Argentina, Brazil, and Germany are gearing up for the World Cup.

NEW YORK, SUNDAY — Brazil, Argentina, and Germany, all of which have been champions multiple times, successfully won their warm-up matches ahead of the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, Sunday (7/6/2026) early morning WIB. Two other favored teams, Portugal and England, also achieved positive results.

Although it was just a warm-up match, the coaches took the game very seriously. Amid the threat of injuries ahead of the actual match, several coaches still fielded their key players.

Carlo Ancelotti fielded his key players who are likely to be starters in the opening match of Group C against Morocco on June 13 (June 14 morning WIB). Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes, Marquinhos, and goalkeeper Alisson, who has just recovered from injury, were also featured in the match against Egypt.

However, Don Carlo seems to still keep Neymar, resulting in the player not participating. Egypt also fielded their biggest star, Mohamed Salah. As a result, Brazil, the five-time World Cup champions, won 2-1 in Cleveland.

German coach Julian Nagelsmann fielded his three star forwards against the host United States. Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and Kai Havertz started the match. By deploying the core squad, this four-time world champion won the warm-up match in Chicago with a score of 2-1.

Kai Havertz headed in a free kick from Joshua Kimmich to give them the lead in the second minute. The United States equalized with a beautiful goal when Antonee Robinson struck a powerful volley after defender Jonathan Tah cleared a header resulting from a corner kick.

However, Leroy Sane unleashed a powerful shot from 12 meters to restore Germany's lead in the 57th minute.

"This is an ideal test for us, both in terms of match conditions and the opponent who plays with full emotion. We are now on a nine-match winning streak, and that is certainly not something to be taken lightly. Playing against the host nation also brings a different atmosphere compared to facing other teams. The match atmosphere is fantastic, and we achieved a good result," said Nagelsmann as quoted from the Bundesliga website.

Only Argentina has their biggest star, Lionel Messi. Nevertheless, coach Lionel Scaloni still played several key players such as Lautaro Martinez. In the match held in College Station, Texas, the defending champions won 2-0 against Honduras, with Martinez scoring one goal.

Before the match against Honduras, Scaloni stated that Messi is in good condition despite still being in the recovery phase from an injury. In fact, Messi could play for a few minutes in the warm-up match before the kick-off.

"Leo (Messi) is in good condition, he has started training with the team, no longer completely separated," said Scaloni. "There is a possibility that he will play for a few minutes in the friendly match. We will see if that happens in tomorrow's match or the next one."

The threat of injury during the friendly match ahead of the tournament was evident when Brazil's right-back, Wesley, left the field in tears after suffering a serious muscle injury to his left leg. This injury is likely to keep him out of the World Cup. The team can replace players up to one day before their first match.

Several other stars also appeared, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes in the Portugal national team, and Harry Kane in the England national team. Portugal won 2-1 against Chile, while England won 1-0 against New Zealand.

Kane's header in the first half gave England a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in Tampa, while Scotland and Belgium also secured wins as teams fine-tuned their preparations ahead of the kick-off.

English coach Thomas Tuchel rotated his entire team after the break and provided playing time to 22 players in 32 degrees Celsius heat. The outcome of the match became a secondary matter compared to the process of refining the squad.

Kane's clinical finish with a directed header into the bottom corner from a cross by Djed Spence serves as a reminder of the captain's importance for the hopes of the "Three Lions" in winning the World Cup for the second time.

Meanwhile, the match between Portugal and Chile was marked by a brawl that resulted in Rafael Leao and Ivan Roman receiving red cards. Goncalo Guedes put Portugal ahead before Bruno Fernandes added a second goal with a shot from outside the penalty area. Lucas Cepeda scored a consolation goal for Chile at the end of the match.

"We were superior throughout the 90 minutes, we were able to control the game very well, especially by dominating possession in the final third of the field," said Fernandes to RTP.

Striker Romelu Lukaku continued his comeback from injury for Belgium by playing 25 minutes as a substitute during their 5-0 victory over Tunisia, who played with 10 men, in Brussels. Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio, and Nicolas Raskin scored the goals, while Lukaku provided one assist.

"We want a good performance in front of our supporters," said Belgium's coach Rudi Garcia. "This is good preparation for the World Cup; we know this team can achieve great things." (AFP/REUTERS)