The 2026 FIFA World Cup has begun across the United States, Mexico and Canada, and several players have already made strong impressions during the opening round of group-stage fixtures.
Following each match, FIFA has been presenting its Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award to the standout performer, recognising the player judged to have had the greatest impact on the game. A total of 104 awards are expected to be handed out during the tournament, with the final scheduled for July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
After the first eight matches, eight players have claimed the awards.
Among the early recipients is US striker Folarin Balogun, who starred in the United States’ convincing 4-1 win over Paraguay by scoring twice. His brace helped the hosts record one of their most emphatic World Cup opening victories in decades.
Brazil winger Vinícius Júnior was also recognised after rescuing a point for the five-time world champions in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Morocco. Vinícius scored Brazil’s equaliser in a match where Morocco produced a spirited performance and pushed the South Americans throughout the contest.
ALSO READ: Folarin Balogun Shines as USA Crush Paraguay in World Cup Showdown
The list of Player of the Match winners from the tournament’s opening games is as follows:
June 11
- Mexico 2-0 South Africa — Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
- South Korea 2-1 Czechia — Hwang In-beom (South Korea)
📢 Stay Updated — Join Our WhatsApp Channel
💬 Be Part of Our WhatsApp Community
Join our WhatsApp Channel for curated updates, breaking stories, and exclusive insights from our newsroom.
📲 Join 👉 NRTC WhatsApp Channel
June 12
- Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina — Ismaël Koné (Canada)
- USA 4-1 Paraguay — Folarin Balogun (USA)
June 13
- Scotland 1-0 Haiti — John McGinn (Scotland)
- Australia 2-0 Türkiye — Nestory Irankunda (Australia)
- Brazil 1-1 Morocco — Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
- Qatar 1-1 Switzerland — Mahmoud Abunada (Qatar)
ALSO READ: Neymar blow: Ancelotti confirms Brazil star ruled out of World Cup opener
More names will be added to the list as the competition progresses through the group stage and into the knockout rounds.
Four additional group-stage matches are scheduled for Sunday:
- Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador
- Germany vs Curaçao
- Netherlands vs Japan
- Sweden vs Tunisia.
⚽ Football Scores & Standings
Premier League Scores | Premier League Table | Live Scores | League Tables
