Group A

Mexico looks like the strongest team in Group A because they will have home support and a big crowd advantage in this tournament.

The biggest fight in this group should be for second place, with the Czech Republic and South Korea both seen as real contenders to move on.

South Africa enters as the underdog, so they may need a surprise result to stay alive in the race for qualification.

This group feels balanced after the top spot, which means one close match could decide who finishes second and who drops to third.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Mexico.
• Main Battle: Czech Republic vs South Korea for second place.
• Predicted Order: Mexico, Czech Republic, South Korea, South Africa.

Group B

Group B looks tricky because it has two European teams and a host nation in Canada.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been tipped by some predictions to finish first, while Switzerland is still viewed as one of the safest teams to back because of its organized defense.

Canada could use home support to push for a top-two finish, but most projections place them in a tight battle for third.

Qatar appears to be the weakest side on paper, so their margin for error is very small from the opening game.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Main Battle: Switzerland vs Canada for the last strong qualifying place.
• Predicted Order: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Canada, Qatar.

Group C

Group C has one of the most interesting stories because Brazil is a giant name, but some predictions still place Morocco at the top of the group.

Morocco is respected because of its recent World Cup success, while Brazil remains one of the biggest overall title threats in the whole tournament.

Scotland and Haiti will likely need a major upset to break into the top two places.

This makes Group C feel like a two-team race at the top with strong pressure on every match between the favorites.

• Favorite to top the Group in These Predictions: Morocco.
• Biggest Threat in the Group: Brazil, because they are still one of the tournament favorites overall.
• Predicted Order: Morocco, Brazil, Scotland, Haiti.

Group D

The United States has a strong setup in Group D because they are playing at home and are widely expected to finish first.

Turkey looks like the main challenger for second place, while Australia also has enough quality to stay in the fight through all three matches.

Paraguay gives this group extra depth because they are known as a tough team to break down, even if predictions place them fourth.

This group may not have the biggest global power outside the USA, but it could still produce very tight games from second through fourth.

• Favorite to Win the Group: USA.
• Main Battle: Turkey vs Australia for second place.
• Predicted Order: USA, Turkey, Australia, Paraguay.

Group E

Germany is the clear headline team in Group E and is expected to control the group because of its history and overall squad strength.

Ecuador is widely projected to finish second, which makes them the most likely team to follow Germany into the next round.

Curaçao brings an exciting underdog story into this group, while Ivory Coast adds physical strength and could still make things difficult for the favorites.

Even so, most predictions suggest Germany has too much quality and should finish first without too much trouble.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Germany.
• Dark Horse: Ivory Coast, because they can make the group more physical and difficult.
• Predicted Order: Germany, Ecuador, Curaçao, Ivory Coast.

Group F

The Netherlands enters Group F as the favorite and is expected to finish at the top in most outlooks.

Japan has been picked as the most likely second-place team, which says a lot about how much respect they now get on the world stage.

Sweden also gives this group real depth, so the race behind the Netherlands could stay open until the last round of matches.

Tunisia looks like the outsider, but one strong result could still change the shape of the whole group.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Netherlands.
• Main Battle: Japan vs Sweden for second place.
• Predicted Order: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia.

Group G

Belgium is still seen as the strongest team in Group G, even though some concerns remain about whether their squad can still hit its highest level.

Egypt is widely projected to finish second and has the star power to challenge for top spot if they start fast.

Iran and New Zealand are both facing a hard path, so they may need to target points in the games against each other and hope for a surprise against one of the top teams.

This group looks clear at the top on paper, but it could still get tense if Belgium drops points early.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Belgium.
• Team Most Likely to Challenge Them: Egypt.
• Predicted Order: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand.

Group H

Spain is the favorite in Group H and enters with strong momentum after recent success in Europe.

Uruguay looks like the team best placed to finish second because of its experience, grit, and ability to win tough matches.

Cape Verde is projected to edge Saudi Arabia for third in some predictions, which adds an interesting underdog angle to this group.

Spain should still lead the section, but Uruguay has enough quality to make the top of the group competitive.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Spain.
• Main Battle: Uruguay trying to push Spain while securing second place.
• Predicted Order: Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia.

Group I

France is the clear favorite in Group I and remains one of the strongest contenders to win the whole tournament.

Senegal is also highly rated and is expected to finish second, which gives this group one of the strongest top-two pairings in the draw.

Norway has enough attacking quality to make things uncomfortable, but predictions still place them outside the automatic spots.

Iraq enters as the biggest underdog in the group and will likely need a major surprise to change the expected order.

• Favorite to Win the Group: France.
• Strongest Second-place Candidate: Senegal.
• Predicted Order: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq.

Group J

Argentina comes into Group J as the defending world champion, so it is no surprise that they are heavily favored to finish first.

Austria is usually projected into second place, which makes them the most likely team to follow Argentina into the knockout stage.

Algeria has enough quality to stay competitive and could still push Austria hard, while Jordan is seen as the long shot in the group.

Unless Argentina starts slowly, this group looks set up for them to control from the first match onward.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Argentina.
• Main Battle: Austria vs Algeria for second place.
• Predicted Order: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan.

Group K

Portugal is the headline team in Group K and is expected to finish first because of its attacking quality and star strength.

Colombia looks like the strongest challenger and is the favorite for second place in most projections.

DR Congo and Uzbekistan both face a hard route, though either side could still make life difficult for the favorites with one strong performance.

This group appears fairly clear on paper, but Colombia against Portugal should be one of the better matches in the section.

• Favorite to Win the Group: Portugal.
• Team Most Likely to Qualify With Them: Colombia.
• Predicted Order: Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan.

Group L

England is expected to win Group L after strong qualifying form and solid overall tournament expectations.

Croatia is still viewed as a dangerous team because of its strong World Cup history, so they are the favorite for second place.

Ghana and Panama bring pace and energy, but both are projected to finish below the top two unless they pull off an upset.

This group has a clear favorite, yet England will still need to be sharp because Croatia is one of the toughest second seeds in the tournament.

• Favorite to Win the Group: England.
• Main Battle: Croatia trying to stay close to England while holding off Ghana and Panama.
• Predicted Order: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama.