The World Cup is about to begin. The top teams' warm-up matches have been unimpressive, but in reality, the group stage will serve as their true warm-up.

The opening match of the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico will kick off at 3:00 AM Beijing time on June 12, with Mexico, one of the three hosts, facing South Africa. As the tournament draws near, all teams played their final warm-up games this weekend, but the top sides performed quite poorly. England narrowly beat New Zealand 1-0 — Tuchel's attacking tactics were a mess, struggling to score even one goal against a minnow. Brazil edged Egypt 2-1, but their performance was also chaotic; Marquinhos is a ticking time bomb, gifting the opposition a goal. Argentina defeated Honduras 2-0 with some nice front-line combination play, but Messi is still injured, and his fitness remains a major concern. Portugal beat Chile 2-1 in a match that should have been one-sided; Cristiano Ronaldo started but was quiet in the first half and was substituted, after which Portugal scored twice. Ronaldo's abilities no longer justify his place in Portugal's star-studded starting eleven, but Martinez has no choice but to play him. Portugal's current problem is Ronaldo, and there seems to be no solution.

In my opinion, the quality of warm-up matches has little to do with how far a team goes in the World Cup. Top teams are holding back, afraid of injuries. Now that the 2026 World Cup has expanded to 48 teams divided into 12 groups, the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 32 (the last 32). With many truly weak teams — so-called "minnows" — entering the tournament, the group stage will actually serve as a real warm-up for the strong sides. They can use three matches to gradually adjust their lineups, tactics, and form. Advancing out of the group is a breeze for strong teams, and the round of 32 is where the real tournament begins. The group stage will feature many blowout and one-sided matches, which won't be very entertaining — fans should be prepared for that. From now on, the World Cup truly starts with the knockout rounds; the group stage is just a warm-up at the World Cup level, where strong teams find their rhythm and weak teams get their moment in the spotlight.