World Cup Mirror (Part 2) |
A week into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the familiar stars are doing familiar things. Kylian Mbappé’s two goals against Senegal made him France’s all-time leading scorer. Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut for Norway with a brace against Iraq. Lionel Messi went one better: a hat-trick against Algeria that drew him level with Miroslav Klose as the joint-leading scorer in World Cup history. At the other end, Cristiano Ronaldo’s drought stretches to ten consecutive matches at major tournaments without a goal.
But the World Cup has always been as interested in arrivals as it is in greatness. Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have all scored their first-ever World Cup goals, while DR Congo and Qatar secured their first-ever points. These moments carry none of the historical weight of Messi’s latest masterpiece, but they matter just as much. World Cups are remembered not only for champions but for who shows up.
The same is true of individuals. The appearance of Zidane Iqbal for Iraq drew little attention outside South Asia, but it should have drawn more. Born in Manchester to an Iraqi mother and a Pakistani father, Iqbal became the first player of Pakistani heritage to appear at a FIFA World Cup. For most countries, that statistic would barely register. In Pakistan, where World Cup participation remains an elusive dream, it is a rare thread connecting the country to football’s biggest stage.
The tournament’s expansion to 48 teams has drawn plenty of criticism, much of it fair. But football’s history suggests opportunity matters: countries improve by participating, not by........