12. Serbia

Many people are pegging Serbia as a major darkhorse in this tournament — and for good reason. The striker pair up top featuring Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic is damn good. For good measure, Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic is normally considered the third option. In the midfield, the creative Dusan Tadic (of Ajax) pulls the strings with his ability to create for others. When looking at the roster as a whole, much of it plays in the top-five leagues (Italy, England, France, Germany, Spain).

This roster is well-balanced with veteran leadership and a number of very hungry, young players looking to emerge. Vlahovic is good enough to carry Serbia a long ways in this tournament. The group isn’t easy — as Serbia will have to get past a tricky Swiss side. However, Serbia does have the makeup of a team (at minimum) in the knockout stage.

13. Croatia

This appears to be a much more difficult group than on the surface. While Belgium is considered to be the prohibitive favorite, there are some warts which could cause an early exit (more on them later). Morocco has a very talented group of players. However, arguably their two best (Hakim Ziyech, Noussair Mazraoui) are currently quarreling with the federation. It’s not a guarantee either will play by November. Canada brings loads of youth and excitement — yet lack the depth and experience to make a serious run.

All the while, Croatia operates as the most consistent team in this grouping. There are some questions — especially when it comes to the collective age of the squad. Stalwart Luka Modric will be age 37 when the tournament kicks off, and much of the core is above the age of 30. However, the Croats are rock-solid tactically and technically. They should be able to advance.

14. Senegal

Senegal has to like how this group evolved. The Lions of Teranga narrowly got into the field after besting Egypt on penalties. Manager Aliou Cisse has done a terrific job in building the squad with a strong defensive spine. Of course, the leaders of the bunch include Chelsea GK Edouard Mendy and Napoli CB Kalidou Koulibaly. The midfield possesses talents from PSG (Idrissa Gueye) and Leicester City (Nampalys Mendy). Up top, Watford speedster Ismalia Sarr is buoyed by Villarreal winger Boulaye Dia.

However, the cream of the crop comes with Liverpool winger Sadio Mane. He is the danger man for Senegal — and is often the player it builds around for creation of scoring chances. Simply put, this is a dangerous side. No one will want to see them in a knockout stage situation. They could give either England or the United States a lot of trouble in the Round of 16.

15. United States

This is a manageable draw for the United States. It should be favored in two of the three matches. Duly, it will not need to defeat England at all (and nabbing a draw is somewhat feasible). Of course, Christian Pulisic will be the headlining name within this group. When combining the average age of every team at the tournament, the U.S. will be the youngest group in Qatar.

It will be fascinating to see how manager Gregg Berhalter addresses the goalkeeper position. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will start (between Man City’s Zack Steffen, Arsenal’s Matt Turner, and Nottingham Forest’s Ethan Horvath). The center back pairing is also a question mark. Wolfsburg CB John Brooks has been jettisoned of late — though he still represents the most talented player technically at the position in the pool. Regardless, this should be an exciting group to watch. Aside from Pulisic, the eyes of many fans will be watching the exuberant trio featuring Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Weston McKennie (Juventus), and Sergino Dest (FC Barcelona).

16. Switzerland

Switzerland is a mid-level European side with the upside of a team making the Quarterfinals. It lacks the high-end talent to advance further than that. However, it’s a group with considerable continuity and familiarity with one another. Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka still remain as key cogs in the midfield. Juve midfielder Denis Zakaria adds some much-needed athleticism and mettle to the group.

This could represent the last major tournament for many of the ‘old guard’ within this team. As such, you’ll see a highly motivated Swiss side. Unfortunately for them, the group is far from easy. Brazil is, well…Brazil. Serbia boasts a lot of ability, and Cameroon is a complete wildcard.

17. Poland

Whenever you’ve got the world’s best No. 9 on your team, you’ve got a chance to make some real noise. Poland will be relying heavily upon Robert Lewandowski for goals in this tournament. With that said, he’s far from alone as it pertains to quality within the side. Fiorentina striker Krzystof Piatek is more than capable of banging home a couple of goals. Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski is a maestro in the middle of the park, and veteran Kamil Grosicki still possesses some ability to give Poland some high-level play.

The backline has a nice mix of veteran leadership and youth. Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny and captain/center back Kamil Glik are fortified by EPL defenders Jan Bednarek and Matty Cash. Argentina is the favorite of the group. However, Poland is more than capable in advancing past Mexico and into the knockout stage.

18. Ecuador

Ecuador is a team where the sum is greater than its parts. On paper, you won’t see a ton of its players playing in the bigger leagues around the world. However, it’s a fast group with elite team chemistry. Remember, this team finished fourth in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying (ahead of Peru, Colombia, and Chile).

Veteran striker Enner Valencia is the biggest name on the roster — though Augsburg midfielder Carlos Gruezo is a fixture for La Tri. If you’re looking for two potential stars to break out in the tournament, look no further than Brighton MF Moises Caicedo (20 years old) and Valladolid MF Gonzalo Plata (21 years old). In what appears to be a wide-open Group A, we could see Ecuador advancing into the knockout stage.

19. Mexico

This might be the weakest Mexico group we’ve seen over the last few cycles. The depth isn’t great, and Liga MX’s inability to play/sell younger players to Europe has resulted in somewhat of a lost generation. Simply put, this is an aging roster without much in the way of younger talent.

The front three for Mexico (Raul, Tecatito, Hirving Lozano) is undoubtedly the strength of the team. The backline is a major worry, and the midfield outside of Ajax’s Edson Alvarez struggles with athleticism and physicality. Even though Mexico is usually a lock to make the knockout stage, El Tri may struggle against a side like Poland.

20. Peru

We’re operating under the assumption that Peru will get past Australia/UAE in order to reach the World Cup. If Los Incas does indeed make the tournament, they’ll be a sneaky-big threat to make the knockout stage. Argentine manager Ricardo Gareca is among the world’s best from a tactical standpoint. Peru is not chock-full of big name players. In fact, the vast majority of the team plays in Peru, The United States, and Mexico.

However, the resolve of this group is amazing. They’re completely in sync, and fly around collectively to make life miserable for their opponents. The 4-1-4-1 formation is atypical for most teams to deal with. Peru’s ability to score goals will sit with 32-year-old Serie B striker Gianluca Lapadula and No. 10 left winger Christian Cuevas (currently plying his trade at Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia).

21. Iran

Iran is a much better team than people realize. Dragan Skocic’s team breezed through the Asian World Cup qualifying process — allowing four goals in eight matches (while scoring 34 goals during the same time period). Iran employs a low block style which is predicated upon getting out on the break with its two most lethal strikers: Bayer Leverkusen’s Sardar Azmoun and Porto’s Mehdi Taremi.

Team Melli is more than capable of advancing from the group. Iran is measured with its attack, and is hard to break down. It’s also a technical bunch featuring a plethora of players who play their club football in Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands. When factoring in the political history between Iran and both England/The United States, things will get even more fascinating — especially when Iran’s capital city Tehran is only a short flight from Qatar. Iran may enjoy a big fan advantage.

22. Morocco

Here’s the big question for The Atlas Lions: Will Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui be there with the team in Qatar? Due to a quarrel with the manager, neither have really been involved in the qualification process. For Morocco to reach its potential in getting out of this group, things need to be smoothed over.

On paper, this might be the most talented African side in the field. Morocco boasts a number of very good players currently playing in Italy, Spain, England, and France. Among them include PSG outside back Achraf Hakimi, Wolves center back Romain Saiss, Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, and Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri.

23. Cameroon

Les Lions Indomptables snuck into the field on a frantic last-second goal versus Algeria. It was mass hysteria in Algeria when Rigobert Song’s team nicked a goal right at the depth. As such, Cameroon was rewarded with being in arguably the most difficult group.

If Cameroon has any chance of advancing, it must secure a win versus Serbia or Switzerland (if not both). From there, they also must grab a draw at some point. Cameroon will be relying upon Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Lyon attacker Karl Ekambi for some magic.

23. Cameroon

Les Lions Indomptables snuck into the field on a frantic last-second goal versus Algeria. It was mass hysteria in Algeria when Rigobert Song’s team nicked a goal right at the depth. As such, Cameroon was rewarded with being in arguably the most difficult group.

If Cameroon has any chance of advancing, it must secure a win versus Serbia or Switzerland (if not both). From there, they also must grab a draw at some point. Cameroon will be relying upon Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Lyon attacker Karl Ekambi for some magic.

24. Canada

Oh, Canada! Welcome back to the World Cup. It’s first time since 1986 in which the Maple Leafs are in the tournament. It’s a ‘Golden Generation’ of sorts for Canada, and the fan base should be very excited by the fact that the world’s best left back (Alphonso Davies) and one of the world’s best No. 9’s (Jonathan David) are both Canadian. Canada also has a very underrated crop of attack-minded players led by electric winger Tajon Buchanan. Porto midfielder Stephen Eustaquio is also the tone setter for Canada in the middle of the park.

This is not an easy group for Canada, as it features two established European sides and a dangerous African team. However, despite Canada’s lack of depth, this is a young, exciting team with great team chemistry. Manager John Herdman has built a very impressive culture — and we wouldn’t be shocked if Canada surprises some people in the process.

25. Wales



Wales route to the World Cup isn’t exactly clean. They’ll be playing the winner of Scotland and Ukraine (assuming Ukraine is able to play the match). It’s been almost a full calendar year since Wales has lost a match. It impressively took care of Austria 2-1 to reach the playoff final. Gareth Bale can make something happen out of nothing — and this is an aspect which makes Wales a not-so-fun opponent. Aside from that, they play compact out of the back with discipline centrally and some real speed on the wings.

26. Ghana

This is not the Ghana of old. Gone are the days of Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, and Asamoah Gyan. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is currently the best player on the roster. Ajax attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus is a slippery, tricky player. Up top, Jordan Ayew leads a rather young and inexperienced group. Interestingly enough, Ghana’s hopes may be buoyed by a host of ‘recruits’ possessing Ghanaian heritage. The following players are all eligible to represent the Black Stars in Qatar:

• Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea)
• Tariq Lamptey (Brighton)
• Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal)
• Mohammed Salisu (Southampton)
• Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
• Nicolas Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
• Myron Boadu (Monaco)

If even half of these players commit to Ghana, the ceiling of this team increases considerably.

27. Japan



Japan is in a tough group…there’s no other way to slice it. Germany and Spain are considered two of the favorites to win the entire World Cup. You’ll still see a pragmatic team leaning heavily on technicality rather than physicality. However, the team doesn’t appear to be as talented collectively as it once was. There is some talent in the midfield (Takumi Minamino, Genki Haraguchi). With that said, the group of defenders is somewhat weak, and there’s not much in the way of proven talent within the corps of strikers.

28. Qatar



The host nation traditionally gets out of the group stage and into the knockout stage. However in this group, we’re not sure Qatar will make it happen. The entire team plays its club football in Qatar. There is a benefit to this — as the group surely has strong familiarity with one another. On the flip side, the free flowing style of play employed by Qatar may not play up against the type of competition they’ll be facing. Fortunately for Qatar (as a positive), none of the three teams in its group are defensive juggernauts. Also — keep an eye on striker Akram Afif. He’s good enough to play in any major league in the world.

29. South Korea



Portuguese manager Paulo Bento leans heavily upon Tottenham star Son Heung-Min. Arguably the best player in all of Asia, he’s undoubtedly the center of Korea’s universe as it pertains to getting into the final third. Outside of Hwang Ui-Jo (Bordeaux) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05), much of the roster plays domestically in South Korea. The group isn’t impossible to advance from. However, Bento’s boys will be considered underdogs in virtually every match.

30. Costa Rica



We’re projecting Costa Rica to upend New Zealand in the one-game playoff to reach Qatar. After getting off to a very slow start in CONCACAF play, Los Ticos mounted a furious comeback to overtake Panama for the fourth spot in the region. Remember the miraculous run Costa Rica had in the 2014 World Cup? Well, many of those same guys are back (Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell, Keylor Navas) yet are much older. There are some promising young players in the group (Manfred Ugalde, Jewison Bennette, Aaron Suarez, Alonzo Martinez). However, it’ll be up to the 35-year-old Navas to virtually carry this team (which is a tall task).