Soccer-Minnows make waves as World Cup aristocrats wobble

The World Cup's expanded 48-team format has provided a platform for emerging football nations to showcase their growth, with several underdogs delivering impressive performances against traditional powerhouses.

The World Cup’s expanded 48-team format was widely criticised as a recipe for mismatches and meaningless group-stage games, but the opening round of fixtures has instead offered a compelling counterargument: the gap between football’s ‌aristocracy and its aspiring challengers appears smaller than ever.

European champions Spain were held to a scoreless draw by World Cup debutants Cape Verde, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal were forced to settle for a point against the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Belgium were frustrated by Egypt and France laboured for more than an hour against Senegal before Kylian Mbappe rescued them. Far from diluting the competition, the ‌tournament’s expansion has given emerging football nations a larger stage on which to demonstrate how much the global game has evolved.

Cape Verde’s draw with Spain was perhaps the clearest ‌illustration. Spain dominated possession with 74% of the ball but struggled to create meaningful chances against a disciplined opponent, while striker Mikel Oyarzabal became the first player on record since 1966 not to register a touch in the opening 30 minutes of a World Cup match. REMARKABLE DISCIPLINE

Portugal’s frustrations were similar. Roberto Martinez’s side completed 740 passes against Congo but managed only one shot on target as the African side, appearing at the World Cup for the ⁠first time in ​52 years, executed their game plan with remarkable ⁠discipline. “We knew it was a game that required patience,” Spain captain Rodri said. “We couldn’t put it in. We created chances, but couldn’t finish. That’s how they play.”

The performances have challenged pre-tournament predictions that the expanded finals would ⁠be full of one-sided contests. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin had warned of “a huge number of matches that are completely uninteresting”, while critics argued FIFA’s decision to increase the field from 32 to 48 teams was driven ​primarily by commercial considerations.

Instead, debutants Haiti pushed Scotland all the way, Qatar claimed their first-ever World Cup point with a late equaliser against Switzerland, Jordan emerged from a ⁠3-1 defeat by Austria feeling the scoreline flattered their opponents, and Uzbekistan showed considerable resilience against Colombia. TRADITIONAL POWERS

Smaller nations are no longer arriving merely to participate. Many now feature players developed in elite academies or hardened in Europe’s leading ⁠leagues, ​while the tactical and technical disparities that once allowed traditional powers to coast through the early rounds have narrowed significantly. "I do believe that the distance that separates the teams — when we look at the African teams, they’re progressing," Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. "We haven’t seen an African team winning the World Cup, but we did see a team reach the semi-finals."

Austria ⁠coach Ralf Rangnick agreed. "There is not going to be one easy opponent," he said. "I think it is an enriching experience for all of us."

The heavyweights are unlikely to panic. Tournament ⁠history is littered with slow starts by eventual ⁠champions, while the expanded format also offers greater margin for error with third-placed teams advancing to the knockout rounds. Yet the opening week has already delivered an unmistakable message. The World Cup may be bigger than ever, but it has also become more competitive, with nations once ‌dismissed as outsiders increasingly capable of ‌standing toe-to-toe with football’s established powers.