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Qatar lost all three of its matches as a World Cup host four years ago and appeared to be headed toward another in its 2026 opener against Switzerland. Boualem Khoukhi changed his country’s course at the last possible moment, scoring a tying goal on a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to give Qatar a 1-1 tie against Switzerland. The late equalizer gave Qatar its first World Cup point and left the mighty Swiss wondering what happened. The second full day of matches will feature World Cup first-timer Curacao facing a difficult challenge against four-time World Cup champion Germany. The Netherlands also faces Japan in a matchup of teams looking to make deep runs.

While many of the World Cup’s competing nations are wracked by social divisions, some of the teams offer strikingly positive examples of how players from different backgrounds and religious faiths can cooperate. The phenomenon is particularly notable among Western European teams. As those societies have increasingly diversified, so have the national team rosters. They feature Christian and Muslim players who are open about their faith. England’s team for the first time includes a Muslim. France’s roster has multiple players from Protestant, Catholic and Muslim backgrounds. Spain’s emerging superstar, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, is a practicing Muslim. So is Sweden’s Yasin Ayari, who scored twice in a victory over Tunisia.