Otaku Valley

Which "debutant" or lower-ranked team is most likely to pull off a 2022 Morocco-style run?

Keep an eye on Esmir Bajraktarević (Bosnia), "Milwaukee Messi", a Wisconsin-born player now playing back in the US on the world stage.

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still in the mix. Can they actually contribute at age 39 and 41, or are they more like "spiritual leaders" now?

Is this the tournament where Kylian Mbappé officially cements himself as the greatest of his generation, or will Erling Haaland (finally on the big stage with Norway) steal the show?

How will the travel affect performance? A team could play a match in the humidity of Miami and then have to fly to the altitude of Mexico City or the cool air of Seattle just days later.

With three hosts, which one has the biggest advantage? Mexico's Estadio Azteca is legendary, but the US has the lion's share of matches.

For the first time, 32 of the 48 teams will advance out of the group stage. This means eight of the twelve 3rd-place teams will make it to the knockouts.

Does this make the group stage less exciting because "everyone makes it"? Or does it create high-stakes drama for those final 3rd-place spots?

Will managers play more conservatively knowing a single win and a decent goal difference almost guarantees advancement?

Thursday, 11 June 2026

3 p.m. Mexico vs. South Africa, Group A -- Mexico City
10 p.m. South Korea vs. Czechia, Group A -- Guadalajara

Friday, 12 June 2026

3 p.m. Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Group B -- Toronto 
9 p.m. USMNT vs. Paraguay, Group D -- Los Angeles

Saturday, 13 June 2026

3 p.m. Qatar vs. Switzerland, Group B - San Francisco 
6 p.m. Brazil vs. Morocco, Group C - New York City
9 p.m. Haiti vs. Scotland, Group C - Boston
12 a.m. Australia vs. Turkiye, Group D - Vancouver

Sunday, 14 June 2026

1 p.m. Germany vs. Curacao, Group E - Houston
4 p.m. Netherlands vs. Japan, Group F - Dallas
7 p.m. Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, Group E - Philadelphia
10 p.m. Sweden vs. Tunisia, Group F - Monterrey

Monday, 15 June 2026

12 p.m. Spain vs. Cabo Verde, Group H - Atlanta
3 p.m. Belgium vs. Egypt, Group G - Seattle
6 p.m. Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay – Group H - Miami
9 p.m. Iran vs. New Zeland – Group G - Los Angeles

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

3 p.m. France vs. Senegal, Group I - New York New Jersey
6 p.m. Iraq vs. Norway, Group I - Boston
9 p.m. Argentina vs. Algeria, Group J - Kansas City
12 a.m. Austria vs. Jordan – Group J - San Francisco Bay Area

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

1 p.m. Portugal vs. DR Congo, Group K - Houston
4 p.m. England vs. Croatia, Group L - Dallas
7 p.m. Ghana vs. Panama, Group L - Toronto
10 p.m. Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, Group K - Mexico City

Thursday, 18 June 2026

12 p.m. Czechia vs. South Africa, Group A - Atlanta
3 p.m. Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Group B - Los Angeles
6 p.m. Canada vs. Qatar, Group B - Vancouver
9 p.m. Mexico vs. South Korea, Group A - Guadalajara

Friday, 19 June 2026

3 p.m. USMNT vs. Australia, Group D - Seattle
6 p.m. Scotland vs. Morocco, Group C - Boston
9 p.m. Brazil vs. Haiti, Group C - Philadelphia
12 a.m. Turkiye vs. Paraguay, Group D - San Francisco

Saturday, 20 June 2026

1 p.m. Netherlands vs. Sweden, Group F - Houston
4 p.m. Germany vs. Ivory Coast, Group E - Toronto
8 p.m. Ecuador vs. Curacao, Group E - Kansas City
12 a.m. Tunisia vs. Japan, Group F - Monterrey

Sunday, 21 June 2026

12 p.m. Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, Group H - Atlanta
3 p.m. Belgium vs. Iran, Group G - Los Angeles
6 p.m. Uruguay vs. Cabo Verde, Group H - Miami
9 p.m. New Zeland vs. Egypt, Group G - Vancouver

Monday, 22 June 2026

1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria, Group J - Dallas
5 p.m. France vs. Iraq, Group I - Philadelphia
8 p.m. Norway vs. Senegal, Group I - New York City
11 p.m. Jordan vs. Algeria, Group J - San Francisco

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

1 p.m. Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, Group K - Houston
4 p.m. England vs Ghana, Group L - Boston
7 p.m. Panama vs. Croatia, Group L - Toronto
10 p.m. Colombia vs. DR Congo, Group K - Guadalajara

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

3 p.m. Switzerland vs. Canada, Group B - Vancouver
3 p.m. Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar, Group B - Seattle
6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil, Group C - Miami
6 p.m. Morocco vs. Haiti, Group C - Atlanta
9 p.m. Czechia vs. Mexico, Group A - Mexico City
9 p.m. South Africa vs. South Korea, Group A - Monterrey

Thursday, 25 June 2026

4 p.m. Ecuador vs. Germany, Group E - New York City
4 p.m. Curacao vs. Ivory Coast, Group E - Philadelphia
7 p.m. Tunisia vs. Netherlands, Group F - Kansas City 
7 p.m. Japan vs. Sweden, Group F - Dallas 
10 p.m. Turkiye vs. USMNT, Group D - Los Angeles
10 p.m. Paraguay vs. Australia, Group D - San Francisco

Friday, 26 June 2026

3 p.m. Norway vs. France, Group I - Boston
3 p.m. Senegal vs. Iraq, Group I - Toronto
8 p.m. Uruguay vs. Spain, Group H - Guadalajara
8 p.m. Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, Group H - Houston
11 p.m. New Zeland vs. Belgium, Group G - Vancouver
11 p.m. Egypt vs. Iran, Group G - Seattle 

Saturday, 27 June 2026

5 p.m. Panama vs. England, Group L - New York City
5 p.m. Croatia vs. Ghana, Group L - Philadelphia Stadium
7:30 p.m. Colombia vs. Portugal – Group K - Miami Stadium
7:30 p.m. DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan – Group K - Atlanta Stadium
10 p.m. Jordan vs. Argentina – Group J -  Dallas Stadium
10 p.m. Algeria vs. Austria – Group J - Kansas City Stadium

• England

• Croatia

• Panama

• Ghana

• Portugal

• Colombia

• Uzbekistan

• DR Congo

• Argentina

• Austria

• Algeria

• Jordan

• France

• Senegal

• Norway

• Iraq

•  Spain

• Uruguay

• Saudi Arabia

• Cabo Verde

• Belgium

• Iran

• Egypt

• New Zealand

• Netherlands

• Japan

• Tunisia

• Sweden

• Germany

• Ecuador

• Ivory Coast

• Curacao

• USA

• Australia

• Paraguay

• Türkiye

• Brazil

• Morocco

• Scotland

• Haiti

• Canada

• Switzerland

• Qatar

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

Group A: Mexico, Korea Republic, South Africa, Czechia

The FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, please use this thread to discuss all news, game results and videos.