The biggest surprise of the 2026 World Cup so far is undoubtedly the rise of underdog teams. These could be teams once considered "weaklings," teams that were initially thought to be mere "filler" before the tournament began, but who have achieved almost unbelievable results. They could also be breakthroughs demonstrating the significant growth and strength of teams that cannot be underestimated.
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| Up to this point, no Asian team has been defeated. |
There was the historic 0-0 draw between the small team of Cape Verde and the giant Spain; or the near-shock performance of "tiny" Haiti against Scotland. There was also the convincing 4-1 victory of the US team against Paraguay, affirming their undeniable strength; or the impressive performance of the Moroccan team in holding title contender Brazil to a draw despite dominating the game at times. In addition, the Egyptian team also showed their strength was in no way inferior to Belgium with their array of top stars...
Another pleasant surprise is the rise of Asian representatives, as the continent's teams remain undefeated so far. These could be teams considered underdogs, or strong teams facing the giants of world football. Regardless of the circumstances, they all share one common result: remaining undefeated.
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| Cape Verde pulled off a major surprise by holding the Spanish giants to a 0-0 draw. |
The series of impressive performances by Asian representatives began with South Korea's dramatic comeback against the Czech Republic and Qatar's courageous draw against Switzerland. These results demonstrated that the gap between Asian football and the world's leading football nations in Europe and America is narrowing. Subsequent events further confirmed this assessment.
This was followed by Australia's surprising 2-0 victory over Turkey; a dramatic 2-2 draw between Japan and the Netherlands; Saudi Arabia's courageous 1-1 draw against the highly-rated Uruguay; and most recently, Iran's 2-2 draw against New Zealand.
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| Brazil, a strong contender for the title, was unable to secure a victory against Morocco. |
All the surprises and drama mentioned above show that the world of football is becoming increasingly "flat," with the gap in skill levels between continents constantly narrowing. In fact, many teams that were once considered "underdogs" have now risen to the same level, being rated on par with top names in the world such as South Korea or Japan...
It is very likely that as the tournament progresses into the knockout rounds, surprises will become less frequent and the order of world football will be re-established. However, with the clear progress being made so far, fans have every right to expect even more dramatic developments in the remainder of the tournament. If that happens, the 2026 World Cup will be even more exciting, captivating, and worthy of its status as the biggest football festival on the planet.
CAO DUY
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/the-thao/the-thao-quoc-te/202606/world-cup-2026-mo-man-day-nhung-bat-ngo-e81746e/
