Group A
This opening game at the iconic Azteca venue will echo the first game from 2010, when Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with El Tri. The Mexican team's elimination stage history at the worldwide showpiece includes just one victory, achieved against Bulgaria when they previously were hosts in 1986. Their coach, Javier Aguirre, was a forward in that squad and will be targeting a third-ever last-eight berth as hosts. South Africa, led by veteran Belgian manager Hugo Broos, secured their place for their first finals since hosting, finishing above Nigeria and Benin even after seeing a win over Lesotho awarded against them for using an suspended footballer.
It will represent South Korea's eleventh successive World Cup qualification. Legend Hong Myung-bo played in four of those, and finished third in the Golden Ball award when South Korea reached the semi-final in 2002. Hong is now their coach and guided them without a loss through a anything but straightforward qualification group. The final team in Group A will be the victor of a European playoff involving the Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia, or the Republic of Ireland.
Group B
The Canadian team have made it for the global finals twice and, although Qatar 2022 yielded their first finals goal, it did not bring their first point. Jesse Marsch is the manager of arguably the most talented squad in their history, with key men like Jonathan David at Juventus and Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich. How favorable the draw appears hinges largely on whether Italy progress through the UEFA play-off (the remaining 3 contenders are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, and Wales).
Following failing to qualify in 1998 and 2002, Switzerland have got through the group stage in four of the past five tournaments and were quarter-finalists at the past two European Championships. Murat Yakin’s side qualified unbeaten from probably the easiest of the UEFA groups and, with veterans like Ricardo Rodriguez and Granit Xhaka, boast individuals hoping to feature at their fourth finals. The Qatari team, having finished fourth in their third phase qualifying group, were handed a major boost by being chosen as a tournament host for the final round and secured progress with a 2-1 win over the UAE. Julen Lopetegui’s squad is selected exclusively from the domestic league.
Pool C
Scotland's return to the World Cup in 28 years looks a lot like their last appearance, when they lost to Brazil and the Atlas Lions; the Haitian team take the place of Norway. Their aim will be to make it to the knockout phase for the first time after 8 previous group-stage exits. Haiti’s only prior World Cup, in 1974, was notable less for their three defeats than for the fate that befell midfielder Ernst Jean-Joseph who, after testing positive in a doping test, was beaten by Haitian army officers before being sent back. They will have restricted traveling support due to travel restrictions involving the USA.
Carlo Ancelotti took over as Brazil’s third coach in a qualification process that featured a run of three consecutive defeats, but there is minimal jeopardy in South American qualifying these days. He has presided over a noticeable improvement. Last-four participants in Qatar in 2022, Morocco appear the best of the north African nations, able both of overwhelming rivals and playing on the counter-attack, securing qualification with a perfect win record.
Group D
Early last year, the United States seemed in a dismal condition, losing to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League and to Turkey and Switzerland in friendly matches. But over the past year, Mauricio Pochettino has seemingly begun to get his ideas across and in November the USA defeated Paraguay before routing Uruguay 5-1 in friendlies. They will begin against the Paraguayan side, who are competing in their 6th finals. They have won one game at each of the previous five, a statistic that has led to both group-stage eliminations and a quarter-final place. Their familiar defensive approach hasn't altered: they managed only 14 goals in their 18 games in South American qualifying.
This is not the most free-flowing Australian team and their roster is without obvious superstars, but despite an shaky start to the third phase of Asian qualification, Tony Popovic’s side qualified by defeating Japan at home and Saudi Arabia away under immense pressure in their final two matches. The group’s final team will come from the winner of the European playoff C (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia, or Turkey).
Group E
After successive group phase exits, Germany are no longer the bogeymen of old. The shift to a more progressive style has brought a fragility and the draw initially looked like presenting a huge test to Julian Nagelsmann’s side. The Ecuadorian team were the surprise package of qualifying, finishing second behind Argentina in South America. Although they scored only 14 goals in 18 games, a backline including Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapié of Arsenal, protected by Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo, let in a paltry five.
Côte d’Ivoire exist in a state of constant declinism, where nothing is ever quite good as the glorious squad of 15-20 years ago. But since assuming control during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, manager Emerse Faé has proved inspirational. After an improbable continental triumph on home soil, Côte d’Ivoire were clinical in qualifying, scoring 25 goals without reply.
The smallest country ever to reach the finals, Curaçao, were the final team picked, however, making the group look a lot far less daunting than it might have been.
Pool F
Ronald Koeman’s Dutch side perhaps lack the galacticos of past Dutch generations, but they secured qualification without losing and Memphis Depay, who scored eight goals in qualification, consistently appears a more effective performer with his country's side than at club level. They begin against the Japanese team, who will participate in their 8th consecutive World Cup, and were by some way the most impressive of the Asian sides in qualification, suffering one of their 16 games across the two groups, with a combined goal difference of 54-3.
The Tunisian side made sure of a third straight World Cup berth by dominating a straightforward qualifying group, accumulating 28 points of a possible 30. Sami Trabelsi’s team are maybe not as dour as some previous Tunisian teams; they had a remarkable 14 separate goalscorers in qualification. If Graham Potter’s Sweden make it through the European playoff (against Ukraine in the semi, then either Poland or Albania in the final), that will create a rematch of the group game in Dortmund in 1974 when Johan Cruyff first executed the famous Cruyff Turn.
Pool G
Belgium and the Pharaohs are moving on from the shadow of their most talented generations. Rudi Garcia’s Belgium were inconsistent in qualifying, scoring the net eight times but conceding five in two wins over Wales, scoring easily at times, but also laboring to a 1-1 draw away to Kazakhstan.
Egypt are the most successful side in African football history, but having failed to qualify during their golden period 15-20 years ago, they have never fully done themselves justice on the global stage. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush give them cutting edge, but it was a defence that allowed just twice in 10 games that meant they qualified undefeated.
A reserved place for Oceania essentially equated to a spot at the finals for the All Whites, who sailed through qualification, winning five games out of five, netting 29 goals, nine of them by Chris Wood, but they are the lowest-ranked side to have secured their place in North America next summer. Iran, who were defeated only once in a difficult third-round qualifying group, are on a list of restricted nations, potentially
