The group stage draw for the 2014 World Cup did create one group of death (Group D with Uruguay, Italy and England together) and put together quite a few interesting teams together, with matches that do deserve to get the kind of attention the knockout stage matches usually get, even giving us a repeat of the previous’ World Cup final with Spain and the Netherlands coming together.
Brazil, in group A, don’t have a super team to face, but their matches against Mexico (who they played against in the Confederations CUp) and the opener against Croatia generate plenty of interest. In group B, Spain and the Netherlands give us probably the biggest match of the group stage – a repeat of the 2010 World Cup Final.
Group D is filled with interesting matches as Uruguay play Italy and England, while these old European rivals also face other in a match that usually doesn’t give us high quality of football but is very interesting nonetheless. In Group G, Germany and Portugal, two teams that met in the group stage of the previous European championship, also give us something to look forward to.
Group A
Brazil vs Croatia (June 12, 17:00, Sao Paulo)
Mexico vs Cameroon (June 13, 13:00, Natal)
Brazil vs Mexico (June 17, 16:00, Fortaleza)
Cameroon vs Croatia (June 18, 16:00, Manaus)
Cameroon vs Brazil (June 23, 17:00, Brasilia)
Croatia vs Mexico (June 23, 17:00, Recife)
Group B
Spain vs Netherlands (June 13, 16:00, Salvador)
Chile vs Australia (June 13, 19:00, Cuiaba)
Spain vs Chile (June 18, 19:00, Rio de Janeiro)
Australia vs Netherlands (June 18, 13:00, Porto Alegre)
Australia vs Spain (June 23, 13:00, Curitiba)
Netherlands vs Chile (June 23, 13:00, Sao Paulo)
Group C
Colombia vs Greece (June 14, 13:00, Belo Horizonte)
Ivory Coast vs Japan (June 14, 19:00, Recife)
Colombia vs Ivory Coast (June 19, 13:00, Brasilia)
Japan vs Greece (June 19, 19:00, Natal)
Japan vs Colombia (June 24, 17:00, Cuiaba)
Greece vs Ivory Coast (June 24, 17:00, Fortaleza)
Group D
Uruguay vs Costa Rica (June 14, 16:00, Fortaleza)
England vs Italy (June 14, 22:00, Manaus)
Uruguay vs England (June 19, 16:00, Sao Paulo)
Italy vs Costa Rica (June 20, 13:00, Recife)
Italy vs Uruguay (June 24, 13:00, Natal)
Costa Rica vs England (June 24, 13:00, Belo Horizonte)
Group E
Switzerland vs Ecuador (June 15, 13:00, Brasilia)
France vs Honduras (June 15, 16:00, Porto Alegre)
Switzerland vs France (June 20, 16:00, Salvador)
Honduras vs Ecuador (June 20, 19:00, Curitiba)
Honduras vs Switzerland (June 25, 17:00, Manaus)
Ecuador vs France (June 25, 17:00, Rio de Janeiro)
Group F
Argentina vs Bosnia (June 15, 19:00, Rio de Janeiro)
Iran vs Nigeria (June 16, 16:00, Curitiba)
Argentina vs Iran (June 21, 13:00, Belo Horizonte)
Nigeria vs Bosnia (June 21, 19:00, Cuiaba)
Nigeria vs Argentina (June 25, 13:00, Porto Alegre)
Bosnia vs Iran (June 25, 13:00, Salvador)
Group G
Germany vs Ghana (June 16, 13:00, Salvador)
USA vs Portugal (June 16, 19:00, Natal)
Germany vs USA (June 21, 16:00, Fortaleza)
Portugal vs Ghana (June 22, 16:00, Manaus)
Portugal vs Germany (June 26, 13:00, Recife)
Ghana vs USA (June 26, 13:00, Brasilia)
Group H
Belgium vs Algeria (June 17, 13:00, Belo Horizonte)
Russia vs South Korea (June 17, 19:00, Cuiaba)
Belgium vs Russia (June 22, 19:00, Rio de Janeiro)
South Korea vs Algeria (June 22, 13:00, Porto Alegre)
South Korea vs Belgium (June 26, 17:00, Sao Paulo)
Algeria vs Russia (June 26, 17:00, Curitiba)
Knockout Stage
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 28 June – Belo Horizonte | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group A | ||||||||||||||
| 4 July – Fortaleza | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group B | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 49 | ||||||||||||||
| 28 June – Rio de Janeiro | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 50 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group C | ||||||||||||||
| 8 July – Belo Horizonte | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group D | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 57 | ||||||||||||||
| 30 June – Brasília | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 58 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group E | ||||||||||||||
| 4 July – Rio de Janeiro | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group F | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 53 | ||||||||||||||
| 30 June – Porto Alegre | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 54 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group G | ||||||||||||||
| 13 July – Rio de Janeiro | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group H | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 61 | ||||||||||||||
| 29 June – Fortaleza | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 62 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group B | ||||||||||||||
| 5 July – Salvador | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group A | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 51 | ||||||||||||||
| 29 June – Recife | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 52 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group D | ||||||||||||||
| 9 July – São Paulo | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group C | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 59 | ||||||||||||||
| 1 July – São Paulo | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 60 | Third place | |||||||||||||
| Winner Group F | ||||||||||||||
| 5 July – Brasília | 12 July – Brasília | |||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group E | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 55 | Loser Match 61 | |||||||||||||
| 1 July – Salvador | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 56 | Loser Match 62 | |||||||||||||
| Winner Group H | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group G | ||||||||||||||