By now you know, right? There’s a tournament going on — a somewhat big, flashy tournament — and it’s about to dominate my mind for the next month. Seriously. There will be almost nothing else on my mind. Will I be watching South Korea play against Czechia despite having no connection to either nation? Oh, you betcha. Will I eat up every second of Austria against Jordan in the Group Stage? Don’t test me; next question.

While I recommend that you all abandon your regular schedules with me to make time for the World Cup, I understand that this life isn’t for everyone, and I want you to know that’s okay. I won’t hold it against you. Instead, let me help you. If you’re looking for a healthy, logical way to schedule some World Cup watching — and you're a Loons fan — you’re in luck! I’ve put together a Loons-specific World Cup watch guide, complete with dates, times, and some light commentary to get you excited. So, without further ado, let’s get you ready to follow the trio repping the Boys in Black and Blue at this summer’s tournament.

Michael Boxall

Oh captain, my captain! Boxy and the New Zealand national team have landed in Group G, alongside the likes of Belgium, Egypt, and Iran. The Kiwis are the lowest-ranked nation in the group, coming in at 85th in the world. That said, they’re easily the best team in the Oceania Football Confederation, and after a narrow 1-0 loss to England in their final warmup friendly, they should have some hope that they can slay a giant or two as they look to advance from the group for the first time in their nation’s history. This will be New Zealand’s third-ever World Cup appearance, and Boxy’s first. 

Matches: 

• Iran vs. New Zealand - Monday, June 15, at 8:00 p.m. CT

• New Zealand vs. Egypt - Sunday, June 21, at 8:00 p.m. CT

• New Zealand vs. Belgium - Friday, June 26, at 10:00 p.m. CT

Carlos Harvey

Another World Cup debut! Carlos Harvey joins the Panama national team for his first chance at playing on the world’s biggest stage, representing Los Canaleros in just their second-ever World Cup appearance. After emerging as a real threat in Concacaf across the last decade or so, Panama has been preparing to make themselves a steady presence on the international scene, and this World Cup offers a great chance to do that. Some very tough matchups in Group L will either leave a bad taste in their mouths or lend themselves to one of the tournament’s best underdog stories.  

Matches: 

• Ghana vs. Panama - Wednesday, June 17, at 6:00 p.m. CT

• Panama vs. Croatia - Tuesday, June 23, at 6:00 p.m. CT

• Panama vs. England - Sunday, June 27, at 4:00 p.m. CT

James Rodríguez

Mr. World Cup himself joins Colombia for his third appearance at the world’s showcase event in 2026, looking to lead Los Cafeteros to a legendary run. After bursting onto the scene in the 2014 tournament in Brazil, James has remained a star of international soccer, and with one of their strongest sides in years, Colombia may have what it takes to turn their dreams into reality. They missed the big dance in 2022, but I reckon that’s only going to fuel their fire in this highly-anticipated return to action. 

Matches: 

• Uzbekistan vs. Colombia - Wednesday, June 17, at 9:00 p.m. CT

• Colombia vs. DR Congo - Tuesday, June 23, at 9:00 p.m. CT

• Colombia vs. Portugal - Sunday, June 27, at 6:30 p.m. CT

The Group Stage wraps up on June 27, so expect another Loonified watch guide around then based on how our boys finish. All matches will be available via the FOX suite of channels, including FOX, FS1, and the FOX One streaming service, so get yourself situated television-ally, come on out to some Soccer Celebration festivities in downtown Minneapolis, and get ready for a fantastic month of soccer.