10) Turkey vs United States
Despite a handful of historically friendly matches, this will be the first time that these two nations clash in a FIFA World Cup tournament, with a match that has all the ingredients to become a classic during this tournament.
Turkey holds the upper hand in recent memory as they won a friendly about a year ago 2-1 but they will be fully tested in a packed stadium in Los Angeles where the U.S. will have all the support they need to impose their athleticism, pressing intensity, and attacking pace against a Turkish side with plenty of technical creativity and the ability to make the most of potential stretches of momemtum.
9) Ghana vs Croatia
A Ghanaian squad desperate to make up for their disappointing campaign four years ago in Qatar, and a Croatian side who have placed second and third across the previous two World Cups, will go head-to-head in Philadelphia in what could turn out to be a hugely interesting battle.
Ghana will arrive at the World Cup on the back of a chaotic lead-up to the tournament as ex-coach Otto Addo was sacked on March 31st after a 5-1 thrashing by Austria and a 2-1 loss to Germany, but they could still prove a tall order for the Croatians, who will rely on their tournament experience and veteran quality to carry them far in the tournament.
8) Argentina vs Austria
This will be the first time that these two countries face each other at the World Cup, and while most Argentina experts will regard this match as just another stepping stone towards defending their title from Qatar, Ralf Rangnick's tactical genius as the mastermind of Austria could be a big surprise for the South Americans.
Argentina will head into the game aiming to settle into their usual stylish short-passing game, but that will be hard to sustain against Austria's aggressive pressing game and desire to create discomfort and chaos all over the pitch. The contrast in styles is certain to turn into one of the tournament's most interesting clashes.
7) Uruguay vs Spain
As the reigning European champions, Spain cleared their path for the World Cup with an astounding record to cruise through qualifying Group A. Coach Luis de la Fuente has led the team since 2022 to carry on Spain's well-known style of possession-based football, dominating midfield thanks to a multitude of star performers.
But Spain could potentially run into trouble against Uruguay’s incredible intensity, physicality, and direct attacking style. Uruguay, for all their history in the World Cup, has often been underestimated, and this will be a clash between two completely different footballing identities.
6) Brazil vs Morocco
Brazil versus Morocco has the potential to become one of the most fabulous clashes of the group stage. Brazil arrives at the World Cup with all the attacking flair and technical creativity that we expect from them, but they struggled to put goals together in the qualifying phase, and they could get into trouble against a defensively oriented Moroccan side whose counterattacking speed could create a fascinating matchup.
Morocco's Atlas Lions, who were awarded the AFCON title in controversial circumstances after initially losing to Senegal, embarked on a stunning run to fourth place at Qatar 2022, and they could prove a handful for any of the tournament favourites at the 2026 World Cup.
5) France vs Senegal
In the opening match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Senegal, who were making their debut at football's greatest spectacle, defeated the defending champions, France, 1–0 in what remains one of the most shocking upsets in football history. Now the question is whether history could repeat itself 24 years later.
Les Bleus, who cruised through their qualifying campaign, will be looking to get their 17th World Cup participation off to a great start in search of their third successive final, while Senegal, which has only lost two matches since December 2024, will be looking to improve on their result from Qatar 2022, where they bowed out in the Round of 16.
4) Colombia vs Portugal
This match-up seems perfect as Portugal will venture into the tournament with the luxury of having plenty of attacking depth and tournament experience, while Colombia’s balanced squad and physicality will make them a likely contender to finish first in the group.
Players like Rafael Leão, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Joao Neves will no doubt attempt to make their presence felt in a very technically gifted Portuguese midfield. But they could find it hard to break down a finely-tuned and very defensively balanced Colombian squad, which will also pose a threat in the transitional phase through the pace of Luis Diaz.
3) Germany vs Ivory Coast
This will be the first clash ever between these two nations. Four-time winners, Germany, were surprisingly eliminated at the group phase at both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 and will be desperate to dispel the memories of those tournaments under the reign of new coach Julian Nagelsmann.
The Ivory Coast, meanwhile, is back on the global stage for the first time since Brazil 2014 with a clear tactical identity where the Africans pose a huge threat in the transitional phase, as the Ivory Coast is clearly dangerous immediately after winning the ball, and this could present an interesting matchup against the Germans.
2) France vs Norway
Eight months ago, no one would have predicted that this could become one of the most explosive games of the group stage. But thanks to the multitude of attacking talent on both sides, this is one match at the World Cup that you don't want to miss. France arrives at the World Cup with an array of talent within their squad and can overwhelm any side with their pace, athleticism, and individual quality, especially in the transition phase.
It could prove fatal to underestimate this Norwegian side, which completely dismantled Italy in the qualifying phase and will pose a challenge for even some of the more established teams at the World Cup, thanks to their attacking trio of Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and Antonio Nusa.
1) England vs Croatia
England and Croatia look set to battle it out for top spot in Group L, although Ghana may also have a say in the matter. Given the history between these two nations and the in-depth quality of both squads, this could turn into an instant classic.
England looks to have a stronger squad than when they crashed out against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, boosted by the likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, and Bukayo Saka. The Croatians will once again look to 40-year-old Luka Modric to carry the hopes of an ageing squad on his shoulders.