Tuesday’s World Cup fixtures offered plenty of drama, with several of football’s biggest stars lighting up the stage at last.

Here’s a full round-up of all the action from matchday six — from overnight highlights to the day’s major talking points.

At just 27 years of age, Kylian Mbappe already boasts a World Cup record that rivals some of the greatest names in the sport’s history.

The French captain opened his 2026 campaign in dazzling fashion, scoring twice — including a thunderous late strike — as France overcame a resilient Senegal side. After a sluggish first half, the Real Madrid forward came alive after the interval, steering home the opener from a delightful Michael Olise assist.

Bradley Barcola then added a second following another slick French move, before Mbappe’s long-range strike sealed the victory, moments after Ibrahim Mbaye had briefly revived Senegal’s hopes.

Mbappe now has 14 World Cup goals in 15 appearances — surpassing Pele and Just Fontaine, and drawing level with Gerd Muller. Having already lifted the trophy in 2018 and won the Golden Boot in 2022 with a final hat-trick, the question remains: what more can he achieve this time?

Norway, labelled as dark horses before the tournament began, lived up to that tag with a dominant display against Iraq in their opening match.

And having Erling Haaland certainly helps their cause.

The Manchester City striker was perfectly positioned to score Norway’s first World Cup goal since 1998, before chasing down the Iraqi defence to help force a second after Aymen Hussain had equalised with a header.

Iraq struggled throughout with Norway’s aerial strength from set pieces, as Leo Ostigard and an own goal from Hussein wrapped up a convincing 4-1 win for the Scandinavians. Next up for Norway are Senegal — where another victory would likely secure them a knockout berth.

The king has returned.

Argentina’s triumph in Qatar four years ago was widely hailed as Lionel Messi’s crowning glory — a perfect finale to an extraordinary career. Yet at 38, Messi continues to defy expectations. His move to Major League Soccer (MLS) has done little to blunt his edge, as he topped South America’s qualifying charts and began this campaign in spectacular fashion.

A sensational hat-trick propelled Argentina to a 3-0 victory over Algeria, marking a historic milestone for Messi. His 16th World Cup goal equalled Miroslav Klose’s record, leaving him poised to set a new benchmark in the coming matches.

Messi remains the heartbeat of the reigning world champions — and another World Cup triumph would cement his unparalleled Argentine legacy.

Elsewhere, Austria’s clash with Jordan might not have drawn large audiences back in the UK, but those who tuned in were rewarded with a thrilling spectacle full of excitement, skill, and controversy.

Austria edged the end-to-end contest, which featured stunning goals, goalkeeping errors, and the now-familiar VAR drama. Romano Schmid produced a thunderbolt that could well be an early contender for Goal of the Tournament, before Ali Olwan equalised for Jordan with a superb finish of his own.

Meanwhile, England received a blow ahead of their opening match against Croatia on Wednesday night. Tino Livramento has been ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury and has returned home, depriving the squad of a versatile defensive option.

Manager Thomas Tuchel responded by calling up Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah as a replacement, leaving England somewhat short in the full-back department.

One wonders what Trent Alexander-Arnold must be thinking…

See Also – Ronaldo’s redemption at the 2002 World Cup