These 5 matches are must-see in men's World Cup group stage
Spain vs. Germany a battle of European giants
Of course, you're going to watch Canada play in our first men's World Cup since 1986. Of course! But there will be no shortage of drama during this year's frenetic group stage, beginning Sunday when host Qatar takes on Ecuador. Here are five games not featuring Canada that we're excited to see.
FRANCE V. DENMARK (Nov. 26, 11 a.m. ET.)
The French are the defending champions and again among the favourites, but they've suffered a series of setbacks leading up to the tournament. N'Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba, and Christopher Nkunku will all be absent due to injury.
Denmark, meanwhile, is ascendant. A lively, charismatic, attacking team, the Danes made it to the semifinals of last year's Euros before losing to England in extra time, and have beaten France twice this year in the Nations League.
Regardless of the result between them, something strange will have to happen for both not to advance from Group D, rounded out by Tunisia and Australia. Denmark will still want to make a statement of intent. Running over France would do it.
SPAIN V. GERMANY (Nov. 27, 2 p.m. ET.)
This year's edition of the tournament doesn't feature a proverbial Group of Death, but two European favourites and former champions will face each other. On paper, at least, Spain's early meeting with Germany is the most compelling match of the group stage.
Sometimes heavyweight games turn out to be disappointments. With two teams advancing out of each group, big sides can make a carefully unspoken agreement to take it easy on each other and then punish the two countries unlucky enough to have been drawn alongside them. (Pity Japan and Costa Rica this time around.)
But it's Spain against Germany! These are the games you dream about.
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IRAN V. USA (Nov. 29, 2 p.m. ET.)
Soccer's global nature makes it an inherently political sport. Canada had arranged a friendly against Iran in Vancouver last summer before it was cancelled following an understandable outcry. Despite Ukraine's insistence that Iran be exiled from the World Cup for supplying weapons to Russia, FIFA isn't in the business of bans. North Korea played in 2010. Iran will be taking the field in Qatar.
Making things even more fraught, the Iranians have been drawn with the U.S.
Group B is already among the most intriguing from a soccer perspective — England and Wales are in it as well, and any combination of teams could conceivably advance. Given Iran's domestic upheaval, a game against one of its principal ideological adversaries will reverberate for reasons far more profound.
POLAND V. ARGENTINA (Nov. 30, 2 p.m. ET.)
Qatar will see Lionel Messi's last attempt at the only trophy he hasn't won. Arguably the greatest player of his generation, and perhaps in the history of the game, he carried Argentina to the final in 2014, only to fall to the Germans in extra time.
The Argentines are a solid pick to reach the final again (arch-rival Brazil is the betting favourite to win it all), but there is a chance, however slim, that their game against Poland will be Messi's final appearance on the global stage. If not, first place in Group C will likely be on the line. Expect a virtuosic performance from one of the game's great masters.
GHANA V. URUGUAY (Dec. 2, 10 a.m. ET.)
A little World Cup history here: In 2010, Uruguay met Ghana in the quarter-finals in Johannesburg, where Ghana looked to be the first African team to make the Men's World Cup semifinals, on red African soil no less. The stadium that night was the loudest place on Earth.
With the score tied 1-1 deep into extra time, Ghana would have taken the lead — except Uruguayan star Luis Suarez blocked a certain goal with his hands. He was given a red card and the Ghanaians were awarded a potentially history-making penalty, which Asamoah Gyan promptly rang off the crossbar. The Uruguayans went on to win in a penalty shootout.
Now, 12 years later, they meet again. While Gyan won't be there, Suarez will be. The hardest tackle in World Cup history might soon follow.
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