The best games in the World Cup group stage

Which will be the best games to watch during the World Cup group stage in 2026? See which group fixtures will be the closest matchups or biggest mismatches!

Every four years, the World Cup provides us with so many exciting and thrilling games to watch on the biggest stage. However, sometimes it can be difficult to choose which World Cup matches to tune into aside from the ones your team is playing in. This is especially the case when the group stages are going on, with the most fixtures being played during this phase of the competition.

So, which games will be the best to watch during the 2026 World Cup group stage?

We’ve taken a look at the FIFA rankings and pinpointed the games that look like they will be the closest matchups, and which will be the biggest mismatches. Read on to learn about the group games that hold the highest potential to be exciting watches.

Or, perhaps dive straight into the latest World Cup betting odds for all the games as they unfold!

Which World Cup group games could go either way?

Below is a list of the fixtures that have the smallest differences in FIFA rankings between the two opposing teams: 

Now that you know which games are looking like either side could win, let’s highlight some of the best games in store for us.

Topping this list is Brazil’s opening Group C game against Morocco, which is the most closely contested fixture out of all group matches this summer. With the FIFA rankings placing Brazil in sixth and Morocco in eighth, only two positions separate the teams. As Morocco made it to the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament and Brazil only reached the quarter-finals, it will certainly be a game that sparks a lot of interest!

Turkey’s final Group D game against the USA is one of the more competitive games we may see during the group stages, with the two nations sitting in similar positions in the FIFA rankings. Turkey are placed 22nd, with the USA only sitting six places higher in 16th. The hosts are slight favourites with this in mind, but may even have their chances boosted if home advantage is taken into account. This is especially the case given it’s played in Los Angeles rather than at a Canadian or Mexican venue.

England’s first Group L game against Croatia is then another of the games that could go either way. FIFA have the Three Lions ranked in fourth place and Croatia in 11th place, meaning the two sides are separated by seven positions. Adding the fact that there’s history here after the two sides clashed in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals makes it an even more interesting fixture!

Colombia face Portugal in the final game of Group K in what rounds out the ten most competitive fixtures in the World Cup’s group stage. The South American outfit are ranked 13th, with Portugal placed fifth – leaving only eight places between the sides. With both teams having quality players, each nation has what it takes to impact the other’s chances of qualifying from the group.

Which World Cup group games are the most mismatched?

Now we move on to the biggest mismatches between teams in the group stages. These fixtures are looking like they’ll be some of the most one-sided matchups we’ll see, with one nation having a significant advantage over the other:

The largest disparity between two sides in the upcoming tournament’s group stage is Brazil’s second Group C game against Haiti. This is quite the contrast to their first group game against Morocco, given that it’s meant to be highly competitive. As mentioned before, Brazil are ranked sixth by FIFA, whereas Haiti are in 83rd, putting a large gap of 77 places between the nations. With Brazil under new manager Carlo Ancelotti and motivated to win the World Cup title for a sixth time, Haiti have a tough challenge ahead of them.

Germany’s first Group E game against Curaçao also presents another large gap in quality during the group stages. Die Mannschaft are placed tenth, sitting 72 positions above Curaçao in 82nd place. This evidently puts Germany as heavy favourites, especially with their five-game winning streak heading into June showing a run of good form prior to the tournament beginning.

The second Group L game between England and Ghana is meant to be another match with potential for a runaway victory. As England are ranked fourth and Ghana are in 74th, there are 70 places between the two sides – the fifth largest gap between two sides in the group stages. Like Brazil, there is a big contrast between the first group fixture and the second, jumping from one of the most competitive fixtures to the most one-sided! England are also under new management with Thomas Tuchel taking the reins and pushing for their first silverware since 1966, making Ghana’s job a tough one here.

Spain face Saudi Arabia in their second Group H game, with this set to round out the top ten biggest mismatches of the group stage. As Spain are ranked second and Saudi Arabia are ranked 61st, there’s a 59-place difference between the sides – showing a significant gulf in quality between the teams. The Euro 2024 champions are clear favourites here, although Saudi Arabia caused an upset by beating Argentina in 2022, so La Roja will have to keep this in mind heading into the game.