Gakpo Steals the Show from Barcola as Anderson Channels His Inner Rodri: World Cup 2026 Hits and Misses

Sky Sports' signature "Hits and Misses" column turned its attention to the latest round of World Cup 2026 fixtures, and two names dominated the conversation: Cody Gakpo and Elliot Anderson. The pre-match narrative belonged to Bradley Barcola. The French winger arrived with a growing reputation and expectations that he could terrorise any defence in the tournament. Instead, it was Gakpo who seized the spotlight. The Dutch forward produced the kind of display that defines tournament football — intelligent movement, relentless pressing, and decisive contributions in the final third. As Sky Sports highlighted, Gakpo's ability to drift between the lines and arrive in dangerous areas at precisely the right moment made him virtually unmarkable. Where Barcola's flashes of brilliance flickered without igniting — heavy touches and rushed decisions blunting France's wide threat — Gakpo was the model of efficiency. His performance was the difference between a match billed as a showcase for one winger and one that became a statement from another. Barcola's quiet evening ranks among the misses. The young Parisian struggled to impose himself, too often isolated and frustrated by disciplined defensive shape. For a player tipped as one of the breakout stars of this World Cup, it was a night to forget — and a reminder that hype means nothing once the whistle blows. The second standout hit came from an unlikely source. Elliot Anderson, according to Sky Sports' analysis, passed like Rodri — and it is difficult to imagine higher praise for a midfielder. The comparison to the Manchester City and Spain metronome speaks to everything Anderson did well: scanning before receiving, retaining possession under pressure, and progressing the ball with calm, surgical precision. What impressed most was the variety in Anderson's distribution. Short passes to escape press, switches of play to release runners, and the occasional line-breaking through ball that carved openings. It was a performance built on control rather than chaos, and it gave his side a foundation to dominate territory. The tactical takeaway from the column is clear: at this World Cup, intelligence and composure are proving as valuable as raw pace and flair. Gakpo's calculated attacking and Anderson's Rodri-esque orchestration show that the tournament's defining performances are coming from players who understand space, timing and tempo. As the group stage narrative deepens, both men have put their names in lights. For Barcola, redemption may come in the next fixture — but for now, as Sky Sports concluded, the thunder belongs to Gakpo, and the midfield benchmarks are being set by Anderson.