World Cup mismatches usually aren't that common. They are in 2026.
World Cup mismatches usually aren't that common. They are in 2026.
Jared Beilby, USA TODAYFri, June 19, 2026 at 11:44 PM UTC
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For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA expanded the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.
The expansion allows more nations to enter the event, but it also means there are more matches between disparate teams. In fact, five of the 10 biggest World Cup mismatches since FIFA began its world rankings in 1992 are taking place in 2026.
The biggest such mismatch this year is Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET between No. 6 Brazil and No. 83 Haiti — a gap of 77 places. That's the fourth-biggest rankings gap ever between teams behind three 2010 matches involving North Korea.
No. 7 Morocco will also play Haiti on June 24, which equals a gap of 76 places and is tied for the fifth-biggest gap all-time.
DIG DEEPER: Where do Cape Verde, New Zealand rank all-time among World Cup upsets?
Outside of those Group C contests, this year sees No. 9 Belgium play No. 85 New Zealand on June 26 in Group G — also a gap of 76 places.
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Then in Group E, Germany's 7-1 drubbing of Curacao on June 14 was a difference of 72 places, which is the ninth-biggest gap.
Finally, No. 4 England will take on No. 73 Ghana on June 23 in Group L, and that 69-place gap is the 10th-biggest ever.
The 2010 and 2026 tournaments take up the top 16 matches with the biggest gaps. The first World Cup besides those two is 2014, where No. 1 Spain played a 62nd-ranked Australia side.
The other big mismatches in 2026 include No. 20 Iran and No. 85 New Zealand, which played to a 2-2 draw on June 15, No. 1 Argentina versus No. 63 Jordan and No. 11 Croatia versus No. 73 Ghana.
Cape Verde's 0-0 draw against Spain on June 15 is tied for 13th with the Iran-New Zealand match. Cape Verde came into the 2026 World Cup ranked 67th, while Spain is second.
Methodology note: Rankings come from the official FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings and are based on the final edition released before each tournament. For 2026, that ranking was released June 11, the same day the tournament kicked off. World Cup match data comes from FBref.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Upset alert? Five of the biggest World Cup mismatches occur in 2026
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