Sports World Cup Action FIFA World Cup Shocks & Draws: The action is heating up on the pitch. In recent group stage matches, England clinched a hard-fought victory over Croatia thanks to a decisive goal from Jude Bellingham. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal squad was held to a surprising 1-1 draw by a resilient Democratic Republic of Congo team. The expanding 48-team format of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has completely shaken up the opening round of the group stage. With smaller footballing nations closing the gap on traditional powerhouses, the tournament has thrown up highly unexpected score lines. Here is a deeper look into the major shocks and tactical stalemates that have defined the group stages so far: 1. The Global Giants Held to Draws Several tournament favorites entered their opening matches heavily favored to win, but instead found themselves frustrated by incredibly disciplined, tactical underdogs: Brazil 1–1 Morocco (Group C): In one of the most anticipated opening-week fixtures, Brazil's star-studded frontline struggled to dismantle a fiercely organized Moroccan defense. Morocco struck effectively on a counter-attack, forcing the Seleção to claw back a goal and settle for a solitary point. Spain 0–0 Cabo Verde (Group H): In arguably the biggest tactical surprise of the opening week, World Cup debutants Cabo Verde held the 2010 champions to a goalless stalemate. Spain dominated possession but lacked the clinical edge to break down a heroic defensive low-block in Atlanta. Belgium 1–1 Egypt (Group G): A highly physical clash saw the Pharaohs neutralize Belgium's creative playmakers, turning Group G into an absolute wide-open race. 2. The Early Goal Fests & Thrillers While some heavyweights stumbled, others put on masterclasses in modern attacking football: England 4–2 Croatia (Group L): Thomas Tuchel's England squad came out on top in an instant tournament classic. While Croatia fought back valiantly to draw level twice, second-half brilliance from Jude Bellingham and a clinical finish from Marcus Rashford eventually buried the game, sending England to the top of Group L. Germany 7–1 Curaçao (Group E): Germany delivered the most ruthless performance of the opening round, putting seven goals past a shell-shocked Curaçao side to assert themselves as massive title contenders. 3. The 48-Team Chaos With 12 groups of four teams playing across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the tournament's new structure means that early draws have kept groups tightly packed. For example, in Group B, every single opening-round match ended in a 1-1 tie (Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Qatar vs. Switzerland), leaving all four nations deadlocked with identical points and goal differences as the second round of games gets underway. Beloud