Best of World Cup Match Day 1: Favorite Moment, Best Goal, More Superlatives

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already seen plenty of absolute bangers, incredible moments and surprises … and we’ve only completed Match Day 1. Mexico opened up the tournament with a strong showing against South Africa, the U.S. men’s national team arguably had its best win ever at a World Cup and Lionel Messi tied the record for the most career World Cup goals with his hat trick on Tuesday. We’ve also seen 74 goals scored so far in the tournament, as 23 of the first 24 matches had at least one goal scored. But which goals and moments were the best of the best? Which teams should we be keeping an eye on for the rest of the World Cup? Former U.S. men’s national team manager Bob Bradley, former Canadian women’s national team player Kaylyn Kyle and U.S. men’s national team veteran Walker Zimmerman answered those questions as they dished Match Day 1 superlatives on “World Cup Now.” Favorite Moment Bradley: The USA’s first-half performance vs. Paraguay “I just loved the way we came out. I thought our football in the first half was fantastic. The tempo [on Folarin Balogun’s first goal was great]. Balogun has shown he can get goals and is sharp in the box and confident. But Christian [Pulisic’s] dribbling, Weston [McKennie’s] mobility, Balogun’s good positions in the box, Tillman moving around the field — there were so many parts to the first half and Paraguay just couldn’t get near us.” Kyle: Lionel Messi scores first career World Cup hat trick “I gotta go with the G.O.A.T, the great of all-time, Lionel Messi and his hat trick [on Tuesday]. Not only is he aging like a fine wine, but the ability to score goals like he did in different ways. I mean, his absolute goalazo outside the 18-yard box, then he finds himself driving inside the box — OK, it was sloppy from the goalie. But he was there at the right time, stepping up when his team needed him the most. Then, [his third goal] was just classic Messi.” Zimmerman: Curaçao’s Livano Comenencia scores vs. Germany “There’s a lot of storylines. I think you can go a lot of different directions with this. But I’m going to focus on some of the debutants and to me, the Curaçao goal was special. I know they ended up losing 7-1, but to get an equalizer against a top team like Germany and make it 1-1, I mean what a reaction of the Curaçao fans that are in attendance. This was special. This is what the World Cup’s all about. We’ve said it so many times. It’s full of amazing moments. The picture [of the Curaçao celebration] is what I have ingrained in my head. It was just a great moment.” Best Goal Bradley: Sweden’s Yasin Ayari’s first goal vs. Tunisia “He scored two great goals. He’s really important [for Sweden] in the midfield — interesting, he’s got a Tunisian father. Of course, this game is emotional. But I think he’s been a really important part of this Sweden team and I expect more.” Kyle: Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez’s goal vs. South Africa “It shows what footballers go through. It was his first goal in a World Cup for Mexico. This player has gone through so much mentally, physically and emotionally. We saw the scary injury he had with the fractured skull. He wears that headband that protects him on the side. But then, he starts crying here because he lost his father back in March. He does this on the opening match of a World Cup. I’ve played in a World Cup, home and away, and I’ve started in both of those games, but never scored in a World Cup. It’s emotional, opening up the tournament in front of your family and friends, but I cannot imagine doing it without your father in the stands.” Zimmerman: Austria’s Romano Schmid’s goal vs. Jordan “You look at Austria, you look at the way they won their game against Jordan, I think this was the best strike of the tournament. There’s been a few really good ones. But this is just a knuckle to the upper right corner, and that’s just a phenomenal strike and a great first goal of the game. It set the tone for Austria to get their 3-1 win over Jordan.” Team We’re Most Worried About Bradley: Brazil “Believe it or not, I’m a little worried for Brazil at the moment. I just don’t think the tempo was what we wanted from Brazil, and to be fair, I thought Morocco was really good. Morocco has a young midfielder, Ayyoub Bouaddi. He was sharp in the midfield and they’re very quick and Brazil in the midfield to me seemed slow and behind the play. I’m hoping that they can show more in the next match, but that was something of concern.” Kyle: Portugal “I feel like I might get crucified for this and I feel like I might be jumping the gun: I’m nervous for Portugal and I know, but hear me out. The only reason I’m nervous for Portugal is that they have one of the greatest players of our generation. You can throw [Lionel] Messi in there, you throw Cristiano Ronaldo in there. I think they’re both generational players and I think they’re both very different. “But when I looked at Portugal [on Wednesday], I felt frustration within the team and I felt frustration from Cristiano Ronaldo. Tuesday, we had [Kylian] Mbappé with a brace, Messi with a hat trick and [Erling] Haaland with a brace. Then [on Wednesday], you have Harry Kane with a brace, so maybe frustration is settling into him. I’m nervous to see what [Roberto] Martinez does with the lineup moving forward. Do you start him or do you bring him off the bench? What is best for the team? That’s my biggest concern.” Zimmerman: Türkiye and Ecuador “I’m pretty torn, so I’m going to list both of them. For me, it’s Türkiye and Ecuador. I think you look at both of these teams and they didn’t get a result and they got zero points out of the first game. What’s interesting is they’re now having to still face the toughest remaining opponents in their group. “Türkiye has to face the USA on match day three, but then also Ecuador, who has to face Germany and so you look at is three points going to be enough for them if they don’t? If they aren’t able to beat one of the stronger teams in their group. Those are two teams that I have my eye on, in terms of being able to get out of their group.” Surprise Team Kyle: Cape Verde “Vozinha was fantastic. Player of the match for so many reasons, but he came up huge for his country. Whether it’s saves off the line, tipping it over the bar, this was a guy we weren’t talking about. We always talk about in the world’s biggest tournament, young stars that will show up and show out, but rarely do we see someone that’s maybe an unknown in world football like Vozinha. “He gained over 12 million followers [on Instagram]. Any chance you want to send some of those my way? I will not complain, but these are what I love to see. He’s trying to get his mom to come to his second match, which is incredible to see. We saw her watching the game online, crying at all the saves, so phenomenal stuff.” Zimmerman: Sweden “For me, I think it’s Sweden. I think their performance to get five goals, I know they’re playing against Tunisia, who didn’t have the best start and are in a bit of a tumultuous situation, but here’s [Alexander] Isak. We talked about him before. His ability to control that 6-foot-4 frame and have the body control, the technical ability and you see him out there in transition with a great goal. “But for Sweden to put five away for me was a bit of a surprise, known as more of a defensive team who played with the back five, score a lot of set pieces, putting up five goals with a couple really nice goals from [Yasin] Ayari that we’ll see later on in the show. It was a surprise performance for me.” Golden Boot Prediction Bradley: France’s Kylian Mbappé “I’m sticking with him [Mbappé]. I just see something about him when he plays for France and he takes the role of being captain in a real way and there’s a commitment to what that team’s all about and of course when he’s got the right mentality he can do incredible things. We’ve seen it in the last two World Cups and I think that’s what’s going to happen again this World Cup.” Zimmerman: France’s Kylian Mbappé “I’m glad he got on the scoresheet early and then he snuck an extra one for me in stoppage time, but I think this France team is so good. I expect them to go far in this tournament and he’s a big reason why.” Kyle: England’s Harry Kane “This is because I don’t want to be divorced. I married an Englishman and I’m going to stick with it…Harry Kane. We saw his world class today. He was absolutely fantastic for England. The first goal, stepping up from the PK [penalty kick], the first one, the goalkeeper came off the line and he tried to retake it, he stepped up, calm, cool,  collected. But for me, he is the most informed striker in the world and I think England will go far in the tournament and that’s why I’m sticking with him. I just think he’s a fantastic player and he can hurt you in multiple different ways.”