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Pool A

The first game at the iconic Azteca venue will mirror the first game from 2010, when Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with Mexico. Mexico's elimination phase history at the global showpiece includes just one win, achieved against Bulgaria when they last were hosts in 1986. Their manager, Javier Aguirre, was a forward in that squad and will be aiming for a third-ever quarter-final berth as tournament hosts. The South African side, led by experienced Belgian manager Hugo Broos, secured their place for their first World Cup since hosting, finishing above Nigeria and Benin even after seeing a victory over Lesotho given against them for fielding an suspended footballer.

This will represent South Korea's eleventh straight finals appearance. Legend Hong Myung-bo featured in four of those, and came third in the Best Player voting when South Korea made the last four in 2002. Hong is now their coach and led them unbeaten through a far from straightforward qualification group. The fourth side in Group A will be the winner of a European qualifying play-off involving the Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia, or the Republic of Ireland.

Group B

The Canadian team have made it for the global finals on two occasions and, while Qatar 2022 yielded their maiden finals goal, it did not deliver their first point. Jesse Marsch is the head coach of probably the best squad in their nation's history, with key men like Jonathan David at Juventus and Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich. How favorable the group appears hinges largely on whether the Italian national team progress through the UEFA playoff (the other three contenders are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, and Wales).

After failing to qualify in 1998 and 2002, the Swiss have navigated the group stage in four of the past five World Cups and were quarter-finalists at the past two European Championships. Murat Yakin’s side qualified unbeaten from arguably the most straightforward of the UEFA qualifying groups and, with veterans like Ricardo Rodriguez and Granit Xhaka, boast individuals hoping to feature at their fourth World Cups. Qatar, having finished in fourth in their third-round qualifying section, were handed a major advantage by being selected as a host for the final round and clinched qualification with a 2-1 victory over the UAE. Julen Lopetegui’s squad is drawn entirely from the domestic league.

Group C

Scotland's return to the World Cup in 28 years looks a lot like their last appearance, when they lost to Brazil and the Atlas Lions; the Haitian team take the place of Norway. Their aim will be to progress to the knockout phase for the very first time after eight previous group phase exits. Haiti’s only prior World Cup, in 1974, was remembered less for their three defeats than for the ordeal that befell midfielder Ernst Jean-Joseph who, after failing a doping test, was beaten by Haitian army officers before being sent back. They will have limited away support due to travel restrictions involving the USA.

Carlo Ancelotti took over as Brazil’s third coach in a qualifying process that featured a streak of three successive defeats, but there is minimal jeopardy in South American qualification these days. He has presided over a noticeable upturn in form. Last-four participants in Qatar in 2022, Morocco appear the strongest of the north African nations, able both of dominating opponents and playing on the counter-attack, qualifying with a 100% record.

Pool D

At the start of last year, the USA seemed in a poor state, losing to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League and to Turkey and Switzerland in friendlies. But over the past year, Mauricio Pochettino has apparently begun to get his message across and in November the USA defeated Paraguay before routing Uruguay 5-1 in exhibition games. They will begin against Paraguay, who are competing in their sixth finals. They have secured one game at each of the prior five, a record that has led to both group phase exits and a quarter-final appearance. Their familiar defensive mindset hasn't changed: they managed only 14 goals in their 18 games in South American qualification.

This is not the most free-flowing Australian team and their squad lacks clear superstars, but despite an shaky beginning to the third round of Asian qualification, Tony Popovic’s side qualified by beating Japan at home and Saudi Arabia away under intense pressure in their last two matches. The pool's fourth team will emerge from the winner of Europe’s playoff C (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia, or Turkey).

Pool E

After successive group-stage exits, Die Mannschaft are no longer the bogeymen of old. The shift to a more attacking style has brought a fragility and the draw initially looked like presenting a massive challenge to Julian Nagelsmann’s side. Ecuador were the revelations of qualifying, ending up in second place behind Argentina in South America. Although they scored only 14 goals in 18 games, a backline including 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 pessimism, where nothing is ever as good 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 transformative. After an improbable continental success on home soil, Côte d’Ivoire were clinical in qualification, netting 25 goals without none.

The smallest country ever to qualify, the Curaçao team, were the final team picked, however, making the group look a lot less daunting than it could have been.

Pool F

Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands side maybe lack the star quality of previous Dutch generations, but they secured qualification without losing and Memphis Depay, who scored eight goals in qualification, consistently appears a more reliable 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 some way the most impressive of the Asian sides in qualification, losing one of their 16 games across the two groups, with a total goal difference of 54-3.

The Tunisian side secured of a third straight finals appearance by dominating a straightforward qualifying section, picking up 28 points of a possible 30. Sami Trabelsi’s squad are perhaps not as dour as some previous Tunisian teams; they had a staggering 14 separate scorers in qualification. If Graham Potter’s Sweden make it through the UEFA playoff (against Ukraine in the semi, then either Poland or Albania in the final), that will create a rematch of the group stage game in Dortmund in 1974 when Johan Cruyff first performed the famous Cruyff Turn.

Group G

The Belgian Red Devils and Egypt are emerging from the legacy of golden generations. Rudi Garcia’s Belgium were inconsistent in qualification, scoring the net eight times but letting in five in two wins over Wales, finding goals easily at times, but also struggling to a 1-1 draw away to Kazakhstan.

Egypt are the most successful side in African history, but having failed to reach the finals during their peak period 15-20 years ago, they have never fully done themselves justice on the world stage. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush give them attacking threat, but it was a defence that allowed just twice in 10 games that meant they qualified unbeaten.

A reserved place for Oceania essentially equated to a spot at the finals for the All Whites, who cruised through qualifying, winning five games out of five, scoring 29 goals, nine of them by Chris Wood, but they are the lowest-ranked side to have secured their place in North America next summer. Iran, who were defeated only once in a tricky third-round qualification section, are on a list of restricted nations, possibly