Takeaways from the start of the World Cup

The World Cup has officially arrived in Seattle.

The tournament is underway, the city is buzzing and Seattle Stadium hosted its first match Monday as Belgium and Egypt played to an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of a raucous crowd that transformed the venue into a sea of red, black and white.

We’re still early in the tournament, but we've already seen a few surprises, a handful of breakout performances and some early indications of which teams could emerge as contenders. With the group stage beginning to take shape and the knockout rounds inching closer, here are a few takeaways from the World Cup so far.

Seattle is proving why it was selected as a World Cup host

There was no shortage of skepticism and negativity surrounding Seattle's World Cup preparations in the months leading up to the tournament. Questions about transportation, ticket prices and the overall atmosphere were common talking points.

Through the first match, though, Seattle has delivered.

Long before kickoff Monday, Egyptian supporters had effectively transformed the area around Seattle Stadium into a home environment, filling the streets with chants, songs and a level of energy that served as a reminder of what makes the World Cup such a unique event. By the time Belgium and Egypt took the field, the atmosphere inside the stadium matched the occasion.

It helped that there was no shortage of star power on display. Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah are among the most recognizable players in the sport, and the match itself lived up to the billing as Egypt battled to a memorable 1-1 draw against one of the tournament's traditional powers.

More than anything, though, the day felt like a showcase for Seattle. The city looked vibrant, the crowd was engaged and the overall experience provided a glimpse of what we all envisioned when Seattle was selected as one of the host cities.

The USMNT has quickly changed the conversation

Not long ago, it felt like the United States was heading into the World Cup with more questions than answers.

Back-to-back losses to Belgium and Portugal in the spring raised concerns about whether the Americans were ready for the pressure that comes with hosting this tournament. The prospect of an early disappointment suddenly felt very real.

Then something changed.

Strong performances in a pair of pre-tournament friendlies with Senegal and Germany helped restore confidence, and the Americans carried that momentum directly into their group-stage opener against Paraguay. The result was one of the most convincing performances of the tournament so far, a 4-1 victory that showcased both the team's talent and its attacking potential.

Folarin Balogun looked every bit the elite striker the United States hopes he can become, Gio Reyna delivered a spectacular goal and the Americans played with a confidence and urgency that had been missing earlier in the year. More importantly, they looked comfortable embracing the expectations that come with being a host nation.

The timing couldn't be better.

Australia's impressive 2-0 victory over Turkiye has dramatically raised the stakes for Friday's showdown at Seattle Stadium. The contest now has the feel of a potential group decider between two teams that opened the tournament with statement victories.

For Seattle fans, it means one of the most anticipated matches of the group stage just became even more compelling.

The expanded World Cup isn't the disaster many feared

One of the loudest criticisms of FIFA's decision to expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams was the fear that the tournament would be diluted by too many overmatched nations. Germany's 7-1 victory over Curaçao certainly didn't do much to quiet those concerns.

But through the early stages of the tournament, I've found myself thinking the expanded format is mostly fine.

The reality is that nearly every major tournament includes mismatches in its opening rounds. Nobody argues that No. 16 seeds shouldn't participate in the NCAA Tournament because they rarely beat No. 1 seeds. Part of the appeal is watching smaller programs and nations test themselves against the sport's heavyweights, even if the results don't always go their way.

More importantly, expanding the field creates opportunities for countries that otherwise might never experience a World Cup. For supporters from places like Curaçao or Cape Verde, simply seeing their nation on this stage is meaningful in a way that goes beyond the final score.

And sometimes, those underdogs create moments that make the tournament better.

Cape Verde's stunning 0-0 draw against Spain was one of the funniest, most entertaining results of the group stage, with a 40-year-old goalkeeper from Portugal's second division producing a performance for the ages. On paper, it had all the ingredients of a mismatch. Instead, it became one of the stories of the tournament so far.

Will there be some lopsided scorelines? Absolutely. There always are. But if the tradeoff is more nations, more supporters and the occasional unforgettable upset, that seems like a reasonable price to pay.

At least so far, the expanded field looks more like an opportunity than a problem.

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