Day 4 Preview: USA's Group D Rivals Clash as Germany and the Netherlands Begin
Sunday features Australia vs Türkiye — a direct USA Group D rivalry — plus Germany's opener against debutants Curaçao and a marquee Netherlands–Japan tie in Dallas.
Day four of the 2026 World Cup carries a direct stake for the United States. Australia and Türkiye — the USMNT's two remaining Group D opponents — meet on Sunday, and with the U.S. having opened with a commanding 4-1 win over Paraguay, the result shapes the race behind them. A decisive outcome would tell Mauricio Pochettino's side exactly who their main rival for the group is; a draw would leave the Americans in firm control at the top.
The day's marquee fixture is Netherlands vs Japan (4pm ET) at Dallas Stadium, a Group F meeting of two sides expected to advance. Japan arrive without their captain, Wataru Endo, who retired from international football after a foot injury ruled him out of the tournament — a blow to a team already facing one of the deeper sides in the field. The Dutch, themselves missing the injured Jurriën Timber, will fancy their chances.
Germany begin their campaign earlier against debutants Curaçao (1pm ET) in Houston — the four-time champions opening Group E against one of the smallest nations by population ever to reach a World Cup. Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (7pm ET) in Philadelphia and Sweden vs Tunisia (10pm ET) round out a packed Group E and F schedule.
After a weekend in which favourites Brazil were held by Morocco and Qatar snatched a historic point from Switzerland, Day 4 offers Germany and the Netherlands the chance to make the kind of statement the tournament's other heavyweights have so far been denied.
Sources: Local10 — FIFA World Cup 2026: June 14 schedule for Day 4 · ESPN — 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule
