FIFA's Technical Study Group (TSG) has delivered its verdict on the group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026: the expanded 48-team tournament has delivered fierce competition, a record-breaking goals tally, and compelling proof that the gap between football's powerhouses and its emerging nations is closing fast.

No easy games at an expanded World Cup

TSG Lead Pascal Zuberbühler set the tone at a post-group-stage media briefing, describing his delight at the level of competition on display. "I love this tournament. It's fantastic to see teams performing," he said. "It shows that the smaller nations against the bigger names — they are competitive. We didn't have massive, big results where teams lost 7-0 two or three times in a row."

Zuberbühler acknowledged that Germany's 7-1 victory over Curaçao was the tournament's heaviest scoreline, but pointed out that the match was level at 1-1 for a considerable period. "For me, that's already a big win at the World Cup. It shows that global football is growing massively," he said.

Former Argentina international Pablo Zabaleta echoed those sentiments, noting that several pre-tournament favourites had been made to work hard for their results. "You can see how those favourite teams have been struggling a little bit in the group stages, and it tells you that, these days, you don't have easy games," he said.

African nations shine on the biggest stage

Former Ghana coach Otto Addo highlighted one of the tournament's most striking statistics: nine of the 10 African nations entered had progressed to the knockout rounds. "I'm very, very happy that the African teams used this possibility to show what they can do," he said. "Cabo Verde have proven that they belong here — it's really, really nice to see."

Addo also reserved special praise for Curaçao, who secured the Caribbean nation's first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup with a draw against Ecuador.

Goals up, time-wasting down

TSG data analyst Tom Gardner revealed that the tournament is producing goals at the highest rate in recent World Cup history, with the figure sitting just under three goals per game — an improvement on both the 2018 and 2022 editions.

Gardner also presented one of the tournament's most compelling tactical findings: winning teams are recovering the ball an average of four seconds faster than losing teams. "We are seeing a strong link between teams who are counter-pressing and regaining quickly, and success," he said, adding that the TSG would monitor whether that trend continued into the knockout stage.

The panel were united in welcoming the impact of new rules designed to reduce time-wasting. Zabaleta praised the way the regulations had changed player behaviour, with goalkeepers in particular choosing to restart play quickly rather than risk conceding a corner. Former Denmark striker Jon Dahl Tomasson was equally emphatic: "I hate it when teams are running down the clock. We need to take care of our product, football — there needs to be excitement."

Hydration breaks and holding midfielders get their moment

The panel also noted that mid-half hydration breaks had given teams the chance to adjust tactics and keep players fresher in the closing stages. Zabaleta described the breaks as providing "a little bit of rest" before the final 25 minutes of each half.

Former Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva welcomed the introduction of the FIFA Power Rankings powered by Aramco, a new data tool for FIFA World Cup 2026, for bringing greater recognition to holding midfielders and other players whose contributions rarely make the headlines. "It's great that people are paying attention to the importance of the holding midfielders, their hard work for the team, their pressing," he said. "I'm so happy to see that."