World Cup takeaways: England and Germany look convincing and Lionel Messi is still magical

England defeated Croatia 4-2 in their 2026 World Cup group stage opener on Wednesday, June 17, while Germany recorded the biggest win of the tournament so far. Argentina, the United States, Germany, and England are all looking like strong contenders to advance past the group stage, while Tunisia and Curaçao are already in danger of early elimination. Lionel Messi also had a historic night during the opening round of fixtures.