The 2026 FIFA World Cup, expanded to 48 teams for the first time in tournament history, kicks off its first full matchday this Saturday with a stacked slate of four games headlined by a blockbuster Group Stage clash between five-time champions Brazil and 2022 semi-final underdogs Morocco at New Jersey’s iconic MetLife Stadium.
Brazil, the most decorated national team in men’s football history, enters the 2026 tournament looking to snap a 24-year title drought, a dry spell that has stretched back to their last championship win in 2002. Tasked with ending that wait is legendary Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is making his first appearance at the World Cup as a head coach after taking the helm of the Seleção. Ancelotti struck a confident tone in pre-tournament press briefings, arguing his squad has what it takes to compete with any side in the world.
“It’s a new experience, it’s a new responsibility to represent the country of football,” Ancelotti said Friday. “We have a team that can compete with every team in the world, we’re convinced of that. It’s a team with quality and experience, and with absolute confidence that it can compete with anyone.”
The Brazilian side is not without its challenges heading into the opening clash. They scraped through South American qualifying, finishing fifth after dropping six of 18 matches, a result that would have sent them to inter-confederation playoffs under the tournament’s old 32-team format. Key attacking players Rodrygo and Estevao have already been ruled out of the tournament through injury, and veteran superstar Neymar will miss the opening match as he continues his recovery from a knock that has kept him out of international play since 2023. That leaves the bulk of Brazil’s attacking responsibility on the shoulders of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who notched 22 goals for his club last season and will be expected to carry the team’s offensive threat against Morocco.
Morocco, who made history at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final, poses a serious early test for the South American giants. The side comes into the 2026 tournament as the de facto African champions, awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil after original winners Senegal were stripped of the cup following a chaotic final. Senegal walked off the pitch in extra time to protest a late penalty decision, resulting in their win being vacated. New Moroccan manager Mohamed Ouahbi, who took over from Walid Regragui in March, acknowledged the magnitude of the opening clash but said his side is ready to compete.
“It’s a match that will tell us where we stand, but I think we’re in a good place to start this competition,” Ouahbi said. “Lots of people say it’s not the Brazil of old, but it’s still Brazil.”
Saturday’s matchday also marks a historic return for Scotland, who are making their first World Cup appearance in 28 years after missing every tournament since 1998. The Scots, backed by their famous traveling supporter group the Tartan Army, will open their campaign against Haiti in Boston. Haiti, who have not played at a World Cup finals since 1974, will look to make their country proud amid ongoing political and economic turmoil at home. Scotland will pin their hopes on Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who became a national hero after scoring a stunning bicycle kick against Denmark last November to seal the side’s qualification.
The remaining two matches on Saturday’s slate see 2022 host nation Qatar face Switzerland in Santa Clara, followed by a clash between Australia and Turkey to close out the day in Vancouver. Australia manager Tony Popovic said he is confident his side can exceed expectations at the expanded tournament, even against a tough opponent like Turkey.
“If you ask every Australian, they expect to be right at the end because we always feel that we can punch above our weight,” Popovic said.
Off the pitch, a visa controversy has cast a shadow over Ghana’s impending World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto next Wednesday. Ghana’s foreign minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed Saturday that the country has issued an official diplomatic protest over Canada’s refusal to grant a visa to star midfielder Thomas Partey, who is scheduled to go on trial in the United Kingdom on rape charges next year. Ghana is calling on co-host Canada to reverse what Ablakwa called its “unfortunate decision”.
The tournament’s first matchday, held Friday, saw co-host the United States open its home campaign with a dominant 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay in front of a sellout 70,000-strong crowd at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, which included a host of A-list celebrity spectators such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise. Co-host Canada also earned its first ever World Cup point, coming from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
England, who are chasing their first World Cup title since 1966, hit a minor pre-tournament snag after a shipment of the team’s equipment was stolen while en route from Florida to their Kansas City training base. Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas announced on social media platform X that local officials are working to trace the stolen gear and identify all individuals involved in the theft.