For two players you have both competitive and cooperative options at entry level that are QUITE FUN. I think you need to find the ones that thematically speak to you more as to be honest there are dozens are solid good fun.
Pandemic is a good entry-level co-op game and it's quite TOPICAL. I also like playing Azul and Sintra - these are beautiful and fun for two even if they were probably designed for 3-4 players in mind, they're more like 1 player games with several people at the same time though. Another entry level game is Ticket to Ride, if you're into the whole travelling aspect even if IRONICALLY THESE DAYS. I also like Carcassone, you have to connect tiles using terrain and claim points for all your connections, it's simple to understand and not too taxing, and every game feels different.
There are also many resource management board games that can get quite long and intense for 2 players if you're looking for that kind of experience - Scythe, Civilization: A New Dawn or Twilight Struggle which you'll see mentioned as probably the DEFINITIVE 2 player game but it can be a bit much to jump into for first timers. However any game that allows you to play SALVADOR ALLENDE and MARGARET THATCHER as WILD CARDS is clearly something SPECIAL!