The opening round of the 2026 World Cup has delivered surprises, with several tournament favourites stumbling to draws or defeats. Russian coach Dmitry Cheryshev, speaking to Championat, offered historical context on why this recurs at every World Cup tournament.
'Teams warm up their engines gradually. Early matches are always chaotic,' Cheryshev explained. 'Many teams are still entering the tournament, and once they're fully engaged, they become unstoppable. It has been this way for all teams.' He pointed to Italy's World Cup-winning campaigns as evidence that champions often struggle to leave the group stage before peaking later in the tournament.
Cheryshev's analysis suggests that current group-stage results, including draws involving traditional powerhouses, should not be interpreted as evidence of structural weakness. Rather, tournament rhythm favours teams that build momentum gradually, with first-round matches serving as a 'warm-up' phase before knockout football intensifies and selection becomes unforgiving.
Market impact: Early-round stumbles by tournament favourites may have shifted outright winner odds, though Cheryshev's framework suggests such corrections may prove overreactions if traditional heavyweights strengthen displays in rounds two and three of the group stage.