Focus: Group J

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026

Focus: Group J

Paris: Holders Argentina arrive at the FIFA World Cup aiming to become the first team in more than half a century to successfully defend their title.

Only two teams – Italy in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil in 1958 and 1962 – have won back-to-back FIFA World Cup crowns, underscoring the difficulty of the task facing Lionel Messi and his teammates.

Yet while history suggests the odds are stacked against the 2022 champions, there are grounds for believing that Argentina are more than capable of completing a rare double.

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Focus: Group E

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026

Focus: Group E

Paris: Four-time champions Germany head to North America seeking to break their more recent FIFA World Cup hoodoo after failing to make it out of the group stage at the last two editions.

Since Mario Goetze's extra-time winner at the Maracana in the 2014 final, perennial FIFA World Cup contenders Germany have had a miserable time on football's biggest stage.

Focus: Group F

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026

Focus: Group F

Paris: Sweden are hoping a strikeforce featuring Premier League stars Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres can fire them through a tricky FIFA World Cup Group F, after they scraped into the tournament without winning a single group game in qualifying.

Graham Potter's side will take on the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia in North America, bidding to extend their run of reaching the knockout phase at each of the past four FIFA World Cups they have qualified for.

Focus: Group G

Fri, 05 Jun, 2026

Focus: Group G

Paris: Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Belgium stalwarts Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois head into Group G at the FIFA World Cup 2026 knowing this summer's tournament will likely be their last chance for glory on football's biggest stage.

Their respective countries have been drawn together into the same pool, alongside New Zealand and Islamic Republic of Iran.

Focus: Group H

Fri, 05 Jun, 2026

Focus: Group H

London: Spain's FIFA World Cup preparations have been beset by fitness concerns, including to star winger Lamine Yamal, as Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa faces a challenge to his authority before aiming to shock the European champions in Group H.

Barcelona's Yamal could reportedly miss Spain's opening two games against tournament debutants Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia due to the hamstring injury he suffered in April.

The 18-year-old is not the only injury worry for Luis de la Fuente with several of the key members of his Euro 2024-winning squad experiencing disrupted seasons.

Focus: Group I

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026

Focus: Group I

Paris: Winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, France arrive at this FIFA World Cup as one of the leading contenders, but the planet's top-ranked team face stiff tests against Senegal and Norway in Group I, which also features outsiders Iraq.

Les Bleus have won the FIFA World Cup twice and lost two further finals on penalties in the last seven editions, including last time in Qatar when they were beaten by Argentina in a shoot-out after Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in an epic contest.