These 5 matches are must-see in men's World Cup group stage
CBC
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.