World Championship Groups (Part I): A Return to 1998, the Closest Group, and a Musical 'Piece'

2026-06-09 20:00

Eurofootball.lt presents the groups of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with brief descriptions.

Group A – the battle of the most evenly matched teams

Mexico (FIFA 14); Czech Republic (FIFA 39), South Korea (FIFA 25), South Africa (FIFA 60).

The first group of the tournament, which will kick off the football celebration, looks the most evenly matched, where any result wouldn’t be too surprising. Mexico can be called the group favorite, but their football is not experiencing its best times. The Czech Republic, meanwhile, is returning to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, so they will look to make an impact. South Korea has shown that it is a competitive team in the last two World Cups, and they welcome Asian football legend Son Heung-min for their latest campaign. As for the South African national team, they are enjoying good times after a bronze medal in the 2023 Africa Cup and automatic qualification for the World Cup – their first since 2002. With Lyle Foster leading the way, this African team can confidently make an impact.

Additional twist: the tournament opening match Mexico – South Africa will be a repeat of the opening match of the 2010 World Cup, where the legendary moment "Tshabalala, goal for South Africa, goal for all Africa!" occurred.

Notable stars: Guillermo Ochoa, Patrik Schick, Son Heung-min.

Group B – I'm from Bosnia, take me to Canada?

Canada (FIFA 30), Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIFA 64), Switzerland (FIFA 19), Qatar (FIFA 57).

I believe many of you are familiar with the legendary "Dubioza Kolektiv" hit "I Am from Bosnia - Take Me to America," which has recently been updated in honor of the tournament. This perfectly describes the Bosnian journey to the World Cup, which they made it to after a sensational victory against Italy. However, while the Bosnians made it to the World Cup in the USA, where nearly the entire tournament will take place, their first match will be in Canada, where they will face the local team with high hopes. The group also includes Switzerland, who can be considered favorites, and Qatar, who are nominal outsiders.

Additional twist:

Notable stars: Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, Edin Džeko, Granit Xhaka.

Group C – a repeat of 1998

Brazil (FIFA 6), Morocco (7), Scotland (42), Haiti (83).

Once again, it was clear right after the group stage draw that this is a very good replica of the 1998 World Cup in France. Back then in Group A, Scotland, Morocco, and Brazil shared the spots, and 28 years later, history repeats itself. At that time, however, Norway was next to them, which this year will play in the World Cup for the first time in exactly 28 years.

Additional twist: Neymar’s invitation to the Brazilian national team.

Notable stars:

Group D – a massive time zone difference

USA, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey.

The World Cup organizers could say they faced a challenge when they learned that the United States and Australia would play in the same group. For example, currently, there is a 14-hour difference between these two countries, considering the US city of New York and Sydney, and the game time needs to be such that both markets are satisfied. On July 19, at 10 PM, we will witness the clash of these teams. However, Paraguay should not be forgotten, as it is a country with a time zone similar to the USA. The mentioned team is a potential group favorite, Turkey, with a confident game under Italian strategist Vincenzo Montella.

Additional twist: Paraguay’s first return to the World Cup since 2010.

Notable stars: Christian Pulišić, Miguel Almirón, Kenan Yıldız, Arda Güler.

Group E – a tiny underdog against giants

Curaçao (FIFA 82); Germany (FIFA 10); Ecuador (FIFA 23); Ivory Coast (FIFA 33).

One of the smallest countries in World Cup history, Curaçao, qualified for the tournament after defeating the Jamaican team in the qualifiers. The football underdog with the Locadia brothers will face very serious football nations in Group E. As for Germany, everything is obvious – they are among the tournament favorites, but it is also necessary to highlight one of the fastest-growing football nations, Ecuador, which had two players in the Champions League final and performed excellently in the last World Cup. It's great to see Ivory Coast in the tournament again, but everyone expected this when the Ivorian players finally show stability. Finally, this is also evidenced by the African Cup title won in 2023.

Additional twist: Germany is given a 97% chance of winning against Curaçao in the opening match – this is a percentage that we will see for the first and last time in this tournament.

Notable stars: Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Moisés Caicedo, Amad Diallo.

Group F – expect the unexpected

Netherlands (FIFA 8), Japan (FIFA 18); Sweden (FIFA 38); Tunisia (FIFA 46).

It can be said that this group is somewhat similar to Group A since it also includes African representatives and one of the strongest Asian teams. However, the favorite is clearer here – the Netherlands national team, which occupies eighth place in the FIFA world ranking. They will face very serious opposition. Japanese football is on the rise, Sweden has a lot to offer with stars at the forefront, and Tunisia has excellent football foundations. This is a group where surprises are most expected.

Additional twist:

Notable stars: Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay, Takefusa Kubo, Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyökeres.