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Pool A

This initial match at the historic Azteca venue will echo the first game from 2010, when Bafana Bafana tied 1-1 with El Tri. Mexico's elimination stage record at the worldwide tournament includes just one victory, achieved against Bulgaria when they previously hosted in 1986. Their manager, Javier Aguirre, was a forward in that squad and will be aiming for a third last-eight berth as tournament hosts. South Africa, led by veteran Belgian tactician Hugo Broos, secured their place for their first finals since hosting, ending above Nigeria and Benin despite having a victory over Lesotho awarded against them for using an suspended player.

This will mark South Korea's 11th consecutive World Cup appearance. Legend Hong Myung-bo featured in four of those, and finished in third place in the Golden Ball award when South Korea made the last four in 2002. He is now their coach and led them unbeaten through a far from easy qualification section. The final side in Group A will be the victor of a European playoff involving the Czech Republic, Denmark, North Macedonia, or the Republic of Ireland.

Group B

Canada have made it for the World Cup on two occasions and, although Qatar 2022 brought their maiden finals goal, it did not bring their first finals point. Jesse Marsch is the head coach of probably the best 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 looks hinges mostly on whether the Italian national team make it through the UEFA play-off (the remaining 3 contenders are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, and Wales).

Following failing to qualify in 1998 and 2002, Switzerland have navigated the group stage in four of the past five tournaments and were last-eight participants at the last two European Championships. Murat Yakin’s side booked their ticket unbeaten from arguably the most straightforward of the UEFA groups and, with veterans like Ricardo Rodriguez and Granit Xhaka, have individuals hoping to feature at their fourth finals. Qatar, having finished fourth in their third phase qualification section, were given a major advantage by being selected as a tournament host for the final round and clinched qualification with a 2-1 win over the UAE. Julen Lopetegui’s squad is selected entirely from the domestic league.

Group C

Scotland first World Cup in 28 years bears a lot like their previous outing, when they lost to Brazil and Morocco; the Haitian team occupy the spot of Norway. Their primary objective will be to make it to the knockout phase for the first time after eight previous group-stage eliminations. Haiti’s only prior World Cup, in 1974, was notable less for their three defeats than for the fate that happened to midfielder Ernst Jean-Joseph who, after failing a drugs test, was assaulted by Haitian army officers before being deported. They will have restricted traveling support due to travel restrictions from the USA.

Carlo Ancelotti took over as Brazil’s third coach in a qualifying process that included a run of three consecutive losses, but there is little jeopardy in South American qualifying these days. He has overseen a noticeable upturn in form. Last-four participants in Qatar in 2022, Morocco look the strongest of the north African sides, capable both of dominating rivals and playing on the counter-attack, qualifying with a 100% win record.

Pool D

Early last year, the United States seemed in a poor condition, losing to Panama and Canada in the Concacaf Nations League and to Turkey and Switzerland in friendlies. But over the last year, Mauricio Pochettino has seemingly begun to get his message understood and in November the USA beat Paraguay before routing Uruguay 5-1 in friendlies. They will begin against the Paraguayan side, who are competing in their sixth finals. They have secured one game at each of the prior five, a statistic that has resulted to both group phase exits and a quarter-final appearance. Their trademark defensive approach hasn't changed: they scored only 14 goals in their 18 games in South American qualification.

This is not the most free-flowing Australia team and their squad is without clear superstars, but in spite of an iffy start to the third round of Asian qualification, Tony Popovic’s side made it by beating Japan at home and Saudi Arabia away under immense pressure in their last two fixtures. The pool's final team will emerge from the victor of the European Play-off C (Kosovo, Romania, Slovakia, or Turkey).

Group E

Following successive group phase eliminations, Die Mannschaft are no longer the bogeymen of old. The transition to a more progressive style has introduced a vulnerability and the draw initially looked like presenting a huge test to Julian Nagelsmann’s side. The Ecuadorian team were the surprise package of qualifying, finishing second behind Argentina in South America. Although they netted only 14 goals in 18 games, a defence including Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapié of Arsenal, protected by Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo, let in a mere five.

Côte d’Ivoire live in a state of permanent declinism, where nothing is ever quite good as the golden generation of 15-20 years ago. But since taking charge 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 clinical in qualification, netting 25 goals and conceding reply.

The tiniest country ever to reach the finals, Curaçao, were the fourth team picked, however, making the group look a lot less intimidating than it might have been.

Group F

Ronald Koeman’s Dutch side maybe lack the galacticos of past Dutch eras, but they qualified without losing and Memphis Depay, who scored eight goals in qualification, consistently appears a more reliable performer with his country's side than at club level. They open against Japan, who will play in their eighth consecutive World Cup, and were by some way the most dominant of the Asian nations in qualifying, suffering one of their 16 games over the two groups, with a combined goal difference of 54-3.

Tunisia secured of a third consecutive finals berth by topping a manageable qualification group, accumulating 28 points of a possible 30. Sami Trabelsi’s team are maybe not as dour as some past Tunisian sides; they had a remarkable 14 different goalscorers in qualification. If Graham Potter’s Sweden progress through the European 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 iconic Cruyff Turn.

Group G

Belgium and the Pharaohs are emerging from the legacy of golden generations. Rudi Garcia’s Belgium were erratic in qualifying, finding 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 decorated side in African football history, but having not managed to reach the finals during their golden period 15-20 years ago, they have never quite done themselves justice on the world stage. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush give them cutting edge, but it was a defence that allowed just twice in 10 games that ensured they qualified undefeated.

A reserved place for Oceania effectively equated to a spot at the finals for the All Whites, who sailed through qualifying, winning five games out of five, netting 29 goals, nine of them by Chris Wood, but they are the lowest FIFA-ranked side to have booked their place in North America next summer. Team Melli, who lost once in a difficult third phase qualification section, are on a travel ban, possibly