World Cup 2026 preview as Japan test the Netherlands, while Ivory Coast and Tunisia carry African hopes.
World Cup 2026 Preview: Ivory Coast Get Their Test
The World Cup gives us Germany's reset, Dutch pressure, and two African teams who cannot afford to start slowly.
June 14 is not just a four-match day. It is a test of labels.
Germany want to stop being the big name that keeps leaving World Cups through the side door.
The Netherlands want to stop being everyone's favourite nearly-men.
Ivory Coast want to show Africa that they are not here for vibes.
Tunisia want to finally look like a team that can escape a World Cup group.
Groups E and F start today, so there are no wild permutations yet.
No "win and you are through" drama. Just the cleaner kind of pressure: start badly and you spend the next week pretending you are still calm.
Opening games do not end campaigns, but they do expose teams that came with speeches instead of solutions.
Germany vs Curacao — Group E — Houston, 6pm (UK)
Germany should win this. That is not analysis, that is basic football hygiene.
Curacao are making their World Cup debut, they are the smallest nation to ever qualify by population and size, and they now get Germany in Houston. Lovely story. Horrible assignment.
But Germany have lost the right to expect respect automatically. Group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022 still follow them around like bad perfume.
Julian Nagelsmann needs a clean start, and against Curacao, anything less than control will sound like a national podcast crisis by full-time.
Curacao will sit, suffer, and try to break into the space Germany leave behind.
Dick Advocaat has already said his side have nothing to lose.
That is usually what underdogs say before spending 83 minutes defending like the rent is due.
Projected Germany XI: Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck, Nathaniel Brown; Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz; Kai Havertz.
Projected Curacao XI: Eloy Room; Shurandy Sambo, Armando Obispo, Jurien Gaari, Sherel Floranus; Livano Comenencia, Leandro Bacuna, Juninho Bacuna; Tahith Chong, Kenji Gorre, Jeremy Antonisse.
Team news: Manuel Neuer has shaken off a calf concern and is set to start, while Nagelsmann has confirmed Nathaniel Brown will make his World Cup debut at left-back.
Curacao have a clean bill of health, with Kenji Gorre fit after a knee issue.
Prediction: Germany 3-0 Curacao.
Tip: Germany to win — banker of the day. Nine straight wins and far too many players who can break a low block without asking permission.
Netherlands vs Japan — Group F — Dallas, 9pm (UK)
This is the sharpest tactical game of the day. The Netherlands bring pedigree, Japan bring teeth.
Be honest — nobody wants Japan as a polite opening fixture anymore after what they did to Spain and Germany in Qatar.
Ronald Koeman says the Dutch are putting pressure on themselves to go far, which is fair because three World Cup final defeats is not heritage.
It is trauma with orange branding.
Memphis Depay is fit and Virgil van Dijk still gives them that grown-man authority at the back — but Koeman has a goalkeeper headache after Bart Verbruggen picked up a hip knock in the final warm-up.
Japan will not panic. They press, they rotate, they run, and they make big teams look uncomfortable by refusing to treat them like big teams.
If Takefusa Kubo and Junya Ito find space between the lines, the Dutch will have a very long evening.
Projected Netherlands XI: Bart Verbruggen; Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven; Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch; Crysencio Summerville, Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo; Memphis Depay.
Projected Japan XI: Zion Suzuki; Shogo Taniguchi, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Hiroki Ito; Ritsu Doan, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka, Keito Nakamura; Junya Ito, Takefusa Kubo; Ayase Ueda.
Team news: Verbruggen is a doubt after a hip knock in the Netherlands' final warm-up, with Mark Flekken on standby, while Depay is fit but in a striker battle with the in-form Donyell Malen.
Japan are without retired captain Wataru Endo and the injured Kaoru Mitoma, leaving Kubo and Junya Ito to carry the creative load.
Prediction: Netherlands 2-2 Japan.
Tip: Both teams to score. The Netherlands have the finishers, but Japan's pace in behind a high Dutch defence means goals look likely at both ends.
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador — Group E — Philadelphia, 12am (UK, Mon)
This is the game for Africa today.
Ivory Coast have wide threats, physical midfielders, and enough attacking options to make selection feel like a WhatsApp group argument.
But Ecuador are not coming to admire Amad Diallo stepovers.
They are coming with one of the nastiest defensive structures in the tournament.
Ecuador are the sort of team nobody enjoys playing. Moises Caicedo presses like he is collecting debts.
Piero Hincapie and Willian Pacho give them proper defensive authority.
And after a long unbeaten run under Sebastian Beccacece, they have earned the right to be treated like more than just a "South American dark horse" tag.
For Ivory Coast, the issue is balance. Yan Diomande, Amad, Nicolas Pepe and Simon Adingra give Emerse Fae options out wide, but who carries the centre?
Sebastien Haller was left out, so Elye Wahi, Evan Guessand and Ange-Yoan Bonny are fighting for a role that needs cold finishing, not PR.
Evan Ndicka's likely absence hurts too.
Against a direct Ecuador side with Enner Valencia lurking, that is not a small problem. It is the kind of problem that waits quietly for one cross, one bad clearance, one tired defender.
Still, Ivory Coast have enough quality to hurt Ecuador.
If the Elephants get the wide players isolated one-v-one, this stops being Ecuador's neat little defensive exercise and becomes an African street fight.
Projected Ivory Coast XI: Yahia Fofana; Guela Doue, Emmanuel Agbadou, Odilon Kossounou, Ghislain Konan; Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare, Seko Fofana; Amad Diallo, Evan Guessand, Yan Diomande.
Projected Ecuador XI: Hernan Galindez; Joel Ordonez, Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapie, Pervis Estupinan; Moises Caicedo, Patrickson Vite; John Yeboah, Gonzalo Plata, Nilson Angulo; Enner Valencia.
Team news: Evan Ndicka is expected to miss out for Ivory Coast with a thigh issue, with Odilon Kossounou stepping in.
Ecuador have doubts around Enner Valencia, but he is still projected to start, while Kendry Paez has been managing a knock.
Prediction: Ivory Coast 1-1 Ecuador.
Tip: Ivory Coast or draw (double chance).
Two of the meanest defences in qualifying meet here, but the Elephants' wide chaos can force a moment, and Ecuador have to prove they can actually win it.
Sweden vs Tunisia — Group F — Monterrey, 3am (UK, Mon)
Tunisia have one job: stop treating World Cup group stages like short business trips.
Six previous World Cup appearances. Six group-stage exits. That record is not unfortunate anymore. It is a habit.
And habits only change when you start beating teams like Sweden on nights like this.
Sweden are strange. Graham Potter has Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres up front, which sounds expensive and frightening.
But Sweden also reached this tournament through the back door via the playoffs after a messy qualifying campaign, and their defence has been leaking goals like a broken tap.
That is where Tunisia must be brave.
Ellyes Skhiri and Rani Khedira can make the midfield awkward. Hannibal Mejbri gives them bite and edge.
But they cannot just sit deep and hope Sweden get bored.
Isak and Gyokeres do not need a perfect game. They need one mistake.
Tunisia's recent form is not pretty.
They were battered 5-0 by Belgium before the tournament.
If that version shows up, Sweden will turn the game into shooting practice and everybody in Tunis will start doing maths by matchday two.
Projected Sweden XI: Kristoffer Nordfeldt; Isak Hien, Victor Lindelof, Gustaf Lagerbielke; Alexander Bernhardsson, Jesper Karlstrom, Yasin Ayari, Gabriel Gudmundsson; Benjamin Nygren; Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak.
Projected Tunisia XI: Mouhib Chamakh; Yan Valery, Omar Rekik, Montassar Talbi, Ali Abdi; Ellyes Skhiri, Rani Khedira; Elias Achouri, Hannibal Mejbri, Yanis Gharbi; Mohamed Ali Ben Chaouat.
Team news: Sweden have no major injury concern, though wing-back Gabriel Gudmundsson has been battling a bug and is touch-and-go.
Tunisia, under Sabri Lamouchi, are expected to have a fully-fit squad.
Prediction: Sweden 2-1 Tunisia.
Tip: Sweden to win. Isak and Gyokeres are too much for a Tunisia side that just shipped five to Belgium — even if Sweden's own defence keeps it interesting.
Banker Of The Day
Germany to beat Curacao. It is the cleanest call.
Germany may not be everyone's favourite to win the tournament, but they should have too much quality, too much ball, and too many creators for Curacao's block.
Upset Special
Japan to get a result against the Netherlands.
The Dutch have bigger names, but Japan have a proper team structure and enough technical quality to make this ugly.
With the Netherlands carrying a goalkeeper doubt and the usual high full-backs, if they start slowly, Japan will not ask twice.
For Africa, Ivory Coast need a grown-up performance and Tunisia need proof that this World Cup will not be another three-game visit.
No excuses today. The continent has two matches to make noise.
Back any of these? Tell me what you're rolling with today.
