WC-2026: Messi, Rezayan and Cornelius Among the Best of the First Round!

The historic WC-2026, which started on the fields of North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), is providing millions of fans with unforgettable moments from the very first round. With the conclusion of the 1st round of this global football festival, featuring 48 national teams for the first time in history, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) officially FIFA Power Rankings announced the best performers of the opening round through its system.

According to the rating results, true legends and unexpected heroes stood out in every line of the pitch.

Attack: Lionel Messi is unstoppable (Argentina)

The reigning world champions, the Argentina national team, started the Mundial very confidently. In the match against Algeria (3:0), team captain Lionel Messi once again demonstrated his class:

• Hat-trick: Messi scored three goals in the match, securing a huge victory for his team.

• Huge impact: He not only scored but also personally executed exactly 60 percent of all shots on goal by Argentina.

Creativity: Ramin Rezayan as an unexpected leader (Iran)

The best indicator for organizing attacks and demonstrating creative play in the 1st round belonged to Iran national team representative Ramin Rezayan.

• In the match that ended in a hard-fought draw (2:2) against New Zealand, Rezayan played as a right-back.

• Despite playing in defense, he provided his teammates with 16 accurate passes during the game, becoming the tournament leader in attack organization.

Defensive Wall: Terrifying statistics from Derek Cornelius (Canada)

No one matched Canadian defender Derek Cornelius in terms of defensive actions and breaking opponent attacks. In the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina (1:1), he acted as a real "strong fortress" near his goal.

Check out his terrifying personal indicators in the 1st round:

Important fact about the tournament:

WC-2026, which continues until July 19, is the largest competition in football history; due to the new format, the opportunities for unexpected teams and talents to emerge are very high. While the reigning champions Argentina have successfully begun defending their title, representatives of teams like Canada and Iran are proving that they are not lagging behind the world giants on an individual level.

Continue to follow interesting statistical data, records, and Power Rankings updates in the next rounds of the Mundial with us!