Now we’re really in it: The 2026 FIFA Men\u2019s World Cup holds its first full match day on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The opener of the four-game slate sees 2022 host Qatar face an ambitious Switzerland team in Northern California. The drama then shifts to New Jersey for what is arguably the best group stage game at this tournament when Brazil faces Morocco in a matchup between two top-10 teams in the FIFA World Rankings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scotland then kicks off its campaign against Haiti before the action concludes in Vancouver, where Australia and T\u00fcrkiye meet in what promises to be an intense and hard-fought game.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s go into detail on these games.<\/p>\n
Qatar vs. Switzerland: How to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Switzerland arrives at this World Cup with the realistic goal of making a long run into the knockout stages. Switzerland performed brilliantly in World Cup qualifying, winning UEFA\u2019s Group B without losing a game. In a group that had Kosovo, Slovenia and Sweden, the Swiss scored 14 goals and conceded just twice while winning four games and drawing twice. That run has seen Switzerland climb to 19th in the FIFA World Rankings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Head coach Murat Yakin has been the architect of the team\u2019s success, and he has Switzerland playing consistently well in major tournaments. He took over in 2021 and led the team to qualification for the 2022 World Cup after finishing above Italy to win its group. At the World Cup, the Swiss advanced to the Round of 16 before losing to Portugal. At Euro 2024, Yakin\u2019s team beat Italy in the Round of 16 before losing to England in a shootout in the quarterfinals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unlike Switzerland, Qatar enters this tournament without much positivity. In 2022, Qatar had the worst campaign of any host nation in the history of the World Cup, having lost all three of its games and scoring just one goal. Qatar last won on October 14 in a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates in its final World Cup qualifier. The team followed that with a terrible run at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, which it hosted and lost all three of its games to Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia.<\/p>\n Qatar is coached by Julen Lopetegui, who was on Spain\u2019s roster at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The Spaniard was hired in May 2025 and helped the team seal qualification to the World Cup, but he has his work cut out for him this summer.<\/p>\n Qatar vs. Switzerland: Player to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Midfielder \u00b7 Switzerland<\/p>\n Xhaka is the captain and the emotional leader of Switzerland. With a run to the knockouts at this tournament, he will likely surpass 150 career caps with the national team.<\/p>\n The 33-year-old has been a winner throughout his career. He won two Swiss Super League titles and a Swiss Cup with Basel. Then, after a stop in Germany with Borussia M\u00f6nchengladbach, he moved to Arsenal for seven seasons, during which he won two FA Cups and eventually became the team\u2019s captain.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2023, Xhaka moved to Bayer Leverkusen and had a big role in snapping Bayern Munich\u2019s run of 11 seasons as Bundesliga champions. He now plays for Sunderland in the English Premier League.<\/p>\n Xhaka is not the player he was in his prime, but he has been instrumental to the national team\u2019s rise this decade. He’s now tasked with overseeing continued progress at the World Cup.<\/p>\n Brazil vs. Morocco: How to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n One of the concerns over the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams is that the group stage would become diluted and lack matchups between star teams. That proved not to be the case in Group C.<\/p>\n Both Brazil and Morocco have the realistic goal of making a long run at this World Cup, and the FIFA World Rankings reflect that, with Brazil sitting sixth and Morocco at seventh.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a five-time World Cup champion, Brazil has not been as dominant in recent major tournaments. It exited the 2022 World Cup in the quarterfinals after a shootout loss to Croatia. Then, at the 2024 Copa Am\u00e9rica, Brazil finished second in its group and lost its first knockout game to Uruguay. Brazil also finished fifth in World Cup qualifying in South America.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brazil attempted to reignite the team by hiring legendary Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has led many of the biggest clubs in the world, including Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain. He has never coached a national team before, though.<\/p>\n While Brazil might not be a top tournament favorite like France or Spain, the team has played well in the build-up to the tournament. In March, Brazil lost narrowly to France 2-1 before defeating Croatia 3-1. In the two tune-up friendlies, Brazil looked strong in wins over Panama and Egypt.<\/p>\n Four years ago, Morocco sent shock waves at the World Cup where the “Atlas Lions” made a run to the quarterfinals that included wins over Belgium, Canada, Spain and Portugal.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since then, Morocco has not let up. The team qualified for the World Cup with a dominant run through qualifiers that saw it win all eight of its games while scoring 22 goals and conceding just two. Following qualifying, Morocco won the 2025 African Cup of Nations for the second time in its history. \u00a0That tournament had a controversial ending where Morocco was awarded the title when it was ruled Senegal forfeited the final after initially walking off the field after a disputed VAR decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n Regardless, Morocco is a feared opponent. Much of the team\u2019s success has been due to the growth of recruiting players of Moroccan descent who were born and raised in Europe. Out of the 26 players in Morocco’s World Cup squad, 19 players were born outside the country.<\/p>\n Among those foreign-born players are top players are Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi, both of whom were born in Spain. Lille’s teenage midfield sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi was born in France.<\/p>\n The winner of this game will immediately be considered the favorite to make at least the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n Brazil vs. Morocco: Player to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Forward \u00b7 Brazil<\/p>\n Brazil\u2019s left winger will earn his 50th national cap if he plays, as expected, against Morocco. Real Madrid’s attack typically flows through him, as his pace and explosiveness opens space for others such as Kylian Mbapp\u00e9.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vini Jr. has had some impressive games for Brazil, but at the World Cup he will be looking to produce outings that put him among the great Brazilians of the past.<\/p>\n Haiti vs. Scotland: How to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, Scotland will play its first World Cup game since 1998 when it faces Haiti, which will be making its second overall appearance in the tournament and first since 1974.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scotland will be making its ninth appearance at the World Cup, and the team has never advanced out of the group stages before. Ranked 42 in the latest FIFA World Rankings, this game against Haiti is critical to the team\u2019s chances of advancement.\u00a0<\/p>\n With Brazil and Morocco as the other teams in Group C, Scotland will be a heavy underdog in the next two games. But a win on Saturday might be enough for Scotland to finally play its first ever World Cup knockout round as eight of the 12 third-place teams advance.\u00a0<\/p>\n Led by head coach Steve Clarke since 2019, Scotland was one of the European surprises in World Cup qualifying after winning UEFA\u2019s Group C over Denmark, Greece and Belarus. In the final game at Glasgow\u2019s Hampden Park, Scotland needed a result over Denmark and came away with a 4-2 win to end its 28-year World Cup absence.\u00a0<\/p>\n Based on its two pre-World Cup friendlies, Scotland look prepared for the tournament having defeated Cura\u00e7ao, 4-1, on May 30, and Bolivia, 4-1, on June 6.\u00a0<\/p>\n Haiti enters the tournament as the second-lowest team in the FIFA World Rankings at 83, where it is ahead of only New Zealand at 85. Like Scotland, any realistic hope of advancing depends on winning this game on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Coached by S\u00e9bastien Mign\u00e9 of France, Haiti was able to qualify for this World Cup through a CONCACAF tournament that was missing its three strongest teams in Mexico, the United States and Canada, which qualified automatically as co-hosts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Haiti\u2019s story was inspiring, as the team was forced to play all of its home games in Cura\u00e7ao due to unrest in the team’s home country. Ultimately, the Haitians were able to secure qualification by winning Group C over traditional regional powers Costa Rica and Honduras. On the final matchday, Haiti defeated Nicaragua, 2-0, to finish atop the group.<\/p>\n Haiti vs. Scotland: Player to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Midfielder \u00b7 Scotland<\/p>\n The Napoli midfielder is the key to Scotland\u2019s success at the World Cup. Andy Robertson is the captain, but McTominay driving the offense was instrumental towards the team\u2019s successful qualification. Needing a win over Denmark in the final qualifier at Hampden Park, McTominay scored the first goal of the game with a bicycle kick that set the tone for a 4-2 win.\u00a0<\/p>\n Against Haiti, Scotland will likely have most of the possession and most of the chances. The question will be whether the Scots can convert the chances into goals. McTominay will be important to that effort.<\/p>\n Australia vs. T\u00fcrkiye: How to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n In 2002, T\u00fcrkiye seemed as if it was a team on the rise after it finished third at the World Cup in Korea\/Japan. Surprisingly, after its 3-2 win over South Korea in that third-place game, T\u00fcrkiye would not return to the tournament for 24 years.<\/p>\n On Saturday night in Vancouver, T\u00fcrkiye finally returns to the tournament when it takes on Australia.\u00a0<\/p>\n T\u00fcrkiye qualified for the 2026 World Cup after finishing second in UEFA\u2019s Group E behind Spain but ahead of Bulgaria and Georgia. This sent T\u00fcrkiye to the playoffs, where it got past Romania in the semifinals and Kosovo in the final.\u00a0<\/p>\n Coached by Italian Vincenzo Montella since 2023, T\u00fcrkiye enters this tournament ranked 22 in the FIFA World Rankings and playing terrific soccer, having seven wins and a draw in its last eight games, including the World Cup qualifying playoffs and its two recent friendly wins over North Macedonia and Venezuela.\u00a0<\/p>\n Australia enters this game ranked 27 in the FIFA World Rankings and will be playing in its sixth straight World Cup dating back to 2006. The 2022 tournament in Qatar was a positive experience for the team, as it lost to France but defeated Tunisia and Denmark to finish second in its group. In the round of 16, it put up a respectable effort in a 2-1 loss to eventual champions Argentina.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Socceroos did not have a smooth ride in qualification. A home loss to Bahrain and a draw with Indonesia, resulted in head coach Graham Arnold getting sacked.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tony Popovic was then hired, and the team responded very well with an unbeaten run the rest of the way. Highlights included a 1-0 win over Japan. Australia clinched its ticket in June with a 2-1 comeback away win over Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n Australia vs. T\u00fcrkiye: Player to Watch<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Midfielder \u00b7 T\u00fcrkiye<\/p>\n T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s new generation has many promising young players, but G\u00fcler is the best. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is already a mainstay in Real Madrid\u2019s lineup. He joined the Spanish giants in 2023 from Fenerbah\u00e7e, and in his first season with Real Madrid, he won La Liga and the Champions League.\u00a0<\/p>\n With T\u00fcrkiye, the offense runs through G\u00fcler, and he will be difficult for Australia to contain if he is on his game. If G\u00fcler struggles in this World Cup debut, Australia will have a shot. Either way, he is the most consequential player in this game.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" POPULAR SEARCHES BROWSE BY Now we’re really in it: The 2026 FIFA Men\u2019s World Cup holds its first full match day on Saturday.\u00a0 The opener of the four-game slate sees 2022 host Qatar face an ambitious Switzerland team in Northern California. The drama then shifts to New Jersey for what is arguably the best group […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4632,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}