With only two weeks until the World Cup kicks off in Brazil, the time has come to start focusing in on the important contests in Group Play that will help shape the knockout rounds and outcome of the tournament.
All 64 World Cup matches will be broadcast live on ABC and ESPN/ESPN2 starting with the opener between host-country Brazil and Croatia on Thursday, June 12. Group Play concludes on Thursday, June 26. The Round of 16, or knockout stages, will begin on Saturday, June 28. The tournament will end on July 13 with the championship match held in Rio de Janeiro.
The complete group-play schedule is listed below with select games displayed in bold. The United States and Mexico, the two most popular teams in our area, have each of their three games highlighted.
The Americans open up with Ghana on Monday, June 16. [Check out an official 2014 Nike Team USA World Cup Jersey
El Tri faces Cameroon in its first match on Friday morning, June 13. The defending champion Spanish side also plays on June 13 in a European clash with the Netherlands.
WORLD CUP GAMES
Television Schedule (All times local for Santa Barbara, California)
Group Play
Thursday, June 12
1 p.m.: Brazil vs. Croatia at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo (ESPN)
Friday, June 13
9 a.m.: Mexico vs. Cameroon at Estadio das Dunas, Natal (ESPN2)
12 p.m.: Spain vs. Netherlands at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (ESPN)
3 p.m. Chile vs. Australia at Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba (ESPN2)
Saturday, June 14
9 a.m.: Colombia vs. Greece at Estádio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (ABC)
12 p.m.: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica at Estádio Castelao, Fortaleza (ABC)
3 p.m.: England vs. Italy at Arena Amazonia, Manaus (ESPN)
6 p.m.: Ivory Coast vs. Japan at Arena Pernambuco, Recife (ESPN)
Sunday, June 15
9 a.m.: Switzerland vs. Ecuador at Estádio Nacional Mane Garrincha, Brasilia (ABC)
12 p.m.: France vs. Honduras at Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (ABC)
3 p.m.: Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina at Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (ESPN)
Monday, June 16
9 a.m.: Germany vs. Portugal at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (ESPN)
12 p.m.: Iran vs. Nigeria at Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (ESPN)
3 p.m.: Ghana vs. United States at Estadio das Dunas, Natal (ESPN)
Tuesday, June 17
9 a.m.: Belgium vs. Algeria at Estádio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (ESPN)
12 p.m.: Brazil vs. Mexico at Estádio Castelao, Fortaleza (ESPN)
3 p.m.: Russia vs. South Korea at Arena Pantanal, Cuiaba (ESPN)
Wednesday, June 18
9 a.m.: Australia vs. Netherlands at Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (ESPN)
12 p.m.: Spain vs. Chile at Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (ESPN)
3 p.m.: Cameroon vs. Croatia at Arena Amazonia, Manaus (ESPN)
Thursday, June 19
9 a.m.: Colombia vs. Ivory Coast at Estádio Nacional Mane Garrincha, Brasilia (ESPN)
12 p.m.: Uruguay vs. England at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo (ESPN)
3 p.m.: Japan vs. Greece at Estadio das Dunas, Natal (ESPN)
Friday, June 20
9 a.m.: Italy vs. Costa Rica at Arena Pernambuco, Recife (ESPN)
12 p.m.: Switzerland vs. France at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (ESPN)
3 p.m.: Honduras vs. Ecuador at Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (ESPN)
Saturday, June 21
9 a.m.: Argentina vs. Iran at Estádio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (ESPN)
12 p.m.: Germany vs. Ghana at Estádio Castelao, Fortaleza (ESPN)
3 p.m.: Nigeria vs. Bosnia Herzegovina at Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá (ESPN)
Sunday, June 22
9 a.m.: Belgium vs. Russia at Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (ABC)
12 p.m.: South Korea vs. Algeria at Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (ABC)
3 p.m.: United States vs. Portugal at Arena Amazonia, Manaus (ESPN)
Monday, June 23
9 a.m.: Netherlands vs. Chile at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo (ESPN2)
9 a.m.: Australia vs. Spain at Arena da Baixada, Curitiba (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Croatia vs. Mexico at Arena Pernambuco, Recife (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Cameroon vs. Brazil at Estadio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasilia (ESPN2)
Tuesday, June 24
9 a.m.: Italy vs. Uruguay at Estadio das Dunas, Natal (ESPN)
9 a.m.: Costa Rica vs. England at Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (ESPN2)
1 p.m.: Japan vs. Colombia at Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Greece vs. Ivory Coast at Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (ESPN2)
Wednesday, June 25
9 a.m.: Nigeria vs. Argentina at Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (ESPN)
9 a.m.: Bosnia Herzegovina vs. Iran at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (ESPN2)
1 p.m.: Ecuador vs. France at Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (ESPN2)
1 p.m.: Honduras vs. Switzerland at Arena Amazonia, Manaus (ESPN)
Thursday, June 26
9 a.m.: United States vs. Germany at Arena Pernambuco, Recife (ESPN)
9 a.m.: Portugal vs. Ghana at Estádio Nacional Mane Garrincha, Brasilia (ESPN2)
1 p.m.: South Korea vs. Belgium at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Algeria vs. Russia at Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (ESPN2)
Round of 16
Saturday, June 28
9 a.m.: Brazil (1A) vs. Chile (2B) at Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (ABC)
1 p.m.: Colombia (1C) vs. Uruguay (2D) at Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (ABC)
Sunday, June 29
9 a.m.: Netherlands (1B) vs. Mexico (2A) at Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Costa Rica (1D) vs. Greece (2C) at Arena Pernambuco, Recife (ESPN)
Monday, June 30
9 a.m.: France (1E) vs. Nigeria (2F) at Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha, Brasilia (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Germany (1G) vs. Algeria (2H) at Estadio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (ESPN)
Tuesday, July 1
9 a.m.: Argentina (1F) vs. Switzerland (2E) at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo (ESPN)
1 p.m.: Belgium (1H) vs. United States (2G) at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (ESPN)
Quarterfinals
Friday, July 4
9 a.m.: France vs. Germany, Rio de Janeiro (ESPN2)
1 p.m.: Brazil vs. Colombia, Fortaleza (ESPN)
Saturday, July 5
9 a.m.: Argentina vs. Belgium, Brasilia (ABC)
1 p.m. Netherlands vs. Costa Rica, Salvador (ESPN)
Semifinals
Tuesday, July 8
1 p.m.: Brazil vs. Germany, at Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte (ESPN)
Wednesday, July 9
1 p.m.: Argentina vs. Netherlands, at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo (ESPN)
Final
Sunday, July 13
Noon: Championship, at Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (ABC)
