Unbeaten Start: Can the Host Countries Keep Winning in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The games have begun. The 2026 FIFA World Cup started this Thursday, with Mexico playing its first game against South Africa. The Tricolor emerged victorious from their first encounter, scoring 2-0 over the Bafana Bafana. A day later, the U.S. faced Paraguay, getting away with an impressive 4-1 win in front of a home crowd. The Canadians did not stay behind, tying 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. The host countries have showcased their quality in front of their people, performing exactly how their fans would want them to. There is a certain magic about playing in your home country that can ignite miracles. The question now is whether the host countries can maintain their strong performance in the upcoming games.
Mexico Wins in Mexico City
The Tricolor did not disappoint, as they walked away with the first victory of this World Cup. It must have been a surreal experience to watch your country play at home and score two goals against the visiting team. The Bafana Bafana could not score against Mexico and were left with a bitter sensation after their first game. Now, Mexico is not a rookie nation, especially when it comes to hosting the soccer World Cup, something they have done three times, first in 1970 and then in 1986. The tricolor has never won a World Cup, but they have made it to the Quarterfinals both times they have hosted. It seems that hosting the event serves as a victory spell for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup winners, who will definitely be hoping for the best result ever in this edition. Mexico will be playing against South Korea this Thursday, June 18th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT.
The U.S. Shines in Los Angeles
32 years have passed since the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup, when they reached the Round of 16. The USMNT’s best result took place in the Korea-Japan edition in 2002, in which they became quarter-finalists. The U.S. soccer team has reasons to believe this will be the best World Cup ever, even more so after their victory over Paraguay. On Friday, the USMNT displayed all its might in Los Angeles, winning 4-1 over the Albirroja. This is not just an impressive victory, but also the largest margin of victory for the U.S. in a men’s World Cup since 1930, when they won 3-0 against Belgium. Mauricio Pochettino’s cohort is already making history, and it would not be crazy to assume this will be their best World Cup ever. Watch the U.S. play against Australia on Friday, June 19th at 3:00 p.m. EDT in Seattle, a game that promises to be the hottest in town.
Canada Draws in Toronto
Maybe Canada did not have the golden start as its co-hosts, but they still had a good game. A tight draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina earned the hosts their first-ever World Cup goal. Until now, Canada had never scored a point in competition, a spell that they have just broken. The 1-1 tie was a historic one for Les Rouges, who have never advanced past the group phase in their entire history. The crowd in Toronto had more than enough reasons to be elated after Cyle Larin's 78th-minute goal. Canada has never won a World Cup game before, but they got pretty close to achieving that on Friday. The first-time hosts might be the most inexperienced of the three, but they have been putting in the work. Catch Canada’s game against Qatar on Thursday, June 18th at 6:00 p.m. EDT.
Final Thoughts
Hosting a World Cup is definitely the opportunity of a lifetime. Such an opportunity should be accompanied by the performance of a lifetime. Hopefully, these teams will keep up their good work and surpass their historic results. For the fans, watching their national team play at home and win is nothing but priceless. The co-hosts have an opportunity to be great, and they are taking advantage of it.
