World Cup 008 | Festival Over, Tournament Begins

Memorable moments in the 2026 World Cup group stage were rare, with Lionel Messi, Iran and the late drama of Algeria v Austria providing the best of them. With jeopardy now back on the menu as we enter the knockouts, will the identity of the winner become clearer? Or is it foolish to draw any conclusions based the low-stakes football we've seen so far?

Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Tariq Panja chew over the tournament so far.

P1: (00:22)

P2: (27:40)

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Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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