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Group A

This first match at the famous Azteca Stadium will echo the opener from 2010, when Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with Mexico. The Mexican team's knockout stage record at the global tournament includes just one victory, secured against Bulgaria when they last were hosts in 1986. The manager, Javier Aguirre, was a forward in that squad and will be aiming for a third-ever quarter-final appearance as tournament hosts. The South African side, led by experienced Belgian manager Hugo Broos, qualified for their first World Cup since they hosted, ending above Nigeria and Benin even after seeing a win over Lesotho given against them for fielding an ineligible player.

This will mark Korea Republic's 11th successive finals appearance. Legend Hong Myung-bo featured in four of those, and finished third in the Best Player voting when South Korea made the last four in 2002. Hong is now their manager and guided them without a loss through a far from straightforward qualifying group. The fourth side in Group A will be the victor of a UEFA qualifying play-off featuring the Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia, or the Republic of Ireland.

Group B

Canada have qualified for the World Cup twice and, while Qatar 2022 brought their maiden finals goal, it did not bring their first-ever finals point. Jesse Marsch is the manager of arguably the best group of players in their history, with key men like Jonathan David at Juventus and Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich. How favorable the group looks depends mostly on whether Italy make it through the UEFA play-off (the remaining three teams are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, and Wales).

After failing to qualify in 1998 and 2002, Switzerland have got through the initial phase in four of the last five tournaments and were quarter-finalists at the last two European Championships. Murat Yakin’s side booked their ticket unbeaten from probably the easiest of the UEFA groups and, with veterans like Ricardo Rodriguez and Granit Xhaka, have individuals hoping to feature at their fourth World Cups. The Qatari team, having finished in fourth in their third phase qualification section, were given a significant boost by being selected as a host for the final phase and clinched progress with a 2-1 victory over the UAE. Julen Lopetegui’s squad is drawn exclusively from the domestic league.

Group C

Scotland's first finals in 28 years bears a lot like their last appearance, when they were defeated to the Seleção and the Atlas Lions; the Haitian team occupy the place of Norway. Their primary objective will be to make it to the knockout phase for the first time after 8 previous group phase eliminations. Haiti’s only prior finals, in 1974, was remembered less for their three losses than for the ordeal that befell midfielder Ernst Jean-Joseph who, after testing positive in a drugs test, was beaten by Haitian army officers before being deported. They will have restricted traveling support due to a travel ban from the USA.

Carlo Ancelotti took over as Brazil’s third manager in a qualifying process that featured a run of three consecutive losses, but there is little jeopardy in South American qualifying these days. He has overseen a clear improvement. Last-four participants in Qatar in 2022, Morocco look the strongest of the north African nations, capable both of overwhelming rivals and playing on the counter-attack, qualifying with a perfect record.

Group D

At the start of 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 friendlies. But over the last year, Mauricio Pochettino has apparently begun to get his ideas understood and in November the USA beat Paraguay before routing Uruguay 5-1 in friendlies. They will begin against Paraguay, who are playing in their sixth World Cup. They have secured one game at each of the previous five, a record that has led to both group-stage exits and a quarter-final appearance. Their familiar defensive approach has not altered: they managed only 14 goals in their 18 games in South American qualification.

This is not the most fluent Australia side and their squad lacks clear stars, but despite an iffy start to the third round of Asian qualification, Tony Popovic’s side qualified by defeating Japan at home and Saudi Arabia away under intense pressure in their last two matches. The pool's final team will emerge from the victor of the European Play-off C (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia, or Turkey).

Pool E

Following back-to-back group-stage eliminations, Die Mannschaft are no longer the feared force of old. The transition to a more attacking style has introduced a vulnerability and the draw initially looked like presenting a huge challenge to Julian Nagelsmann’s side. The Ecuadorian team were the revelations of qualification, finishing in second place behind Argentina in South America. Although they scored only 14 goals in 18 games, a backline featuring Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapié of Arsenal, shielded by Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo, conceded a paltry five.

Côte d’Ivoire live in a state of constant declinism, where nothing is ever as successful as the golden generation of 15-20 years ago. But since assuming control during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, manager Emerse Faé has proved inspirational. Following an improbable continental triumph on home soil, Côte d’Ivoire were ruthless in qualification, netting 25 goals without reply.

The tiniest country ever to reach the finals, Curaçao, were the fourth team drawn, though, making the group look a lot less daunting than it could have appeared.

Pool F

Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands side maybe lack the galacticos of past Dutch generations, but they qualified unbeaten and Memphis Depay, who scored eight goals in qualification, consistently looks a more effective performer with his national side than at club level. They begin against Japan, who will play in their 8th consecutive World Cup, and were by far the most impressive of the Asian nations in qualification, losing one of their 16 games over the two groups, with a combined goal difference of 54-3.

The Tunisian side secured of a third straight World Cup berth by topping a manageable qualification group, picking up 28 points of a available 30. Sami Trabelsi’s squad are perhaps not as defensive as some past Tunisian sides; they had a staggering 14 separate goalscorers in qualifying. If Graham Potter’s Sweden progress through the European playoff (against Ukraine in the semi-final, 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.

Group G

Belgium and Egypt are emerging from the legacy of their most talented generations. Rudi Garcia’s Belgium were erratic in qualifying, scoring the net eight times but letting in 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 decorated side in African football history, but having failed to reach the finals during their peak period 15-20 years ago, they have never fully fulfilled their potential on the world stage. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush give them attacking threat, but it was a defence that conceded only twice in 10 games that ensured they qualified unbeaten.

A reserved place for Oceania essentially meant a spot at the finals for the All Whites, who sailed through qualifying, winning five games out of five, netting 29 goals, nine of them by Chris Wood, but they are the lowest FIFA-ranked side to have booked their place in North America next summer. Team Melli, who were defeated once in a difficult third phase qualification group, are on a travel ban, potentially