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On June 17th Beijing time, the first round of Group I of 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup kicked off at the Boston Stadium. Norway, which had returned to the World Cup after a 28-year absence, faced Iraq, which had made its return to the World Cup 40 years later. This contrasting match ended with Norway winning 4-1. In the 29th minute of the game, Norway scored first and took the lead; in the 39th minute, Iraq equalized with a header; but just four minutes later, Norway scored again, taking a 2-1 lead at halftime. In the 76th minute of the second half, Norway scored with a header from a corner kick to increase their advantage, and in the injury time, they scored another goal to seal the victory. This victory also broke the unbeaten record held by Asian teams in this tournament.

In the first round of Group I of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup between France and Senegal at the New Jersey Stadium in New York, a thrilling match was staged. In the first half, both teams ended in a draw. Senegal repeatedly created threats through quick counterattacks. In the second half, France gradually took control of the game. They broke the deadlock in the 66th minute and increased their lead in the 82nd minute. During the injury time, Senegal equalized, but just one minute later, France scored another goal. Ultimately, France secured a 3:1 victory. The statistics of the game showed that France had 11 shots on target, while Senegal had 6 shots on target. This victory also allowed France to avenge their 0:1 defeat against the opponent in the opening game of the 24th World Cup.

In the first round of Group G of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup between Iran and New Zealand at the Los Angeles Stadium, there was a thrilling goal-scoring battle. Just 7 minutes into the game, the New Zealand team scored the first goal and took the lead; in the 32nd minute, the Iranian team equalized the score. In the second half, the New Zealand team took the lead again in the 54th minute; but just 10 minutes later, the Iranian team equalized the score once more. In the end, the two teams drew 2-2. Iran had 17 shots on goal and New Zealand had 14, and in terms of on-target shots, New Zealand had a 8:4 advantage. Although both teams were eager to secure their first victory in World Cup history, this four-goal extravaganza left the four teams in Group G with the same one point each, and the suspense continued.

In the first round of Group H of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay met at the Miami Stadium. Before the game, most people were optimistic about Uruguay, which has a rich football tradition. However, the Saudi team, with its tenacious defense and counter-attacking tactics, broke the deadlock first. Uruguay then equalized through a forward pass in the midfield. In the end, the two teams drew 1-1. This draw allowed the Saudi team to secure a valuable point from a South American powerhouse, while also revealing Uruguay's lack of offensive strength in the face of intense defense. The ratio of shots in the game was 12 to 9, with Uruguay having the advantage in possession but failing to convert it into more goals. The final result was 1-1, leaving suspense in the group stage.

In the first round of Group G of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup between Belgium and Egypt in Seattle, there was a highly dramatic encounter. In the first half, Egypt scored first through a brilliant coordinated move in the penalty area. In the second half, Belgium quickly turned the situation around with a substitution, causing one of their defenders to commit a self-own goal just about 20 seconds after entering the game. Although Belgium continued to press hard and even had one free kick hit the goalpost, Egypt maintained the 1:1 scoreline with their overall defensive performance. Both teams earned one point each, leaving the outcome of Group G uncertain.

After the first round of the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup Group E match concluded, the German team won 7:1 against the new World Cup entrant Curacao, setting the largest margin of victory in this tournament so far. The game was held at the Houston Stadium. Just 6 minutes into the game, the German team scored first, but Curacao scored their first World Cup goal in the 21st minute through aggressive tackling and quick counterattacks, briefly equalizing the score. Subsequently, the German team adjusted their tactics, taking advantage of corner kicks and height advantages to regain control of the game. Eventually, they won with "multiple goals from different players", with six different players scoring. Behind this "overwhelming" confrontation, the impact of the field conditions on the tactical rhythm has also sparked discussions in the industry - especially in some venues, natural grass pitches have cracked due to high temperatures and are worn out with various scratches, which has been humorously compared by many players to having a texture more similar to artificial grass.