Mbappé Set New Jersey Alight and Entered France's History

France opened with a 3:1 win over Senegal, but for the first hour they looked like a team that hadn't come to the World Cup but to a summer camp. Until the 60th minute Senegal were the better side, and the French finished the half with a single shot and an embarrassing 0.02 expected goals. Then Kylian Mbappé came on - equalised in the 66th minute and broke the resistance with a long-range strike in stoppage time. It was his 14th World Cup goal, making him France's all-time top scorer, just two goals behind Klose's record. When a national team with this kind of budget leans on one man to bail it out, the question isn't whether Mbappé is a genius - it's what the other ten on the pitch are doing.

Messi With a Hat-Trick for History, Ronaldo Sets Off on a Final Hunt

While some are saying goodbye, others don't want to leave quietly. Lionel Messi led Argentina against Algeria with a hat-trick and added one more achievement to a list that already has nowhere left to fit. On the other side is Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 41 is playing the last World Cup of his career - the one trophy he's missing. Portugal isn't just him: there are Bruno Fernandes and Rafael Leão. But the story everyone is selling is the same old duel between the two who shared the stage for two decades. Will the final act bring Ronaldo what he lacks, or does the stage already belong to someone younger?

Haaland Debuted With Two Goals, Norway Steamrolled Iraq

Norway waited decades to return to the big stage, and Erling Haaland made sure the return didn't go unnoticed. Two goals in the first half on his World Cup debut and a convincing 4:1 win over a battling Iraq in Foxborough. The group is considered one of the tougher ones, and Norway immediately took first place. When a striker has been breaking club records for years while the national team barely made it to major tournaments, this is exactly the match that was waited for. The question now is whether Haaland can do the same when the rivals are bigger than Iraq.

Vardar in Pursuit of Europe, a Macedonian Derby Already in the First Round

At home, Vardar is preparing for the Champions League qualifiers as a seed in the second round, which means they avoid the heavy names like Red Star and Dinamo Zagreb - for now, at least. Even more interesting is that the first qualifying round brings a real Macedonian derby: Serafimov against Shishkovski and Herrera. When two Macedonian teams clash for a step towards Europe, one advances, the other ends its season early - and our football gets a duel worth more than ten friendlies against unknown opponents.

Shkëndija and Sileks Set Off Into the European Arena

The Macedonian representatives don't stop at Vardar. Shkëndija drew a rival from Gibraltar in the qualifiers and plays at its own arena, while Sileks was drawn against Dinamo Minsk - an opponent that on paper looks tougher than anything our clubs usually get in the early rounds. Kratovo are even organising free transport for fans, which shows the interest is there when there's something to cheer for. Europe almost always ends early for Macedonian clubs, but every round passed is revenue, ranking and proof that the league is still breathing.