The draw for the 2026 World Cup has left out high-stakes group stage matches. Far from the expected start, the first round will feature matches with history, opposing styles and teams arriving with real ambitions. Among these great duels, five stand out because of the hierarchy, context and appeal of football.
But in addition, the weaponization of the areas led to the activation of the Argentine team’s warnings in the subsequent situation. More clearly: If the Albiceleste team wins Group A, in the first head-to-head match they will face the team that ranks second in Group H, which will not leave Spain or Uruguay (the other participants in that region are Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia).
It will be one of the most watched first matches of the World Cup. Brazil, always the favorite and the only team that said it was present in all editions, will face the Moroccan team, which has just marked an era with its historic performance in Qatar 2022, where it finished fourth, and was recently crowned champion of the U-20 World Cup.
The fight pits the individual strength and competitive weight of the five-time champion against a strong, organized team that has the confidence to take on anyone.
Although the current situation of the team led by Carlo Ancelotti is bad and comes from a top-secret qualifier, Canarinha should never be excluded from the candidates to devote himself. Without a doubt, it will be a difficult start for both of us.
In the World Cup finals they have faced each other only once. It was in the group stage at France 1998, where Scratch won 3-0.
A crossroads for world champions with the scent of early qualifiers. Spain, true to its identity of possession and control, will clash with the power and competitiveness of Uruguay.
Since this clash will be played in the group’s final fixture, it could determine the rankings and positions within a region that also includes Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, theoretically lower-placed rivals.
It will be a match of two opposing styles, with well-known coaches (Luis de la Fuente and Marcelo Bielsa) and World Cup traditions.
They met in the World Cup twice and both drew: 2-2 in the final round for Brazil 1950, and 0-0 in the group stage for Italia 90.
Another duel that promises tension until the end. Colombia arrives with a renewed generation and great competitive speed. In fact, he is the current runner-up in America.
For its part, Portugal will seek to rely on its individual hierarchy, on the eternal Cristiano Ronaldo, and on the international experience led by Roberto Martinez, the current champion of the European Nations League. An open and dynamic match to the possibility of the scene, but interrupted by the tension that the context they are arriving at at that point might add.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams in the history of the World Cup.
Modern classic. The English and Croats meet again after memorable precedents on crucial occasions, such as the Russia 2018 semi-final.
A debut usually sets a trend and this clash will have pressure from the first minute. England, brimming with young talent and ambition, will seek to validate at this World Cup all the good that this generation has done, with Harry Kane at the helm.
Meanwhile, Croatia will try to maintain its relevance after going through a logical transition after an era in which it finished second in 2018 and fourth in 2022.
They have only faced each other once. That was in Russia 2018, in the semi-finals. It ended with Croatia winning 2-1 in extra time.
France, champion in 2018 and runner-up in 2022, seems likely to win, but Norway, with its strong and ambitious generation, and with the robot Erling Haaland as a superior scorer, appears to be a dangerous competitor.
Since it is played on the final day, the match can serve to determine the leadership of the group or even avoid surprises in the subsequent case, although it is an occasional occurrence that requires attention in advance.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams in the history of the World Cup.
The organization that led to the World Cup draw revealed a situation that FIFA initially sought to avoid: that Argentina and Spain did not face each other before the virtual final.
However, due to the Albiceleste falling into Group A, if they win their region they will face Group B in Group H, which should not come from Spain or Uruguay, who share a region with lower-ranked rivals, such as Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.
But this would be like anticipating events and playing with the assumptions of the World Cup, which began taking place on Friday with the groups being determined.