Messi Magic, Mbappé Magnificence & Haaland Havoc

I must confess, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has so far gone precisely according to plan, with only a few minor hiccups to report. Yes, there has been a justifiable chorus of complaints regarding extortionate ticket prices, restrictive visa processes, and those utterly nonsensical hydration breaks that seem explicitly designed to quench the thirst of corporate sponsors rather than the actual players. However, I am counting my lucky stars as I was able to secure reasonably priced tickets to attend this bucket-list event.

I cherry-picked three matches for my itinerary: two in New Jersey (Brazil vs. Morocco and France vs. Senegal) and one in Toronto (Germany vs. Ivory Coast). As anticipated, they delivered absolute theatre, yielding nine goals in total, with Kylian Mbappé casually bagging two of France’s three.

Walking into a stadium packed with over 82,000 people should induce mild panic, but getting into New York New Jersey Stadium was shockingly smooth. Navigating security with a stadium that was at maximum capacity was relatively painless; the well-trained staff glided us straight to our section faster than bad news spreads through the office. Even the transit from Penn Station in New York was a breeze. Though the train tickets were crazy expensive, navigating the blocked-off roads and arriving at the stadium to find your designated seat was as easy as finding curry at your favourite roti shop.

For all the games, the grounds were packed with various fans. The fan atmosphere has been nothing short of electric, with demographics playing out exactly as you’d expect. The Brazilians, who outnumbered the Moroccans almost two-and-a-half to one, brought their trademark carnival energy. In the French game, I found myself seated directly in front of an incredibly vocal French contingent. Between the endless choruses of “Allez les Bleus,” they were also constantly engaged in belting out the chant, “Those who don’t jump are not French.” The Senegalese fans were vibrant, but simply drowned out by the seemingly endless sea of blue.

In Toronto, I realised I was planted smack in the middle of the German section. They were led by a single fan whose volume and lung capacity rendered megaphones utterly obsolete. Ivory Coast brought the vibes, but they were numerically overpowered. It brought back glorious memories of being in Germany for the 2006 tournament. On the topic of fans, let’s be honest, no one can compare with the Norwegians. Their terrifying Viking Row and rowdy chants take the undisputed gold medal for fan coordination.

What a great time it was to be in New York as well! While I am more of a casual basketball fan supporting the Lakers (my loyalty mostly stems from that legendary time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar visited T&T sponsored by Malta Carib, and I had the privilege of spending time with him), I couldn’t ignore the NBA Finals. But to be in New York City when the Knicks won the Championship after a 53-year drought felt like a hurricane of pure joy hitting Manhattan. Riding the train back from the France game, fans were already manifesting the victory, chanting “Knicks in five!” They got their wish, and what followed looked exactly like what you would imagine J’ouvert morning in Times Square would look like, with thousands descending upon the famous Square in glorious chaos. Thankfully, I slipped out to Toronto the day before two million people flooded the streets for the victory parade.

As for the football? The scriptwriters are doing a stellar job. I am writing this column before the results of yesterday’s games are known, but so far, the tournament has produced. With 141 goals across 48 matches, we are feasting on an average of nearly three goals per game.

Based on my admittedly brilliant predictions, the automatic qualifiers are shaping up nicely. Here is how the groups look to be shaking out:

• ↓Group A: Mexico & South Korea

• ↓Group B: Canada & Switzerland

• ↓Group C: Brazil & Morocco (Assuming Scotland didn’t pull off a miracle against Brazil yesterday!)

• ↓Group D: USA & (Australia or Paraguay)

• ↓Group E: Germany & Ivory Coast

• ↓Group F: Netherlands & (Japan or Sweden)

• ↓Group G: Egypt & Belgium

• ↓Group H: Spain & (Uruguay or Cape Verde. Yes, Cape Verde!)

• ↓Group I: France & Norway

• ↓Group J: Argentina & (Algeria or Austria)

• ↓Group K: Colombia & Portugal

• ↓Group L: England & (Ghana or Croatia)

The other eight qualifiers at this time can be any of 12 teams, with 5 teams already being officially eliminated (as of yesterday), including the disappointing Türkiye, which many had as their Dark Horse.

I must make mention of Eloy Room, the Curaçao custodian who fell just one save short of tying the all-time World Cup record for most saves in a match. I remember him here at the Hasely Crawford Stadium a few months ago, where he was outstanding. What a great achievement by Curaçao. It instantly brought back further memories of 2006, when a ten-man T&T held Sweden to a goalless draw thanks to the heroic rearguard display of Shaka Hislop (who only played because Kelvin Jack got injured).

The race for the Golden Boot has also been magnificently predictable, as all the heavyweights have clocked in for work. It’s the first time since 1954 and only the second time ever that three players have netted four or more goals after just two games. It is going to be a great race for the Golden Boot if their form continues. At the moment, Lionel Messi leads the way with 5 goals from 2 matches, with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland second with 4 goals each. The good thing is, all 3 take penalties for their respective countries, and even though Messi missed one 2 days ago, I expect those numbers to increase.

What do I say about Messi, the now record holder for most goals in a World Cup, that hasn’t already been said? The undisputed all-time World Cup goalscorer is doing it all—creating, arriving late in the box, and shooting from the edge. Mbappé is undeniably the heir apparent. Watching him collect the ball outside the penalty area, terrorise three defenders, and unleash a rocket is a privilege. If he stays fit, Messi’s new record won’t last long. Then there is Erling Haaland, the ultimate poacher. He operates with terrifying speed, gets himself into glorious goalscoring positions, and executes with the deadly force of a skilled marksman.

Watch out for the flies in the ointment: Canada’s Jonathan David (3 goals), Germany’s ever-reliable Deniz Undav (3 goals), and the USA’s Folarin Balogun (2 goals). Harry Kane (2 goals against Croatia) drew a blank against Ghana, but form is temporary; he will come good and is well in the race. And for anyone asking, “Where is Cristiano Ronaldo?” Well, Uzbekistan found out the hard way that the 41-year-old is very much alive. After bagging a brace, he is officially in the race as well.

With 54 out of 104 matches played (50 games left), the beautiful game is only going to get better from here. So, find yourself a screen, stay properly ‘hydrated’ courtesy of FIFA, and brace yourselves for the drama ahead. May your strikers be clinical, your defenders actually defend, and good luck to your team!