Argentina and Colombia, the Only South American Winners on the First Matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Only the Albiceleste and the Cafeteros managed to win on the first matchday; the rest of the CONMEBOL teams will need to react on the second day.

Complicated days for the South American teams

The first matchday of the FIFA World Cup 2026 left a complex outlook for the CONMEBOL teams. Of the five South American representatives that took to the field, only two managed to score three points, Argentina and Colombia. The rest will have to adjust pieces and correct mistakes to prevent the second day from becoming a turning point.

Surprise for the Guaraní team

Paraguay was the first to debut and suffered a hard blow, losing 4-1 to the United States, one of the hosts. The Guarani team never found answers to the opponent's intensity and ended up overwhelmed by the local pressure.

Brazil could not untie the match

Brazil, always a contender, showed character but couldn't get past a 1-1 draw against Morocco. The African team, solid in defense and quick in transition, made life difficult for the "Canarinha," which will need to sharpen its aim to avoid falling behind.

Losing the match at the last minute

Ecuador also stumbled in their debut, losing 1-0 to the Ivory Coast. The Ivorian goal came in the second half and left Félix Sánchez's team with no margin for error for the remainder of the group stage.

Tied the game but didn't turn it around

Uruguay, for its part, was on the brink of defeat against Saudi Arabia, but managed to salvage a 1-1 draw. The result leaves mixed feelings: it avoided defeat, but couldn't impose its hierarchy in the debut.

The first exception

Argentina broke the losing streak and achieved a resounding 3-0 victory over Algeria with a hat-trick from Lionel Messi. The captain once again demonstrated why he remains the undisputed leader of the Albiceleste, which started with a firm step and sent a clear message to the rest of the contenders.

The second exception

Colombia closed the first matchday with a 3-1 victory against Uzbekistan. The goals by Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz, and Jaminton Campaz confirmed the good moment of the team led by Néstor Lorenzo, which positions itself as one of the tournament's contenders.