Three things we learnt from a chaotic first week

The first round of matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is over, and the football, to say the least, has been exciting.

- Ashish Magotra

Some of the biggest stars in the game have put on a show but many others need to buck up. Here's a look at three things we've learnt from a week of action:

Cristiano Ronaldo became just the second player to appear at six different World Cups and he became the oldest outfield player to start a match in the tournament's history. But not long after play started, it became clear (not for the first time) that the years had not been kind to him.

The steps were slow, the thinking muddled and those who grew up the pacy winger could be forgiven for telling others that they are not sure who this imposter is. We have seen a few other old-timers (Messi, Modric, Vozinha, etc) taking the field in this World Cup and no one has looked as out of it as Ronaldo.

Messi and Co may not be as quick or as strong as they once were. But the touch hasn't deserted them, neither has the vision and what is missing can be made up for with experience. But watching Ronaldo makes one wonder why he doing this to himself and his fans. It has been like this for a while. But such is Ronaldo's record over the years that one can't help but hope for another flash of brilliance. The attempt to reinvent himself into a centre-forward has been a disaster of sorts and one has to wonder whether it might drag Portugal down in the tournament.