World Cup Passport: Group Stage, Round 2 Matches to Watch

By Brian Maurer

Photo courtesy of Cisco's Art/TopBin90)

The World Cup Group Stage has been full of exciting and historic moments as Round 1 finished with Colombia taking the lead in Group K after beating Uzbekistan 3-1.

Canada, Qatar, Cabo Verde, and Congo all earned their first-ever World Cup points this past round, and Lionel Messi (16 goals) and Kylian Mbappe (14) are locked into a battle for all-time World Cup goalscorer.

Here is a look at five key matches to watch in Round 2:

Mexico vs South Korea - Today at 9 PM ET

Mexico and South Korea both won their opening round fixtures and are now set to face off for top spot in Group A. Korea impressed in their opener against Czechia, and Mexico looked solidly a step ahead of a struggling South Africa side. Whoever wins this game today all but locks in the top of the group.

USA vs Australia - Friday, June 19 at 3 PM ET

The US had one of the strongest performances of any team in Round 1 and will be looking to build on that momentum against Australia, who pulled off the upset against Turkiye. Like Mexico and Korea in Group A, a win for either team on Friday all but clinches top spot in Group D.

Netherlands vs Sweden - Saturday, June 20 at 1 PM ET

Sweden had an emphatic win over Tunisia in Round 1, and the Netherlands drew Japan in one of the most exciting fixtures in the 2026 World Cup so far. Now these two European sides will face off as the Swedes look to maintain their spot at the top of Group F, while the Dutch are looking to get their World Cup back on track after dropping points late to Japan.

Germany vs Ivory Coast - Saturday, June 20 at 4 PM ET

Germany dominated Curacao in Round 1, and Ivory Coast pulled off a late winner against Ecuador to give them a chance to push for top spot in Group E. Ivory Coast should provide a far more stingy test against the Germans than Curacao, so this matchup could very well decide how the group shakes out.

Argentina vs Austria - Monday, June 22 at 1 PM ET

Messi had a hat-trick in Round 1, which tied him with Miroslav Klose for the most goals scored in a World Cup. Argentina and Austria both had strong performances in their first games, so besides watching this game to see Messi make history, the Group J table will likely be decided by the result in this game.