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The second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Men’s Group Stage continues with a series of exciting matchups. In the opening game, Holland will be looking for their first win at the World Cup when they take on a Swedish side on the move under manager Graham Potter. The second game takes us to Toronto, where Germany and Ivory Coast will each be looking for their second wins after strong openings.
In the third match, Ecuador will take on small Curaçao in a match that the South Americans must win convincingly. Finally, Japan are struggling through fresh injuries but should still be favorites over Tunisia, who are in disarray after sacking their head coach following the opening round loss.
When: Saturday 20 June at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Houston
TV: FOX
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
In Group F, both the Netherlands and Sweden will look to take a step towards the knockout stages when they kick off Saturday’s action at the Houston Stadium in Texas.
Last year, Sweden struggled in World Cup qualification, but the team has enjoyed a complete turnaround under manager Graham Potter. After reaching the play-offs via the Nations League, Potter’s side advanced to the World Cup and then impressed with a 5-1 win over Tunisia in its opener.
(Photo by Heuler Andrey/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Potter’s approach has brought out the best in his top strikers. Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak were in incredible form in the win over Tunisia as the Premier League duo ran at defenders and created a flurry of chances. Brighton’s Yasin Ayari scored two goals and emerged as another attacking focal point.
Sweden could emerge as one of the surprise teams at this World Cup because the team’s complete turnaround in less than a year has now brought it to the point where it could do well in this tournament.
(Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
The Netherlands are always a difficult team to play in any major tournament. This World Cup is no exception, although the Dutch will surely be disappointed to be held to a 2-2 draw with Japan after twice leading. But it’s an ongoing problem with the Netherlands, who haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last five games.
The biggest story in this game is Sweden’s elite Premier League forwards going up against Holland’s elite Premier League central defenders in Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Jan Paul van Hecke, who completed a blockbuster transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion to Tottenham on Thursday for a fee of £52m.
The pressure is on Holland to win this game and van Dijk and van Hecke will go a long way towards deciding it.
The Liverpool striker was electric for Sweden in their opening 5-1 win over Tunisia. Isak scored a goal and added two assists as he routinely cut through Tunisia’s defense with his speed and skill. But going up against the Dutch defense is the test on another level. If Isak can do that, Sweden could get a surprising result. He will know what he is up against as he is likely to have more occasions when he takes on his Liverpool team-mate in Virgil van Dijk.
When: Saturday 20 June at 16 A.M
Where: Toronto
TV: FOX
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
In an enticing contest on Saturday, Germany and Ivory Coast meet in Toronto after both teams won their respective openers. The winner will gain full control of Group E heading into the group stage final.
Germany won their first match against Curaçao by a 7–1 margin to make it the biggest margin of victory in the tournament so far. A blowout victory was expected, but the highlight of the match came when Curaçao scored an equalizer in the 21st minute. The island nation was a sentimental favorite for many fans as it is the smallest country in area and population to ever play in the World Cup. As disappointed as Germany were to concede a goal, the 7-1 victory was a deserved margin.
(Photo by Juan Luis Diaz/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
After two shock group stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Germany are looking to return to being an elite team at the tournament they have won four times. With the victory over Curaçao, Germany passed Brazil and became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 239 goals.
This German side boasted a balanced attack with six different scorers in their win over Curaçao. The team’s undisputed offensive leader is Kai Havertz, who is in great form with five goals and two assists in his last five games between Germany and his club Arsenal.
Ivory Coast produced one of the most thrilling victories so far at the World Cup as Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to power his side to a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday.
It was a significant feat for Ivory Coast as Ecuador conceded just five goals across 18 World Cup qualifiers to finish second in CONMEBOL’s single-table format. But Ivory Coast are playing fantastic football these days and just before the World Cup Les Éléphants defeated France 1-0 in Nantes in a pre-tournament friendly.
Ivory Coast have many attacking options on top of Diallo. Nicolas Pepe is coming off a strong season for Villarreal, while Yan Diomande won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year for his season with RB Leipzig.
This week Ivory Coast had to deal with an off-field distraction when starting striker Elye Wahi was initially denied a visa to enter Canada due to being under investigation for alleged betting-related offences. But he has reportedly been given permission to enter the country for the match. Wahi was reportedly arrested in France over this issue last month.
Both teams will have plenty of motivation in this match as Germany look to return to the World Cup knockouts, while Ivory Coast aim for a high-profile win that shows they are capable of making a deep run into July.
Player to watch
The Ivory Coast teenage winger is well known to German fans as he was one of the best young players in the Bundesliga this season with RB Leipzig. Known for his explosive pace, skillful dribbling and his ability to finish with either foot, Diomande will be a handful for Germany to defend.
He also brings with him a unique background that led him to move to Florida in the US as a teenager. It was there that he played for Yulee High School and joined the DIME academy, which is a private athletic training club in Daytona Beach. It’s hard to believe that one of the game’s best teenagers recently played high school football. But now he has a chance to take on one of the world’s most successful national teams.
When: Saturday 20 June at 20 A.M
Where: Kansas City
TV: FS1
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
As one of the best defensive teams in this tournament, Ecuador disappointed in their opening game as they hit the woodwork three times but could not score against Ivory Coast. So in the end, Ecuador conceded a goal in halftime to suffer a 1-0 loss at a Philadelphia Stadium packed with Ecuadorian fans.
In its second Group E match, Ecuador will be heavily favored against Curaçao on Saturday night at the Kansas City Stadium. But a typical win won’t just be enough, as the goal difference tiebreaker could determine where it finishes in the group or where it finishes in the third-place rankings.
(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
In this game, Ecuador will have to shift its priority from defense to attack. At the age of 36, Enner Valencia is Ecuador’s all-time leading goalscorer and remains the team’s top forward. Highly rated teenage winger Kendry Páez has a contract with Chelsea but has gone on loan to Strasbourg and River Plate. He could find his way into the attack. Flamengo winger Gonzalo Plata is also expected to help Ecuador’s attack in this match.
The smallest nation in area and population is simply delighted to be at this tournament. Livano Comenencia’s goal against Germany, which briefly leveled the game, was one of the more heartwarming moments of the early part of this tournament.
Player to watch
Enner Valencia: Ecuador’s all-time leading goalscorer is the player to watch in this match as the team will need to score early and often against Curaçao to secure three points and build a positive goal difference. Valencia has won 106 caps for Ecuador and his next goal will be his 50th international goal. It could easily come against Curaçao.
When: Sunday 21 June at 12 A.M
Where: Monterrey
TV: FS1
Current: Watch three days for free on FOX One
A week into the tournament and Tunisia are a mess. After a strong World Cup qualifying campaign in which they did not concede a single goal, Tunisia were dispatched by Sweden in their opening 5-1. The following day, Tunisia’s federation fired head coach Sabri Lamouchi and appointed Hervé Renard of France as his successor.
Rennard will now lead Tunisia against a very good Japan side that drew the Netherlands 2-2 in their Group F opener. This match at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico concludes Saturday’s action at the World Cup.
Rennard has been known to pull off surprising success stories. He guided Zambia to the 2012 African Cup of Nations title. At the 2022 World Cup, he led Saudi Arabia to a shock victory over eventual champions Argentina. But now he must lead Tunisia against Japan in just five days of preparation.
One of his decisions could be to adjust the goalkeeper position. Lamouchi made the stunning decision against Sweden to field veteran Aymen Dahmen, who impressed at the 2022 World Cup in a 0-0 draw with Denmark, and replace him with the inexperienced Abdelmouhib Chamakh. Chamakh had a terrible game and it seemed to destabilize the entire backline.
But all eyes will be on Rennard because Tunisia are now both desperate and difficult to predict.
Meanwhile, Japan fell behind twice to the Netherlands but found an equalizer each time in its 2-2 draw. It was a resilient performance from a Japanese side that fought hard for over 90 minutes with goals from Keito Nakamura followed by a dramatic 88th minute header from Daichi Kamada from a corner.
The big concern for Japan is the injury to Takefusa Kubo. The talented Real Sociedad midfielder is one of Japan’s most important players, but he was forced off against the Netherlands in the 75th minute. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu will now have to make significant adjustments, which will likely mean moving fullback Ritsu Doan to the wing and then inserting Junya Ito into the lineup.
Injuries have hit this Japanese team hard, with Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and Liverpool’s Wataru Endo ruled out shortly before the roster was named. Kubo would be another significant absence.
Despite these absences, Japan should be considered the heavy favorite against Tunisia, simply because of its stability.
Player to watch
The left-sided forward has been very successful for Japan with 11 goals from 26 caps dating back to his debut in 2023. Against the Netherlands, he scored his side’s first goal to tie the game 1-1. Japan is struggling through adversity due to injuries and the likely loss of Kubo will put a huge responsibility on players like Nakamura. But with Tunisia’s confidence shattered, he could have openings to do damage. Tunisia showed vulnerability against Sweden’s speedy players like Alexander Isak. Nakamura may find a similar level of success in this game.
