The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, continues its group stage matches, with the second round of fixtures providing clearer insights into which teams are poised for qualification to the knockout rounds.

Among the 48 competing nations, 16 hail from Europe. Yesterday, Spain delivered a dominant performance, securing a resounding 4-0 victory against Saudi Arabia, a crucial rebound after their earlier draw with Cape Verde. Meanwhile, France, the reigning vice-champions and two-time World Cup winners in 1998 and 2018, are set to face Iraq this Monday at 11 PM French time for their second tournament fixture.

As the World Cup progresses, we track the pulse of European selections through a daily performance and news overview. Here are the significant highlights from Matchday Eleven, which took place on Sunday, June 21, for European squads.

The stat of the day 📊

27.2

This figure represents the average age of players across the sixteen European national teams participating in this World Cup. Bosnia-Herzegovina fields the youngest squad with an average age of 26. Notably, the age differences are minimal, with Scotland having the oldest European team at an average of 28.7 years.

The quote of the day 🎙️

I have little to fault my boys for, other than our lack of efficiency. It’s part of a World Cup start, a slow burn. At least we know what result we need against New Zealand.

Rudi Garcia, Belgium coach

After a goalless draw against Iran (0-0), following an earlier stalemate with Egypt, Belgium is struggling in the initial stages of the World Cup. Despite this, their French coach, Rudi Garcia, remains optimistic.

With Egypt’s victory last night, the top spot in the group is no longer solely in the hands of the Red Devils. The Belgian squad must now secure a significant win against New Zealand and hope for a misstep by Egypt in their match against Iran to advance.

The night’s results

Spain 🇪🇸 4 – 0 Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

Belgium 🇧🇪 0 – 0 Iran 🇮🇷

Uruguay 🇺🇾 2 – 2 Cap-Vert 🇨🇻

New Zealand 🇳🇿 1 – 3 Égypte 🇪🇬

Under the spotlight 🔎

For the past seven editions, no player who won the Ballon d’Or has managed to follow it up with a World Cup title the subsequent year. Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient, a French forward for Paris Saint-Germain and a double European club champion, now has the chance to break this streak at the 2026 World Cup with the French national team. The Bleus are scheduled to challenge Iraq on June 22 at 11 PM (French time) in Philadelphia for their second group stage match.

Several other highly decorated European players, often winners of football’s most coveted individual trophy, have faced this challenge. This list includes Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner who did not secure a World Cup title in 2014 or 2018, and England’s Michael Owen, who was unable to triumph in 2002. Then there is the unique case of France’s Karim Benzema, honored in 2022, who officially withdrew from the World Cup held that same year in Qatar (which took place in December) due to an injury sustained in training just four days before the French team’s opening match against Australia.

European team news 📰

With Lamine Yamal on the field, everything seems to flow more easily. Still recovering from a thigh injury and not yet fit for a full 90 minutes, the Barcelona star, making his first World Cup start against Saudi Arabia (4-0), completely transformed his team’s dynamic. The 18-year-old sensation (he turns 19 during the tournament on July 13) opened the scoring in just the 10th minute before being substituted at halftime as a precautionary measure.

“He’s back,” declared Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente after the match, a clear warning to future opponents.