of the way through the group stage, and the bigger teams can perhaps afford an off-day when 32 of the 48 sides will go through to the next phase. United States women's manager Emma Hayes told ITV: "There has been a lot of talk about the expansion, but you can see it is bringing out the best in teams."

Hosts United States Have Potential to Excite a Nation

There's nothing better for the momentum of a World Cup than a successful host country. This summer, we might get three successes. Canada picked up their first-ever point, after Mexico opened the tournament in style with victory over South Africa—accompanied by two colourful opening ceremonies—but it was the USA who really took the plaudits.

Their impressive 4-1 demolition of Paraguay silenced a few doubters, and home reaction suggested the States is ready to become invested if their team do the business. The US have demonstrated they have potential to progress in the tournament, with Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic showing they are ready to become national heroes. With the NBA championship now done and dusted, is the USA about to fall in love with soccer? More performances like their thrashing of Paraguay will help.

Hydration Breaks Disrupting Flow of Matches

A lot of the noise before the tournament was about the prospect of extreme weather causing delays, but with that yet to happen, the annoyance has come from elsewhere. Hydration breaks have quickly become one of the World Cup's frustrations. Over the past seven days, supporters have had to get used to referees halting play in the middle of each half to allow players to rehydrate.

The mandatory three-minute breaks—introduced to help players cope with stifling heat—have quickly been exploited by managers. This has led to the stoppages becoming an annoyance not only for supporters, but also for some managers and players. United States manager Mauricio Pochettino said he did not like the breaks during his side's 4-1 win against Paraguay, adding they were "unnecessary" when conditions were tolerable.