World Cup 2026: The First Week Reviewed and the Week Ahead
The biggest World Cup in history landed on home soil and it has not disappointed. Forty-eight teams, three host nations, and a USMNT side that already looks like it belongs. Group play is past the halfway mark, the upsets have come thick, and the knockout picture is taking shape. We have watched every minute of it, and we are calling every match the rest of the way.
Here is the rundown on where the tournament stands, what the United States can realistically do, and where to watch the next seven days of football. Every match is live across all Winners venues in Connecticut, and the watch parties at Stamford have become the place to be when the marquee games kick off.
Many of the 48 teams have now played twice, and the table is sorting itself fast. France made the loudest statement, beating Senegal 3-1 with Kylian Mbappe bagging a brace, and they sit top of Group I as the new outright favorites. Spain stumbled out of the gate with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, a result that knocked them off the top of the betting board but did nothing to dent their underlying quality.
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 12:00pm | Atlanta |
| Sun 21 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | 3:00pm | Los Angeles |
| Sun 21 Jun | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 6:00pm | Miami |
| Mon 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | 1:00pm | Dallas |
| Mon 22 Jun | France vs Iraq | 5:00pm | Philadelphia |
| Mon 22 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | 8:00pm | New York New Jersey |
| Tue 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 1:00pm | Houston |
| Tue 23 Jun | England vs Ghana | 4:00pm | Boston |
| Tue 23 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | 7:00pm | Toronto |
| Tue 23 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | 10:00pm | Guadalajara |
| Wed 24 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | 6:00pm | Miami |
| Wed 24 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | 9:00pm | Mexico City |
England announced themselves with a 4-2 win over Croatia, the kind of front-foot performance that gets a nation believing. Harry Kane scored twice. Argentina look ruthless, dispatching Algeria 3-0 with Lionel Messi pulling the strings in what is almost certainly his last dance on this stage. Brazil have been the puzzle. A 1-1 draw with Morocco followed by a 3-0 win over Haiti tells you they have the gears but have not always found them.
The shocks have been real. Cape Verde holding Spain. Belgium drawing with Egypt and tumbling down the board. Portugal stuttering to a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, with Cristiano Ronaldo blanked and looking off the pace. Norway, meanwhile, smashed four past Iraq and have Erling Haaland in goalscoring form, which makes them the dark horse nobody wants to draw.
This is the story we are all here for. The US team could not have scripted a better start. A 4-1 demolition of Paraguay in the opener, with Folarin Balogun grabbing a brace and Gio Reyna scoring a goal that felt like the closing of one chapter and the start of another. Then a controlled 2-0 win over Australia, this time without Christian Pulisic, which tells you the squad has depth and not just a star.
Those two wins, plus Paraguay's surprise 1-0 victory over Turkiye, mean the United States have won Group D outright. That is the first time the Americans have topped their group at a World Cup since 2010. Turkiye are eliminated. The final group game against them on Thursday June 25 is effectively a dead rubber, a chance for Mauricio Pochettino to rest legs before the knockouts.
Winning the group matters. The United States now go into the Round of 32 on July 1 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, and topping Group D keeps them on the friendlier side of the bracket. Their implied title probability has more than tripled since the tournament started. They opened at around 55/1 and have been cut dramatically after back-to-back wins.
Realistic Ceiling and the Biggest Threats
Let us be straight about it. The United States are not winning this World Cup, and the odds reflect that. But a deep run is genuinely on the table for the first time in a generation. The quarter-finals are a fair target, and on home turf with this crowd behind them, the semi-finals are not a fantasy. Pulisic, Balogun, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Malik Tillman give Pochettino a spine that can hurt anyone on the counter.
The biggest threats to a long American run are the usual suspects. France have the firepower and the depth to win it from anywhere in the draw. Spain control games better than anyone when their finishing clicks. England, Argentina, and a dangerous Brazil round out the genuine contenders. The seeding is built so the top four, Spain, Argentina, France, and England, cannot meet until the semi-finals if they all win their groups. That is the wall the United States would eventually have to climb.
Here is where the market sits after the second round of group games. France have moved clear at the top, Spain remain second despite their slow start, and England have surged after the Croatia win. All odds in fractional format and subject to movement as the knockouts approach. Always check the live price in the app before you bet.
| Team | Outright Odds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| France | +350 | New favorites after 3-1 win over Senegal |
| Spain | +600 | Slow start, still elite on quality |
| England | +600 | Surged after 4-2 win over Croatia |
| Argentina | +800 | Defending champions, Messi in form |
| Portugal | +1000 | Stuttering start, work to do |
| Brazil | +1200 | Inconsistent but dangerous |
| USA | +1600 | Cut hard after two wins, home advantage |
| Norway | +2500 | Dark horse, Haaland guarantees goals |
| Colombia | +4000 | Value pick for a deep run |
| Japan | +5000 | Long-shot flutter |
Norway at +2500 is the value play that keeps coming up, purely because Haaland guarantees goals. Colombia and Japan are the longer-priced names worth a flutter if you fancy a third-place qualifier going on a run. The full outright board is in the table below.
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 12:00pm | Atlanta |
| Sun 21 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | 3:00pm | Los Angeles |
| Sun 21 Jun | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 6:00pm | Miami |
| Mon 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | 1:00pm | Dallas |
| Mon 22 Jun | France vs Iraq | 5:00pm | Philadelphia |
| Mon 22 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | 8:00pm | New York New Jersey |
| Tue 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 1:00pm | Houston |
| Tue 23 Jun | England vs Ghana | 4:00pm | Boston |
| Tue 23 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | 7:00pm | Toronto |
| Tue 23 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | 10:00pm | Guadalajara |
| Wed 24 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | 6:00pm | Miami |
| Wed 24 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | 9:00pm | Mexico City |
Sunday June 21: Spain and France's Group Favorites
Two of the pre-tournament favorites are in action as the second round of group games wraps up. Spain need a response, and they get Saudi Arabia at Atlanta (12pm ET), a game La Roja are heavy favorites to win after that frustrating opening draw. Get this one right and Spain are through with a game to spare. Their outright price could shorten fast if the finishing finally clicks.
Later, Belgium face Iran at Los Angeles (3pm ET) needing a result after their own opening stumble, and Uruguay take on Cape Verde at Miami (6pm ET) in a Group H game that has big implications for who joins Spain in the knockouts. The Stamford watch party will have the early Spain game on the big screens, with the Latam crowd in for Uruguay later.
Monday June 22: France, Argentina, and the Outright Favorites
A blockbuster Monday. Argentina open the day against Austria at Dallas (1pm ET), with Messi looking to keep the defending champions rolling. Then France, the new tournament favorites, face Iraq at Philadelphia (5pm ET) in a game they are expected to win comfortably, with Mbappe chasing more goals and the Golden Boot. Norway round out the night against Senegal at New York New Jersey (8pm ET), a genuine Group I shootout with Haaland involved.
This is the day to be at Stamford. The France game lands in the prime evening window, the big screens will be on, and it is the kind of fixture that fills the room. Back the favorites or hunt for value in the goalscorer markets, the app has both.
Tuesday June 23: England's Group L Test
England take center stage against Ghana at Boston (4pm ET), looking to follow up the Croatia win and book their knockout spot. The Three Lions are strong favorites and will fancy this, but Ghana found a late winner against Panama and will not roll over. A win here and England can start thinking about topping the group with their final game against Panama to come.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Portugal need a response against Uzbekistan at Houston (1pm ET) after that opening draw, Croatia look to bounce back against Panama at Toronto (7pm ET), and Colombia face DR Congo at Guadalajara (10pm ET). A full slate, all live at every Winners venue.
The Latam Watch at Stamford
Stamford's crowd has a serious Latam contingent, and the week ahead is stacked for them. Argentina vs Austria on Monday with Messi's record-breaking run still going. Brazil vs Scotland lands midweek on Wednesday June 24 at Miami (6pm ET) as the Selecao look to lock up Group C. Mexico close their group against Czechia on Wednesday June 24 at Mexico City (9pm ET), with El Tri having already won Group A. The Stamford big screens will carry all of it, and the atmosphere for the South American and Mexican games has been one of the highlights of the tournament so far.
Every single World Cup match is showing live across all Winners and MyWinners venues in Connecticut. Wherever you are in the state, you can catch the game, place your bets, and soak up the tournament atmosphere.
The watch parties at Stamford have been the standout. Big screens, a packed room for the marquee games, food and drink flowing, and a crowd that brings the noise for the United States, the European heavyweights, and the Latam sides alike. If you want the full World Cup experience in CT, Stamford is where the energy is. The other venues will have every match on too, so you will never miss a kick.
| Match | Day | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA v Türkiye | Thursday | June 25 | 10:00 PM |
| Uruguay v Spain | Friday | June 26 | 8:00 PM |
The group stage is nearly done and the knockouts are where the real drama starts. Whether you are backing the United States to defy the odds, France to go all the way, or hunting value in the goalscorer and outright markets, Fanatics Sports Betting has you covered. Place your bets at the Fanatics Sports Betting counter in every MyWinners venue.
