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The 2026 World Cup, with its expanded 48-team format, features 12 groups. This article ranks the groups from hardest to easiest, highlighting the favorites to advance.
Iraq has qualified for the 2026 World Cup after a 40-year absence, defeating Bolivia in a grueling intercontinental play-off following a marathon journey marked by travel delays and regional turmoil. Coach Graham Arnold and players like Ali Al-Hamadi express their ambition to surprise France, Norway, and Senegal in the 'group of death'.
The Asian Cup 2027 draw has produced a blockbuster Group F, with defending champions Qatar drawn alongside four-time winners Japan. Hosts Saudi Arabia face a more straightforward path in Group C against Palestine, Kuwait and Oman.
Japan was placed in Group F alongside two-time defending champions Qatar, as well as Thailand and Indonesia, following the Asian Cup 2027 draw in Riyadh on Saturday. Qatar are the strongest team in the group after winning the last two editions, while the Southeast Asian sides are ambitious. Japan, a perennial continental powerhouse, will need to fight hard to progress from the group and chase a fifth title.
