World Cup 2014: Updated Groups Fixtures and Schedule for All Teams

Whether your favorite team is considered a top contender or you are simply hoping to reach the knockout stage, everyone is excited for the start of the 2014 World Cup.

Things will kick off Thursday with Brazil taking on Croatia in the first game of the tournament. The hosts are one of the favorites to win a title this summer, but they will have a tough challenge from Spain, Germany and a bunch of other talented squads.

The good news for fans is that we will be able to see all of the national teams in action over the next week with the group stage finally coming to a conclusion on June 26. In that time, there will be some quality battles between elite opponents attempting to earn a spot in the next phase.

Here is a look at all of the fixtures for the group stage, with a breakdown of the best matches to watch in the coming weeks.

Date	Match	Group	Time (ET)	Venue
June 12	Brazil vs. Croatia	A	4 p.m.	Sao Paulo
June 13	Mexico vs. Cameroon	A	12 p.m.	Natal
June 13	Spain vs. Netherlands	B	3 p.m.	Salvador
June 13	Chile vs. Australia	B	6 p.m.	Cuiaba
June 14	Colombia vs. Greece	C	12 p.m.	Belo Horizonte
June 14	Uruguay vs. Costa Rica	D	3 p.m.	Fortaleza
June 14	Ivory Coast vs. Japan	C	6 p.m.	Recife
June 14	England vs. Italy	D	6 p.m.	Manaus
June 15	Switzerland vs. Ecuador	E	12 p.m.	Brasilia
June 15	France vs. Honduras	E	3 p.m.	Porto Alegre
June 15	Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina	F	6 p.m.	Rio De Janeiro
June 16	Germany vs. Portugal	G	12 p.m.	Salvador
June 16	Iran vs. Nigeria	F	3 p.m.	Curitiba
June 16	Ghana vs. United States	G	6 p.m.	Natal
June 17	Belgium vs. Algeria	H	12 p.m.	Belo Horizonte
June 17	Brazil vs. Mexico	A	3 p.m.	Fortaleza
June 17	Russia vs. South Korea	H	6 p.m.	Cuiaba
June 18	Australia vs. Netherlands	B	12 p.m.	Porto Alegre
June 18	Cameroon vs. Croatia	A	3 p.m.	Manaus
June 18	Spain vs. Chile	B	6 p.m.	Rio De Janeiro
June 19	Colombia vs. Ivory Coast	C	12 p.m.	Brasilia
June 19	Uruguay vs. England	D	3 p.m.	Sao Paulo
June 19	Greece vs. Japan	C	6 p.m.	Natal
June 20	Costa Rica vs. Italy	D	12 p.m.	Recife
June 20	Switzerland vs. France	E	3 p.m.	Salvador
June 20	Ecuador vs. Honduras	E	6 p.m.	Curitiba
June 21	Argentina vs. Iran	F	12 p.m.	Belo Horizonte
June 21	Germany vs. Ghana	G	3 p.m.	Fortaleza
June 21	Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Nigeria	F	6 p.m.	Cuiaba
June 22	South Korea vs. Algeria	H	12 p.m.	Porto Alegre
June 22	United States vs. Portugal	G	3 p.m.	Manaus
June 22	Belgium vs. Russia	H	12 p.m.	Rio De Janeiro
June 23	Australia vs. Spain	B	12 p.m.	Curitiba
June 23	Chile vs. Netherlands	B	12 p.m.	Sao Paulo
June 23	Brazil vs. Cameroon	A	4 p.m.	Brasilia
June 23	Croatia vs. Mexico	A	4 p.m.	Recife
June 24	Italy vs. Uruguay	D	12 p.m.	Natal
June 24	Costa Rica vs. England	D	12 p.m.	Belo Horizonte
June 24	Japan vs. Colombia	C	4 p.m.	Cuiaba
June 24	Greece vs. Ivory Coast	C	4 p.m.	Fortaleza
June 25	Nigeria vs. Argentina	F	12 p.m.	Porto Alegre
June 25	Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran	F	12 p.m.	Salvador
June 25	Honduras vs. Switzerland	E	4 p.m.	Manaus
June 25	France vs. Ecuador	E	4 p.m.	Rio De Janeiro
June 26	United States vs. Germany	G	12 p.m.	Recife
June 26	Portugal vs. Ghana	G	12 p.m.	Brasilia
June 26	South Korea vs. Belgium	H	4 p.m.	Sao Paulo
June 26	Algeria vs. Russia	H	4 p.m.	Curitiba

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Group E	Group F	Group G	Group H
Brazil	Spain	Columbia	Uruguay
Croatia	Netherlands	Greece	Costa Rica
Mexico	Chile	Ivory Coast	England
Cameroon	Australia	Japan	Italy
Switzerland	Argentina	Germany	Belgium
Ecuador	Bosnia-Herzegovina	Portugal	Algeria
France	Iran	Ghana	Russia
Honduras	Nigeria	United States	South Korea

Spain vs. Netherlands

One of the first matches of the 2014 World Cup is the same as the last match of the 2010 World Cup. Spain clinched the title four years ago when Andres Iniesta scored in extra time to beat the Netherlands in the finals.

Spain manager Vicente del Bosque explained his feelings toward the opening battle, via Alfredo Rodriguez of UEFA.com:

"

It is fate that we play them again in our first match, the same as the final of the last World Cup. ... Let's see if we are capable of beating the Netherlands again; they have certainly changed since that World Cup final. I have always said that Dutch football has always been very powerful, and it will be a difficult group.

"

Netherlands is led by Robin van Persie, who had a down year along with the rest of Manchester United. However, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder will help lead a veteran squad capable of playing with anyone.

That being said, Spain likely has the best midfield in the world with simply incredible depth. Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Pedro and others will do their best to hold onto possession and prevent any opponent from getting legitimate opportunities on the attack.

Spain has the advantage heading into this match, but this Netherlands squad can put itself in great shape by earning a positive result in this early contest.

Germany vs. Portugal

Americans are hoping to escape Group G, but Germany and Portugal remain the class of the group, with both squads coming into the World Cup ranked in the top five of the FIFA rankings.

When you think about the Portuguese squad, one name comes to mind: Cristiano Ronaldo. The reigning Ballon d'Or winner is coming off a Champions League title with Real Madrid, something that is certain to give him even more confidence going forward.

While there are talented players elsewhere on the pitch, Germany will have to make sure it stops Ronaldo before worrying about anything else. The superstar certainly showed his ability in the qualifying two-legged play-off against Sweden when he scored each of the team's four goals to ensure a ticket to Brazil.

On the other hand, Germany has a much deeper roster full of world-class talent. It seems like everyone on the roster played for a UCL squad in some country.

The problem is injuries, as Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira and others are less than 100 percent. Raphael Honigstein of ESPN FC notes that this could lead to an early exit:

Still, it will be tough for any squad to compete with Germany even with various injuries. Portugal has a chance, and it will be an important contest for the rest of Group G play.

Uruguay vs. Italy

Although England continues to have high hopes heading into the World Cup, Group D does not seem like it will be friendly to the Three Lions. According to Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports, every analyst at the company predicted Italy and Uruguay to advance, with England getting third or fourth in the group:

This means the group will likely come down to those other two teams. The good news is the match between the two should be one of the best in the tournament.

When healthy, Uruguay has one of the best attacks in the world between Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. These two players have been outstanding over the past two years for their respective clubs and have shown the ability to score on their own better than almost anyone in the sport.

On the other hand, the Italians are known for their defense, which led them to the finals of Euro 2012. Add in the scoring ability of Mario Balotelli and Andrea Pirlo, and this squad has the chance to beat anyone.

The question is which inconsistent side can come through with its best effort in the World Cup. Based on what we have seen in the past, it would not be surprising to see either team make a run to the semifinals or lose in the group stage.

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