The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 186 days and there is added excitement after Saturday’s full schedule was decided.
From a World Cup rematch between England and Croatia to a mouthwatering showdown between Portugal and Colombia, there will be no shortage of entertainment next summer across North America.
Brazil, Spain, Uruguay, and Morocco will also be among the top teams to watch while Curacao’s date with European powerhouse Germany will surely be a David vs. Goliath matchup.
With the full group stage schedule now known, here is a closer look at the Top Ten matches:
Brazil vs. Morocco
One of the top opening matches at the World Cup will be No. 5-ranked Brazil vs. No. 11-ranked Morocco at MetLife Stadium.
Brazil, led by Carlo Ancelotti, will be seeking a strong start to the competition while Morocco will seek an upset against one of South America’s best nations.
From Vinicius Junior to Achraf Hakimi, there will be a lot of intriguing one-on-one battles between the two contending sides.
The two teams last met in competitive action back in 1998, with Brazil earning a 3-0 World Cup victory. Morocco did win the last friendly meeting by a 2-1 scoreline back in 2023.
Uruguay vs. Spain
A third-ever World Cup showdown between Uruguay and Spain will see the Spaniards look to continue their overall dominance against their South American opponents.
Spain has won of its 10 all-time meetings with Uruguay, while also tying the other five matches. The two countries last met at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013, with Spain earning a 2-1 victory on that day.
A storyline to watch will be the coaching matchup between of the sport’s oldest modern-day managers; Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa (70-years-old) and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente (64-years-old).
England vs. Croatia
England will be riding a three-match head-to-head unbeaten run when its faces Croatia in World Cup play.
However, the last World Cup meeting between the two countries famously went in Croatia’s favor, a 2-1 extra time semifinal triumph over the Three Lions in Moscow.
Both England and Croatia will still rely on some old reliables (Harry Kane, Luka Modric, and others), but some younger talent will be the face of the respective programs for years to come (Josko Gvardiol, Jude Bellingham, etc).
Colombia vs. Portugal
A first-ever meeting between Colombia and Portugal should provide plenty of excitement in the group stage.
Colombia has continued its upward trend over the last few years, competing with Argentina and Brazil to become the best in South America. Between Luis Diaz’s goalscoring abilities, James Rodriguez’s playmaking talents, and Davinson Sanchez’s defensive leadership, Colombia has become one of the tougher nations to beat.
Portugal remains led by star attacker Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as key veterans Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. There are zero shortage of goalscoring weapons for Roberto Martinez to consider, especially when you add in players like Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos.
This matchup is both nations’ final of the group stage, meaning top spot in Group K could be up for grabs.
Germany vs. Curacao
What many will think is a walkthrough for Germany could very well be a potential upset in Group E.
Julian Nagelsmann’s squad will take on CONCACAF minnows Curacao in both nations’ opening match of the tournament. The four-time World Cup winners may not have as many dominant figures in the squad as their past involvements, but still have plenty of talent to choose from.
Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry headline the attack while Joshua Kimmich remains one of the best at his position.
Curacao used a last day draw with Jamaica to seal automatic qualification, becoming the smallest nation to reach the World Cup. Led by former Premier League, Bundesliga, and International manager Dick Advocaat, Curacao has become one of the rising nations in CONCACAF.
Juninho and Leandro Bacuna headline the attacking options while veteran goalkeeper Eloy Room is still performing at a high level.
Netherlands vs. Japan
June’s Netherlands-Japan matchup will mark the fourth-ever meeting between the two countries and their second-ever at the FIFA World Cup.
Ronald Koeman’s squad possesses plenty of top attacking options including Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay, Xavi Simons, and Donyell Malen. Midfielder Tiijani Reijnders is finding his footing in the Premier League with Manchester City while veteran defenders Virgil Van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt anchor a top backline.
Japan has rolled since its October loss to the U.S. men’s national team, winning three of its last four matches. Midfielders Takumi Minamino and Daichi Kamada are two of the leaders in the squad while Keito Nakamura remains a top threat in the final-third.
This will be the opening match for both teams’ at the tournament, meaning three points are at a premium.
Norway vs. France
Two of the world’s top attackers will be on display when Norway meets France in a Group I finale from Foxborough.
Erling Haaland’s Norway meets Kylian Mbappe and 2018 World Cup winners France in both teams’ final group stage match next June. Norway rolled through World Cup Qualifying, with Haaland’s 16 goals finishing as the most by any player in the cycle.
France continued to get more players in the mix throughout its qualifying schedule, relying on more than just Mbappe to seal automatic qualification. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Hugo Ekitike, and Maghnes Akilouche are just a few of the secondary weapons to Mbappe for Didier Deschamps to call on.
This match could certainly be a shootout from Massachusetts.
Mexico vs. South Korea
For the second time in the past three World Cups, Mexico and South Korea will do battle.
Co-hosts Mexico have an 8-2-4 all-time record against the South Koreans, failing to lose in any of the last four matchups. El Tri have struggled to rack up wins over the past few months despite lifting the CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy in July.
Raul Jimenez, Orbelin Pineda, and Edson Alvarez remain three of the anchors in the squad.
South Korea have remained one of the more consistent sides in international football over the past four years. Led by LAFC’s Son-Heung Min, Korea Republic have lost just two matches since the start of 2024.
PSG’s Kang-In Lee, Bayern’s Min-Jae Kim, and Wolves’ Hee-Chan Hwang are also ones to watch for South Korea, along with the aforementioned Son.
Argentina vs. Austria
Argentina’s toughest match of the FIFA World Cup group stage will come against another Top-30 nation.
Lionel Messi and Co. will take on Austria at AT&T Stadium, a matchup that could pose very tricky. While Messi has continued to be a major goalscoring and playmaking threat, there are many others for manager Lionel Scaloni to rely on.
Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martinez, and Rodrigo De Paul are those leading candidates to chip in alongside Messi.
Austria may not have ample world class talent, but they do have a lot of hardworking players. Marcel Sabitzer, Marko Arnautovic, and Christoph Baumgartner have been around the block in Europe while defender Kevin Danso is the anchor of the backline.
The two nations have never met in World Cup play before, with Austria’s lone win over Argentina coming all the way back in 1966.
Switzerland vs. Canada
Vancouver’s BC Place will host one of the more intriguing matchups of the World Cup group stage.
Switzerland faces off with Co-hosts Canada in both teams’ final match of Group B. After a rough go-around in the last UEFA Nations League, the Swiss rebounded with a strong qualifying cycle which included four wins and two draws (pair of victories over Sweden, one each against Slovenia and Kosovo).
Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka is the leader in midfield while Breel Embolo, Djibril Sow, and Ruben Vargas are three of the Swiss’ top attacking weapons.
Canada continues to be one of the top-ranked CONCACAF nations, led by former U.S. international Jesse Marsch. A dynamic attack led by Juventus’ Jonathan David has made Canada a tough side to beat, while Promise David, Tajon Buchanan, and Tani Oluwaseyi have also chipped in over the past year.
This match also has the potential to decide the group winner.