We said the right kind of outsider wins tournaments. The 2026 group stage proved it — debutants Cape Verde knocked out Uruguay, Ecuador beat Germany, Morocco matched Brazil, and South Africa reached the knockouts for the first time. Here are the dark horses who delivered.
We said the right kind of outsider wins tournaments. The 2026 group stage proved it — debutants Cape Verde knocked out Uruguay, Ecuador beat Germany, Morocco matched Brazil, and South Africa reached the knockouts for the first time. Here are the dark horses who delivered.