World Cup 2026 news: Five memorable moments – Vozinha heroics, four-star England and more
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, got underway on June 11 in Mexico City and is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams and have three host countries.
Since then, there have been historic moments and relentless entertainment despite the defeatist attitude many fans had in the run-up to the tournament.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Jack George delves into the most memorable moments of World Cup 2026 so far.
Goalkeeper Vozinha performs remarkably to gain Cape Verde a point
The 40-year-old Cape Verdean goalie made World Cup history after making seven crucial saves which allowed his national team to draw 0-0 with Spain – a truly remarkable feat.
Following that historic performance, Vozinha’s story blew up across the internet, becoming another beautiful World Cup narrative.
Vozinha gained 15 million followers on Instagram from as little as 43,000 before his man of the match performance.
He plays for Chaves in Liga Portugal 2 and said, “I have worked my whole life for this moment.”
The fairytale story was made even more admirable when he burst into tears following the full-time whistle, citing his sadness that his grandparents passed away before they could see his proudest moment and that his mother couldn’t make it due to a visa issue.
Thankfully, the story had a heartwarming ending as they were reunited later on.
Vozinha originally announced his retirement last year but was persuaded to return due to his emotional influence on the squad, making this fantastic story even more worthy of its widespread love.
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England vs Croatia the best game of the World Cup so far
Group L got underway with a thrilling game between two old foes, with England surging to a statement win over Croatia.
Harry Kane, arguably the best footballer in the world at the moment, scored from the spot at the second time of asking after Croatian ’keeper Dominik Livaković came off his line a fraction too early, causing Kane’s first miss to luckily be retaken.
Croatia leveled matters at 1-1 in the 36th minute when midfielder Martin Baturina scored a thunderous top-left strike, leaving England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with no chance of a clean sheet.
Kane struck again in the 42nd minute, emphatically heading the ball in from a Declan Rice corner to make it 2-1.
That lead was short-lived, however, as Croatia’s striker Petar Musa scored a volley on the stroke of half-time, making it all square at the break.
England came out for the second half and played brilliantly, with Jude Bellingham tidily slotting the ball past the Croatian goalkeeper within just two minutes.
The game was then put to bed in the 85th minute when impact sub Marcus Rashford beautifully curled the ball into the bottom-right corner, making it 4-2 and confirming the three points.
It was a brilliant start for the England team, with hopes for World Cup success definitely boosted by the performance.
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Lionel Messi scores his first World Cup hat-trick
Messi scoring his first World Cup hat-trick at 38 will surprise many, especially those who expected him to have scored one in the peak of his career.
In many ways, though, it highlights his longevity and superior talent, which separates him from everyone else.
The treble came against Algeria in Argentina’s first game of the campaign.
It was also Messi’s 200th appearance for Argentina and his sixth World Cup.
The Inter Miami star’s first came in the 17th minute, a stunning strike from just outside the box, curled into the top-right corner with the slight aid of Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane’s fingertips.
His second came in the 60th minute, an easy tap in due to Zidane’s failure to smother a shot that put Messi second in the list of all-time World Cup goalscorers.
It was a prime example of being in the right place at the right time, no doubt due to Messi’s vast experience.
And finally, the all-important final goal to seal the game and put him tied with Miroslav Klose for World Cup goals – Messi perfectly curled it into the bottom-left corner, a trademark finish from the greatest of all time.
Kylian Mbappé’s impactful brace sees off Senegal
Kylian Mbappé led the French team by example, carrying them through a difficult performance against Senegal.
The first half saw no goals and a clear lack of cohesion within the French team, but the second period was a totally different story.
In the 66th minute, Mbappé showed his importance with a tidy finish into the bottom-left corner from a wonderfully weighted Michael Olise pass, breaking the deadlock and relieving some tension.
Mbappé’s second came in the 96th minute as he struck the ball from 30 yards out into the top-left corner, giving Édouard Mendy no chance of a save.
It was likely the goal of the tournament so far and once again showed that Mbappé can do it on the world’s biggest stage.
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Japan’s resilience against the Netherlands pays off
Japan kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands, who are a tough team to beat.
The game saw a goalless first half but an action-packed second half – a pattern that has become increasingly common.
The Dutch struck first through a brilliant curled header from Virgil van Dijk, which hit the post and went in.
However, the Netherlands’ lead was quickly cancelled out as Keito Nakamura guided a shot from outside the box into the left side of the goal, making it 1-1.
Crysencio Summerville made it 2-1 with a perfectly placed shot from outside the box, which was just out of reach for Japanese goalie Zion Suzuki.
Japan’s relentlessness was finally rewarded when Daichi Kamada, the Crystal Palace midfielder, scored a header in the 88th minute.
The result was a well-deserved point for Japan and a game that was a pleasure to watch.
Indeed, I believe Japan are the dark horses of this World Cup and will go far.
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