World Cup Passport: Round 1 matches to watch

By Brian Maurer

Photo courtesy of Cisco's Art/TopBin90

The 2026 World Cup starts today, and with it come the hopes and dreams of 48 teams and the countries backing them. The opening round kicks off with several big-time matchups to set up the rest of the group stage.

Here are five must-watch games in Round 1 of the Group Stage:

The Opener: Mexico vs South Africa - Today at 3 PM ET

Need to include the opener here, as there is always a little extra drama around the first game. The early hype will hit a crescendo this afternoon with host country, Mexico, kicking off the competition. The expectations are always high for El Tri, and this year, likely even more so as they will have hosted the most World Cups of any nation when the game kicks off at 3 PM today.

This is the first time South Africa has qualified for the World Cup on merit since 2002, so anticipation of a strong showing among their fans will be high.

Brazil vs Morocco - Saturday, June 13 at 6 PM ET

Two top teams in the world will be going head-to-head this weekend. Expectations are now set far higher for Morocco after their deep run in 2022, and the expectations for Brazil are always among the highest of any national team.

The result in this matchup could set the tone for the rest of Group C.

Netherlands vs Japan - Sunday, June 14 at 4 PM ET

The Netherlands (#8) and Japan (#18) are both ranked in FIFA's top 20 and will be looking to push for the top spot in Group F. They can set their own trajectory for winning the group in a major way with a result on Sunday. Japan will not be timid about battling against the Netherlands after they upset both Germany and Spain in the 2022 World Cup.

France vs Senegal - Tuesday, June 16 at 3 PM ET

France is one of the bigger favorites to win the World Cup after making it to back-to-back finals (winning in 2018). Their opening fixture is an exciting one against Senegal, who are currently ranked 15th by FIFA. Group I looks to be the "Group of Death" in 2026, making a win in this opening fixture pivotal for both teams to top the group.

England vs Croatia - Wednesday, June 17 at 4 PM ET

England, as always, is looking to bring the trophy home, something they haven't done since 1966. In their way in Round 1 is Croatia, who will be looking to make another deep run after going to the final in 2018 and placing third in 2022. Group L is another tricky group, so a first-game result key for both squads.