Eight draws from the opening 16 matches — the 2026 World Cup has set a record for stalemates at this stage of the tournament, and questions are growing about whether the expanded format has drained the competition of its edge.
A record-breaking opening week
Monday's four fixtures all ended level: Spain were held 0-0 by Cape Verde, Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay shared a 1-1 result, and Iran produced an entertaining 2-2 draw with New Zealand. It was the first time since 15 June 1958 that four World Cup matches on a single day all finished without a winner.
The eight draws across the tournament's first 16 games surpass any previous World Cup record at the same stage. The previous high was seven, a mark set in 1974, 1982, and 1986.
Does the 48-team format reduce jeopardy?
The tournament's expanded structure may be contributing to the glut of draws. With only 16 of 48 teams eliminated at the group stage, the consequences of an opening draw are far less severe than in previous editions. A team can realistically qualify for the last 32 with just three points — meaning three draws could be enough to advance.
According to Football Meets Data, three points and a goal difference of -1 gives a team an 87.5% chance of qualifying. That figure falls to 69.4% at -2, and 47.3% at -3.
Europe feeling the heat
When Belgium drew with Egypt, they became the seventh of 10 European sides to fail to win their opening match. Germany, Scotland, and Sweden are the only three European nations to begin with victories — beating Curacao, Haiti, and Tunisia respectively. England, Croatia, France, Norway, Austria, and Portugal had yet to play their opening fixtures.
European nations were ranked above their opponents in eight of those 10 matches, so the failure to convert has raised eyebrows. High temperatures across the three host countries in North America may have played a part.
Belgium manager Rudi Garcia declined to blame the conditions in Seattle — where temperatures climbed above 30C for a lunchtime kick-off — but did acknowledge the state of the pitch.
