And so everything is as usual: after the draw, there is something to talk about. Today we are doing just that and compiling a list of emergency groups. For the sake of which we will wait a lot for the tournament, and the existence of which does not cause emotions at all?
Preface
It makes no sense to discuss the competition in detail: there is too much time before it, and as many as 6 participants of the World Championship are not even known yet. Too much can change before summer. Therefore, there will be no tactics in this text. And in some places there will not even be such an assessment of the strength of the teams in the group: after all, this is the first reaction, and not some deep analysis. The focus is on whether or not the quartet will be potentially interesting to watch in the summer. And if the format is exactly like this, then the material is extremely subjective. Keep that in mind as I break down the groups by category. What exactly? You can see in the picture below. The most interesting quartets are in the top pair of rows, the least interesting are in the bottom pair. Everything that is lower than “That’s what we need” is safe to skip. And you will have to ignore some matches, because now there will be 100+ of them at the World Cup – you won’t be able to watch them all.
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, playoff winner
And what is there on other channels?
I do not rate all the groups of host countries of the World Cup very highly: there are not enough stars here. When there are so many matches, Yamal and Mbappe will be the focus, not young and promising Mexicans or South Africans. Let’s think: who is the main star of Quartet A? A dream that is gradually approaching the end of its career? Or Eriksen, who will finish playing in “Wolfsburg”? In order to finally finish off such a problematic group, the organizers brought here from Europe often boring and pragmatic Danes… It will be difficult to convince yourself to watch the matches of this quartet. But I will not direct it to the very bottom of our level: very equal matches are planned. That is, to be intrigued. This is already something.
Group B: Canada, playoff winner, Qatar, Switzerland
I look at the background
Italy can save this quartet if they qualify for the World Cup. It will literally reach “Look at the background” by the ears, but not higher. At the previous World Cup, Qatar was the host, but even so it broke many anti-records. Literally after each new tour, I read about the “completion” of the team. There is no faith in him in a quartet with two strong Europeans and the hosts of the tournament. And the new rules allow 3 teams in most groups to advance to the playoffs, so everyone else can easily qualify for the playoffs in an absolutely ordinary way. And so: the group does not have a team-lighter that will run to the attack with the whole squad and play a la 3:3 at least once. In short, quality football – yes, but a lot of goals and intrigue – probably not. And if some Bosnia crawls here instead of Italy, it will be altogether sad.
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
I look at the background
Another quartet for background viewing. Everything is the same as above: we have a team that is too weak and dropped out of one of the baskets. Teams of the caliber of Haiti at the World Cup are mostly due to its expansion. I still remember how in 2018 Panama celebrated a goal scored against England for the last time. Nuance: then the score became 1:6. That is, such national teams really come not so much to compete as to celebrate football. They can lose by a wide margin to everyone in the group – and everyone will go to the playoffs. This spoils the impression of group C. However, if you abstract from the obvious outsider, the matches here are top. Morocco is playing football. Scotland is playing football. Will Brazil… well… start playing soccer before the summer? There is hope. In short, there will be something to look at. But the value of such interesting matches will not be that high.
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, playoff winner
Pay to watch
The worst group of the entire World Cup. First, there is no top team here. Secondly, here are almost the weakest teams from baskets 2 and 3. Competition? But probably not: Turkey and the USA should play for first place. Bright matches? Well, Australia hasn’t been pampered like that for a long time, and Paraguay finished 18 rounds of qualifying for the World Cup in South America with a goal difference of 14:10, so I wouldn’t put my hopes on him… In short, the further you try to find reasons to watch Group D, the more you dig in and get disappointed in it. By the way, it is not possible to criticize FIFA for the expansion of the World Cup, because all these teams would probably have made their way to it anyway. That is, in this particular case, the lot is to blame. Apparently, it happens like that. It’s strange that it “happens” to happen to the host team, but we can let it go: we have as many as 6 months ahead of us.
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
And what is there on other channels?
Funeral for the team from Curacao. Unpopular opinion: maybe it would be better if 64 teams were allowed at the World Cup. Not because more is better, as FIFA thinks, but because then only 2 teams could be eliminated from the group. Because when most quartets qualify for the rounds, 3 out of 4 are mostly uninteresting. This is where Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador will arrange a happy house for the poor team of Curacao, which crawled into the tournament without stars in its composition. In any case, she would be a tourist here, but in some other quartet she could have an impact at least on something. It won’t work here. Ivory Coast/Ecuador is likely to need a thrashing of the Africans to qualify for the play-offs, whatever the results of the other matches. Is there interest in watching these other matches? Turn on the games only for the Bundestim show.
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, playoff winner (Ukraine?), Tunisia
We need that
Honestly: I considered the group one of the most interesting even before they got the ball with Ukraine. The Netherlands guarantees a holiday of playing football. Japan – also, because there now almost the entire main team is players from Europe, whose names are familiar. Against the background of the names, Tunisia looks weak, but in fact, the decisive round of qualification in Africa was undefeated and even without conceding in 10 matches! Only 2 teams were so successful in the local selection. All matches can be interesting here. Even more so if Ukraine goes to the tournament. But if even suddenly not, then Poland or Sweden will fit nicely into the quartet. Who will be his outsider then? And will the Netherlands really be able to overcome everyone? Because of the equality of the group, won’t it turn out that only 2 and not 3 teams will come out from here? In short, a really good quartet. Yes, we have them!
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
And what is there on other channels?
I can’t put De Bruyne, Lukaku, Doku and Courtois at the bottom of the line-up. And Egypt and Iran have to fight hard for 2nd place, the New Zealanders, if they are lucky, are capable of giving someone a fight in at least one match… That is, there are still some interesting things. But the quartet is downright weak. Among the top teams in Europe, Belgium is the most problematic. This is no longer the same “golden” composition as before. The team will go to North America to play soccer, not to win the World Cup. Egypt has the most uneven lineup: roughly speaking, there is no one to follow except Salah and Marmoush. Iran was probably the weakest in the second basket. New Zealand on paper is among the weakest in the tournament overall. I’m not sure I’ll watch even 1 match of Group G.
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
We need that
Cape Verde, by the way, in many sports, he added, regularly has representation at major international forums in recent years. It is unlikely that the national team will directly impress at the World Cup, but if Cameroon beat Cameroon in the selection, why can’t it compete with mid-high level teams? In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been investing a lot in football – this should give an outlet. At the previous World Cup, the national team defeated Argentina (2:1), suddenly you forgot. Uruguay will bring a lot of stars to the tournament and Bielsa – a guarantee that the team will play cheerful football. Well, Spain is generally the reigning champion of Europe. It will be interesting to watch one of the main favorites of the tournament in matches against such opponents. Very different representatives and football ideas in group N. Probably, it is for the sake of such quartets that the World Cup should be held.
Group I: France, Senegal, playoff winner, Norway
When is summer already?
I think you’ve already noticed that we don’t have a “group of death”, but not to single out at least one would be somehow wrong: how will the CH wait in general with the idea that it doesn’t have a single top quartet? Therefore, let’s complain about this one. From the playoffs, either Bolivia or Iraq will come here, so there is no great intrigue for the playoffs… But there is a duel between Mbappe and Holland, which is worth everything! Erling is going to the World Championship for the first time in his life – and will immediately meet his “boss”. Both footballers are currently among the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or, so their meeting in June could be decisive in determining the best. It is the group stage that will answer the question of what Norway will claim at the tournament. Is it normal to dream about victory? And how is France? Senegal will bring Jackson at all! And what else do we need for happiness?
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
I look at the background
There is no second strong team, not enough stars, a clear outsider. In short, the group is not without flaws. Messi and Co. should start very easily, but the experience of the 2022 World Cup suggests that the team will gain during the tournament. That is, Argentina will not play at the top level too soon. Algeria without stars in the team, may not play at all. Same with Jordan. I can already name a very likely order of teams in the quartet: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan. That’s the problem: we’re almost without intrigue. On the other hand, Argentina has a top attack with Messi, Paz, Martinez and Alvarez. In qualifying for the World Cup, Austria scored 22 in 8 matches, Algeria – 24 in 10. The latter will also bring Mahrez to show us. There can be many, many goals, a spectacle, shootouts… If the quartets are without great intrigue, then only such.
Group K: Portugal, playoff winner, Uzbekistan, Colombia
I look at the background
From the playoffs, either DR Congo or Jamaica will still crawl here, so it looks like a single quartet with two obvious “passengers”. Colombia and Portugal should easily overcome everyone, so most of the matches are completely passable. On the other hand, Portugal against Colombia is already quite a top match. And the meeting between Uzbekistan and, for example, Jamaica is perhaps an equal duel for a place in the playoffs. The teams are weak, but this is precisely why they will “die” on the field: they may not get a better chance to qualify for the top flight rounds for the next decades. And yes, there are not only team intrigues: Ronaldo is holding the last World Cup! The draw gives him the perfect cards to hand: just take and score with one of the weakest in the tournament and go nice. Will he be able to? It will be easy to convince yourself to watch a couple of matches at least because of Krish.
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
I look at the background
The Croatians have a very old national team: Perisic, Modric, Kramaric… The last World Cup was held in the middle of the season, which helped the team: its experienced footballers were in shape and without accumulated fatigue. And now they can approach the tournament after an exhausting season. At the last Euro, the national team did not impress. So England seems to be without a competitor in the quartet. I already mentioned Panama above: it is here primarily for the purpose of tourism. As part of Ghana, the most expensive football player plays in the Championship – a kind of advertisement for the national team. In short, there will be little top football in the L quartet. On the other hand, it is interesting to look at the tired (?) Croatians, who traditionally for some reason have a shot at the World Cup, and at England with Tuchel: will it be better than with Southgate? A good quartet to “kill time” by watching his matches.
Epilogue
I directed only 3 quartets to the first two lines, 4 to the last pair. That’s a lot. I mostly asked myself if I could place this or that group higher. And he tried to do it if he had reasons or at least pretexts. No “group of death”, so the best is Holland vs. Mbappe, which is cool, but…both will still make the playoffs. Because as many as 32 teams out of 48 will be there: still try not to leave. There are more uninteresting quartets than interesting ones. If desired, more than half of the groups could be assigned to “Look at the background”, because according to the plan there are 2-3 good matches, and all the others – well, they will play and play. FIFA has achieved its goal: now after the draw there is even a certain despair and there is no such trepidation, strong expectation. I assume that in 2026 there will be more spectators than ever, who will watch literally several matches before the rounds.
And you know what’s the worst? They have almost nothing to lose.
Source: sport.ua