One thing to watch out for in every World Cup group

Group A: Standoffs galore

Everyone is obviously obliged to tune in to the opener for the vibes, but don’t expect Group A to have a lot of fireworks thereafter. All four teams should be expected to adopt conservative approaches, albeit in different manners.

South Korea will likely be the most comfortable with the ball, though they likely won’t push more than five attackers well into the final third. South Africa can also pass it around well, though they may even keep six in a more defensive posture in possession. Mexico may commit more numbers forward, but they won’t take too many risks with their passing.

Czechia, meanwhile, will focus on keeping a solid block in their 5-2-2-1. Their set-pieces will be a threat, but they’ll also hope to see Pavel Šulc deal damage in transition after a standout season with Lyon.

Group B: Group of life

In terms of overall team quality, this is the worst group by various metrics. World #19 Switzerland are the highest-ranked team, and they — alongside Jesse Marsch’s high-pressing Maple Leafs — should be strongly fancied ahead of two first-time qualifiers.

There is very little hope around an uninspiring Qatar side, but debutantes Bosnia and Herzegovina may be able to spring a surprise. Their exciting young wingers will be ones to watch, with PSV’s Esmir Bajraktarević expected to start on the right, while 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegović is sure to catch the eye on the left with his direct dribbling regardless of whether he comes off the bench.

Group C: Can Brazil click?

Brazil are the most successful team in World Cup history by almost any metric. They are record five-time champions, and are almost guaranteed fixtures in at least the quarter-finals. In fact, the only two occasions in which they failed to get past the Round of 16 were in 1934 and 1990.

However, a subpar qualifying campaign and injuries to key players have cast serious doubts around their chances of going the distance this time. They have been dealt a tough knockout draw that could include Japan and Senegal/Norway in the first two rounds even if they win their group, so they will need to find the right formula against the likes of Morocco and Scotland in the group.

Group D: The tightest group

Group D is the only one at the tournament in which all competitors are within the top 50 of FIFA’s rankings, and the least-fancied team are 40th-ranked Paraguay. As per KU Leuven’s predictions, even they have a 58% chance of advancing to the knockouts.

Besides the Albirroja, the USA and Australia will also adopt more conservative approaches on the field. So, the most exciting team to watch may well be Türkiye, who are back at the World Cup for the first time in 24 years. Their young technicians are sure to stand out, and could lead them on a memorable knockout run.

Group E: Underdogs with differing styles

Curaçao’s World Cup debut is one of the stories of the tournament, but the Blue Wave will have to make a massive splash if they are to get past the group stage. Germany are the obvious favourites in their group, but both Ecuador and the Ivory Coast are strong sides as well.

Sebastián Beccacece’s side’s affinity for 0-0 draws is now widely known, but the Elephants will look to take them on and open the game up as far as they can. Their young wingers form a key part of their game plan, with Amad growing into a creator coming infield from the right, while Yan Diomande is a prolific dribbler and dual threat on the left.

Group F: Collective vs individual quality

Group F has quite an interesting collection of contestants. Japan are arguably one of the most tactically advanced and well-drilled international teams out there, but the absence of star attacker Kaoru Mitoma is a huge blow. Sweden, on the other hand, haven’t looked like a particularly cohesive unit for a while, but the return of Alexander Isak alongside Viktor Gyökeres makes their attack a frightening prospect.

Then there are two teams for whom chance creation will be a big question. The Netherlands have gradually found a good overall balance under Ronald Koeman, but they might find themselves short of a lockpicker in attacking midfield. Tunisia, on the other hand, will try to shut up shop as much as they can out of possession, but the big question is whether their forwards have enough quality to make things happen on their own.

Group G: Could Belgium falter again?

Belgium’s waning golden generation floundered out of the group stage in 2022, but they still haven’t entirely moved on. While failing to reach the knockouts in this expanded World Cup is a much tougher task, the Red Devils shouldn’t take their spot in the Round of 32 entirely for granted.

Should their attacking tactics remain extremely reliant on Jérémy Doku, there is a good chance that both Egypt and Iran’s solid defensive blocks frustrate them. Both of those sides also have some serious quality up front, and since Belgium play them in the first two rounds, the final group fixture against New Zealand also has a potential to get tricky. If at all there is a major upset in the group stage, this could well be it.

Group H: Wide open field behind tournament favourites

Over in Group H, the likelihood of an upset is near-zero since the good people at KU Leuven give the tournament favourites a 99% chance of advancing to the knockouts. Behind them, though, it’s anyone’s guess as to who might be second.

Debutantes Cape Verde can field a well-organised side, which might be enough to push a disarrayed Uruguay (whose key creator Giorgian de Arrascaeta picked up an injury on the eve of the tournament to make matters worse) and a Saudi Arabia side that changed head coaches just a couple of months before the tournament. Considering off-field issues, the Albiceleste in particular have the biggest flop potential at this tournament.

Group I: Group of death

Group I was the clear standout the moment the draw was made since it featured repeat finalists France, AFCON trophy holders Senegal and an extremely exciting Norway. Iraq later joined them after the qualification play-offs, but the Lions of Mesopotamia will need a bit of a miracle to get through.

Senegal’s first two matches are against France and Norway, so they have the toughest schedule of the lot. As long as they keep their goal difference in check, a win over Iraq should be enough for at least third place, so all three of these sides could go on to cause serious problems in the knockouts.

Group J: Second place is lava

44 years on from the Disgrace of Gijón, in which West Germany and Austria effectively colluded to ensure they both advanced to the knockouts at the expense of Algeria (who had played a day earlier), might we get something of a repeat in Group J?

As fate would have it, Austria and Algeria are scheduled to meet in the final round. They both might have three points by then as long as they beat the weakest team in the group, Jordan, and as one of the last groups, may already be assured of advancement through third place. In such a case, neither side will be too desperate to win the final game and come second, since that would likely set up a Round of 32 fixture against Spain.

Group K: The arrival of the White Wolves

I was among the early boarders of the Uzbekistan hypetrain, having written a few thousand words about their rise back in 2024, and we are well prepared to charge forward now. Portugal and Colombia will obviously be tough opponents for the World Cup debutantes, but a lacklustre DR Congo side could give them the three points they need to create further history.

Abdukodir Khusanov is the standout name in their squad thanks to his move to Manchester City, but keep an eye on young forward Abbosbek Fayzullaev, who had previously impressed in Russia and comes on the back of a good campaign in Istanbul.

Group L: Could the opener throw a favourite off?

Group L is among the most unevenly matched as 2018 semi-finalists England and Croatia both have over a 90% chance of advancing to the knockouts, while Ghana and Panama are clear underdogs.

However, the two favourites will face off first in the opening round, so one of them could be under some pressure going forward. Panama in particular have the potential to frustrate stronger opponents with their 5-4-1 block, so Croatia might find themselves enduring an unpleasant contest in the second round.

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