Coach Hoang Van Phuc: 'The World Cup feels like it's just beginning'

The opening matches of the 2026 World Cup group stage revealed stark differences among the favorites. France, England, Germany, and Argentina enjoyed favorable results, whereas giants like Spain, Portugal, and Belgium were each forced to settle for draws against Cape Verde, DR Congo, and Egypt.

Reflecting on the games so far, Coach Hoang Van Phuc shared: "After the first days of competition, the 2026 World Cup group stage is offering fans a true football feast. Not only are there goal fests like England vs. Croatia, but the tournament has also seen a series of notable results, such as Cape Verde holding Spain, Japan earning points against the Netherlands, and Senegal giving France a tough fight before falling.

Not every title contender had an impressive start. Some teams, like France, England, and Argentina, got off to a smooth beginning, while others struggled in their opening matches. Spain and Portugal have yet to show they are fully 'warmed up' in their debut games.

The opening round of the 2026 World Cup delivered contrasting storylines for the world's top superstars. While Kylian Mbappe scored a brace to help France beat Senegal, Erling Haaland shone against Iraq, and Lionel Messi netted a historic hat-trick against Algeria to match Miroslav Klose's record, Cristiano Ronaldo presented a completely different picture. On the pitch, the 41-year-old superstar was not only unable to score but also became a hindrance to Portugal's overall play.

England's 4-2 victory over Croatia at the 2026 World Cup was not just a favorable result but also revealed a shift in philosophy under Thomas Tuchel. In Texas, fans witnessed a 'Three Lions' that completely shed their cautious style in pursuit of attacking, entertaining football.

For many years under Gareth Southgate, the England team was often criticized for their overly safe approach, as if always keeping the 'handbrake' on despite having world-class attacking stars. However, Thomas Tuchel has brought a fresh breeze with a clear message: 'Be brave, play the English way.'

Among the early surprises, Spain caused the most disappointment. While the billion-dollar squad of top contender Spain went completely flat against tiny newcomer Cape Verde, Belgium—once ranked No. 1 in the FIFA rankings—had to sweat to salvage a point against Egypt thanks to an own goal from the opponent. Similarly, Uruguay only managed to equalize against Asian representative Saudi Arabia in the 80th minute.

Coach Hoang Van Phuc observed that while Mbappe and Messi had brilliant starts at the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo became the focus of criticism after the disappointing draw against DR Congo: "Considered a World Cup title contender thanks to exceptional individuals, Portugal's opening match against DR Congo showed they aren't ready at the starting line. To put it another way, there's no sign of them playing without or without relying on Ronaldo. Not only were they chaotic in ball progression and attacking organization, but the 'European Brazil' also struggled to find ways to penetrate the opponent's goal. Portugal entered the match as the clear favorite, and the stats reflected that with 75% possession. However, ball dominance didn't translate into attacking efficiency. The European Selecao moved the ball slowly, lacked creativity, and seemed overly focused on finding Ronaldo in the box. Even though DR Congo returned to the World Cup after 52 years, they were actually the better, more ambitious team and arguably deserved to win this match."

Coach Hoang Van Phuc feels the World Cup has only just begun, and the best is yet to come: "As Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti says, 'No one wins the World Cup after just one match.' The tournament has moved to the second round of the group stage, and fans' expectations are even higher. This is the time when many teams must earn points to keep their hopes alive, while the title contenders need to prove their true strength. That pressure promises to create exciting matches and new surprises."