The reported sequence included Spain 0-0 Cape Verde, while Belgium and Egypt shared the points. Saudi Arabia and Uruguay also drew, and Iran came from behind twice against New Zealand before settling for another stalemate.
That is a remarkable matchday pattern, but it does not create a single football story. A goalless draw can reflect disciplined defending, while a match featuring two comebacks can offer drama despite the identical result. In group-stage football, one point can also be strategically valuable.
Giri’s post landed because the criticism is familiar in chess. Draws, slow formats and difficult-to-follow broadcasts have long been used by outsiders to question the sport’s wider appeal. The report says he turned those complaints back on football, arguing that the game could improve its presentation and reach a broader audience.
That exchange also exposed the limits of comparing the two sports. A chess draw is often the final product of prolonged calculation. A football draw can contain missed chances, tactical shifts, late pressure and emotional swings before the score remains unchanged.
Supporters pushed back by arguing that football’s appeal comes from its culture as much as its scoring. Rivalries, iconic moments and player personalities give even a low-scoring match a wider meaning. Giri reportedly responded that the sport can become too elitist and toxic online, before returning to chess.
The next round of group matches will offer the clearest answer to the debate. More goals would quiet the critics, but another run of draws would keep Giri’s joke-and football’s entertainment argument-alive.