- Argentina and Colombia opened their World Cup campaigns with victories
- Brazil and Uruguay earned draws. Ecuador and Paraguay will look to bounce back in the next round.
The opening matchday of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage has come to an end for South American teams. CONMEBOL representatives recorded two wins, two draws, and two losses to start the tournament, with Lionel Messi emerging as the top South American scorer of Matchday 1.
Argentina and Colombia were the only teams from the region to secure all three points, while Brazil and Uruguay salvaged draws, and Ecuador and Paraguay were left needing a response in the second round.
Argentina begins title defense in dominant fashion
La Albiceleste defeated Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City to take the top spot in Group J.
The standout performer of the night was Lionel Messi, who scored all three goals. The captain found the net in the 17th, 60th, and 76th minutes, registering the first World Cup hat trick of his career. He also reached 16 career World Cup goals, tying Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer and adding new milestones to his legendary career.
Result: Argentina 3-0 Algeria (Messi x3)
Position: 1st, Group J (3 points)
Next opponent: Austria (June 22)
Colombia opens with a win over Uzbekistan
Néstor Lorenzo’s side defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 at Estadio Ciudad de México, getting off to a strong start in Group K.
Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz, and Jáminton Campaz scored for the South American team, while Abbosbek Fayzullaev pulled one back for Uzbekistan. With the win, Colombia moved to the top of their group and reinforced the positive momentum they have built in recent years.
Result: Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan (Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz, Jáminton Campaz)
Position: 1st, Group K (3 points)
Next opponent: DR Congo (June 23)
Brazil earns a point in a tough matchup
Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco in what was considered one of the toughest group-stage matches for both sides.
The African team took the lead through Ismael Saibari, but Vinícius Júnior responded with a brilliant goal to level the score. Morocco impressed collectively, led by Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz, while Brazil secured an important point in the race for first place in Group C.
Result: Brazil 1-1 Morocco (Vinícius Júnior)
Position: 2nd, Group C (1 point)
Next opponent: Haiti (June 19)
Uruguay rescues a draw
La Celeste drew 1-1 against Saudi Arabia in a match that proved challenging for Marcelo Bielsa’s team.
Saudi Arabia took the lead through Abdulelah Al-Amri before halftime and maintained pressure for much of the game. Fernando Muslera played a key role in keeping the deficit from growing, and with ten minutes remaining, Maximiliano Araújo scored the equalizer.
Result: Uruguay 1-1 Saudi Arabia (Maximiliano Araújo)
Position: 3rd, Group H (1 point)
Next opponent: Cape Verde (June 21)
Ecuador looks to bounce back
Ecuador was slightly superior to Ivory Coast for much of the match but failed to convert their chances.
Just when a draw seemed likely, Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute following an assist from Wilfried Singo. The result left Ecuador without points despite a performance that showed promising signs.
Result: Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador
Position: 4th, Group E (0 points)
Next opponent: Curaçao (June 20)
Paraguay needs a response
Paraguay fell 4-1 to the United States in one of the most lopsided results of the opening matchday.
The hosts took the lead through an own goal by Damián Bobadilla and extended their advantage with a brace from Folarin Balogun. Mauricio pulled one back for Paraguay in the second half, but Giovanni Reyna sealed the result in stoppage time.
Result: United States 4-1 Paraguay (Mauricio)
Position: 4th, Group D (0 points)
Next opponent: Turkey (June 19)
CONMEBOL teams’ Matchday 1 summary
All six South American teams have now played their opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Results:
- Argentina 3-0 Algeria
- Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan
- Brazil 1-1 Morocco
- Uruguay 1-1 Saudi Arabia
- Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador
- United States 4-1 Paraguay
South American performance:
2 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses
8 goals scored, 8 goals conceded
With two matchdays still to play in the group stage, CONMEBOL teams will aim to continue collecting points as they push for qualification and keep South America’s World Cup hopes alive.
Top South American scorers
Matchday 1 also featured several goal scorers. Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay all had players find the net in the tournament’s opening round.
Lionel Messi stood out as the top performer, scoring three goals in Argentina’s win over Algeria to become CONMEBOL’s leading scorer after Matchday 1.
All scorers after Matchday 1:
- Lionel Messi (ARG) – 3 goals
- Daniel Muñoz (COL) – 1 goal
- Luis Díaz (COL) – 1 goal
- Jáminton Campaz (COL) – 1 goal
- Vinícius Júnior (BRA) – 1 goal
- Maximiliano Araújo (URU) – 1 goal
- Mauricio (PAR) – 1 goal
