A larger World Cup had some worrying the competition would suffer. It hasn't

Cape Verde's midfielder Kevin Pina celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during a World Cup match against Uruguay in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday. Cape Verde played Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images LOS ANGELES — When FIFA announced that the 2026 World Cup would expand from 32 teams to 48 , there was some grumbling. Soccer purists, a few anyway, fretted that the inclusion of lower-ranked countries would lead to a slew of lopsided results and make the early matches a chore to watch. What's happened since the tournament kicked off on June 11 has been nothing short of thrilling, with unexpected results. On Sunday, Cape Verde continued its incredible run at its maiden World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay. This follows their opening Group H draw against highly favored Spain, 0-0 . From the African country with a population of just over half a million people, the Cape Verde team now has a good chance to advance to the knockout round. Also playing for the first time and doing well is Curaçao. It's the smallest country ever to participate (pop. 158,000) and on Saturday, tied Ecuador 0-0. Eloy Room made 15 saves in a scintillating performance in goal, securing the country's first-ever World Cup point. And how can you not love Scotland (and their delightful fans )? Scotland is back at the World Cup for the first time since 1998. …