Onto the knockout round: 4 takeaways from the FIFA World Cup so far

Onto the knockout round: 4 takeaways from the FIFA World Cup so far June 28, 20263:00 AM ET Becky Sullivan U.S. forward #20 Folarin Balogun celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during their opening World Cup group match against Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif. on June 12, 2026. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The worries before the World Cup were many. There were the visa wait times, the ticket prices, anxieties over hotel rooms and public transit, and countless battles between FIFA and local organizing committees. Soccer Edition It's not just Cape Verde: African soccer is having a World Cup moment Now, with the group stage done and the knockout round set to begin Sunday, it is time to declare: The North American World Cup has been a success. No doubt there were visitors who were turned away, would-be attendees who could not afford tickets, and hotels and local businesses who feel the promised bump in tourism hasn't materialized. But overall, the stadiums have been full, even for matchups that seemed lackluster on paper: nearly 70,000 people packed into stadiums to see games like Cape Verde-Saudi Arabia, Algeria-Jordan and Bosnia and Herzegovina-Qatar. And for headliner events, the environment has been top-tier, like at the U.S.-Australia game in Seattle and in Kansas City for Lionel Messi's historic hat trick for Argentina. Sponsor Message Visitors and hosts alike have been dazzled by the scenes. Kansas City was swarmed with tens of thousands of Dutch fans for a pre-game march. Boston was besieged by the Tartan Army. Australian fans seized their chance to come to the closer North American coast, where they packed the stands and belted "Waltzing Matilda." And of course, the games have been terrific. Now, the knockout round is set, with some blockbusters shaping up for the Round of 16 and beyond. Read on for more takeaways from the tournament so far: Fra...