World Cup 2026 – Its Go Time!

While its only been 4 years since Qatar it seems like forever ago. But in just a month now WC 2026 will kick off. Hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada it will likely be the most well attended WC yet even with the outrageous ticket prices. Before we dive into the actual teams and their groups let take a look at the background for this years event.

The three host nations have a combined 16 venues with the US having 11, Mexico 3, and Canada 2. Here are those venues and the matches they will host.

Mexico

Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) – The obvious choice to hold the first match on June 11th with Mexico and South Africa. The Azteca holds 87,500 fans and will be the first stadium in WC history to host matches from 3 different WCs (1970, 1986, and 2029). They will also host a Round of 32 and a Round of 16 match.

Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, Monterrey) – This venue holds 53,500 fans and will host the 1000th match in WC history on June 20th with Tunisia v Japan. It will also host Sweden vs Tunisia, South Africa vs Korea Republic, and a Round of 32.

Estadio Akron (Zapopan, Mexico) – The 48.000 seat stadium will host Korea Republic vs Czechia, Mexico vs Korea Republic, Colombia vs DR Congo, and the one of THE marquee matches of the Group Stage in Uruguay vs Spain.

Canada

BMO Stadium (Toronto) – The smallest stadium in the tournament holding just 30,000 fans normally but expanded via temporary seating to just over 45, 700 for this tournament. Canada opens here on June 12 vs Bosnia and Herzegovina and a Round of 32 will also be played here.

BC Place (Vancouver) – A unique venue that has the largest cable supported retractable roof in the world also has a strong history associated with it. The 2010 Winter Olympic ceremonies and the 2015 Women’s WC Final were held here. They will host both of Canadas two home Group  Stage matches plus a Round of 32 and a Round of 16 match.

United States

Met Life Stadium (East Rutherford) – The 82,500 seat giant will get to host a total of 8 matches including the Final.

AT&T Stadium (Arlington) – The biggest stadium in the tournament at 92,967 seats will host a total of 9 matches (most in the show) including a Semi-Final. Argentina will play two Group Stage matches here. If you have to ask about ticket prices to these ….well don’t ask.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) – The 71,000 seat stadium will host a total of 8 matches including the other Semi-Final. The artificial turf was replaced by grass in January and will be in fantastic shape for this tournament. The roof will be closed during the tournament to ensure the field stays fresh, And this venue knows how to host a major tournament, having been a major player in Copa America 2024. Not a bad seat in the house as I can attest to first hand (but please don’t bring up US v Panama at COPA).

SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles) – This 70,240 seat stadium will host a total of 8 matches including the US first Group Stage match against Paraguay on June 12. They will also host a Quarter Final match. This stadium is the most expensive stadium ever built at $5.5 B and has a unique grass carpet with LED grow lights running 18 hours/day.

Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) – A total of 6 matches will be played in this 76,640 seat stadium including Argentina’s first match. Will also hold a Quarter-Final.

NRG Stadium (Houston) – Hosting a total of 7 matches in this 72,220 seat house including two Portugal Group Stage matches, Germany v Curacao, and Sweden v Netherlands as well as a Round of 16 match on July 4th. That will be a special spot to be if you are one of the lucky ones to have snared a ticket. for that day.

Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara) – Hosts 6 matches including a Round of 32 at the 72,000 seat arena.

Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) – Will host 6 matches including Brazil v Haiti Group Stage but the biggie will be a Round of 16 match on July 4th. Tickets to one of those 69,328 seats are going for some of the most expensive tickets in the tournament.

Hard Rock Stadium (Miami) – This 65,000 seat venue will host a total of 7 matches including a Quarter-Final and the Bronze Final on July 18th.

Lumen Field (Seattle) – 68,740 fans have the opportunity to see one of the 6 matches they will host including the US v Australia match on June 19th. They will also host a Round of 16 match,

Gillette Stadium (Foxborough) – Will host 7 total matches at this 64,628 stadium including a Quarter-Final match.

So now that you know a bit about the where this is all happening lets dive down into just what has changed for this WC, and there are some pretty significant changes this time around.

1. Of course, the biggest change is that this tournament has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams. After a lot of discussions FIFA ultimately decided to go with 12 groups of 4 teams each. So the good news for soccer fans is that we will get an extra round of matches. In order to get to the normal Round of 16-Quarter-Fianl- Semi-Final-Final route they had to develop a way to get to 32 teams. With 12 groups it means that along with the normal 1st and 2nd place teams advancing that 8 of the best 12 3rd place teams will also advance. In short 32 of the 48 teams will get to play a knockout match! Figuring out just which of the 8 3rd place teams will advance will take some doing. Points earned during the Group Stage will be the starting point but then it gets complicated because its likely that goal differential, scored, allowed will still end up with some ties. So its will take some doing to figure it all out. The side note on this new format is that it really changes the potential for a “Group of Death”. Historically that meant a group where a top quality team was in jeopardy of advancing since there were more than 2 really quality teams in  it. With 8 of 12 3rd place teams advancing the chances for a real quality team not advancing is pretty slim. I’ll stick pick a Group of Death but its not quite the same.
2. The other major change, and this is due partly because of the extra round of matches, rosters will be expanded from the normal 23 players to 26 players. This is a huge deal because it will allow managers to take a fringe player for a very specific set of circumstances that may not have the overall quality to make the roster. This is likely to play a big role in the last couple of spots for the USMNT roster!
3. To decrease the time wasting that has become far too prevalent a number of changes are being made for this tournament!
   A) When players are being substituted, they will have 10 seconds to leave the field of play. If they do not leave within that 10 seconds then the substitute player will not be allowed to enter for an additional minute meaning the offending team will play with just 10 men.
   B) There will also be a 5 second countdown for throw ins and goal kicks. If a team fails to take their throw in within the alloted 5 seconds then the other team will be given a throw in. The penalty is even more severe on a goal kick. Don’t take it within 5 seconds? The other team will be given a corner kick.
   C) Any player who leaves the field due to injury will have to remain on the sideline for at least one minute. Flopping around like you are dying is going to come with consequences.
4. The yellow card accumulation rule has been “fixed’. The reasoning being that the Round of 32 was adding too many matches between the accumulation rule gets amnesty. In this tournament yellow cards accumulated will be eliminated after the Group Stage and after the Quarter-Finals. Love it when an idiotic entity like FIFA actually does something smart….lol.

Ok enough backdrop lets get to the Groups and see how things look. Note the parenthetical number behind each team is their current FIFA ranking. Bare in mind that most every league around the world is still actively playing matches and there will surely be some injuries over the next month that will impact a teams roster and their chances.

Group A

Composite RIFA Ranking – 141

Czechia (41) – Their chances will begin and end with midfielder and captain Tomas Soucek. He was the Czechian footballer of the year in 2025 and has both the experience and tactical ability to control the middle of the pitch. If he is on his game and Patrick Schick can find the back of the net they will be in the mix in this group.

Korea Republic (25) – Most soccer fans around the world recognize the name Son Heung-Min, the long time forward for Tottenham Hot Spurs before moving to LAFC. Son leads the MLS in assists this season and is in strong form. He has more national team appearances than anybody else in Korean history and has a shot at becoming their all time leading goal scorer this summer.

Mexico (15) – Whats not to like about a team that gets to open the tournament in their home stadium as the Azteca becomes the first stadium to host matches in 3 WCs? The flip side is that there will be an enormous amount of pressure on the Mexican side to have a great showing this summer. They will be the clear favorite in their groups lead by Raul Jimenez. The 34 year old striker doesn’t seem to be slowing down having scored 9 times for his club team, Fulham, this season. If he continues to score Mexico will be in great shape.

South Africa (60) – The biggest issue facing the Bafana Bafana this summer is just overall squad talent and depth. They have a very fast striker in Lyle Foster, who is going to be hard to contain. The issue is do they have the playmakers to actually get him the ball in dangerous areas?  The likely role for them this summer is one as spoilers.

Prediction – Mexico wins the group. South Korea takes second. Czechia is in 3rd with a good chance to advance.

Group B

Composite FIFA Ranking – 169

Bosnia and Herzgovina (65) – The deal with this side is that they are physical and like to play quickly down the wings. They can catch you sleeping on the counter if your defense doesn’t keep its shape and focus. Interestingly enough one of their best players is Emir Bajraktarevic from Appleton, Wisconsin. The 21 year old came up playing in the MLS Academy system and with the US youth national teams but never quite made the transition to the USMNT and has played internationally with the home country of his parents. Nicknamed the Milwaukee Messi, he will get lots of attention this summer.

Canada (30) – Much like Mexico they are under a lot of pressure to perform this summer. They are playing at home and they have probably the best roster they have ever fielded. Certainly the most athletic. With stars playing in Europe such as Aphonso Davies, Johnathon David, and Tajon Buchannon they are expected to get the job done in their group. The question for them is two fold. One, will Davies be fully fit having been plagued with injuries the last two seasons? Secondly, will they play to their potential for stumble like they have a history of doing in big moments? The good news for Canadian fans is that they got a very favorable group. To not advance would be an big pie in their face. Update: Potential bad news (really bad news) for Canadian fans. Bayern Munich just confirmed that Alphonso Davies has suffered an injury and is out at least several weeks putting his WC availability in question.

Qatar (55) – If you follow international soccer at all you’ll know that Qatar is not a team filled with stars or deep in overall talent. However, and its a pretty big deal, most of their players come from the same domestic league and are very familiar with playing with each other. One of the issues that national teams always face going into a tournament is the short amount of time for everybody to get on the same page. Qatar and other nations like them don’t have this issue.

Switzerland (19) – The Swiss play a very tight and compact approach to the game. They are rarely out of position and rarely make mistakes. That’s a great combination to have especially once you reach the knockout stage, Their bread and butter is in the midfield with Granit  Xhaka and Michel Aebischer. If they maintain possession when pressed they will create problems for you.

Prediction – Switzerland wins the group. Canada and Bosnia should take 2nd and 3rd although that could flip but both likely advance. Qatar goes home.

Group C

Composite FIFA Ranking – 140

Brazil (6) – What can you say about the 5 times winner? Just look at their roster and you seen names like Casemiro, Danilo, Fabinho, and Junior. Just to name a few. And are they deep? Well there’s another name yoiu will recognize in Neymar. There is a chance he may not even make the roster! Now some of that has been his injury bug the last few seasons but still hes Neymar. How good is a team that could even think about not taking him even if he’s not fully fit. Well that’s how deep and good they are.

Haiti (83) – Making only their second WC appearance (1974 in Germany) they will run, run, and run some more. Unfortunately they got an awful draw and the chances of them doing much are slim to none. They just aren’t good enough. In fact under the old 32 team format they wouldn’t be there.

Morocco (8) – These guys are good. As in really good. They tend to play very defensively led by a world class defender in Achraf Hakimi. And then when they have lulled you to sleep they counter and you find yourself down a goal. And that counter? Well just might be led by Hakimi. He is dangerous all over the field and at 27 is in his prime. They should advance and might win a knockout match or two.

Scotland (43) – Making their first WC in 28 years they are the poster child of a team who is better than the sum of their parts. Yes they have some quality internationals like Scott McTominay and Andrew Robertson. But what they really have is a collective of guys that manager Steve Clarke has playing within themselves and keeping to their roles. Do your job, do it well, and do try and do more than you should. Its an approach that holds a team together when facing tougher opposition. Unfortunately for the Scots they got a terrible draw and at best hope to get a 3rd place advancement.

Prediction – Brazil wins, Morocco takes second, and Scotland takes third with fingers crossed they get to move forward. Haiti gets a plane ticket home.

Group D

You’ll have to wait for this one. There will be another article detailing the USMNT and this Group once the final US roster is announced. And no not even any hints. Just hope we make it through the next month without any big injuries.

Group E

Composite FIFA Ranking – 149

Cote d”Ivoire (34) – An interesting side. They are coming in having won the AFCON 2024 with a strong physical approach and a midfield block (which not a lot of teams use as it requires immense conditioning). The big advantage to a midfield block is when possession is obtained a quick transition only has to travel short distances before already being in the attacking third. The key here is the center back pairing of Evan N’Dicka and Odilon Kossounou. These two guys are big, very good in the air, and comfortable with the ball at their feet. How good is their defense? In 10 qualifying matches they allowed zero goals. Not that’s not a misprint. Zero.

Curacao (82) – A tiny little country that sometimes punches above its weight. They are the smallest country both in terms of land mass and population to ever reach the WC. But don’t be fooled. The majority of their players are based in the Netherlands. They are tactically and technically better than you’d think. The issue is in a long tournament that they may not have the depth to hold up.

Ecuador (23) – Ecuador will defend. Defend some more. Then have one moment of attacking speed and down you do. They finished 2nd in CONMEBOL qualifying ahead of Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay. In 18 matches they only allowed 5 goals. In a Confederation that is probably the second toughest in FIFA. These guys are talented across the board. Their issue is that if they don’t lull their opponents into a momentary lapse then they have trouble scoring and at the end of the day 0-0 draws won’t get you far. But if you give them that moment then Moises Calcedo may just punish you. He plays very deep for an attacking midfielder which sometimes lets teams overlook him. That can be a misstake.

Germany (10) – Germany has gone out of the last two WCs at the Group Stage. Unheard of for one of the long time powerhouses. Some of that is attributed to just a slight downcycle in their talent level but some also due to the overly possession driven approach of then manager Joachim Low. But Low is long gone and Julian Nagelsmann has returned them to the more vertical attacking style they are historically known for, With talent the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, kai Havertz, and Joshua Kimmich they are a team that can beat anybody at any time.

Prediction – This is a tough group to call. Germany should win the group with all that attacking talent. But both Ecuador and Cote d”Ivoire could challenge and all three should advance. But Curacao could pose some upset challenges in this tougher than it looks group.

Group F

Composite FIFA Ranking – 107. This is my choice for the Group of Death. Any one of these teams is capable of going on a two week run and winning the group.

Japan (18) – Back in March they traveled to Scotland and England for friendlies. They won both of these matches. They are one of the most misstake free teams out there. They simply don’t give opponents easy chances. They are equally capable of playing possession against weaker teams or using a low block against teams that are very good in possession, such as the Netherlands. Japan’s one potential weakness is by going over the top of their back 3. While they are solid defenders their recovery speed is a bit lacking and they can be bear over the top.

Netherlands (7) – The side that booted the US out in WC 2022 and they are as solid as ever. They have pair of elite defenders in Virgil Van Dijk and Jurrien Timber. And Virgil is very dangerous on set pieces. If you let him get space in your box he will score a header. In the attack Cody Gapko and Memphis Depay provide plenty of scoring punch at the other end of the field. The Dutch are one of the sleeper sides with a chance to take it all.

Sweden (38) – while not as strong as the Women’s side the Swedish men still have a lot going for them not the least is coming back from adversity. They finished dead last in their qualifying group and their coach was fired. They hired Graham Potter on a short term deal and via Nations League earned a back door shot in the playoffs. They went on to beat Ukraine and Poland in the playoffs to earn they way in and a nice contract extension for Potter. How they fare this summer will rely a lot on the health and form of Viktor Gyokeres the Arsenal forward. If hes fit and up to speed he can score on anybody in the world.

Tunisia (44) – This marks the 3rd straight WC for them and they actually beat France in the final Group Stage match in 2022. Now sure, the French were rotation their squad as they had already advanced but still. In attacking play they rely mostly on some individual skills of a few players to make some magic happen and Hannibal is the guy. He can beat pressure on the dribble to find a shot or the final third pass. They are fun to watch and make this a very competitive group.

Prediction – I think the Netherlands and Japan go 1-2 but third place is wide open and if one of the two big dogs stumble the door is open for a big surprise in this group. For you gamblers this is not a group I would sink my money toward. For example Draft Kings has Tunisia as only +900 to win the Group.

Group G

Composite FIFA Ranking – 144. My  choice for the easiest group. I think both Egypt and Iran are oversold. Belgium should cake walk through this one and be well rested for the knockout stages.

Belgium (9) – For the last several WCs the hope was the Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ would produce a winning cup. It didn’t happen and most of those players are no longer in the picture. However the midfield engine that drove that train is still there and still a top flight player. Kevin de Bruyne is still one of the worlds top playmakers and Belgium thrives on up field pressure to win balls in dangerous positions. And when that happens they have an very dangerous attack. Romalu Lukaku is still around and still a tough physical presence in the box. But the real danger is with winger Jeremy Doku. If you watched the March friendly between Belgium and the US the game was closer than the score indicated. But Doku was an absolute terror down the left wing. Playing in a fairly weak group Doku could light up the score sheet.

Egypt (29) –  Their fortunes will lie with the pair of  forwards in Mo Salah (Liverpool)  and Omar Marmoush (Manchester City). Salah has had a bit of a bumpy EPL season falling out of favor for the Reds and was seeing less than expected playing time. However, he has factored in much more of late and is playing well. Marmoush is flies a bit under the radar because he plays for City behind such stars as Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. Don’t let the lack of news coverage mislead you. He’s a top flight attacker. Egypt is likely to get their first ever WC win this time around. Key match for them is against Iran.

IR Iran (21) – Makes their 4th straight WC appearance and finished atop their federation qualification. They are very experienced and won’t be overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The are stout defensively but its the opposite end of the field where they have some weaknesses. They rely most of their attack on Mehdi Taremi. And he is good, but the question is he good enough over the course of a long tournament to carry the load. opposing teams will pressure him and physically push him to find out. I think this might be a tough tournament for Iran. The good news is they do get to play New Zealand.

New Zealand (85) – Back to the WC for the first time since 2010 and deserved. They waltz through their Oceana qualifying with ease. Now here’s the flip side. Oceania is the weakest Federation in FIFA. That’s just a fact. Now they aren’t without some talent. Forward Chris Wood scored 20 goals last year in the EPL and the New Zealand attack is built around him. Its also well known by opponents, Deny Wood the ball inside the area and the All Whites will have trouble scoring.

Prediction – Belgium wins the group. The winner of Egypt v Iran takes second (pick Egypt here) and the loser takes 3rd unless the All Whites pull off an upset.

Group H

Composite FIFA Ranking – 139. Second choice as an easy group. Two top tier teams and two lower echelon sides.

Cabo Verde (69) – Its hard not to root for a country of 500.000 people making their first trip to the WC, especially with a nickname as cool as the Blue Sharks. Being a small country without the talent level of most they play defensively to the max as expected. But the good news is that they do it very well and they did beat Cameroon during qualifying. But at the end of the day it will be a pretty amazing tournament if they get a W and won’t be surprising if they lose all three of their Group Stage matches.

Saudi Arabia (61) – The Saudis are another one of those teams that is capable of punching above its weight. Again because they have a roster filled with players that all know each other. Remember this team beat Argentina in WC 2022. That’s the good news. The bad news is that lost during the March window to Egypt 4-0. And Egypt was playing with out Mo Salah raising some pre Cup concerns over their defense. But expect coach Herve Renard to work the kinks out and have them ready for next month. They love to play straight up against their opponents but struggle against teams they employ a low black. Guess what Cabo Verde will do?

Spain (2) – There’s not much to say about Spain. One of the clear favorites to win the whole thing and clear front runners for this group. With winger Lamine Yamal (only 18) and midfield maestros Pedri and Rodri they are as good as advertised. The interesting thing for Spain during the Group Stage is going to be how they manage the workload. They play Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia in their first two matches and should win those easily meaning they could heavily rotate for their final match against Uruguay. This could be a mechanism for Uruguay to actually win the group.

Uruguay (17) -Coach Marcelo Bielsa has his team playing a physically demanding high pressure over the entire field. It works very well and can be modified a bit to fit the opponent. But it is demanding of the players and the question is becoming is he too demanding. Is he asking more of a group of players than they are humanely capable of doing over a long tournament, especially, given the temperatures expected in the US this summer. The Blue and White have two games in Miami and one in Guadalajara. Fans and players alike have legit reasons to question is this is doable. Now the flip side is that they will have a bit more rest between matches compared to what has historically been the case for a 32 team WC. But when you hear long time stars like Luis Suarez publicly expressing concerns, well it gives you pause to wonder if there is more going on behind the scenes than we see?

Prediction – Spain wins and Uruguay takes second (with the caveat that Spain could take a knee during the Uruguay match. Some of that will depend on how their potential opponents would be if they finish 1st or 2nd. Saudi or Cabo Verde will probably need to get a W in their head to head match in order to have enough points to advance as a 3rd place finisher. If they draw it will be hard to move on.

Group I

Composite FIFA Ranking – 103. Most pundits Group of Death. Under a 32 team format this would clearly be the Group of Death as one very good team wouldn’t escape.

France (1) – France won in 2018 and Coach Didier Deschamps is looking for a second WC to cement his legacy as one of the all time best international coaches. And he’s heading to his final WC with his deepest roster yet. Les Bleus are just loaded front to back but its their attack that is just flat out scary. Kylian Mbappe is one of the deadliest scorers on the planet. He’s fast, tactically smart, and technically as good as it gets. And the problem is that since the French are so talented they don’t really assign a general position or area for Mbappe to play. He is free to roam the field to where he sees opportunities. And free roaming players typically require 2 players to shadow them. Which means that some one else, is almost always open. And in this case that someone is likely to be Ousmane Dembele (who is headed to the UCL Final with PSG) or Michael Olise. The later two also present a tactical difficulty for opponents is that they switch between winger and central midfield numerous times during the flow of play. Suffice it to say that defending France is a nightmare.

Iraq (57) – The Iraqis were the last team to qualify for WC 2026 by defeating Bolivia 2-1 in the playoffs. The second time they have made the WC, the last time being 40 years ago in Mexico. Under the guidance of Coach Graham Arnold (who took Australia to the Round of 16 in 2022), they will play a narrow low block. They will succeed possession and allow their opponents to pass the ball ad infinitum around the perimeter, But they will not chase and just sit back and wait for you to make a bad pass and then they will try and counter. But they are by far the weakest team in this group and if they are to get a result its most likely in their first match against Norway.

Norway (31) – Norway last participated in the WC 28 years ago but that all changed on in last November when Erling Haaland scored his 16th goal in qualifying to lead Norway over Italy (in Italy!!) 4-1. Norway represents a team nobody wanted to draw when the drawing was held last winter. Many US fans breathed a sigh of relief when Norway came off the board. Due to the rules about how many teams can be in a given group from the same Federation, there was a good possibility that the we could have drawn the Norwegians. Simply put, Haaland is huge, technically skilled, fast, and a dealy finisher. The question becomes can they hold up defensively playing three tough matches over a two week span?

Senegal (14) – They qualified beating Morocco in the AFCON final in January but what a bizarre match. Coach Pape Thiaw ordered the Senegalese players off the field and into the dressing room after a late match penalty was awarded to Morocco just after a VAR decision overturned the apparent Senegal game winner. However, Sadio Mane refused to leave the pitch and convinced his teammates to come back out of the locker room and continue the match. In the restart, Edouard Mendy saved the Moroccan penalty and Pape Gueye scored what was ultimately the game winner in extra time. Thiaw received a 5 match suspension but it only applies to AFCON matches so he’ll be at the WC. The Federation stripped Senegal of the title and gave it to Morocco ruling that Senegal had abandoned the match (which they did) and therefore forfeited under competition rules. They have appealed but no ruling as of yet, The ruling, which may happen before June, doesn’t impact the WC since both team qualified. Its just a distraction they don’t need.

Prediction – France will win, Senegal takes second and Norway a close third but could push for second. Iraq could provide some excitement but probably doesn’t have enough over 3 matches to garner enough points to advance (unless they beat Norway).

Group J

Composite FIFA Ranking – 118

Algeria (28) – Back after a 12 year hiatus, Algeria is looking to make some noise. They have solid attacking and a midfield that can withstand pressure. The key to their attack is for that midfield to win possession in tight spaces and play the ball wide to their wingers to allow them to go directly at the defense with pace. They are bult around speed but don’t have quite the quality to build slowly or to break down a defense that has time to get set. They’ll be an interesting side to watch. In 2014 they beat South Korea and almost trounced Germany before losing 2-1. Keep and eye on these guys.

Argentina (3) – They won in 2022. They are one of the favorites this time around. And they got a very favorable draw both in their group and the early knockout stages. They are a deep side and in fact so deep that Coach Lionel Scaloni hasn’t even committed to brining Lionel Messi to the tournament and to limit his minutes if he does. I fully expect Messi to be there and given the path Argentina has that he’ll get plenty of rest during the Group Stage and be ready to roll in the knockouts. At the other end of the field, goal keeper Emiliano Martinez is probably the best keeper in the tournament. Deadly front line, solid midfield and defense, and the best keeper. You can do the match.

Austria (24) – Coach Ralf Rangnick is one of the tactical gurus that has developed the modern fast pressing style of play. So goes central midfielder Marcel Sabitzer so will go Austria. Playing the 10 its his vision and passing that will open up opportunities for Marko Arnautovic and Carney Chukwuemeka to find their shots and hopefully goals. The question will be two fold for these guys, First, will Arnautovic’s age (37) catch up to him and how well will Chukwuemeka fit into the Austrian mix as he came up through the English youth system and only got clearance to switch to Austria in March. So while he played for Austria during the March window he has limited caps with the Austrians.

Jordan (63) – While the Jordanians are clearly the weakest side in the group they do have a plan going into the tournament, their first ever WC visit. They are going to bunker especially for the first 20 minutes of their matches hoping to survive any initial onslaught then they will start to counter attack. Its a good plan for a team lacking the technical quality of the other sides and they do have a bunch of players very familiar with each other so if they can maintain their composure and stick to what they are trained to do they might make it hard to break down. Still it will be quite a surprise so if they even earn a point.

Prediction – Argentina wins. Austria and Algeria battle for second. Jordan, like most first time participants, probably goes home pointless but happy to have been there.

Group K

Composite FIFA Ranking – 114. With no teams outside the top 50 and two in the top 15 this will be a tough group but a fun one to watch.This

Colombia (13) – They are coming into the tournament after a fairly dismal March window. Yes you can discount that as they were friendlies but they lost 2-1 to Croatia then were dismantled by a rotated French side 3-1. Yet they have some real horses in their stable and they are still ranked #13. Luis Diaz has been playing lights out for Bayern Munich and has become one of the top forwards in the  world. James Rodriguez has a load of creativity in the midfield and at 34 has slowed very little. But that said, the key to their fortunes lie defensive midfielders Richard Rios and Jefferson Lerma. Coach Nestor Lorenzo has the duo playing a double pivot (you may see the US use this at the tournament as well). They will need to quickly win second balls giving them the ability to transition into the attack. Their downfall this past window has been lapses in defensive positioning during set pieces and just plain old mistakes. This will be a team to reckon with in this group.

Congo DR (46) – The last time they were at the WC they weren’t even the Congo DR. They were in Germany in 1974 as Zaire. They are going to play stout defense led by Captain, Chancel Mbemba who anchors the back four. Stellar in the air and lots of high level experience playing for Lille, Porto, Newcastle, and Marseille. Paired with former Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka they form the spine of a solid defense. They will have to be at the top of their game given the offensive powers they will face.

Portugal (5) – Portugal comes off a very good showing during the March window beating the US 2-0 and drawing Mexico 0-0 (in a match that wasn’t that close other than the score) and all without Cristiano Ronaldo. This is slated to be CR7s last international tournament and at 41 will do out as one of the all time greats. The question facing Portugal and CR7 is has he fully recovered from the hamstring injury that caused him to miss the match window. The good news is that Portugal showed they can win without him in the lineup. That’s bad news for this group. And beyond the talent and depth they have on this roster they have a coach in Roberto Martinez who is about as good as they come. He’ll have them ready and playing a plan to dismantle their opponents.

Uzbekistan (50) – This will be their first participation at the WC only gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The country is excited as can be for this event and even though they are first timers they have the talent and experience to garner some points. Abdukodir Khusanov is their most notable player playinkg center back for Manchester City. The wealth of experience playing in the EPL and UCL will bring a needed calming affect to this side. Its easy to get caught up in the WC and forget that is still the same game you play in whatever domestic league you play in. He’ll hopefully be able to keep that to a minimum. The key to any chance they have to advance will be to protect their starting XIs fitness in the first two matches against Colombia then Portugal and then put it to the Congo DR. Might be easier said than done.

Prediction – Portugal should win the Group but taking second behind Colombia wouldn’t be a shock. This could be a group that a 3rd place team doesn’t advance out of as its pretty easy to see the DR Congo and Uzbekistan drawing on the final match day and each having but a single point.

Group L

Composite FIFA Ranking – 122. This group MIGHT be tougher than one would think. Its going to come down to how well Ghana comes together under their new coach.

Croatia (11) – Here’s some cool WC trivia. Croatia opens against England. A rematch of the 2018 WC Semi-Final. Luka Modric, the 2018 Ballon D’Or winner and captain of the team that has made the final and the Bronze medal match at the last 2 WCs. Their strength is built around a midfield of Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Mario Pasalic. They are very fluid in their positioning and roles making defending them a big task. That fluidity allows Andrej Kramaric and Ivan Perisic to find space in the final third. They have the ability to maintain possession over any other side in this group. The only question is how well does their aging roster hold up over the grueling climate of a long tournament.

England (4) – Here’s some names that Coach Tomas Tuchel has to choose from in picking a starting XI. Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Reece James, and some nobody in goal named Jordan Pickford. Across all competitions for the season Kane has played in 49 matches and scored 55 goals. That’s crazy good and if he continues to score at that pace starting on June 17th against Croatia then England will be set up for a deep run. If they get 3 points in that first match then watch out for the Three Lions. They may well go into the final group match having already advanced and being able to mass rotate against Panama and still win the group. I like this team. A lot.

Ghana (74) – Bluntly this is not one of the Ghana teams on the past. The had a horrible March window. No sugar coating it. They lost to Austria 5-1 then Germany 2-1 three days later and they looked defensively disorganized in both matches and promptly fired their coach. They subsequently hired Carlos Queiroz who has a ton of experience coaching in the last 5 WCs. The question is if he’s had enough time to take some raw but undisciplined talent and make them a solid soccer team. Time will tell but they didn’t get a very friendly draw.

Panama (33) – Panama had a solid qualifying campaign and has a string of wins over the USMNT that is hard to explain. But the results were real and the W during Copa America 2024 showed they are able to sustain heavy pressure without wilting. They  will need more of that this time as well. Captain Anibal Godoy will have to be at his best and orchestrate a compact unit for them to advance. Criticla to them (and Ghana to for that matter) will be the first match. Panama and Ghana will play each other on June 17th. If one of them wins they have a good shot to advance. If they draw it wil be tough as getting points against England and Croatia will be tough.

Prediction – Interesting dynamic here since the toughest match in the group, England and Croatia, is on match day 1.This means that there’s a solid chance that both of those sides will be playing to win on matchday, That’s probably not good news for Panama and Ghana.

There you have it. A look at what to expect starting June 11rh when Mexico hosts South Africa. This massive event will be broadcast in the US on the FOX family of channels. If you are a soccer nut you’ll OD over this summer. If you were expecting to see a hint about the US, still its a not. Stay tuned and we’ll go over the USMNT and Group D in depth just after the May 26th final roster announcement.