This has been described by some as one of the weakest groups at the entire World Cup and while that is debatable, it is clearly a group with contrasting football cultures and equally contrasting pressures.
Canada
Canada arrive at the tournament carrying the optimism of a nation that has spent the last decade transforming itself from a country of ice hockey lovers into a country of ice hockey and football lovers.
They have appeared at the World Cup twice before, in 1986 and 2022, but never won or drawn a game, losing all of their three group games each time. But this feels like a different tournament for the Maple Leaf Country compared to the one four years ago. In Qatar in 2022 they played with enthusiasm and courage, but also with the recklessness of a young and inexperienced team discovering a new level for the first time.
Although they left with the three defeats, it was not without moments that hinted at a positive future. Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies scoring their first-ever World Cup goal felt symbolic, a sign that the country had finally arrived in modern football terms.
Now there is expectation. Under Jesse Marsch, who took over in 2024, Canada have become sharper and more confrontational. They still thrive in transition and rely heavily on pace and vertical football, but there is more structure to them now. Marsch’s teams are known for carrying a sense of aggression, ready to throw the game open rather than try to control it. Against much stronger opponents, they will look to stay compact and hit back on the break.
The key to Canada’s success may rest with Juventus’s Jonathan David. Canada have never entered a World Cup with a striker playing at this level in Europe. His move to Juventus has only heightened the sense that this is the moment for him to become a global star. Davies remains the face of the national team, all explosive dribbles and recovery runs, but goals decide tournaments and David’s movement inside the box gives Canada something they previously lacked.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina are back on the biggest stage for only the second time in their history after edging Italy in one of the big moments of the qualifiers.
There is emotion and momentum surrounding them like an aura after an extraordinary qualification run. Few expected them to survive the play-offs, especially given how desperate Italy were to terminate their run of absences on the global stage, but they did, even if it was through resilience and discipline rather than glamour.
There is romance too in seeing Edin Dzeko back on the World Cup stage at 40 years old. Dzeko has become one of football’s enduring figures, the kind of striker who seems immune to time. Two decades after his first international goal he is still Bosnia’s reference point, delivering in decisive moments. His equaliser against Wales in the play-off semi-final kept their campaign alive and his move to Schalke 04 has unexpectedly revived his club form as well.
Bosnia are more than just a team to make up the numbers. Head coach Sergej Barbarez, who took over in 2024, has made them difficult to break down, and there is genuine excitement around younger talents such as Kerim Alajbegovic and Esmir Bajraktarevic, wide players capable of stretching games and creating transitions from their compact 4-4-2 system.
Edin Dzeko is already back and training individually. Great to see!🙏 pic.twitter.com/cxBFbeZjut
— Bosnian Football (@BosniaNTBall) April 24, 2026
Qatar
Qatar return for a second straight World Cup still trying to prove that 2022 was not simply about hosting rights.
They are perhaps the hardest team in the group to judge. Their 2022 debut campaign was painful, the three defeats to Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands a clear demonstration of the gap between them and the rest of the tournament’s contingent.
But now they return with a different atmosphere around them and a coach with unfinished business. Julen Lopetegui was appointed head coach last year and finally gets his chance to manage at a World Cup after his infamous dismissal by Spain days before the 2018 tournament.
His Qatar side have won two, drawn two and lost three out of seven games played so far and already look more organised, more pragmatic and more capable of winning games. They will be hard put to it against the tournament’s stronger sides, but their improvement could at least earn them their first win (or two) at a World Cup.
Their best player is arguably Akram Afif, who plies his trade for local side Al Sadd. He carries the creative burden in the team and if Qatar are to progress, they will need him at his sharpest.
Switzerland
Switzerland are much more storied on the international footballing stage than other sides in this group. This is their sixth straight World Cup appearance but the farthest they have ever gone is the quarter-finals. They will be aiming to once again reach, and possibly go beyond, that stage.
The Swiss have built a reputation for organisation and tactical adaptability under their manager Murat Yakin. At Euro 2024 they knocked out Italy and pushed England to penalties in the semi-finals, performances that restored belief after doubts around Yakin’s future. They can shift systems comfortably and currently play in a 4-3-3 well known for its balance and adaptability.
At the centre of their midfield, former Arsenal and current Sunderland player Granit Xhaka remains a force, as he has shown in the Premier League this season. There is something fitting about Xhaka leading Switzerland into what will likely be his final World Cup. He has endured at the top level for a long time, playing important roles domestically for Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and then Sunderland, and here he still dictates the rhythm of this side.
There are also forwards such as Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye and Rennes’s Breel Embolo who can give Switzerland some edge in Group B. They will probably expect to top the group.
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