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Group A

This first match at the historic Azteca venue will replay the opener from 2010, when Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with El Tri. The Mexican team's elimination phase history at the worldwide tournament features just one victory, secured against Bulgaria when they previously were hosts in 1986. The coach, Javier Aguirre, was a forward in that squad and will be targeting a third-ever quarter-final berth as tournament hosts. South Africa, led by experienced Belgian manager Hugo Broos, secured their place for their initial finals since they hosted, finishing above Nigeria and Benin despite seeing a win over Lesotho given against them for using an suspended footballer.

It will mark Korea Republic's 11th consecutive World Cup qualification. Legend Hong Myung-bo featured in four of those, and came in third place in the Golden Ball voting when South Korea made the last four in 2002. He is now their coach and led them without a loss through a anything but straightforward qualifying group. The fourth team in Group A will be the winner of a UEFA qualifying play-off featuring the Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia, or the Republic of Ireland.

Pool B

Canada have made it for the World Cup twice and, while Qatar 2022 yielded their maiden goal, it did not deliver their first-ever finals point. Jesse Marsch is the manager of arguably the most talented group of players in their nation's history, with stars like Jonathan David at Juventus and Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich. The extent to which kind the draw appears hinges mostly on whether the Italian national team progress through the European playoff (the other 3 contenders are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, and Wales).

After failing to qualify in 1998 and 2002, the Swiss have got through the initial phase in four of the last five tournaments and were quarter-finalists at the past two European Championships. Murat Yakin’s side booked their ticket without defeat from arguably the most straightforward of the UEFA groups and, with experienced campaigners like Ricardo Rodriguez and Granit Xhaka, boast players hoping to feature at their fourth World Cups. The Qatari team, having ended up in fourth in their third-round qualifying section, were handed a significant advantage by being selected as a tournament host for the fourth round and secured progress 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 bears a lot like their last appearance, when they were defeated to the Seleção and Morocco; the Haitian team occupy the place of Norway. Their aim will be to make it to the elimination stage for the first time after 8 prior group phase exits. Haiti’s sole previous finals, in 1974, was notable less for their three losses than for the ordeal that happened to midfielder Ernst Jean-Joseph who, after failing a doping test, was beaten by Haitian army officers before being deported. They will have limited away support due to travel restrictions from the USA.

Carlo Ancelotti became Brazil’s third manager in a qualifying campaign that included a run of three consecutive defeats, but there is little jeopardy in South American qualification these days. He has presided over a clear improvement. Semi-finalists in Qatar in 2022, Morocco look the strongest of the north African nations, able both of dominating opponents and playing on the counter-attack, qualifying with a 100% record.

Group D

At the start of last year, the United States seemed in a poor state, losing to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League and to Turkey and Switzerland in friendly matches. But over the last year, Mauricio Pochettino has seemingly begun to get his message understood and in November the USA defeated Paraguay before thrashing Uruguay 5-1 in exhibition games. They will start against Paraguay, who are playing in their sixth World Cup. They have won one game at each of the prior five, a record that has resulted to both group phase eliminations and a last-eight place. 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 fluent Australian team and their squad is without obvious superstars, but in spite of an iffy beginning to the third round of Asian qualification, Tony Popovic’s side qualified by defeating Japan at home and Saudi Arabia away under immense pressure in their last two fixtures. The group’s fourth team will come from the winner of the European Play-off C (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia, or Turkey).

Group E

Following back-to-back group phase eliminations, Die Mannschaft are no longer the bogeymen of old. The transition to a more progressive style has brought a fragility and the group initially looked like presenting a massive test to Julian Nagelsmann’s side. The Ecuadorian team were the surprise package of qualification, ending up in second place behind Argentina in South America. While they scored only 14 goals in 18 games, a backline including Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapié of Arsenal, protected by Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo, let in a paltry five.

Ivory Coast live in a state of constant pessimism, 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, head coach Emerse Faé has proved transformative. Following an implausible continental success on home soil, Côte d’Ivoire were ruthless in qualification, scoring 25 goals and conceding reply.

The smallest country ever to reach the finals, Curaçao, were the final team picked, though, making the group look a lot less intimidating than it could have appeared.

Group F

Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands side perhaps lack the galacticos of past Dutch generations, but they secured qualification unbeaten and Memphis Depay, who scored eight goals in qualifying, always appears a more reliable performer with his national side than at club level. They open against the Japanese team, who will play in their eighth successive World Cup, and were by far the most impressive of the Asian sides in qualifying, suffering one of their 16 games across the two phases, with a total goal difference of 54-3.

Tunisia secured of a third consecutive World Cup berth by dominating a manageable qualifying group, picking up 28 points of a available 30. Sami Trabelsi’s squad are maybe not as defensive as some previous Tunisian teams; they had a staggering 14 different goalscorers in qualifying. If Graham Potter’s Sweden make it through the UEFA 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

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

Egypt are the most successful side in African football history, but having not managed to reach the finals during their peak period 15-20 years ago, they have never quite fulfilled their potential on the global stage. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush give them cutting edge, but it was a defence that conceded just twice in 10 games that ensured they qualified unbeaten.

A guaranteed place for Oceania effectively equated to a spot at the finals for the All Whites, who cruised through qualification, winning five games out of five, scoring 29 goals, nine of them by Chris Wood, but they are the lowest FIFA-ranked side to have secured their place in North America next summer. Iran, who lost once in a difficult third phase qualifying group, are on a list of restricted nations, possibly