The 2026 FIFA World Cup is in full swing and has offered football fans everything: thrills, excitement, cards and goals. In this article, we highlight 5 observations from the tournament taking place in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Most red cards in the opening match of the World Cup
The 2026 World Cup betting kicked off on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa. That match, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the Mexicans, was also written into the history books of the World Cup – never before have three red cards been shown in the opening match of a World Cup.
In total, this was only the seventh match in all World Cups that saw at least three sent-offs. The corresponding ranking is topped by the match between Portugal and the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup, where referee Valentin Ivanov showed 16 yellow and four red cards.
Canada and Qatar’s first World Cup points
The Canadian national football team finally got their fill at the tournament on home soil when they earned their first ever World Cup point. The Canadians, who have lost all their matches in both 1986 and 2022, drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the opening round.
Qatar also experienced similar joy in the opening round, drawing 1-1 with Switzerland. However, the wait was not that long for Qatar, as they had only played in the World Cup four years ago.
Scotland ended a 36-year wait
Scotland and the World Cup are not words that can be used in the same sentence too often – the Scots never qualified for the final tournament between 2002 and 2022. But they will be there for the 2026 World Cup.
And not only that, because thanks to the 1-0 defeat of Haiti, Scotland also earned their fifth victory in World Cup history, but their first since 1990. The Scots’ current World Cup record is therefore 4 wins, 7 draws and 12 losses.
Oldest head coach in World Cup history
78-year-old Dick Advocaat made history in Curaçao football when he led the island nation of 155,000 people to the World Cup. But shortly after, he resigned due to his daughter’s poor health.
However, when his replacement, Fred Rutten, failed to materialize, Curaçao turned to Advocaat again a few months before the start of the World Cup: could he help them out of trouble? After a brief period of reflection, the legendary coach stepped up again, and as a thank you, Advocaat is now the oldest head coach in the World Cup.
The first head coach has already been fired
Although the 2026 World Cup has only been underway for a week, the first head coach has already been fired. The Tunisian federation decided to give up Sabri Lamouchi after his team suffered a 1:5 defeat to Sweden in the opening match of the tournament.
Lamouchi thus joined a very exclusive, but not very desirable, club. Only 6 head coaches have ever been fired during a World Cup (or just before it, during the training camp).
- Julen Lopetegui (Spain), 2018
- Raymond Domenech (France), 2010
- Carlos Alberto Parreira (Saudi Arabia), 1998
- Henryk Kasperczak (Tunisia), 1998
- Cha Bum-Kun (South Korea), 1998
- Andy Beattie (Scotland), 1954
How to bet responsibly during the 2026 World Cup
- Don’t rely on your emotions when betting
- Manage your budget consciously
- Avoid making up for losses with new bets
- Watch each game separately and base your analysis on it
- Enjoy the tournament – football itself is the morst important thing
- Use our sports betting app to keep your bets under full control.
Also, keep an eye on OlyBet’s sports betting section, where we are launching special offers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup that you shouldn’t miss.
FAQ about the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Who is the oldest head coach at the FIFA World Cup?
Dick Advocaat became the oldest head coach ever to participate in the World Cup in 2026.
Who was the first to be fired during the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Tunisia head coach Sabri Lamouchi.
How many red cards were shown in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup?
Three red cards were shown in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup
