FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage predictions

The FIFA World Cup, a competition that comes once every four years, is one of football’s biggest stages, with the previous tournament pulling over five billion viewers throughout various platforms. This year’s World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19 across three countries: The United States, Mexico and Canada. The tournament highlights the top 48 nations in international football, different from previous years where the tournament included 32 participants. These countries are chosen before in an intercontinental qualifying tournament, and compete for the trophy and a $50 million prize money.

Below are our predictions for which teams will make it out of the group stage and advance to the Round of 32. We first discuss which team will place first, followed by second and third, and the team that will be eliminated in the group stage.

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Group A

Top two: Mexico, South Korea

Third: South Africa

Out: Czechia

Mexico is coming into this tournament as co-hosts after an unfortunate group exit for El Tri at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. They are ranked 15th overall in the FIFA world rankings, well above the other teams in this group. They also come in with promising young talent, with players like Brian Gutierrez (C.D Guadalajara) and Gilberto Mora (Club Tijuana) making this squad after great performances at both the club level and in national team debuts. These factors help put them in a position to place first in Group A. 

South Korea, while they have had lackluster performances in their more recent matches, have qualified with an impressive 22 points in their qualifiers (for reference, the most points any team had in the AFC qualifiers was 23). This squad also has the return of important pieces like LAFC forward Heungmin Son, and are ranked significantly higher than South Africa and Czechia, and which will ultimately put them in a position reach second place into this group considering the talent that Mexico is in coming into this tournament. 

South Africa is coming into this World Cup ranked 60th overall in FIFA’s rankings, and last qualified to the World Cup in 2010 when they were the host nation of the tournament. Czechia is qualifying to the tournament for the first time since 2006. This gives South Africa more recent experience within the World Cup, which can give this nation an upper hand and a good chance to reach third place in this group, ultimately leaving Czechia out.

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Group B 

Top two: Canada, Switzerland 

Third: Bosnia-Herzegovina

Out: Qatar

Canada, with home advantage in all three of their group stage matches as co-hosts,  have a great chance to qualify to the next round of the tournament as first place within Group B. They are ranking well above most of the teams in this group in the FIFA world rankings. This Canada team is also going into the World Cup undefeated in their last 5 matches, where they have tied against Ireland. 

Switzerland is coming into this World Cup with several dominant wins in their intercontinental tournament, and have a great chance to qualify to the next round of the tournament as second, especially considering that this nation has shown more consistency in the tournament in the past compared to both Bosnia and Qatar and have only been group staged in three of their appearances in the World Cup (for reference, Switzerland has qualified for the World Cup on 12 different occasions). 

Bosnia, after eliminating Italy from World Cup contention in their intercontinental qualification tournament, have qualified for their second World Cup. The last time this nation qualified for the tournament was in 2014, where they were group staged. Qatar is going into this tournament after qualifying in the 2022 rendition of the World Cup as the host nation, and for the first time in their history, have qualified for a World Cup through an intercontinental tournament. Ultimately, Bosnia’s qualification run shows how this team is up to a challenge has shown that are able to achieve third place in this group, leaving out Qatar. 

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Group C 

Top two: Brazil, Morocco 

Third: Haiti 

Out: Scotland 

Brazil, the current nation with the most World Cup titles, is entering the 2026 rendition of the tournament in top shape, with young players on this squad such as Endrick performing well both in friendlies against Egypt and at the club level this past season, and the likes of Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid) and Raphinia (Barcelona) preforming well at top clubs. Additionally, Brazil in their qualifiers reached a fifth place ranking in a competitive qualifying tournament, where they faced the likes of Argentina and Ecuador. These are all factors that put them as favorites to advance as first in Group C. 

Morocco, current Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions after Senegal's win in the finals was overturned after an eventful match, come into the tournament with young talent such as Achraf HAKIMI (PSG), and come in great form, with friendly wins against Paraguay in March, and ties against Norway and Ecuador in recent FIFA windows. While this team has surprised everyone during the past tournament and became the first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup semifinals, Brazil is favored to qualify to the next round of this tournament as first place in their group. Morocco, however, outmatches the other two teams in this group, placing them second overall.

Haiti is coming into this tournament for the second time in their history, and have gotten wins from teams such as Costa Rica, who are usually contenders in CONCACAF qualifiers to move on to the World Cup. The heart and energy surrounding this team can have the potential to help this team reach third place of their groups, leaving Scotland at fourth place in this group.

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Group D

Top two: USA, Paraguay 

Third: Turkey 

Out: Australia 

The United States, with home advantage as another one of the co-hosts, has the most World Cup experience within this group. They have participated in 11 renditions of the tournament, the last World Cup for this group ending in a round of 16 exit in Qatar. This squad has stepped up in their last couple of matches, beating Senegal 3-2 in a friendly match early June, and showed out in a dramatic 2-1 loss against Germany. These factors put them as favorites to move on to the next round of this World Cup as first place in their group. 

Paraguay has qualified into this World Cup after a competitive intercontinental tournament, where they noticeably beat Brazil 1-0 in Sao Paulo, and ended the tournament with 28 points and 7 wins, reaching the third highest amount of both points and wins in an extremely competitive tournament, putting them in a position to reach second place in their group this tournament considering the momentum and experience that the United States is coming into this tournament with. 

Turkey is coming into for the first time in about 24 years, The last appearance for this nation was in the 2002 World Cup, where they reached the semifinals. They qualified after a intercontinental qualifying tournament where they only lost a single game. This squad is also coming into the tournament with young talent, most notably Adra Guler (Real Madrid), who performed proficiently at the club level this past season. Turkey, however, are coming into this tournament with the least amount of World Cup appearances. These factors, especially when considering how the United States and Paraguay are in positions to reach first and second places within this group,  puts Turkey in a position to reach third place, and ultimately leaves Australia in fourth place in this group. 

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Group E

Top two: Germany, Ecuador 

Third: Ivory Coast 

Out: Curacao 

Germany, who has won the World Cup on four different occasions, is coming into this tournament after being group staged in their last two World Cup participations. However, they are ranked well above the other nations within this group in the FIFA world rankings, and have shown in their last couple of matches that they are ready for the challenge of winning another World Cup, particularly after a 2-1 win in a very competitive match against the United States. This makes them favorites to reach first place within their group. 

Ecuador is coming into this World Cup after achieving 8 wins in an intercontinental tournament, which is the second most amount of points achieved in the CONMEBOL qualifying tournament. Additionally, throughout their qualifying tournament participation, Ecuador achieved a 1-0 win against Argentina, the reigning World Cup winners. While Germany is going into this World Cup as favored to achieve first place within their group, Ecuador has shown that they can achieve second place within this group.

Ivory Coast, the 2023 AFCON champions, are participating in this rendition of the World Cup after a 10 year absence from the tournament. They are also going into this tournament with more World Cup participations than Curacao, which ultimately sets them up to place third in this group, especially when considering the advantages that both Germany and Ecuador are entering the tournament with. This leaves Curacao in fourth place of Group E, eliminating them from the World Cup.

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Group F

Top two: Netherlands, Japan 

Third: Sweeden 

Out: Tunisia

The Netherlands has participated in an impressive 19 World Cups, and have gotten far within the tournament, evident with their participation in the 2010 World Cup as runnerups. They are ranked seventh in the world, and have many returning faces from previous World Cup runs, such as defender Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool). This puts them in a position to reach first place in their group. 

The next highest ranked nation in this group is Japan, who have appeared in seven World Cups. As they participated in their qualifying tournament, they were only scored on three times in 16 matches, and dominated offensively as well. While the Netherlands is in more of a position to reach first place within this group, especially when discussing past performances, Japan is definitely in a position to reach second place. 

Sweden is qualifying for this World Cup after missing the 2022 tournament, which brings their total number of participations to 12. They not only have more experience than Tunisia, but have beat Poland in a qualifying match to make it to the World Cup in a very close 3-2 match, ultimately putting them in better position to make it as third place in their group over Tunisia. 

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Group G

Top two: Belgium, Egypt 

Third: Iran

Out: New Zealand

Belgium qualified for their 15th World Cup after finishing undefeated in their UEFA group, scoring 29 goals and only conceding seven. The Red Devils will look to redeem themselves after failing to make it out of the group stage at the last World Cup and repeat the success of the 2018 World Cup where they placed third. A notable name among the team’s roster is Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli) whose passing ability and playmaking drives Belgium’s offense. Another notable name is Jérémy Doku (Manchester City) who was a standout in the team’s pre-tournament match against Tunisia as he dribbled through the defense and stretched the field.

Egypt also qualified by finishing first in their group of the Confederation of African Football, earning 26 of 30 possible points. The team makes their fourth appearance in the World Cup and are led by Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s all-time scorer. Egypt is returning to the tournament after failing to qualify in 2022 and will rely on their defense and flexibility in style of play to make it out of the group stage for the first time. A player to watch for is veteran Mohamed Salah who will be looking to break Hassan’s record as the all-time scorer and only needs three goals to do so.

Iran was one of the first teams to qualify for this year’s World Cup and will look to keep that momentum going despite ongoing conflict with The United States and Israel. The team will be making their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance after finishing first in their group of the Asian qualifiers and will look to advance past the group for the first time. The player to look out for is Mehdi Taremi who can be trusted to score goals and link up plays.

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Group H

Top two: Spain, Uruguay 

Third: Saudi Arabia 

Out: Cabo Verde

The reigning European champions Spain, ranked No. 2, are one of the favorites to win this year’s World Cup and will look to win it for the second time in their history, their first being in 2010. Spain has moved towards a faster style of play as a result of the talent being younger and having more depth under head coach Luis de la Fuente. The player to watch for is 18 year-old Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) who will play in his first World Cup and whose creativity and goal-scoring ability makes him one of the best players in the world today.

Uruguay are ranked No. 16 and make their fifth consecutive World Cup appearance. The team qualified by finishing fourth in the CONMEBOL round-robin qualifiers, earning one of the six automatic spots allocated to South America. La Celeste team look to get out of the group stage after failing to get out in the last tournament and return to the other rounds, which they are all too familiar with. A player to look out for is Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) who is a midfielder who brings physicality and tactical awareness.

Saudi Arabia will look to replicate its best-ever World Cup performance, which came on U.S. soil in 1994. The team qualified for its eighth tournament by winning their group in the fourth round of Asian qualifying. Arguably the team’s biggest win, defeating defending champion Argentina during the group stage in last year’s tournament, another huge upset could create the shock of the tournament. Although Saudi Arabia is ranked only six positions higher than Cabo Verde, their World Cup experience is what puts them in third place in the group and could help them move past the group stage.

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Group I

Top two: France, Senegal 

Third: Norway 

Out: Iraq

France, winners of the 2018 World Cup and currently ranked No. 3, are another favorite to win it again this year. After finishing first place and remaining unbeaten during qualifiers in their group, the French secured their qualification to their 17th World Cup appearance. Two players to look out for are Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) and Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain). Mbappé is a player who can be a threat when counter attacking due to his dribbling, passing and ability to finish plays. Dembélé, winner of the Ballon d'Or last year, comes into the tournament in high gear, bringing a style of play that includes cutting to the inside and playing long balls that make him a threat to any defense.

Senegal come into this year’s tournament in arguably their best shape and currently ranked No. 15. In 2021, the team won its first African Cup of Nations tournament and reached the finals again in January, where they left Morocco as champions, but had their title stripped. The team’s most notable player is Sadio Mané, who may play his final World Cup, brings tactical intelligence and great defensive work that will greatly help Senegal in their quest to advance far in this tournament. A player to look out for is 18 year-old Amara Diouf, a winger whose explosiveness gets him past defenses and can be an element of surprise.

Norway return to the World Cup after 28 years having qualified by winning all eight matches and scoring 37 goals, the highest ever by a European nation in qualifying. Under manager Ståle Solbakken, the team shifted from a defensive playing style to a more offensive style designed to maximize their talent. The player to look out for is Erling Haaland (Manchester City) who finished as the top scorer of the UEFA qualifiers with 16 goals and brings an explosive pace and accurate finishing to an offensive Norway team.

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Group J

Top two: Argentina, Austria 

Third: Jordan 

Out: Algeria

Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, will look to become the first team since 1962 to win the tournament back-to-back. Head coach Lionel Scaloni leads the Argentinians to their 19th World Cup appearance and plays a style that emphasizes creative freedom and close control that allows for pressing and rapid counter-attacks. All eyes will be on Lionel Messi who may play his final World Cup yet remains the team’s primary creative force as his on-ball skills and incisive passing remain unmatched. Another player to look out for is Julián Álvarez known for being versatile and being able to finish plays. With the level of talent on this team and being the defending champions makes Argentina the favorite to win their group.

Similar to Norway, Austria return to the World Cup after 28 years making this their eighth appearance. The team will look to get out of the group stage for the first time since 1982 with a style of play that puts stress on their opponents and forces the pace of the game. They have a ball oriented approach focused on playing forward and creating chances. The team’s star player is Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich) whose versatility and ground coverage makes him an important player for Austria.

Jordan qualified for their first-ever World Cup by finishing as runners-up in their group of the third round of Asian qualifiers. Under Moroccan head coach Jamal Sellami, the team will look to create their own records and become the 24th team to have made it out of group stage in their first-ever World Cup appearance. Sellami’s style of play focuses on quick transitions that result from a low-block defensive structure. The team’s star player, Mousa Al-Tamari, has scored 24 goals for Jordan and will look to lead the offense as his pace is exploited by the team’s style of play.

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Group K 

Top two: Portugal, Colombia 

Third: Uzbekistan 

Out: DR Congo

Portugal, ranked No. 5, continued to be a powerhouse as they qualified for their 7th consecutive World Cup appearance. The Portuguese are usually in the talk for the teams to go far in the tournament and will look to advance past the Round 16 after losing that round in last year’s tournament. Head coach Roberto Martinez plays a possession based style focused on attacking by utilizing its midfield to control the tempo of games. All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo who will be competing in his sixth World Cup and possibly his last. Despite this, Portugal’s all-time scorer remains a vocal point for Martinez’s attack. A player to look out for is João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) whose playmaking and passing skills makes him one of the most exciting young players to watch.

Colombia make their return to the World Cup after having missed the last tournament and qualified this year by finishing third in the CONMEBOL standings. Their best finish came in 2014 where they reached the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by the host nation Brazil. Currently ranked No. 13, Colombia plays a style focused on midfield creativity with aggressive pressing. The team’s star player is Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich) who is explosive and known for his 1v1 dribbling and relentless pressing.

Uzbekistan qualified for their first-ever World Cup, making them the first Central Asian country to do so by finishing in the top two of their group in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. Uzbekistan’s style of play focuses on finding a balance between attacking and defending. The player to watch for is Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City) who plays with aggressiveness and physicality on defense. While the matches against Portugal and Colombia may prove to be difficult, a win against DR Congo could place them into the tournament’s best-third place teams and earn them a place in the knockout rounds.

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Group L

Top two: England, Croatia 

Third: Ghana 

Out: Panama

The No. 4 ranked team in the world, England, qualified for their eight consecutive World Cup after winning their group in qualifying. Head coach Thomas Tuchel will coach his first World Cup having taken charge of the team in October 2024 and plays an intense, physical style built around aggressive positional play. With many talented players on the roster, the team has depth in all positions mostly notably: Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Kane is coming off a successful season with his club Bayern Munich as he led them to win the league title and ended the season with 36 goals in 31 games. Despite not having a standout 2025-2026 season with club Real Madrid, Bellingham heads to the World Cup looking to continue his standout performance from four years ago and further establish himself as an elite English player.

Croatia, ranked No. 11, qualified for their seventh World Cup after finishing first in their group during qualifying. The previous two tournaments have been pretty successful as in 2018 they were runners-up losing in the final to France and taking third place in 2022 after defeating Morocco. The team is led by Zlatko Dalic who has been coaching the team since 2017 and plays a possession-based style focused on technical quality and midfield control. The most notable player is Luka Modric, who may play his last World Cup, a player who has incredible tactical intelligence and dictates the tempo of the game by breaking defensive lines with precise passes. Croatia's continued success makes them a favorite to move on the next round by taking second place in their group.

Ghana qualified for their fifth World Cup after winning their group in the African qualification stage accumulating 25 points from a possible 30. Led by head coach Carlos Queiroz, who was appointed a month ago, the team now plays a defensive style relying on quick counter-attacks. The player to look out for is Antoine Semenyo who is known for his versatility, physicality and dribbling ability. His use of both feet makes him unpredictable to defenders. As a result of Panama qualifying for only their second World Cup and being eliminated in group stage in 2018, Ghana has a great chance of placing third and advancing to the Round of 32.

Jocelyn Quintana is a sophomore majoring in communications studies and psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing piano, and keeping up with her favorite soccer, basketball, football, and baseball teams. 

Citlali Sanchez is a senior majoring in sports journalism, with a minor in sport marketing. She enjoys going out for boba and watching soccer and anime.