FIFA World Cup 2022: How the big teams have fared against current opponents in previous World Cups

As the World Cup is underway, we are about to see some mouthwatering clashes in the upcoming weeks. With 32 teams slotted into eight groups, there will be three group matches for each country in the first round of the tournament.

Many of the nations that will face their upcoming opponents have already faced the same country in the previous editions of the World Cup. Today we shall take a look at the head-to-head record of seven teams in the tournament with their group-stage opponents.

Argentina

Group: C

Opponents: Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia

• Argentina has never played Saudi Arabia in a World Cup.
  
  
• Argentina has played with Poland twice in the World Cup. They lost the 1st round match against the Polish side in 1974 but won 2-0 in 1978.
  
  
• Argentina has faced Mexico thrice in the World Cup and has won all three times. Mexico was ousted from the tournament at the Round of 16 twice by Argentina, most recently in 2006 and 2010.

Brazil

Group: G

Opponents: Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

• Brazil has a 2-0 H2H lead against Cameroon in the World Cup. The Selecao won their group league matches in 1994 and 2014 against the African nation.
  
  
• Brazil has played Serbia once and won that match against them. Their solitary meet was in 2018 when Brazil won 2-0.
  
  
• Brazil's both encounters with Switzerland have ended in a draw. The score was 2-2 in 1950, and 1-1 last term in Russia.

England

Group: B

Opponents: Wales, USA, Iran

• England has never faced Iran in the previous World Cups. They also never played against Wales.
  
  
• England has played 2 times against the USA and is without a win in that (1 draw, 1 loss). USA beat them in 1950 while it was all squares in 2010.

France

Group: D

Opponents: Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

• France played Australia in the 2018 World Cup and won 2-1. Antoine Griezmann scored for the French while Mile Jedinak equalised. Aziz Behich then scored an own goal to give the eventual champions a victory.
  
  
• France has played Denmark 3 times and has 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. Their most recent meet was in 2018 in the group stage where it ended in a goalless draw. Denmark won their match in 2002 while France won four years earlier.
  
  
• France has never played Tunisia in the World Cup.
  
  

Germany

Group: E

Opponents: Spain, Costa Rica, Japan

• Germany played Costa Rica in the opening game of the 2006 WC and won the match 4-2. That's their only encounter.
  
  
• Germany has never played Japan in the World Cup.
  
  
• Germany has played Spain 4 times and has 2 wins with 1 draw and 1 loss. Their most recent meet was in the Semifinal in 2010 in which Spain emerged victorious. Germany's wins over Spain have come in 1966 and 1982, when they were known as West Germany.
  
  

Spain

Group E:

Opponents: Germany, Costa Rica, Japan

• Spain has played Germany 4 times with their solitary win coming in the 2010 semifinal, in which they were the eventual Champions.
  
  
• Spain has never played Costa Rica and Japan in the World Cup.
  
  

Portugal

Group: H

Opponents: Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

• Portugal has played Ghana once in the tournament in 2014. They won the match 2-1 as Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner.
  
  
• Portugal's only encounter with South Korea ended in a defeat in 2002. Ji Sung Park scored for the Asian nation to give them a victory.
  
  
• Portugal has previously played Uruguay once and lost the match. It was in the Round of 16 last term in Russia where Edinson Cavani sank the Portuguese ship.