The FIFA World Cup 2026 is giving both disappointments and unexpected surprises every now and then. Amid high expectations, guessing the dark horse still remains uncertain. The performances from the first-time World Cup teams, Cape Verde and Curaçao, were so far the best highlights. More than that, Germany just recreated the classic 7-1 scorecard against Curaçao. The Netherlands, on the other hand, saw a tough game against Japan, drawing 2-2. While the games have just begun, the long road to the World Cup knockout stages makes the Group Stage more exciting. Let’s look at the detailed preview and predictions for the games on 18th and 20th June 2026.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Recent Highlights
Brazil vs Morocco
The five-time FIFA World Cup champions, Brazil, drew with Morocco, who is no longer an underdog. Ismael Saibari scored the first goal in the 21st minute, and Vinícius Júnior equalized a few minutes later. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, where neither side scored a decisive goal. Fans even argue that Brazil underestimated Morocco.
Germany vs Curaçao
Germany pulled off a miracle against Curaçao just like they did in 2014 against Brazil. The first time World Cup players, Curaçao, scored a historic goal against Germany in the 21st minute. After that, Germany kept scoring a goal until the final moments. While they kept scoring, Manuel Neuer never conceded after that one goal. This was the highest-scoring match in the 2026 World Cup so far, and a dramatic match ever. Many argue that this reminded fans of the 2014 Germany vs Brazil draw.
Spain vs Cape Verde
Surprisingly, Cape Verde stopped Spain from scoring and surprised the fans. Spain entered the tournament with a strong midfield presence, but they benched Lamine Yamal, denying him his World Cup debut. Without Yamal’s striking finishing, Spain somewhat struggled to convert chances. Although they never scored, Cape Verde managed to stop Spain.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Upcoming Games and Preview
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date: 18 June 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 03:00 PM ET | 12:30 AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: Los Angeles Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for Switzerland
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Gregor Kobel |
| Defense | Silvan Widmer, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez (Captain) |
| Defensive Midfield | Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka |
| Attacking Midfield | Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Ruben Vargas |
| Attack | Breel Embolo |
Expected Starting Squad for Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Nikola Vasilj |
| Defense | Amar Dedić, Dennis Hadžikadunić, Tarik Muharemović, veteran Sead Kolašinac |
| Defensive Midfield | Amir Hadžiahmetović, Benjamin Tahirović. |
| Attacking Midfield | Esmir Bajraktarević, Armin Gigović, Ermedin Demirović |
| Attack | Edin Džeko |
Prediction
Bosnia’s recent friendly internationals highlight their resilient yet offensively blunt team. They lack the offensive form to face Switzerland. Meanwhile, Switzerland is well-positioned to win this clash in the tight Group B match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Switzerland’s current form and unbeaten streak in the qualifiers place them as a strong favorite.
Pick: Switzerland.
Canada vs Qatar
Date: 18 June 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 06:00 PM ET | 03:30 AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: BC Place
Expected Starting Squad for Canada
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Maxime Crépeau |
| Defense | Alistair Johnston, Luc De Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea |
| Midfield | Tajon Buchanan, Stephen Eustáquio, Ismaël Koné, Liam Millar |
| Attack | Jonathan David, Cyle Larin |
Expected Staring Squad for Qatar
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Mahmoud Abunada |
| Defense | Ayoub Al-Oui, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Homam Ahmed |
| Midfield | Jassem Gaber, Issa Laye, Assim Madibo |
| Attack | Edmílson Junior, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif |
Prediction
As the hosting nation, Canada is heavily favored to win in this FIFA World Cup group stage fixture against Qatar. Their individual talents and European-experienced stars show their depth. Qatar will likely struggle in midfield against Canada’s youthful and dynamic midfield presence. Jonathan David leads Canada’s attack, whose solid finishing is a major strength. Meanwhile, Qatar has issues with chance-making despite having good finishers.
Pick: Canada.
Mexico vs South Korea
Date: 18 June 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 09:00 PM ET | 06:30 AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: Guadalajara Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for Mexico
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Raúl Rangel |
| Defense | Jesús Gallardo, Jesús Gallardo, César Montes, Israel Reyes |
| Defensive Midfield | Érik Lira |
| Attacking Midfield | Julián Quiñones, Álvaro Fidalgo, Brian Gutiérrez, Roberto Alvarado |
| Attack | Raul Jiménez |
Expected Staring Squad for South Korea
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Seung-Gyu Kim |
| Defense | Han-Beom Lee, Min-Jae Kim, Lee Gi-Hyuk |
| Defensive Midfield | Seol Young-Woo, In-Beom Hwang, Seung-Ho Paik, Tae-Seok Lee |
| Attacking Midfield | Jae-Sung Lee, Kang-In Lee |
| Attack | Heung-Min Son |
Prediction
Mexico comes with a home advantage in this FIFA World Cup clash. They mainly focus on defense while still engaging in chance-making. They have won in their most recent matches, notably the 5-1 against Serbia. South Korea, at the same time, has beaten Czechia in clutch moments. While still being underdogs, South Korea possesses immense talent that should not be underestimated. Yet, Mexico’s depth makes it the favorite.
Pick: Mexico.
USA vs Australia
Date: 19 June 2026 (Friday)
Time: 03:00 PM ET | 12:30 AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: Seattle Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for USA
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Matt Freese |
| Defense | Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Alex Freeman |
| Defensive Midfield | Tyler Adams |
| Attacking Midfield | Malik Tillman, Weston McKennie |
| Attack | Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Sergiño Dest |
Expected Staring Squad for Australia
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Patrick Beach |
| Defense | Jacob Italiano, Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Cameron Burgess, Jordan Bos |
| Midfield | Connor Metcalfe, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Nestory Irankunda |
| Attack | Mohamed Touré |
Prediction
The USA has stepped up as one of the host nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They opened the game with a 4-1 win against Paraguay and absolutely dominated, holding more possession. With Christian Pulisic leading the team, the USA will have an easy time scoring. Yet, Australia’s tight corner defense is a considerable threat. They can be dangerous on the counter, but the USA’s depth is slightly better than Australia’s.
Pick: USA.
Scotland vs Morocco
Date: 19 June 2026 (Friday)
Time: 06:00 PM ET | 03:30 AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: Boston Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for Scotland
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Angus Gunn |
| Defense | Andrew Robertson, Scott McKenna, Grant Hanley, Ryan Porteous, Anthony Ralston |
| Midfield | Ryan Christie, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Lewis Ferguson |
| Attack | Ché Adams (or Lawrence Shankland) |
Expected Staring Squad for Morocco
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeeper | Yassine Bounou |
| Defense | Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Romain Saïss, Noussair Mazraoui |
| Midfield | Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss |
| Attack | Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Abde Ezzalzouli |
Prediction
Morocco enters after a stunning draw against Brazil. They are one of the teams that rose to the top after being an underdog for a long time. Their previous season’s finish was one of the best, knocking out Portugal in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. With a solid depth, they are favored to win over Scotland, whose squad is comparatively weak. Scotland’s tactical adaptability still has issues, which Morocco could easily exploit.
Pick: Morocco.
Brazil vs Haiti
Date: 19 June 2026 (Friday)
Time: 08:30 PM ET | 06:00AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: Philadelphia Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for Brazil
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Alisson Becker |
| Defense | Douglas Santos, Gabriel, Marquinhos, Roger Ibañez |
| Midfield | Raphinha, Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Lucas Paquetá |
| Attack | Vinícius Júnior, Igor Thiago |
Expected Starting Squad for Haiti
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Johny Placide |
| Defense | Carlens Arcus, Ricardo Adé, Hannes Delcroix, Martin Expérience |
| Midfield | Don Deedson Louicius, Danley Jean Jacques, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Ruben Providence |
| Attack | Wilson Isidor, Frantzdy Pierrot |
Prediction
In this FIFA World Cup draw, Brazil is heavily favored to beat Haiti. Coming back after a long gap, Haiti aims to capture a notable spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But the odds are against them as Brazil has a deeper squad with elite European stars. With elite attacking players like Igor Thiago, Vinícius Júnior, and Endrick, Brazil will easily outscore Haiti.
Pick: Brazil.
Turkey vs Paraguay
Date: 19 June 2026 (Friday)
Time: 11:00 PM ET | 08:30AM IST (Next Day)
Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for Turkey
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Uğurcan Çakır |
| Defense | Zeki Çelik, Merih Demiral, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Ferdi Kadıoğlu |
| Midfield | İsmail Yüksek, Orkun Kökçü, Arda Güler, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Kerem Aktürkoğlu |
| Attack | Barış Alper Yılmaz |
Expected Starting Squad for Paraguay
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Orlando Gill |
| Defense | Júnior Alonso, Omar Alderete, Gustavo Gómez, Juan José Cáceres |
| Midfield | Miguel Almirón, Damián Bobadilla, Andrés Cubas, Diego Gómez |
| Attack | Antonio Sanabria, Julio Enciso |
Prediction
Both teams enter after suffering defeats in the opening match. Currently, Turkey has the advantage over Paraguay, as they have a stronger attack. They have strong attacking talents like Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız. Paraguay, in contrast, is desperate to win after a devastating loss to the USA. The 4-1 loss shows their defense is weak. So, Paraguay’s chances of stopping Turkey are low.
Pick: Turkey.
The Netherlands vs Sweden
Date: 20 June 2026 (Friday)
Time: 01:00 PM ET 10:30 PM IST
Venue: Houston Stadium
Expected Starting Squad for The Netherlands
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Bart Verbruggen |
| Defense | Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven |
| Midfield | Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders |
| Attack | Crysencio Summerville, Donyell Malen, Cody Gakpo |
Expected Starting Squad for Sweden
| Position | Player |
| Goalkeeper | Kristoffer Nordfeldt |
| Defense | Victor Lindelöf, Isak Hien, Gustaf Lagerbielke |
| Midfield | Gabriel Gudmundsson, Yasin Ayari, Jesper Karlström, Alexander Bernhardsson, Benjamin Nygren |
| Attack | Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres |
Prediction
Sweden is predicted to beat the Netherlands after their dominating performance against Tunisia. They have elite forwards and have a top-tier midfield. The Netherlands has a strong midfield as well, with world-class midfielders like Tijjani Reijnders. Besides, their defensive field is solid, but Sweden’s explosive attack will enable them to outscore the Netherlands.
Pick: The Netherlands.
What to Look For in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has just begun, and teams are already running behind on the knockout-stage spots. Giants like Spain and Brazil are disappointing, while Germany and the USA are hinting at a possible championship contention. The legends Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, and Lamine Yamal are yet to appear, anticipating the matches ahead. Nevertheless, the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be full of drama.
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