Let’s just say it has been an interesting lead-up to this Summer’s FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Somehow, an event that has courted controversy in it’s last 4 editions has managed to outdo itself this time. Before a ball has been kicked, international politics involving host country(-ies) and several participating nations (even those just sending referees) has cast a pall over the world’s greatest show. Additionally, the ticket prices have caused their own outrage – this will be by far the most expensive World Cup for fans to attend ever.
But FIFA ensures the show goes on, and in a couple of hours the first ball gets kicked. The largest World Cup in history will be underway, and in a little over a month the 23rd world champion will be crowned. And the Review is here to break it all down.
The Hosts
The United States will host most games, with Mexico and Canada also serving as co-hosts. Each host will play their group stage games in their own country. The final will be held at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, normally home to the New York Giants/Jets.
The Teams
A record 48 teams will participate, broken down as follows:
-16 from Europe
-6 from South America
-6 from North/Central America & Caribbean
-10 from Africa
-9 from Asia
-1 from Oceania
They are divided into 12 groups of 4 nations. They play every team in their group, with the top 2 teams in each group advancing to the second stage, along with the 8 best 3rd place teams. The surviving 32 nations then play single-elimination games until a winner is determined! The groups are as follows:
Every Team, Ranked
The Happy-To-Be-Here Tier
48. Haiti – What a story for a beleaguered nation to make it back to the big dance for the first time since 1974. They had to play every single qualifier as a road game, since the political situation means it was not safe to host games in the country. Additionally, controversial travel bans for Haitians mean that the full force of support will not be felt by the players during the tournament. A difficult group means an early exit, but here’s hoping Duckens Nazon (and his incredible journey just to make it to the tournament safely) can bang in some goals and bring all of Haiti joy.
47. Iraq – Iraq is better than the 47th best team in this tournament by skill, but they got absolutely hosed by the draw. Stuck in the group of death with 3 teams capable of doing real damage in this tournament, it will be a short but very sweet stay for the Lions of Mesopotamia.
46. Curacao – the new title-holders for smallest nation to make a world cup, the Blue Wave deserves to celebrate every minute of their accomplishment. They will total 270, because this team will not survive the group stage. A heck of achievement regardless for the Dutch constituency, who made the most of their connection: 25 of their 26 players were born in the Netherlands with Curacao lineage, allowing them to play for the island nation.
45. Qatar – Talent-wise, I would have them last. But the Maroon One (really, that’s the nickname?!) are the beneficiaries of a very generous group that gives them a fighting chance. Neither Bosnia nor Canada are scary opposition, and they will fancy their chances at a springing a surprise.
A Glimmer of Hope
44. Panama – this next tier of teams are almost interchangeable: fiesty and scrappy teams short on talent but long on heart, and with at least one group opponent that is close enough to their level that they will feel they have an outside shot at advancing. Panama is one of them: Ghana has played well below what their talent level would suggest and barely backed into the tournament. Adalberto Carrasquilla will pull the strings and hope to take their first ever 3 points off the Ghanaians.
43. Saudi Arabia – surprised to see them this low? The team that stunned Argentina in the opening game of 2022 by playing a comically effective high line has regressed massively since. Herve Renard is out as coach, and the team remains based in the wealthy yet low quality Saudi league. The game against Cabo Verde will determine who goes home.
42. Jordan – the debutants breezed through Asian qualifying ahead of more heralded competition, but recent results indicate the momentum is trending downward. Most of the squad is based in their domestic league, which will help for cohesion, and they will consider Algeria an even opponent for 3rd place in their group.
41. Congo DR – returning for the first time since they were called Zaire under the Mobuto dictatorship in 1974, the Leopards have high-level quality sprinkled throughout their squad. What gives me pause is how little they seem to gel – they made hard work of qualifying, requiring 3 extra games in win-or-go-home playoffs to make it after failing to win their qualifying group. Maybe all the extra experience will pay off though…
40. New Zealand – the first of two Group G teams in my ranking, the All Whites (the color of their jerseys and a play on their rugby team’s nickname, the All Blacks) have a solid chance of advancing for the first time. Talismanic striker Chris Wood is held over from their last World Cup in 2010, and provides a huge target for whipping crosses into the box. Defender Tim Paine became a pre-tournament sensation by being named the most forgettable player in the tournament. No more!
39. IR Iran – Woof. Where to even begin with the complex global geopolitics impacting this team. Forces well above the 26 men who will take the field for Team Melli have put them in an impossible situation. A last second move of their team base from the US to Mexico, visa complications possibly preventing coaches from traveling to games, and several players dropped who didn’t pick a hard enough side in the bombing going on within the country leading to their exclusion, including star forward Sardar Azmoun. Even with the absences, the talent is there to top New Zealand, but what kind of performance will show up everything going on in their lives?
38. Algeria – on one hand, Algeria has a nice collection of talent with significant experience beyond the domestic league. On the other hand, they are still reliant on 35-year-old Riyad Mahrez, whose best days are long past, to create chances and goals. They should beat Jordan on paper, but I would not be surprised if they don’t.
37. Paraguay – by far the weakest of the South American teams, they also lost their best attacker, Julio Enciso to injury right before the tournament. He will miss at least 2 games, which should sink La Albirroja’s hopes. Stuck in the most even group in the tournament, they will have to get past either a solid, underrated Turkish team, hosts USA, or a scrappy, blue-collar Australian squad to advance.
36. Ghana – a team that consistently punches below its weight, the Black Stars, as they are nicknamed, show up in horrendous form going back to qualifying. Having backed in, a recent run of warm-up games has yielded similarly poor results. Some game changers are there: Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams can win games on their day, but the vibes are way off.
35. Cabo Verde – along with Curacao, one of the coolest stories in this World Cup. Unlike Curacao, this team has the ability to do some damage. The small island nation off Africa’s west coast makes it’s debut, and while their squad is short of household names, the sum has been consistently better than its parts for several years. They have been competing with bigger nations in Africa for years, and now the Blue Sharks get to show the world what they can do, and just need to beat Saudi Arabia to most likely advance to the knockout round.
Possible Surprise Packages
34. Australia – the Socceroos (awesome nickname!) always find a way to just be a thorn in everyone’s side in the tournament. Short on top end talent really since Tim Cahill retired a decade ago, they make up for their lack of game changing talent with a mentality of everyone giving 110% for the team. They remind me of old United States teams, in fact, which makes it ironic that they are matched up against them in group play.
33. Bosnia and Herzegovina – the weakest of the 16-strong European contingent, they rise this high in the rankings because they have whipping boys Qatar in their group. They should be able to win that game and advance, but that will most likely be all. While a cool story, having to rely on a 40-year-old striker, even one as decorated as Edin Dzeko, does not bode well long-term.
32. Sweden – my first truly bold pick, I think Sweden does not advance out of the group. Because of a quirk of European qualifying, they managed to make the World Cup despite failing to win a single qualifier; managing to claw their way in the backdoor through playoffs. Talented up top, this is an unbalanced team that I believe will also wilt in the heat and humidity of the North American summer.
31. South Korea – another bold selection, I think South Africa has a slight edge over South Korea. The iconic but aging Son Hueng-min leads the line for the Taegeuk Warriors, but despite sprinklings of quality throughout the squad, I’m not sure they have enough to make it out of the group.
30. Czechia – sticking with Group A, I am not cashing these…well, that got awkward. The very definition of workmanlike, they are returning for the first time since 2006. They are favored to finish second in their group, but I have a gut feeling a surprise is in order…
29. South Africa – the third Group A team in a row, the Bafana Bafana return to the World Cup for the first time since they hosted in 2010. They are absolutely battle-tested, having been docked points in qualifying for an administrative error and then proceeding to qualify over powerhouse Nigeria anyways. Overlook them at your peril, despite a lack of star power.
28. Tunisia – surprised? Perhaps my super-sleeper pick, the Eagles of Carthage are back for their 7th World Cup. They have never advanced out of the group stage, but I think their time is coming. They will be brutal to watch – a suffocating but efficient style of parking the bus and trying to eke out low-scoring games is far from eye-pleasing, but I think their grit pulls them past Sweden and into the Round of 32.
27. Uzbekistan – the team no one is talking about, but everyone should. They have been slowly on the rise for years: they narrowly missed the last World Cup, and have been making deep runs at international youth tournaments for a while now. This talented crop of youngsters pushed the White Wolves over the top for the first time, and I think they have every chance of advancing. Managed by Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro (!) and captained by the nation’s finest ever striker, Eldor Shomurodov, I expect them to advance at least as 3rd place team from a difficult group.
Eyeing A Deep-ish Run
26. Canada – the Canucks were hoping to ride a couple of stars to boost a squad of journeyman in their home World Cup. Unfortunately, the best laid plans go to waste: injuries have derailed the train, with their best player Alphonso Davies and center back/rock Moise Bombito out for at least the opening game(s) of the tournament. A lot of pressure thus falls on Jonathan David to bang in goals at a rapid clip. A manageable group still allows for some optimism.
25. Ivory Coast – a new generation has risen up to finally replace the legends of yore like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. Despite lacking household names, they arrive in extremely good form, an eye-opening defeat of France in a warm-up game making people sit up and take notice. The Dutch won’t be the only orange-clad team to make waves this Summer…
24. Scotland – the Tartan Army are still riding high from their incredible qualifying journey, capped off by a bicycle-kick from Scott McTominay for the ages to send them back to the Big Dance for the first time since 1998. Their fans will show up in force, and may just be the X-factor to sneak them through to the Round of 32 from a difficult group beyond Haiti. One win should be enough.
23. Egypt – teams with one star always give me pause. Teams with two stars? Now the defense has to be more selective about who to focus on, opening up the game. The Pharaohs show up with Mo Salah, Omar Marmoush, and seemingly half of the club team Al Ahly. They are used to playing in heat and are in an absolute cupcake of a group besides Belgium. All arrows are trending upward here!
22. Croatia – knockout game wizards, perhaps this is too low to put a team that has made at least the semi-finals the last 2 editions. While young talent is arriving, the engine of the team is still largely the same and aging fast. Asking a 40-year-old Luka Modric, as well as the well-seasoned Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic, to navigate their squad through an expanded tournament in brutal heat may be a bridge too far for a generation that came so close once to winning it all.
21. United States of America – while recent tune-up games brought some much-needed optimism to a squad that is under a lot of pressure as hosts. While this squad is the deepest the Yanks have ever had, the squad is unbalanced: the goalkeeper and center back positions in particular are the weakest the States’ have had in a long time. Unfortunately, those are massively the vital positions when it comes to keeping goals off the board and making a deep run. Reaching the Round of 16, the mark set by the 1994 squad that last hosted, would be a solid World Cup.
20. Austria – I, for one, am fascinated to see how they pan out. The unstoppable force that is the heat and humidity meets the immoveable object that is Das Team’s desire to press relentlessly. This style of defense, hounding the ball carrier in an attempt to force a quick mistake and retake possession, will be tough to pull off for 90 minutes at full sprint. If for nothing else, they will NOT be boring!
19. Senegal – Just on pure talent alone, they would be higher. Unfortunately, the Lions of Teranga got hosed with the most difficult group in the tournament. As long as they can take care of business against Iraq, they should make the Round of 32, and then all bets are off. After missing through injury 4 years ago, aging star Sadio Mane has his chance to put his stamp on the world stage.
18. Norway – fellow members of the Group of Death, the Norwegians have two world class stars they hope will bring them deep into their first tournament since the ‘90s. I do worry about the heat affecting them harder than most, and if they lose either Erling Haaland or Martin Odegaard at any point, they could be in trouble. That said, the vibes are immaculate: the jerseys are cool as f*** and they took easily the best team photo in the tournament.
17. Ecuador – it will never look pretty with these guys, but they will out-scrap almost anyone in this tournament. Owners of the most ridiculous stat in all of qualifying – an otherworldly 5 goals conceded in 18 qualifying games – an outrageously talented defense will need to carry them far. But at the end of the day, you do need to score more goals than your opponent. A lack of goalscorers will prove their undoing; they are still far too reliant on the 36-year-old Enner Valencia to hit the back of the net.
The Contenders
16. Turkiye – an underrated, solid team that turned some heads at the European championships two summers ago. They are growing, and understandably the favorite to top the US’ group.
15. Japan – one of the hipster’s favorite squads in the tournament, the stylish and swashbuckling Samurai Blue would have been higher until a couple of weeks ago, when star attacker Kaoru Mitoma was ruled out via injury. This is still a talented, fun-to-watch team that will gain a lot of fans; it’s just that their hopes of reaching the business end of the tournament took a huge blow.
14. Netherlands – the Oranje are absolutely stacked from ‘keeper all the way through their midfield. What will keep the Dutch from finally winning it all is the lack of firepower up front. They have a nice blend of forwards who allow for a lot of flexibility in style, but none of them are true game changers that can carry a team to glory.
13. Mexico – of the 3 hosts, I believe they are the most likely to go deep. While this is not as strong as prior Mexican teams, and the pressure to finally reach the fabled Quinto Partido (5th game) for the first time since 1986 will be massive. But they were given one of the easiest groups in the tournament, and by winning it they should have a favorable spot in the bracket. Although they may rely on players at both ends of the age spectrum (40-year-old Guillermo Ochoa and 17-year-old Gilberto Mora), this is a team without a major weakness.
12. Switzerland – in a similar vein to Mexico, the draw smiled very favorable on the Swiss. Apart from the Belgians, they may have the single easiest group, and should have a softer first game in the knockout round. This is a tight group that has played together for many years. They are always a team that seems to exit early in the knockout stages of a tournament. Is this the year that finally changes?
11. Uruguay – I struggle to put any of the South American titans this low, especially in a World Cup in this hemisphere. La Celeste has a number of stars in their team, and one of the most mercurial managers of all time in Marcelo Biesla. A lot will depend, however, on the inconsistent Darwin Nunez finally realizing his potential at striker.
10. Germany – this is a much better Die Mannschaft side than the ones that exited stage left early the last two World Cups. It is a solid, if unspectacular squad that they will field this Summer, and just around the top 10 feels right for them. Ecuador could give them a run for their group.
9. Morocco – they snuck up on everyone 4 years ago en route to a historic semifinal, the first African nation to do so. Everyone knows them now! They are solid back-to-front, with game-changers Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz particular players of note.
8. England – I can hear it now: “but it’s coming home!” No, it is not. The English arrive in an interesting place, led by a German manager for the first time. He left some big names off the team in an attempt at greater squad cohesion. The heat may play a big role in unravelling the Three Lions, but the endless media pressure and history of knockout round heartbreak all could play role as well. As always, the talent is there. Will the execution be?
7. Brazil – ranking the 5-time champions this low is hard to do. But the Selecao come into the World Cup with egos bruised and battered: they finished an unheard-of 5th in South American qualifying, and recent results have continued to be a mixed bag. Defensively they have all the pieces, and while the attacking options rank far from their heydey, they are still loaded on talent up front compared to almost every other nation. Led by a foreign manager for the first time, the champions the last time the Cup was held in the USA can certainly win title number 6.
6. Argentina – winning the World Cup is almost impossibly hard. Defending the title is that much harder. An aging Lionel Messi goes full Last Dance this Summer, and tries to cap off an incomparable career with a victory lap title. The team is still stacked behind him, and may even play freer now that the aging Messi is no longer the driving force every game. On the other hand, the pressure to win is now off; will that mean they lose their edge as well?
5. Belgium – I would be rolling on the floor laughing if I read this a year ago. Fresh off a laughably bad performance in 2022 that had the world convinced their Golden Generation was over, the Red Devils have reloaded and are absolutely on fire entering the World Cup. Jeremy Doku and Alexis Saelemaekers in particular have infused the team with much needed new energy. The pressure is seemingly off now, and the momentum is on. Can they ride the wave for the whole Summer?
4. Colombia – the last time the World Cup was held in North America, Los Cafeteros were the favorites to win. It all went wrong that time, but they are in a great place entering this tournament. James Rodriguez always steps up when putting on the yellow shirt, and he doesn’t have to carry the load alone: Luiz Suarez (not that one!) and Luis Diaz are quite the force up top. The goalkeeper position is a little suspect, but I am a believer in this team.
The Favorites
3. France – I think the weather will impact a lot of the European sides this Summer, and could prove France’s undoing. That, and the titanic amount of egos in a side that always feels close to unraveling. When they get going in the same direction, though, no side in the world has as much raw talent and star power.
2. Portugal – I keep going back and forth on #2 and #1. In the end, the difference was Cristiano Ronaldo, and not in a good way. The 41-year-old legend fills a fascinating role in Roberto Martinez’ squad these days. Portugal have progressed significantly, and now feature game-changing throughout the squad. Long gone are the days when Ronaldo had to carry them on his back. At 41, his best role should be off the bench when the team needs a spark. They can win most games without him. The million dollar question, however, is will his ginormous ego allow it? Will Roberto Martinez, a soft-spoken and kind manager, have the balls to do what is needed for the team to win? This will be fascinating to watch play out.
Winner: Spain – the reigning European champs are my pick to win it all. They have possibly the best player in the world in Lamine Yamal, and talent everywhere across the pitch. There has been little drama or issues with egos in the squad. The Spanish weather will have prepared the squad well for North America in Summer. I can find reasons to bet against every other team in the tournament. Not this one.
