The FIFA World Cup 2026 has only started yet two of the best football’s brightest stars have already attracted the attention of fans around the world. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland - widely regarded as the next generation of football’s brightest stars - have scored in each of their first two games as well as sending a strong message to the rest of the tournament.
France, one of the most likely contenders in the World Cup, opened the campaign with a 3-1 win over Senegal. Mbappé was the architect of that success and showed once again why he is one of the most dangerous forwards in world football. The French superstar’s brace not only secured a crucial win for his team but also reinforced that France will be one of the favourites to win the World Cup in 2026.
But Norway’s long awaited comeback to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years couldn’t have been a better start. The Scandinavian team came into the world stage with confidence and ambition after Haaland’s heroics. The Manchester City striker was twice on target. The power, poise and goal-scoring ability he has provided is making him one of the world’s top 5 most feared attackers. Norwegian fans are now hopeful that his team will become one of the surprise packages for the tournament.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had been at the center of international football for over a decade and have been the best of the game for more than a decade and now football is entering a new era and more than ever there have been new generations of superstars who are stepping away from the old guard.
Mbappé and Haaland have long been viewed as the natural successors to football’s greatest icons. Their performances at club level have already gained them a lot of international attention but the World Cup is the ultimate stage for them. And both players have shown that in their very first games in the tournament, they are ready to shoulder that responsibility, with match-winning performances in their first games.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is still young but one thing is certain. The Mbappé-Haaland era is no longer a glimpse of the future; it's happening right now. If football fans will see more and more of a spectacle as the tournament goes on, the Mbappé-Haaland era is not a glimpse of the future but is happening now.
