World Cup Day 4 What to Watch: Netherlands and Japan square off; Germany's redemption campaign begins

The 2026 FIFA World Cup moves into its fourth day of group stage play, as Group E and Group F kick off their first games of the tournament. Here's what you need to know for Sunday’s slate of matches.

It was only 12 years ago that Germany lifted its fourth World Cup trophy. But since then, the Germans have gotten grouped two tournaments in a row. Germany's quest to fight off that embarrassing run starts Sunday, as the European powerhouse faces off against Curaçao, the smallest country in the tournament.

Everything is on the Germans' side in this group stage. For Germany, Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz enters the tournament with the most eyes on him, but any number of the team's veterans or up-and-comers could be the difference-maker in an overdue tournament run. Die Mannschaft is also a clear favorite to win this group: The team holds the highest FIFA ranking in the group (No. 10), ahead of its primary competition in the group, Ecuador .

Curaçao, meanwhile, will just be happy to finally make it to this stage at all, as the small island nation is one of four debutantes to make it to the newly expanded tournament. The Blue Wave is being coached by legendary manager Dick Advocaat, and its midfield is anchored by a pair of brothers , veteran Leandro Bacuna and younger sibling Juninho Bacuna .

The Netherlands is another of the high-level teams (No. 8 in the FIFA rankings) that will start its World Cup journey on Sunday. The Oranje will be led by longtime captain Virgil van Dijk , who is the anchor of the Dutch back line and still one of the best players on the team.

But unlike Germany, the Oranje starts the group stage with a much harder challenge: Japan, whose durability and depth make them a very difficult foe.

Japan consistently stuns opponents at the World Cup: In 2022, the Samurai Blue beat both Germany and Spain to win their group, keeping Germany out of the knockout round altogether. They'll aim to do some more disrupting this year, starting with the Dutch.

It'll also be a meeting of two of the game's best fanbases . Japanese fans are all-in on the team, and Netherlands supporters kick off every game with the Oranje Fanwalk, creating a sprawling mass of orange-clad fans that spans for blocks. Sunday's version of the Fanwalk in Arlington will be the first glimpse of it on American soil, and it's something to keep an eye out for.