Five week one World Cup games you simply can’t miss | OneFootball

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins this evening and marks a historic milestone in the tournament’s evolution as it expands to 48 teams for the first time – leaving us spoiled for choice in what to watch.

Approved in 2017, the expansion has increased the volume of fixtures from 64 to 104 televised matches, designed to broaden global representation and bring more nations into football’s premier competition.

Traditional heavyweights France, Brazil, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Argentina and England have all secured qualification for the tournament and will once again set the benchmark on the world’s biggest stage.

Alongside the traditional powerhouses, however, Scotland have also made it to their first tournament since 1998, and four debutants will feature as Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, and Jordan take part for the very first time.

FromTheSpot presents five matches from the first round of World Cup fixtures you simply cannot miss.

Mexico vs South Africa – June 11th, 20:00 (BST)

The opening game of the match will be played in Group A, and it’s one full of nostalgia for fans around the world – being a repeat of 2010 as former hosts South Africa take on Mexico at the Mexico City Stadium on Thursday evening.

The two sides last met in the first game of the tournament 16 years ago, when Rafael Márquez cancelled out Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thunderous strike in Johannesburg.

Bafana Bafana become the first hosts to exit the World Cup at the group stage before Qatar at their tournament in 2022, despite earning a memorable victory over France.

Javier Aguirre’s side will be looking to put things right this time around ahead of tricky fixtures against South Korea and Czechia, and are once again favourites to finish top having competed in every tournament since 1994.

Mexico finished second in Group A and reached the quarter-final before being knocked out by current holders Argentina in 2010, and are tipped by many as favourites to finish top of their group this time around.

The match can be found on ITV and ITVX, in addition to STV and STV Player for viewers in Scotland.

Haiti vs Scotland – June 14th, 20:00 (BST)

Speaking of the Tartan Army, they make their World Cup return for the first time since 1998, with both sides are set to feature in the competition for only the second time in their history – setting the stage for a compelling encounter.

It will also mark the first competitive meeting between the two nations, adding an extra layer of intrigue to a meeting that Scotland will back themselves as favourites to bag a winning start over the pond.

Haiti will end an even longer wait for a World Cup return than Scotland, playing in the finals for the first time since 1974 after an agonizing 52-year absence.

That one will also be available to watch live on BBC One, BBC Sport, and iPlayer.

Belgium vs Egypt – June 15th, 20:00 (BST)

Both Belgium and Egypt went unbeaten throughout their World Cup qualifying campaigns and will hope their fine form continues into the opening match in Group G.

Belgium, who finished third in Russia 2018 before suffering a group-stage exit in Qatar in 2022, arrive with something to prove on the global stage.

This fixture brings together two contrasting styles of football played by Belgium’s evolving generation of attacking talent together with the last of their ‘golden generation’ against Egypt’s discipline and organisation.

It could represent the start of a passing of the torch, with this potentially being the final World Cup for Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois, all of whom are now in the latter stages of their careers.

For Egypt, it also could mark the final World Cup appearance of Mohamed Salah, the nation’s talisman, leader, and primary attacking threat, who continues to perform at the highest level for both club and country.

As a result, it is expected to be a highly competitive encounter between two contrasting sides, and one firmly worth watching on BBC One, the iPlayer, and BBC Sport’s website.

France vs Senegal – June 16th, 20:00 (BST)

Both France and Senegal are no strangers to each other, having first met 24 years ago in the 2002 World Cup group stage.

Didier Deschamps will be keen to avoid another upset, with Senegal having previously defeated France 1–0 courtesy of Papa Bouba Diop’s strike in their last World Cup meeting – a result that will still linger in the memory.

France finished as runners-up at the 2022 World Cup, narrowly losing to Argentina 4–3 on penalties having gone into the penalty shootout at 3-3 in what is widely regarded as the best World Cup final of all time.

It was also their second final in a row, running out 4-2 winners in an equally breathless final against Croatia in 2018.

French captain Kylian Mbappé remains on 56 goals for his country, just one behind Olivier Giroud’s all-time record of 57, and the Real Madrid star will be making it his mission to overtake the former Arsenal and AC Milan forward.

France on the whole will want to get off to a fast start, as they have been widely tipped to go the whole way and win the World Cup in what would be their third final in as many tournaments.

Senegal, meanwhile, reached the round of 16 in Qatar before being eliminated by England, maintaining their reputation as one of Africa’s most competitive and resilient sides on the global stage.

That clash can also be found on BBC One, iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website.

England vs Croatia – June 17th, 20:00 (BST)

Thomas Tuchel’s side kick off their tournament against their nemeses from 2018, Croatia.

The fixture is expected to be one of the standout matches of the week, with the outcome potentially proving decisive in the race to top Group L that also features Ghana and Panama – making the pair the two clear favourites.

Yet England have never beaten Croatia in a World Cup meeting, most notably suffering elimination at their hands in their semi-final in Russia, former boss Gareth Southgate’s first major tournament in charge of the national team.

This encounter carries much weight for England fans, who will want to continue on from their victory at Wembley in the delayed Euro 2020 tournament and get their quest to end 60 years without a World Cup triumph off to a winning start.

England rounded off their preparations by coasting to a 3-0 win over Costa Rica yesterday, which was delayed an hour due to rain and nearby lightening, in a marked improvement from last Saturday’s tepid 1-0 victory against New Zealand.

You can watch the drama from that game live on ITV1 and ITVX.

For more detailed reports, reaction, and analysis of the World Cup as it happens from our team of correspondents, head to our website and favourite our page on OneFootball.