SO MUCH OF the 2026 World Cup has taken place overnight for us.
Most people this side of the Atlantic are sleeping through a huge chunk of the action.
So let’s catch up on some of the best goals you may have missed.
It’s far from an exhaustive or definitive list – the nature of it is we could have missed others! – and in no particular order. The only requirement is the goals are from 11pm kick-offs onwards. Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Yes, you have probably seen this one, but we couldn’t not put it top of the list. The 2am start means it’s unlikely to have been viewed by many Irish people in real time.
The first of Messi’s first-ever World Cup hat-trick, on his 200th Argentina cap at his sixth World Cup. It was magic.
The 38-year-old received the ball on the half-turn, set off on a driving run, and outside the D, sent a powerful left-footed effort into the top corner, making football look easy.
Advertisement
His third – arrowed from outside the box – was stunning too.
2. Yasin Ayari (Sweden 5-1 Tunisia)
🇸🇪 1-0 🇹🇳
Yasin Ayari unleashes a vicious half-volley to capitalise on Sweden's lively start
Think Sweden, think Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak. They were both on target as Sweden thumped Tunisia, but another Premier League player bagged a brace, opening and closing the scoring.
Both were thunderbolts, but we’ll go with Ayari’s early opener. A clearance flew into the Brighton midfielder’s path, he took a touch, and unleashed a vicious half-volley from 25 yards.
Ayari didn’t celebrate against the country of his father’s birth, but he couldn’t hold back after completing his brace with another superb finish late on.
3. Kevin Pina (Cape Verde 2-2 Uruguay)
🇺🇾 0-1 🇨🇻
Unbelievable, Cape Verde has taken the lead and it's a stunner from Kevin Pina.
There’s a chance you saw this in the moment if you stayed up to watch Pico Lopes in the 11pm Sunday night kick-off.
Kevin Pina made history by scoring Cape Verde’s first World Cup goal – and he did it in style. The captain drilled home a 35-yard free-kick to send them into a dream lead in the 21st minute.
The behind-the-ball angle is aesthetically pleasing, from the perfect execution and the Uruguayan wall splitting, to the ball rolling up the back of the net and settling in the roof. The fairytale continues.
4. Daniel Muñoz (Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan)
🇺🇿 0-1 🇨🇴
Daniel Munoz opens the scoring for Colombia, flicking home a beautiful Luis Diaz pass
It took Colombia 40 minutes to break the deadlock against Uzbekistan, but it was worth the wait.
As Luiz Diaz held the ball out the field, Muñoz signalled with exactly what he wanted. He ghosted in behind the defence as the perfect delivery took flight, let the ball cross his body, and flicked home first-time with his left foot. Quality.
While the video is in Spanish, this breakdown is worth a watch.
Excelente 🇨🇴
Piden que el gol de Daniel Muñoz el primero de Colombia contra Uzbekistan sea enseñado en las universidades
Again, people may have seen this in real-time as it was a Saturday 11pm kick-off and one of the standout first-round games. (Swap in Folarin Balogun from USA 4-1 Paraguay later that night if so.)
But Vinícius Júnior’s first of the tournament was another thunderbolt. He charged down the left and towards the endline, before cutting back and dazzling a Morcco defender, to afford himself the time and space to rifle in the equaliser.
Another unstoppable finish, the net just about staying intact.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Five of the best World Cup goals so far that you might have missed
SO MUCH OF the 2026 World Cup has taken place overnight for us.
Most people this side of the Atlantic are sleeping through a huge chunk of the action.
So let’s catch up on some of the best goals you may have missed.
It’s far from an exhaustive or definitive list – the nature of it is we could have missed others! – and in no particular order. The only requirement is the goals are from 11pm kick-offs onwards. Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina 3-0 Algeria)
Yes, you have probably seen this one, but we couldn’t not put it top of the list. The 2am start means it’s unlikely to have been viewed by many Irish people in real time.
The first of Messi’s first-ever World Cup hat-trick, on his 200th Argentina cap at his sixth World Cup. It was magic.
The 38-year-old received the ball on the half-turn, set off on a driving run, and outside the D, sent a powerful left-footed effort into the top corner, making football look easy.
His third – arrowed from outside the box – was stunning too.
2. Yasin Ayari (Sweden 5-1 Tunisia)
Think Sweden, think Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak. They were both on target as Sweden thumped Tunisia, but another Premier League player bagged a brace, opening and closing the scoring.
Both were thunderbolts, but we’ll go with Ayari’s early opener. A clearance flew into the Brighton midfielder’s path, he took a touch, and unleashed a vicious half-volley from 25 yards.
Ayari didn’t celebrate against the country of his father’s birth, but he couldn’t hold back after completing his brace with another superb finish late on.
3. Kevin Pina (Cape Verde 2-2 Uruguay)
There’s a chance you saw this in the moment if you stayed up to watch Pico Lopes in the 11pm Sunday night kick-off.
Kevin Pina made history by scoring Cape Verde’s first World Cup goal – and he did it in style. The captain drilled home a 35-yard free-kick to send them into a dream lead in the 21st minute.
The behind-the-ball angle is aesthetically pleasing, from the perfect execution and the Uruguayan wall splitting, to the ball rolling up the back of the net and settling in the roof. The fairytale continues.
4. Daniel Muñoz (Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan)
It took Colombia 40 minutes to break the deadlock against Uzbekistan, but it was worth the wait.
As Luiz Diaz held the ball out the field, Muñoz signalled with exactly what he wanted. He ghosted in behind the defence as the perfect delivery took flight, let the ball cross his body, and flicked home first-time with his left foot. Quality.
While the video is in Spanish, this breakdown is worth a watch.
5. Vinícius Júnior (Brazil 1-1 Morocco)
Again, people may have seen this in real-time as it was a Saturday 11pm kick-off and one of the standout first-round games. (Swap in Folarin Balogun from USA 4-1 Paraguay later that night if so.)
But Vinícius Júnior’s first of the tournament was another thunderbolt. He charged down the left and towards the endline, before cutting back and dazzling a Morcco defender, to afford himself the time and space to rifle in the equaliser.
Another unstoppable finish, the net just about staying intact.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Football Golazos Soccer