These are the 10 best World Cup group stage matches

The 2026 World Cup is almost here in all its glory and that means non-stop action for fans to watch during a newly expanded tournament.

A record 48 teams will be playing a total of 104 matches across three countries for the most prized trophy in world soccer. Of those 104 contests, 72 matches make up the group stages of the tournament – the most ever in a World Cup.

With that many games across 17 days, it’s hard to keep track of which ones you should watch. If you’re like us at CNN Sports (well, at least myself and my colleague Ben Church), you’re likely to try to watch every single match at the tournament – even if the time zones are not friendly. Unfortunately, if you’re not really a big soccer fan or you’ve just gotten into “The Beautiful Game,” that’s probably not an option.

Have no fear, we’re here to give you some suggestions on which matches are likely to be the best contests on the pitch, so you can tune in and catch the most interesting games of the group stage. Remember, these are the 10 best games of the group stage, not necessarily all the notable storylines (like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo’s first matches of the tournament).

When: Saturday, June 13 @ 6 p.m. ET

Where: New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey

Why: Five-time winner Brazil heads into the competition on somewhat of an up-and-down trajectory: The Seleção finished fifth in Conmebol qualifying and had played lackluster soccer. However, the team has looked much better recently, winning three in a row. It also features some of the game’s biggest talents in Vinícius Jr., Raphinha and Endrick, along with star veterans like Neymar Jr. and Casemiro. Morocco, meanwhile, is the current African champion (controversially) and is a very well-balanced team – featuring names like Brahim Díaz, Achraf Hakimi and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou – that made the World Cup semis in 2022.

Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F)

When: Sunday, June 14 @ 4 p.m. ET

Where: Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium), Arlington, Texas

Why: The Netherlands is one of those teams that fans always proclaim as a dark horse – and for good reason. The Oranje has a lot of talent in both attack and defense and has recently progressed deep into the knockout rounds in both the Euros (semifinalists in 2024) and World Cup (quarterfinalists in 2022). Meanwhile, Japan is the best team from Asia and comes into the tournament on a six-match win streak. The Samurai Blue topped their group – which featured powerhouses Spain and Germany – in the 2022 World Cup, so they will be afraid of no one in North America. This game will likely decide who is top of Group F.

When: Tuesday, June 16 @ 3 p.m. ET

Where: New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey

Why: This battle of Francophone nations, in what is arguably this tournament’s Group of Death, will be electric. France is one of the favorites heading into the tournament with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki in its squad. Senegal, meanwhile, was the 2025 AFCON champion before a bizarre sequence of events stripped it of the title. The Lions of Teranga have a talented squad and will likely progress to the knockout stage, either as the runner-up or one of the best third-place teams.

England vs. Croatia (Group L)

When: Wednesday, June 17 @ 4 p.m. ET

Where: Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium), Arlington, Texas

Why: A clash of European juggernauts. The Three Lions head into this tournament as the bookmakers’ third-favorite and boast an incredible squad with players like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. There’s a lot of expectation and hope in England to finally make the statement “football’s coming home” a reality, so the pressure will be on manager Thomas Tuchel’s men to make the nation proud. Croatia is a recent World Cup overperformer, finishing runner-up in Russia 2018 and making the semifinals in 2022. The Vatreni have a golden generation – made up of the likes of Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić and Mateo Kovačić – to thank for this and they have brought those veterans back for one last dance. Let’s see if the vets have enough left in the tank to make another deep run.

When: Monday, June 22 @ 8 p.m. ET

Where: New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey

Why: Erling Haaland. As my colleague Ben previously alluded to in our Players to Watch piece, all eyes will be on the 6-foot-5 goalscoring machine in his first ever World Cup. Norway breezed through qualification for the tournament, scoring 37 goals and conceding only five – Haaland scored an astounding 16 of those. While this will be the Røde, Hvite, Blå’s second group stage game (expect the Manchester City man to star against Iraq on June 16), this match will likely determine the runner-up from Group I.

When: Thursday, June 25 @ 4 p.m. ET

Where: New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey

Why: OK, hear me out. You might understand Germany being one of the teams to watch – they have after all won four World Cups and have quite a few recognizable names – but Ecuador? Well, for one, La Tricolor finished second in South America’s tough Conmebol qualification over the likes of Colombia, Uruguay and Brazil. Second, they have a very underrated squad and a unity that will make them hard to beat. Third, the team is used to playing in very extreme conditions – Ecuador’s national stadium in Quito sits over 9,100 feet above sea level – which gives it an advantage no matter where it plays in this tournament. Keep an eye on the team, it might just be the Group E winner…

When: Thursday, June 25 @ 10 p.m. ET

Where: Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Inglewood, California

Why: Ah, you thought you wouldn’t see a USMNT match in this list? Well, here’s a pleasant surprise for you fans of the Red, White and Blue. This match should be very entertaining. Turkey is a solid squad on an eight-match unbeaten steak heading into the tournament (including a 2-2 away draw against Spain in World Cup qualifying). Ay-Yıldızlılar also features one of the brightest young talents in world soccer in Arda Güler and some of the most fervent supporters on the planet. The US, meanwhile, had an up-and-down path to the World Cup but showed signs of what is possible in a 3-2 win over Senegal. This game could determine who is the group winner, so tune in to see what happens.

When: Friday, June 26 @ 3 p.m. ET

Where: Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium), Foxborough, Massachusetts

Why: Haaland vs. Mbappé might be your main draw, but I’m going to use this space to wax lyrical about the aforementioned Michael Olise. The French winger has had a fantastic season with Bayern Munich, helping the Bavarians to the Champions League semifinals and racking up an outrageous 52 goals and assists this campaign across all club competitions. Olise has also kept that form up with the national team ahead of the World Cup, scoring a hat-trick in France’s 3-1 win over Northern Ireland on Monday night – including an incredible solo effort from outside the box. I haven’t even gotten to mention Ousmane Dembélé at all in this space, so needless to say, Les Bleus are the favorites here.

When: Friday, June 26 @ 8 p.m. ET

Where: Guadalajara Stadium (Estadio Akron), Zapopan, Mexico

Why: In what is likely to be its most difficult match of the group stage, tournament favorite Spain takes on two-time World Cup winner Uruguay. La Roja has talent all over the pitch, but all eyes will be on Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal. The Barça teenage superstar is arguably the best player in the world when he’s playing at his full capacity. A hamstring injury ended his La Liga season early, though it’s expected he will be available for Spain’s first match against Cape Verde on June 15. In all likelihood, La Celeste won’t win this match (despite some world-class players like Federico Valverde), but this is a great chance to see if Yamal returns to his peak against a solid opponent. If he does, La Roja will be tough to stop.

When: Saturday, June 27 @ 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium), Miami Gardens, Florida

Why: On paper, this is the best match in Group K and very well could determine who goes through top of the group. Colombia finished third in Conmebol qualifying – though it was level on points with three other national teams – and was runner-up in the 2024 Copa América. Los Cafeteros also feature the likes of Bayern Munich star Luis Díaz up front, so could pose some challenges for the Portuguese defense. However, Portugal is the bookmakers’ fourth-favorite of the tournament and boasts a very strong squad with arguably the best midfield in the tournament – Vitinha, João Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva all feature. While he’s past his prime, Cristiano Ronaldo has also been called up to this Portugal team and could be the difference-maker if manager Roberto Martínez can deploy him in the right situations.