1. The host nations were ready to go
Mexico got the tournament underway with a very solid first half that should have resulted in more than one goal. They got another in the second half and were the only team in the first two days to keep a clean sheet. It was convincing even if it wasn't as entertaining as Mexican fans may have wanted it to be. The U.S. did not have that issue, putting three goals past Paraguay in the first half before Gio Reyna finished off the emphatic victory in style.
While Canada had to settle for a point, coming back from a goal down without two crucial players is good for morale. The substitutes – especially Ali Ahmed and Cyle Larin – were fantastic. All three teams gave their fans something to feel good about. Nobody dug themselves a hole. They are all in position to reach the knockout stage. Getting such good showings from all three was far from a guarantee considering how up and down they've been over the last four years.
2. No one can afford to underestimate anyone
Cabo Verde, Curacao, Iraq and Jordan are arguably the four worst teams at this tournament on paper. One kept a clean sheet against the tournament favorite and the other three scored goals. Saudi Arabia got points against a South American power for a second World Cup in a row. Haiti made life difficult for Scotland. Australia handled Türkiye. Ivory Coast beat Ecuador. DR Congo held Portugal to one shot on goal and secured a point.
While there have been some noncompetitive games, pretty much everyone has given a respectable showing. The issue with the expansion to 48 teams is not the additional countries diluting the quality of the tournament. That's been proven by the results so far. The problem is with two-thirds of the field advancing to the knockout stage. For the top countries, the group stage no longer holds much significance. Ecuador and Türkiye will likely be just fine after unexpectedly losing their opener. That might not have been the case in previous World Cups.
3. Brazil have a midfield problem
It looked even worse than the numbers indicate, but the they still aren’t pretty. Brazil’s starting midfield trio of Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá completed 95 combined passes. Casemiro and his replacement, Fabinho, completed 35. Morocco’s 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi completed a team-high 66 and ran the show in the middle of the field. Only Brazil’s center backs recorded more.
The opening 20 minutes were especially bad with sloppy giveaway after sloppy giveaway. Casemiro is coming off an outstanding season where he looked like his younger self. If Carlo Ancelotti isn’t getting that version, he is going to have to think long and hard about how he constructs his midfield moving forward. This team is not getting past the quarterfinals unless it finds a solution.
4. Group B has some frustrated teams
Even without Moïse Bombito and Alphonso Davies, Canada will feel like they should have had three points with all the chances they created. Bosnia and Herzegovina will feel like their heroic defending deserved a victory too. Then there's Switzerland, who outshot Qatar 26-6 and led from the 17th minute until the 95th. While the result was not catastrophic for any of them, they all know they missed an opportunity to take control of the group.
Qatar comes away as one of the biggest winners of Matchday 1. They are tied for first place in the group with the easiest remaining schedule on paper. The draw may not have done all that much in a tangible sense, but it created a much more realistic pathway to the knockout stage or even topping the group. No other group is this well-balanced in terms of talent level and standings, making it one of the most interesting ones to follow heading into Matchday 2.
5. Sweden needed that in the worst way
Sweden did not win a game in World Cup qualifying, losing twice to Switzerland by a combined score of 6-1. They didn't score a goal in 180 minutes against Kosovo either. Their tune-up games were a 3-1 loss to Norway and a 2-2 draw with Greece. Out of nowhere, they erupted for five goals against Tunisia and effectively secured a spot in the round of 32. Some incredibly poor defending from a team that promptly fired its manager certainly helped, but five goals are five goals.
There's never been any question about Sweden's potential. Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak are one of the most formidable attacking duos on the planet. They are absolutely one of the best 48 teams, but they are incredibly fortunate for UEFA’s complicated, multi-pathway qualifying structure. Tougher tests await in the form of Japan and the Netherlands, so we are going to learn just how much of a threat Graham Potter's men are.