With the FIFA World Cup — hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — starting on June 11, The Hindu begins its Countdown, analysing the 48 teams in the fray.
Group A (Mexico, South Korea, Czechia and South Africa)
The majestic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where more than 114,000 people watched Diego Maradona’s Argentina beat West Germany in a five-goal thriller to lift the World Cup in 1986, will host the opening match on June 11. The pressure will be on the co-host when it takes on South Africa, which itself memorably conducted the 2010 edition.
Sport’s biggest show is returning to Mexico after 40 years. The Mexicans had reached the quarterfinals in 1986, as they had 16 years earlier, when they first hosted the World Cup. They should be hoping they would do it again on home soil. Mexico has played every World Cup since 1994 and is the highest-ranked team in the group, at No. 14.
Mexico starts very much the favourite to top the pool. It boasts stars such as Santiago Gimenez, Raul Jimenez, Edson Alvarez and Guillermo Ochoa, who will be appearing in his sixth World Cup. Also watch out for the 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, the youngest in the tournament.
South Korea is the team most likely, after Mexico, to advance from the group. A regular since 1986, the Asian giant is ranked 25th in the world. The Koreans have come with an unbeaten record in the qualifiers, spanning over 16 games. For inspiration, they could look to captain Son Heung-min, who is poised to become their all-time leading scorer at the World Cup.
Unlike South Korea or Mexico, Czechia is no regular at the World Cup. This is only its second World Cup. With talented performers like Patrik Schick, Pavel Sulc and Tomas Holes, the Czechs are capable of surprises.
South Africa is ranked 60th, the lowest in the group. It will require something extraordinary, from the likes of Teboho Mokoena and Lyle Foster, to upset the fancied opponents.
Best finish: Mexico: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986); South Korea: Semifinal (2002); Czechia: Group stage (2006); South Africa: Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010).
Group B (Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Qatar)
Switzerland reached the knockout stage at the last three World Cups. It will be a huge shock if the Swiss don’t make it four in a row. They are placed 19th in global rankings and start the clear favourite to top the group that features no big teams. There are big stars, though. Switzerland’s captain Granit Xhaka, for instance. The Sunderland skipper is the most capped player for his country and he is still the man his team looks up to. And there is class up front in the form of Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye and Noah Okafor.
Switzerland will be looing up to its inspirational captain Granit Xhaka.
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AP
Canada has lost all its games at the World Cup. You may not quite be able to say that by the end of the group stage this time around. It is possibly the best-ever Canadian side, and being the co-host is a bonus. The team has players with enough experience in Europe, such as Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed and Cyle Larin. Davies, though, is racing against time to be fit in time for the opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Bosnia booked the ticket to its second World Cup in dramatic fashion, knocking out former champion Italy in a penalty shootout. Coached by its former captain Sergej Barbarez — his target was actually Euro 2028 — the team is returning to the tournament after missing the last two editions. And it could feel at home as thousands of Bosnians moved to North America because of the war in the 1990s.
It has some fine players, including the 40-year-old superstar Edin Dzeko, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic and Esmir Bajraktarevic, who took that winning penalty against Italy.
The last World Cup’s host Qatar is looking to score its first-ever point in the showpiece. It is pinning hopes on men like Akram Afif, Almoez Ali and Mohammed al-Mannai. India, especially Kerala, will be wondering Tahsin Jamshid, whose parents are from Kannur, could get on to the field at some stage.
Best finish: Switzerland: Quarterfinals (1934, 1938, 1954); Canada: Group stage (1986, 2022); Bosnia & Herzegovina: Group stage (2014); Qatar: Group stage (2022).
Group C (Brazil, Morocco, Scotland and Haiti)
Brazil has played at every World Cup. Nobody else has. Brazil has won five World Cups. Nobody else has. But the last of those triumphs came in 2002. The Latin American giant, which has traditionally enjoyed popularity around the globe for its flair, is not quite the force it used to be. It has appointed, for the first time, a foreign coach. Italian Carlo Ancelotti is one of the best in history, having won the title in all the five major European leagues.
Brazil’s teen forward Endrick is rated highly.
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FILE PHOTO: AP
Ancelotti has brought Neymar back, though Brazil’s all-time top-scorer has injury concerns. Brazil also hopes a lot from the gifted Vinicius Junior and the experienced Casemiro. And there is the 19-year-old Endrick, for whom Bebeto has forecast greatness.
Morocco made history in Doha, becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals. The expectations are also high from the current squad, featuring the likes of Achraf Hakimi, who helped Paris Saint-Germain win successive UEFA champion league titles over the last two seasons, Abde Ezzalzouli, Neil El Aynaoui, Brahim Diaz and the 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who had captained France’s under-21 team not so long ago.
This is Scotland’s first World Cup in nearly three decades. And the Scots achieved qualification in spectacular style, beating Denmark 4-2, thanks in no small measure to a Scott McTominay’s overhead-kick goal that has now been immortalised on a bank note. John McGinn, Ben Gannon-Doak, Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Christie would also be trying hard to take their team past the group stage for the first time in history.
Haiti making it to its World Cup was a huge achievement, given the troubles the country has been facing. It is ranked 83rd, only New Zealand at 85 is ranked lower among all the teams in the finals. But it has fine players like Duckens Nazon and Wilson Isidor.
Best finish: Brazil: Champion (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002); Morocco: Semifinal (2022); Scotland: Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974-1990, 1998); Haiti: Group stage (1974).
