Record draws and Europe’s slow start – is the World Cup lacking jeopardy?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Eight of the 16 matches at this year’s World Cup have ended levelByMohamed Moallim, BBC Sport journalist and Gary Rose, BBC Sport journalist in SeattlePublished41 minutes agoDraws have been the defining feature of the opening week of the 2026 World Cup.Monday’s quartet of fixtures all ended level, with Spain held 0-0 by Cape Verde, Belgium drawing 1-1 with Egypt, Saudi Arabia sharing a 1-1 result with Uruguay and Iran playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw with New Zealand. It marked the first time since 15 June 1958 that four World Cup matches on a single day had all finished without a winner.More remarkably, the tournament has now produced eight draws from its opening 16 matches. No previous World Cup has recorded as many at the same stage. The previous high was seven, set in 1974, 1982 and 1986.The expanded 48-team format may have played a role. With only 16 of the 48 teams eliminated after the group stage, there is less jeopardy attached to an opening draw than in previous tournaments. Nations could qualify for the last 32 with just three points – three draws would almost certainly secure qualification.According to Football Meets Data, external, with three points, a goal difference of -1 offers an 87.5% chance of progression. That drops to 69.4% with a -2 difference, and 47.3% at -3.
