Main Discoveries of the Group Stage of the 2026 World Championship

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup turned out to be exciting and memorable! It not only gifted us with standout matches and performances from stars like Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland, but also new heroes. In this article, we will talk about those who have already become the real revelations of the main tournament of the quadrennial.

Deniz Undav (Germany national team)

Undav arrived at the World Cup as a nominal super-sub for the German team. And already in the group stage, the Stuttgart forward justified his status. He spent only 86 minutes on the field in three matches, but that was enough to become the top scorer of the German team. Most importantly, his goals were not just "for the stats", but those that turned the tide of the matches.

In the game against Curaçao, Undav not only scored but also provided two assists, showing that he can not only finish attacks but also create them subtly. In the match against Côte d'Ivoire, he came on as a substitute with a score of 0:1 and scored a brace. For those who do not follow the Bundesliga, the game of the 29-year-old forward is a real revelation. Especially against the backdrop of the crisis of traditional "number nines" in modern football.

Brian Brobbey (Netherlands national team)

Brobbey's story is an example of how to seize your chance. Having started the group stage on the bench, the Dutch forward took the first opportunity to show himself in the starting lineup and made a loud statement. In the second round against the Swedish team, Brobbey scored a brace, demonstrating a mature and thoughtful game against a strong and organized opponent.

His scoring streak continued in the match against Tunisia, where he again scored a goal, confirming that his effectiveness is a regularity, not a coincidence. At the end of the group stage, Brobbey has three goals to his name. It is important to note that he not only demonstrated excellent play himself, but also seamlessly fit into the team mechanism of the Dutch national team, acting for the benefit of the entire team. And in the playoffs, it is Brian who enters as the main forward of the "Oranje".

Vozinha (Cabo Verde national team)

The story of Vozinha, a 40-year-old goalkeeper, was perhaps the most touching and inspiring in this group stage. In the match against the Spanish team, he demonstrated an incredible game, repelling all seven shots on his goal and bringing Cabo Verde a sensational draw (0:0).

Vozinha also set a new record, becoming the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a World Cup opening match. After the game, his popularity skyrocketed: the number of followers on social media grew from 50,000 to almost 17 million. This feat helped his team reach the World Cup playoffs for the first time in history, and Vozinha himself made it into thetwo "clean sheets".

Johan Manzambi (Switzerland national team)

Manzambi from Fribourg, representing the Swiss national team, has been a real surprise for many in this group stage. In 128 minutes on the field, he managed to do enough to fill a full tournament: three goals, one assist - and in the end, he participated in almost half of all the Swiss team's goals.

Johan looked solid and substantial, despite his 20 years of age. The numbers here only confirm what the eyes saw: three interceptions, four tackles and six accurate crosses on average per match - and all this with almost no mistakes. And it is quite likely that Manzambi will start the playoffs as a key player for the Swiss team.

Ayoub Bouaddi (Morocco national team)

Bouaddi showed the world his incredible game intelligence, exquisite dribbling and constant movement across the field at this World Cup. Statistical data here only confirms what was noticeable every time he played: on average, four successful dribbles per match with an impressive 65% efficiency - a very solid indicator for a tournament of this scale. But most importantly, he never fell out of the team play.

It's no surprise that interest in the Lille player has sharply increased. Rumor has it that Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United are already eyeing him. It is quite possible that next season we will see Bouaddi in one of the European giants - and it will not be surprising if he quickly becomes a key player there.

Daniel Munoz (Colombia national team)

Munoz amazed experts and fans with his fantastic work ethic and incredible volume of running work on the right flank of the Colombian national team. He managed to be everywhere: he backed up central defenders in his penalty area, and just a few seconds later he was driving an attack on the opponent's half of the field. His constant runs kept the opponents' defense under pressure, and his reliable actions from behind did not allow the opponents to unfold their counterattacks.

During the group stage of the World Cup, he accumulated two interceptions, three tackles, five accurate passes and two goals. But more important than the dry numbers was his influence on the team dynamics, as Daniel's presence on the field gave Colombia the necessary density at the back and additional power upfront.

Ismael Saibari (Morocco national team)

Saibari was the conductor on the group stage without whom the "orchestra" of Morocco would have sounded quite different. He did not try to hog the limelight - instead, he simply calmly and confidently controlled the game. His coolness and football intuition set the rhythm for the entire attack: it seemed he knew in advance where his partner would be and delivered the pass exactly when it was needed. The numbers here speak for themselves: 90% pass accuracy, moretwo key passes per game, three created scoring opportunities, and  three goals (in each group match).

It's no surprise that after such a bright start to the tournament, there's been a lot of buzz around Ismael. Rumors are circulating that he's moving to Bayern - and if that's true, then Munich is definitely in luck.