The group stage draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been confirmed, and there are several mouth-watering match-ups worth watching.
Co-hosts Canada have yet to discover who they will face in the curtain raiser, but that has not dampened enthusiasm amongst the online betting community.
Punters have been clamouring to take advantage of Ontario sportsbooks promos to boost their bankroll for betting on Canada to reach the knockout stage.
They are rated as 1.50 shots to progress out of the group, but bookmakers could push them out in the betting if Italy joins them in the group.
They will hope to avoid four-time World Cup winners, who must navigate their way through the play-offs in March to qualify for the tournament.
With several eye-catching fixtures on the cards, read on as we look at three must-watch matches that could light up the World Cup group stage.
Canada’s Opening Game – June 12
Canada’s opening fixture will attract a huge crowd, although they have yet to learn which team they will face in the curtain raiser.
They have been drawn in Group B alongside Switzerland and Qatar, but their final European opponents will be confirmed after the play-offs in March.
Canada will face one of Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia and Herzegovina, although Jesse Marsch’s side will prefer to face one of the latter three.
Marsch has not been coy about Canada’s ambitions for the World Cup, making it clear his side wants to win their group.
If that happens, they will likely play their round of 32 fixture in Vancouver, which will bolster their chances of making a deeper run in the tournament.
The Reds have never made it past the World Cup group stage, and Marsch is keen to make history. However, Canada’s optimism dropped a notch when they were placed in Group B along with the winner of UEFA Play-off ‘A’.
The draw opens the door to a mouth-watering possibility. A World Cup opener against Italy in Toronto would be a blockbuster, considering the city has a strong Italian community.
Canada will probably prefer to face Wales in the curtain raiser, especially after claiming a 1-0 friendly victory over them in September.
United States vs Paraguay – June 13
The United States will begin its 2026 World Cup campaign with a blockbuster contest against Paraguay in California.
Expectations are high for the US as they co-host the tournament for the first time in over three decades, and they will want to kick things off with a positive result.
Both sides have locked horns for over a month, with the Americans coming out on top with a 2-1 victory following an end-to-end contest.
That result will boost their confidence heading into this fixture, but securing a win in a friendly fixture does not guarantee that they can repeat the feat when the stakes are much higher.
Paraguay has what it takes to cause the US plenty of problems, despite blowing hot and cold over the past few months. They have won just three of their last nine fixtures.
However, it is worth noting that they booked their place in the World Cup after picking up 28 points in the qualifiers, the same as Colombia, Uruguay ,and Brazil.
With US manager Mauricio Pochettino expected to have a strong squad available next summer, the Americans will fancy their chances against Paraguay.
Scotland vs Brazil – June 24
Scotland’s final group stage game against Brazil at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens also fits into the ‘must-watch’ category.
After nearly three decades away from the World Cup, the Tartan Army will be keen to mark their return to the biggest tournament in football with a bang.
Scotland has been drawn in Group C alongside Morocco and Haiti. They will need to be at their best to make it through to the next round.
The Tartan Army have never featured in the knockout stage of the World Cup, so this could be a decent opportunity to buck the trend.
Depending on how they perform against Morocco and Haiti, they will probably need a positive result against record World Cup holders Brazil to advance.
Qualifying from Group C is a daunting task, but FIFA’s new format increases their chances as they could still progress if they finish third.
Scotland have failed to win any of their four World Cup meetings with Brazil, losing the last three. The two sides met in a friendly in 2011, where Brazil claimed a comfortable 2-0 win.
