The FIFA World Cup is finally here with Mexico and South Africa kicking off the action on Thursday, but the action gets kicked into high gear over the weekend when a couple of heavyweights get their play underway.
The host nations take the spotlight on Thursday and Friday, with each of Mexico, Canada and the United States opening their Group’s play on those days.
When Mexico battles South Africa on Thursday, it will mark the first-ever FIFA World Cup match played on Mexican soil. Ditto for when Canada battles Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday for the first men’s tournament match ever played on Canadian soil.
The excitement of those matches will play more for the local fans than the casual observers, as Mexico enters this tournament ranked a respectable 14th, and Canada 30th.
On Saturday though, soccer fans get their first look at a tournament heavyweight when Brazil kicks off Group C action with a clash against Morocco at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey.
Morocco and Brazil meet in high-flying tournament opener
When Morocco and Brazil open the action on Saturday, it will be the only match in the first week of the World Cup to feature two teams ranked in the top 10 in FIFA’s World Rankings.
Brazil enters the tournament ranked No. 6 in the world, and the star-studded squad - led by Barcelona’s Raphinha and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior - will have a lot of pressure to restore Brazil to its former glory at the tournament.
The CONMEBOL nation has won a record five World Cup tournaments, but haven’t done so since defeating Germany in 2002. Brazil has never gone six consecutive tournaments without hoisting the trophy. At Qatar in 2022, Brazil was eliminated in penalty shots against Croatia in the quarter-final - their fourth quarter-final exit over the past five tournaments.
On the other side, Morocco is coming off of a historic run at the Qatar World Cup in which they became the first African nation ever to reach the semi-final. The side, led by PSG star Achraf Hachimi, rolled over powerhouses Spain and Portugal before falling to France in the semifinal and settling for a fourth-place finish.
That after unexpectedly topping a group that included Canada, Croatia and Belgium.
Morocco enters this tournament as the highest ranked non-European or South American side, and face a tall test in Brazil in their tournament opener while trying to prove Qatar was not a fluke.
Germany takes on Curacao to kick off Sunday’s action
Germany and Curacao meet on Sunday afternoon to open the Group E action at NRG Stadium in Houston, Tex.
Germany enters the World Cup ranked No. 10, and will look to improve upon recent failures at the tournament. The Germans have taken home the title four times - most recently in 2014 - but in their past two tournaments in Qatar and Russia, the dangerous side has failed to advance through the group stage. Prior to 2018, that had never happened to Germany in the history of the tournament.
Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann, appointed in Sept. 2023, is tasked with correcting course for the German side. He was able to guide Germany to a quarter-final exit in the 2024 Euros and will face a lot of pressure to take his side further in this tournament.
Germany’s first test comes in the form of Curacao - a CONCACAF nation that enters ranked No. 82 in the world and will be making its World Cup debut.
Curacao gained country status in 2010 when it received autonomy from the Netherlands Antilles, and there are Dutch fingerprints up and down the roster - including its coach, 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, who managed Netherlands at two previous World Cup tournaments in 1994 and 2006.
Netherlands and Japan meet in Group F opener
World No. 8 Netherlands opens up Group F action directly following the game between Germany and Curacao when they battle Japan.
Netherlands enters this tournament looking to shake the unfortunate distinction of the nation with the most appearances in the final match without a victory. The Dutch side finished runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
The Oranje were eliminated by eventual champions Argentina in the quarter-final round at Qatar in an instant classic, highlighted by a Wout Weghorst goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time to send it to extra time before Argentina eventually won on penalty shots. That match featured a World Cup-record 18 yellow cards and one red card.
Japan has become a regular fixture at the World Cup, as this will be the nation’s eighth consecutive appearance at the tournament.
The Samurai Blue enter this tournament ranked No. 18 in the world, and advanced out of the group stage in four of their first seven appearances. A positive result against Netherlands will make a lot of progress towards a fifth knockout-stage appearance.
