Zlatan Is FOX's New Star: Winners and Losers From World Cup Day 2

The second day of the World Cup is done with, and we’ve now seen three host nations open their tournaments to varying degrees of success.

Here are the winners and losers from Day 2 at the World Cup.

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Winner: The United States of America

You really couldn’t have asked for a better curtain opening for the U.S. even if you had George Lucas (who was in attendance) wrote it. Not only did the Americans smack down Paraguay by a 4-1 scoreline, but they did it in actual entertaining fashion, scoring through linking plays and some beautiful struck balls.

While the team can’t get overconfident heading into a match with a gritty Australian side next week in Seattle, it’s the confidence they needed if they truly want to contend for the quarterfinals (or more) this summer.

Loser: Jonathan David

It was not a great start for the Canadian striker from Juventus, who was looked at to rise to the occasion as the team’s ace with the absence of Alphonso Davies due to injury. And though the ball found David in the box, he couldn’t score the goal his country needed to excite the crowd and get them into it following a relatively early Bosnia & Herzegovina set piece tally. It also didn’t help that the generally maligned Cyle Larin was the one late to equalize when things were getting scary for Canada.

Winner: Zlatan Ibrahimović

While there might have been some concern that the hyperbolic Ibrahimović might be a bit too much on the pundit desk for FOX, the Swedish striker has been anything but. He’s been excellent alongside the rest of the crew, and though he still is bringing that Zlatan flair, he’s mixing it up with genuine analysis. Although fans will continue harping on FOX’s coverage, the quartet of Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Alexi Lalas is actually gelling incredibly well.

Also, FOX using the “College Gameday” approach with the panel having the backdrop of the fans for the post-game shows is a great addition.

Loser: Qatar

Qatar doesn’t play until Saturday, so how are they a loser on Day 2?

Well, it’s because their infamous legacy at the World Cup got worse on Friday.

Mexico and the U.S won, along with a Canada draw, meaning that Qatar will remain the lone host nation to lose their opening game of the World Cup. Luckily for them, six nations will host at least one game at the World Cup in 2030: Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. But until then, though, Qatar’s loss to Ecuador four years ago will continue to be the glaring blemish for World Cup host countries.

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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 10:48 AM.