Switzerland wins Group B opener as Brazil, Scotland and Turkey kick off their campaigns.
Day three of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first time the tournament truly feels like it has arrived. Three heavyweight nations kick off their campaigns on Saturday, including Brazil, the five-time champions, and Scotland, ending a 28-year wait to play at a World Cup.
Here is everything you need to know to follow the action, including kick-off times, broadcast channels and what to watch for in each match.
Qatar 0-2 Switzerland — already played
The day’s opening match saw Switzerland make a sharp statement in Group B. Switzerland beat Qatar 0-2 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, picking up three points and putting early pressure on the rest of Group B. The two sides had met just once before, a 2018 friendly Qatar won 1-0 through an Akram Afif strike, but this was their first competitive meeting, and on paper one of the group stage’s bigger mismatches, with Switzerland ranked 19th in the world against Qatar’s 56th.
Brazil vs Morocco — 6 p.m. ET, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
How to watch: FOX / Telemundo (US), BBC / ITV (UK), TSN (Canada), SBS (Australia). Stream via Fubo.
The headline act of the day. Brazil are five-time world champions, but this is a team at an uncertain moment. Carlo Ancelotti was brought in after Brazil finished a dismal fifth in South American qualifying, and his opening World Cup assignment could hardly be harder.
Morocco are no easy warm-up. The African champions reached the semifinals in Qatar 2022 and have continued to improve. The last time these two met, in a March 2023 friendly, Morocco won 2-1. Full-back Achraf Hakimi is arguably the most dangerous wide player in the tournament, and if Morocco can get him forward in transition, Brazil’s backline will be tested.
The player to watch on Brazil’s side is whoever Ancelotti deploys to impose himself on this game. On Morocco’s side, Hakimi is the name, but a cohesive defensive unit that rarely concedes makes them dangerous at both ends.
Haiti vs Scotland — 9 p.m. ET, Gillette Stadium, Boston
How to watch: FOX / Telemundo (US), BBC / ITV (UK), TSN (Canada), SBS (Australia). Stream via Fubo.
Scotland are back at a World Cup for the first time since France 1998. The Tartan Army has been waiting 28 years for this, and Steve Clarke’s squad enters in strong form, scoring eight goals across their final two warm-up matches.
Haiti are not here just to make up numbers either. They thumped New Zealand 4-0 in their penultimate pre-tournament friendly, serving notice that they will compete. Haiti also had to change their original World Cup jerseys after FIFA rejected design elements deemed to have political connotations, an unusual distraction heading into camp. The key man for Scotland is Scott McTominay, the central midfielder whose box-to-box energy and eye for goal could unlock a tight game.
Australia vs Turkey — midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT, BC Place, Vancouver
How to watch: FOX / Telemundo (US), BBC / ITV (UK), TSN (Canada), SBS (Australia). Stream via Fubo.
Turkey are back at a World Cup for the first time since their memorable run to the semifinals in 2002, and they carry genuine quality. Real Madrid playmaker Arda Güler is the player opposition coaches most fear, a technical, unpredictable attacker capable of making something from nothing. On paper, Turkey are Group D favorites.
Australia, coached by Tony Popovic since 2024, are not without their own tools. The Socceroos have leaned into younger attacking options and should not be dismissed, but Turkey will start as clear favorites.
How the 2026 World Cup works
For first-time viewers, the 2026 tournament is the first to feature 48 nations, expanding the format to include a round of 32 before the traditional knockout brackets begin. The knockout stages open on Sunday, June 28. Groups run until late June, with the top two from each group advancing automatically.
Story credit: The Guardian