With the 2026 World Cup only weeks away, the groups are long set, and fans are already gaming out potential “pay-per-view” showdowns in the knockout rounds—revenge ties, regional grudges, and same-continent clashes that could crank the suspense to the max.
Brazil vs Argentina: South America’s World Cup destiny
Argentina and Brazil have eight World Cup titles between them. Pelé, Maradona, Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar all hail from the two nations, and FIFA has called this South American derby “the essence of football rivalry.” The sides have met four times at the World Cup, with Brazil ahead 2–0 in wins, though Argentina won the most recent meeting in 1990. Since 2025 in qualifying, defending champions Argentina have beaten Brazil twice in a row; Brazil, meanwhile, have been reshaped under Ancelotti. On the current bracket, they cannot meet before the semifinals or final. In-house FIFA rankings show Argentina third on 1,874.81 points and Brazil sixth on 1,761.16—both have slipped one place in the latest update. Should they collide, the technical football and open, attacking tempo would send the stands into overdrive.
Netherlands vs Germany: total football in the shadow of 1974
Netherlands and Germany share a rivalry that began when Germany won the 1974 World Cup final; Germany edged them 2-1 again in the 1990 knockout round, and the two sides have not met in a World Cup knockout for more than thirty years since. The Netherlands boast Van Dijk, De Jong and Gakpo, play on the front foot and are not keen on parking the bus; Germany are in a rebuild and have not made it past the group stage since 2014, but still aim to push forward. The Netherlands are seventh in the FIFA rankings, Germany tenth on 1,730.37 points—in the eyes of neutral fans, this would be an “unpredictable, pure chaos” tie.
France–Morocco: a sequel to the 2022 semi-final?
France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2022 semi-final, yet Morocco had the better of the game for long stretches; the Atlas Lions have kept rising since. On the bracket, the earliest the two could meet is the round of 16 or the quarter-finals. France top the FIFA rankings on 1,877.32 points, Morocco are eighth on 1,755.87—a rematch would pit Africa’s and Europe’s biggest draws head to head.
How to read these “potential storylines”
The roundup lists seven dream fixtures whose common thread is not a clear favourite but unpredictable outcomes and games that could spiral. For the World Cup, Brazil v Argentina carry South American pride, Netherlands v Germany bring historical baggage, and France v Morocco carry the unfinished narrative from 2022. The site’s schedule already lists World Cup fixtures from 15 July 2026, with another TBD matchup at 03:00 on 20 July—before the group stage kicks off, these names will only keep heating up in fan debate.
If you're betting on "the must-buy ticket," the Brazil–Argentina tactical chess match, the Netherlands–Germany open end-to-end shootout, and the France–Morocco intercontinental showdown already have all the makings of a blockbuster; the real bracket luck and form will only become clear once the knockout draw is set.
