GROUP A

Qatar

Almoez Ali

Coach: Felix Sanchez

Star player: Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail)

World Cup best: Debut

Qatar won the 2019 Asian Cup but face a major challenge to avoid becoming only the second host nation - after South Africa in 2010 - to be eliminated at the first hurdle. Their entire squad is based domestically and has been training together since June in preparation for a maiden appearance at this level.

Qatar squad:

Gk: Al Sheeb,Barsham, Hassan
Def: Miguel, Khidir, Salman, Al Rawi, Khoukhi, Hassan, Al Amin, Gabir
Mid: Ali Asad, Madibo, Waad, Al Hajri, Meshaal, Boudiaf, Hatim, Ismaeel Mohammad
For: Al Hadhrami, Alaa, Al Haydos, Muneer, Afif, Almoez Ali, Muntari

Fixtures:

Qatar v Ecuador (Sun, Nov 20 - 1800)
Qatar vs Senegal (Fri, Nov 25 - 1500)
Qatar v Netherlands (Tues, Nov 29 - 1700)

Ecuador

Moises Caicedo

Coach: Gustavo Alfaro

Star player: Moises Caicedo (Brighton)

World Cup best: Second round 2006

Ecuador were South American Under-20 champions in 2019 and have a youthful side which is quick, strong and suited to counter-attacking tactics. Argentinian Alfaro, appointed in August 2020, steadied the ship following a turbulent period. While he has toughened up the team defensively, goals have dried up in recent warm-up fixtures.

Ecuador squad:

Gk: Dominguez, Galindez, Moises Ramirez
Def: Estupinan, Preciado, Hincapie, Arreaga, Palacios, Porozo, Arboleda, Torres, Pacho
Mid: Caicedo, Cifuentes, Franco, Mendez, Gruezo, Plata, Mena, Preciado, Ibarra, Sarmiento
For: Valencia, Estrada, Reasco, Rodriguez

Fixtures:

Qatar v Ecuador (Sun, Nov 20 - 1800)
Ecuador vs Netherlands (Fri, Nov 25 - 1800)
Ecuador v Senegal (Tues, Nov 29 - 1700)

Senegal

Sadio Mane Senegal

Coach: Aliou Cisse

Star player: Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2002

In record scorer Mane, the African champions have genuine world-class quality, while Chelsea pair Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly are also key performers. Cisse's side qualified by defeating Egypt on penalties, a repeat result of the Africa Cup of Nations final. They agonisingly missed out on a second-round spot in 2018 due to accumulating more yellow cards than Japan.

Senegal squad:

Gk: Dieng, Gomis, Eduoard Mendy
Def: Toure, Cisse, Diallo, Jakobs, Koulibaly, Formose Mendy, Sabaly
Mid: Ciss, Diatta, Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye, Kouyate, Loum, Nampalys Mendy, Name, Matar Sarr
For: Dia, Diedhiou, Dieng, Jackson, Mane, Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr.

Fixtures:

Senegal v Netherlands (Mon, Nov 21 - 1800)
Qatar vs Senegal (Fri, Nov 25 - 1500)
Ecuador vs Senegal (Tues, Nov 29 - 1700)

Netherlands

Virgil Van Dijk

Coach: Louis Van Gaal

Star player: Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)

World Cup best: Runners up 1974, 1978, 2010

The Dutch are back after failing to qualify for Russia. Van Gaal, who led them to third place in 2014, came out of retirement for a third spell in charge but has had limited time to implement his methods. A lack of club action for star striker Memphis Depay is not ideal, while goalkeeper is a position of weakness.

Netherlands squad:

Gk: Bijlow, Noppert, Pasveer
Def: Ake, Blind, van Dijk, Dumfries, Frimpong, de Ligt, Malacia, Timber, de Vrij
Mid: Berghuis, de Jong, Klaassen, Koopmeiners, de Roon, Simons, Taylor
For: Bergwijn, Depay, Gakpo, Janssen, de Jong, Lang, Weghorst

Fixtures:

Senegal v Netherlands (Mon, Nov 21 - 1800)
Netherlands vs Ecuador (Fri, Nov 25 - 1500)
Netherlands vs Qatar (Tues, Nov 29 - 1700)

GROUP B

England

Harry Kane

Coach: Gareth Southgate

Star player: Harry Kane (Tottenham)

World Cup best: Winners 1966

Semi-finalists in 2018 and Euro 2020 runners-up, England should be full of confidence. But the road to the Middle East has been littered with setbacks: six games without a win, five without a goal and relegation in the Nations League. Southgate has come in for criticism but is unlikely to deviate from a handbrake-on approach or drop under-performing regulars.

England squad:

Gk: Pickford, Ramsdale, Pope
Def: Trippier, Alexander-Arnold, Walker, White, Maguire, Stones, Dier, Coady, Shaw
Mid: Rice, Bellingham, Phillips, Henderson, Gallagher, Mount
For: Kane, Wilson, Rashford, Sterling, Saka, Foden, Grealish, Maddison

Fixtures:

England v Iran (Mon, Nov 21 - 1500)
England vs USA (Fri, Nov 25 - 2100)
Wales vs England (Tues, Nov 29 - 2100)

Iran

Sardar Azmoun Iran

Coach: Carlos Queiroz

Star player: Sardar Azmoun (Bayer Leverkusen)

World Cup best: First round 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018

Well-travelled former Manchester United assistant Queiroz was reappointed in September, having led Iran to the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. Each of those campaigns ended with group-stage elimination. Avoiding a hat-trick of early exits under Queiroz appears unlikely. Iran are rank outsiders with bookmakers and lack the star names of their group rivals.

Iran squad:

Gk: Beiranvand, Hosseini, Niazmand, Abedzadeh
Def: Rezaeian, Jalali, Kananizadegan, Khalilzadeh, Pouraliganji, Hosseini, Sadegh Moharrami, Milad Mohammadi, Hajisafi
Mid: Ezatolahi, Nourollahi, Karimi, Cheshmi, Amiri, Mehdi Torabi, Jahanbakhsh, Gholizadeh, Ghoddos
For: Azmoun, Ansarifard, Taremi

Fixtures:

England v Iran (Mon, Nov 21 - 1500)
Wales vs Iran (Fri, Nov 25 - 1200)
Iran vs USA (Tues, Nov 29 - 2100)

United States

Christian Pulisic USA

Coach: Gregg Berhalter

Star player: Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)

World Cup best: Third 1930

Berhalter is blessed with one of the most talented pools of players in US history. Many of his squad operate in Europe's top leagues and expectation back home is they will make it out of the group. The US have done so four times since 1990, including in 2010 - the last time they were drawn alongside England.

USA squad:

GK: Horvath, Johnson, Turner
Def: Carter-Vickers, Dest, Long, Moore, Ream, Robinson, Scally, Yedlin, Zimmerman
Mid: Aaronson, Acosta, Adams, de la Torre, McKennie, Musah, Roldan
For: Ferreira, Morris, Pulisic, Reyna, Sargent, Weah, Wright

Fixtures:

USA v Wales (Mon, Nov 21 - 2100)
England vs USA (Fri, Nov 25 - 2100)
Iran vs USA (Tues, Nov 29 - 2100)

Wales

Gareth Bale

Coach: Robert Page

Star player: Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1958

Wales ended a 64-year wait for a second World Cup outing by overcoming Ukraine in a play-off. No other nation has gone so long between appearances. The fitness of talismanic captain Bale is central to their hopes, while a satisfactory draw provides reason for optimism. Few other countries can match Page's squad for spirit and togetherness.

Wales squad:

Gk: Hennessey, Ward, Davies
Def: Davies, Cabango, Lockyer, Rodon, Mepham, Ampadu, Gunter, Williams, Roberts
Mid: Thomas, Allen, Smith, Levitt, Wilson, Morrell, Williams, Ramsey, Colwill
For: Bale, Moore, Harris, Johnson, James

Fixtures:

USA v Wales (Mon, Nov 21 - 2100)
Wales vs Iran (Fri, Nov 25 - 1200)
Wales vs England (Tues, Nov 29 - 2100)

GROUP C

Argentina

Lionel Messi

Coach: Lionel Scaloni

Star player: Lionel Messi (PSG)

World Cup best: Winners 1978, 1986

Messi has won everything possible at club level and, with the 2021 Copa America, finally lifted international silverware. Now aged 35, Argentina's most-capped played and record scorer has one last shot at football's ultimate prize. He is surrounded by an industrious and gifted team. Argentina are 35 games undefeated and confidence is sky high.

Argentina squad:

Gk: Armani, Martinez, Rulli
Def: Acuna, Foyth, Martinez, Molina, Montiel, Otamendi, Pezzella, Romero, Tagliafico
Mid: De Paul, Fernandez, Gomez, Mac Allister, Palacios, Paredes, Rodriquez
For: Alvarez, Correa, Dybala, Di Maria, Gonzalez, Martinez, Messi

Fixtures:

Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Tues, Nov 22 - 1200)
Argentina vs Mexico (Sun, Nov 26 - 2100)
Poland vs Argentina (Wed, Nov 30 - 2100)

Saudi Arabia

Salem Al-Dawsari

Coach: Herve Renard

Star player: Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal)

World Cup best: Second round 1994

The Green Falcons cruised through qualifying but make the short trip to Qatar as one of the major underdogs. They picked up their first tournament win since 1994 by defeating Egypt in their final group game in Russia and have greater fight, discipline and belief since the appointment of Frenchman Renard.

Saudi Arabia squad:

Gk: Al-Owais, Al-Aqidi, Al-Yami
Def: Al-Shahrani, Al-Bulaihi, Al-Amri, Madu, Tambakti, Al-Ghanam, Al-Breik, Abdulhamid
Mid: Al-Faraj, Sharahili, Al-Hassan, Kanno, Al-Malki, Al-Najei, Otayf, Al-Dawsari, Al-Aboud, Al-Dawsari, Bahebri
For: Al-Abed, Asiri, Al-Shehri, Al-Buraikan

Fixtures:

Argentina vs Saudi Arabia (Tues, Nov 22 - 1200)
Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Sat, Nov 26 - 1500)
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Wed, Nov 30 - 2100)

Mexico

Edson Alvarez

Coach: Gerardo Martino

Star player: Edson Alvarez (Ajax)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1970, 1986

Mexico hold a remarkably consistent World Cup record, having suffered last-16 exits at the last seven tournaments. Emulating that modest achievement may prove tricky. Many Mexican fans - dismayed by three successive defeats to rivals the USA in 2021 - feel pessimism towards Martino's ageing side, the core of which remains from past World Cup campaigns.

Mexico squad:

Gk: Ochoa, Talavera, Cota
Def: Sanchez, Kevin Alvarez, Araujo, Vasquez, Moreno, Montes, Arteaga, Gallardo
Mid: Guardado; Herrera, Rodriguez, Gutierrez, Chavez, Edson Alvarez, Pineda, Romo
For: Vega, Lozano, Jimenez, Alvarado, Antuna, Martin, Mori

Fixtures:

Mexico vs Poland (Tues, Nov 22 - 1800)
Argentina vs Mexico (Sat, Nov 26 - 2100)
Saudi Arabia vs Mexico (Wed, Nov 30 - 2100)

Poland

Robert Lewandowski

Coach: Czeslaw Michniewicz

Star player: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)

World Cup best: Third place 1974, 1982

Striker Lewandowski has settled in seamlessly at Barcelona following his switch from Bayern Munich and will be critical to Polish hopes at what will almost certainly be his final World Cup. Michniewicz secured qualification in just his second match following the shock resignation of Paulo Sousa. Poland's last knockout match was in 1986.

Poland squad:

Gk: Dragowski, Skorupski, Szczesny
Def: Bednarek, Bereszynski, Cash, Glik, Gumny, Jedrzejczyk, Kiwior, Wieteska, Zalewski
Mid: Bielik, Frankowski, Grosicki, Kaminski, Krychowiak, Skoras, Damian Szymanski, Sebastian Szymanski, Zielinski, Zurkowski
For: Lewandowski, Milik, Piatek, Swiderski

Fixtures:

Mexico vs Poland (Tues, Nov 22 - 1800)
Poland vs Saudi Arabia (Sat, Nov 26 - 1500)
Poland vs Argentina (Wed, Nov 30 - 2100)

GROUP D

France

Kylian Mbappe

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Star player: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

World Cup best: Winners 1998, 2018

Les Bleus are bidding to become only the third nation - after Italy and Brazil - to retain the trophy. Deschamps has a squad packed with talent, including Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema, and enviable strength in depth. Key midfielders Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante are out injured but the defending champions are among the favourites.

France squad:

Gk: Areola, Lloris, Mandanda
Def: Hernardez, Hernandez, Kimpembe, Konate, Kounde, Pavard, Saliba, Upamencano, Varane
Mid: Camavinga, Fofana, Guendouzi, Rabiot, Tchouameni, Veretout
For: Benzema, Coman, Dembele, Giroud, Griezmann, Mbappe, Nkunku

Fixtures:

France vs Australia (Tues, Nov 22 - 2100)
France vs Denmark (Sat, Nov 26 - 1800)
Tunisia vs France (Wed, Nov 30 - 1700)

Australia

Mathew Ryan

Coach: Graham Arnold

Star player: Mathew Ryan (FC Copenhagen)

World Cup best: Second round 2006

Expectations for the Socceroos are low following an underwhelming qualifying campaign, which ended with a surprise penalty shoot-out success over Peru. The golden generation of Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell is a distant memory, with few of the current crop playing in major leagues. A herculean effort is required to make it out of a tough group.

Australia squad:

GK: Ryan, Redmayne, Vukovic
Def: Behich, Degenek, Deng, King, Atkinson, Karacic, Souttar, Rowles, Goodwin
Mid: Mooy, Irvine, Hrustic, Wright, Devlin, McGree, Baccus
For: Mabil, Leckie, Boyle, Maclaren, Cummings, Duke, Kuol

Fixtures:

France vs Australia (Tues, Nov 22 - 2100)
Tunisia vs Australia (Sat, Nov 26 - 1200)
Australia vs Denmark (Wed, Nov 30 - 1700)

Denmark

Christian Eriksen

Coach: Kasper Hjulmand

Star player: Christian Eriksen (Manchester United)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1998

Denmark won nine of 10 games in qualifying, scoring 30 goals and conceding just three. Eriksen's return following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, where the Danes reached the last four, is both miraculous and a major boost. The 1992 European champions have a strong team ethic and will hope their influential playmaker can provide the spark.

Denmark squad:

Gk: Schmeichel, Oliver Christensen, Ronnow
Def: Kjaer, Andersen, Maehle, Andreas Christensen, Kristensen, Larsen, Nelsson, Wass, Bah
Mid: Delaney, Jensen, Eriksen, Hojbjerg, Skov, Norgaard
For: Olsen, Lindstrom, Cornelius, Braithwaite, Dolberg, Damsgaard, Wind, Poulsen

Fixtures:

Denmark vs Tunisia (Tues, Nov 22 - 1500)
France vs Denmark (Sat, Nov 26 - 1800)
Australia vs Denmark (Wed, Nov 30 - 1700)

Tunisia

Wahbi Khazri

Coach: Jalel Kadri

Star player: Wahbi Khazri (Montpellier)

World Cup best: First round 1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018

Tunisia qualified by defeating Mali in a play-off. Coach Kadri has only been in charge since March after being promoted from an assistant role following the sacking of Mondher Kebaier. The 2004 African champions are tactically cautious and have never made it beyond the group stage. A 5-1 warm-up thrashing by Brazil emphasised the enormity of their task.

Tunisia squad:

Gk: Dahmen, Ben Said, Hassen, Mathlouthi
Def: Abdi, Bronn, Drager, Ghandri, Ifa, Kechrida, Maaloul, Meriah, Talbi
Mid: Romdhane, Chaalali, Laidouni, Mejbri, Sassi, Skhiri
For: Slimane, Jaziri, Jebali, Khazri, Khenissi, Msakni, Sliti

Fixtures:

Denmark vs Tunisia (Tues, Nov 22 - 1500)
Tunisia vs Australia (Sat, Nov 26 - 1200)
Tunisia vs France (Wed, Nov 30 - 1700)

GROUP E

Spain

Pedri

Coach: Luis Enrique

Star player: Pedri (Barcelona)

World Cup best: Winners 2010

Enrique is developing a talented young team as Spain attempt to finally emerge from the shadow of the all-conquering squads which won the 2010 World Cup either side of successive European Championship triumphs. A run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals renewed belief after La Roja failed to win a knockout match at the previous three major tournaments.

Spain squad:

Gk: Simon, Sanchez, Raya
Def: Azpilicueta, Carvajal, Garcia, Guillamon, Torres, Laporte, Alba, Gaya
Mid: Busquets, Hernandez, Gavi, Soler, Llorente, Pedri, Koke
For: Torres, Nico, Pino, Morata, Asensio, Sarabia, Olmo, Fati

Fixtures:

Spain vs Costa Rica (Wed, Nov 23 - 1800)
Spain vs Germany (Sun, Nov 27 - 2100)
Japan vs Spain (Thurs, Dec 1 - 2100)

Costa Rica

Keylor Navas

Coach: Luis Fernando Suarez

Star player: Keylor Navas (PSG)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2014

The final nation to secure a spot in Qatar overcame a dismal start to qualifying. Many of the veterans who helped eliminate England and Italy in 2014 remain, with the ageing core supplemented by a host of inexperienced youngsters. Navas is among the world's best goalkeepers but the draw has not been kind to the Central Americans.

Costa Rica squad:

Gk: Navas, Alvarado, Sequeira
Def: Calvo, Vargas, Waston, Duarte, Chacon, Fuller, Martinez, Oviedo, Matarrita
Mid: Tejeda, Borges, Salas, Wilson, Torres, Lopez, Bennette, Zamora, Hernandez, Aguilera, Ruiz
For: Campbell, Contreras, Venegas (Alajuelense)

Fixtures:

Spain vs Costa Rica (Wed, Nov 23 - 1800)
Japan vs Costa Rica (Sun, Nov 27 - 1200)
Germany vs Costa Rica (Thurs, Dec 1 - 2100)

Germany

Manuel Neuer Germany

Coach: Hansi Flick

Star player: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

World Cup best: Winners 2014 (West Germany were champions in 1954, 1974, 1990)

Aside from the hosts, Germany were the first country to qualify but travel with relatively subdued expectations. They suffered the ignominy of finishing bottom of their group four years ago and still appear to be lacking in key areas. That said, the in-camp mood is much more buoyant than at the end of the Joachim Low era.

Germany squad:

Gk: Neuer, Ter Stegen, Trapp
Def: Ginter, Ruediger, Suele, Schlotterbeck, Kehrer, Raum, Klostermann, Kotchap, Guenter
Mid: Gundogan, Hofmann, Goretzka, Gnabry, Sane, Musiala, Kimmich, Mueller, Brandt, Goetze
For: Havertz, Moukoko, Fuellkrug, Adeyemi

Fixtures:

Germany vs Japan (Wed, Nov 23 - 1500)
Spain vs Germany (Sun, Nov 27 - 2100)
Costa Rica vs Germany (Thurs, Dec 1 - 2100)

Japan

Daichi Kamada

Coach: Hajime Moriyasu

Star player: Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt)

World Cup best: Second round 2002, 2010, 2018

Japan will appear at their seventh consecutive finals. Moriyasu, who prefers a quick-passing, hard-running game, has 19 World Cup debutants in his squad. Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu, former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma have been included, while attacking midfielder Kamada hit five goals to help Eintracht Frankfurt win last season's Europa League.

Japan squad:

Gk: Kawashima, Schmidt, Gonda
Def: Sakai, Yamane, Itakura, Tomiyasu, Yoshida, Taniguchi, Hiroki Ito, Nagatomo
Mid: Junya Ito, Doan, Endo, Morita, Tanaka, Kamada, Kubo, Minamino, Mitoma, Shibasaki, Soma
For: Asano, Maeda, Ueda, Machino

Fixtures:

Germany vs Japan (Wed, Nov 23 - 1500)
Japan vs Costa Rica (Sun, Nov 27 - 1200)
Japan vs Costa Rica (Thurs, Dec 1 - 2100)

GROUP F

Belgium

Kevin de Bruyne

Coach: Roberto Martinez

Star player: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

World Cup best: Third place 2018

Bronze medallists four years ago, Belgium cruised through qualifying. Yet their much-heralded golden generation is past its best and has one final chance to turn potential into silverware. De Bruyne is arguably at the peak of his powers but Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku have endured prolonged struggles at club level.

Belgium squad:

Gk: Courtois, Mignolet, Casteels
Def: Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Faes, Theate, Debast, Meunier, Castagne
Mid: De Bruyne, Tielemans, Onana, Witsel, Vanaken, Dendoncker, Carrasco, Thorgan Hazard
For: Eden Hazard, De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Trossard (Brighton), Mertens, Doku, Lukaku, Batshuayi, Openda

Fixtures:

Belgium vs Canada (Wed, Nov 23 - 2100)
Belgium vs Morocco (Sun, Nov 27 - 1500)
Croatia vs Belgium (Thurs, Dec 1 - 1700)

Canada

Alphonso Davies

Coach: John Herdman

Star player: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

World Cup best: First round 1986

After years of international anonymity, Canada return from the wilderness for only a second World Cup appearance, having finished pointless and goalless in 1986. Herdman's side topped their qualifying group ahead of 2026 tournament co-hosts Mexico and the United States and produced some scintillating football along the way.

Canada squad:

Gk: Borjan, St Clair, Pantemis
Def: Vitoria, Johnston, Laryea, Miller, Adekugbe, Waterman, Cornelius
Mid: Hutchinson, Osorio, Eustaquio, Fraser, Piette, Kaye, Kone, Wotherspoon
For: Davies, David, Larin, Ugbo, Cavallini, Buchanan, Hoilett, Millar

Fixtures:

Belgium vs Canada (Wed, Nov 23 - 2100)
Croatia vs Canada (Sun, Nov 27 - 1800)
Canada vs Morocco (Thurs, Dec 1 - 1700)

Morocco

Hakim Ziyech

Coach: Walid Regragui

Star player: Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)

World Cup best: Second round 1986

Morocco fired Vahid Halilhodzic a matter of months before the big kick-off. The Bosnian fell out with star man Ziyech, who was overlooked for the duration of qualifying. The Atlas Lions have won only two of 16 previous World Cup games. Regragui is tasked with injecting positive energy into a side with a history of flattering to deceive.

Morocco squad:

Gk: Bounou, Mohamedi, Tagnaouti
Def: Hakimi, Mazraoui, Saiss, Aguerd, El Yamiq, Dari, Attiat-Allal, Benoun
Mid: Amrabat, Amallah, Ounahi, Sabiri, Jabrane, Bilel El
For: Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Ezzalzouli, Cheddira, Harit, Chair, Boufal, Hamdallah

Fixtures:

Morocco vs Croatia (Wed, Nov 23 - 1200)
Belgium vs Morocco (Sun, Nov 27 - 1500)
Canada vs Morocco (Thurs, Dec 1 - 1700)

Croatia

Luka Modric Croatia

Coach: Zlatko Dalic

Star player: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

World Cup best: Runners up 2018

Results have been mixed since the Croats stormed to the final in 2018. That achievement will be hard to replicate, albeit they remain a dangerous proposition, as evidenced by June's 1-0 win over world champions France. Midfield remains their strongest area, where veteran skipper Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic form a formidable backbone.

Croatia squad:

Gk: Livakovic, Ivusic, Grbic
Def: Vida, Lovren, Barisic, Juranovic, Gvardiol, Sosa, Stanisic, Erlic, Sutalo
Mid: Modric, Kovacic, Brozovic, Pasalaic, Vlasic, Majer, Jakic, Sucic
For: Perisic, Kramaric, Petkovic, Orsic, Budimir, Livaja

Fixtures:

Morocco vs Croatia (Wed, Nov 23 - 1200)
Croatia vs Canada (Sun, Nov 27 - 1800)
Croatia vs Belgium (Thurs, Dec 1 - 1700)

GROUP G

Brazil

Neymar

Coach: Tite

Star player: Neymar (PSG)

World Cup best: Winners 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002

Defensively rock-solid and with an exciting array of new attacking options easing the burden on talisman Neymar, the competition's most-successful nation have been installed as the pre-tournament favourites. They are looking to make their first World Cup final since winning the last of their five titles 20 years ago.

Brazil squad:

Gk: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton
Def: Alves, Danilo, Sandro, Telles, Bremer, Militao, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva
Mid: Guimaraes, Casemiro, Ribeiro, Fabinho, Fred, Paqueta
For: Antony, Jesus, Martinelli, Neymar, Pedro, Raphinha, Richarlison, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr

Fixtures:

Brazil vs Serbia (Thurs, Nov 24 - 2100)
Brazil vs Switzerland (Mon, Nov 28 - 1800)
Cameroon vs Brazil (Fri, Dec 2 - 2100)

Serbia

Dusan Tadic

Coach: Dragan Stojkovic

Star player: Dusan Tadic (Ajax)

World Cup best: First round 2010, 2018 (Yugoslavia finished fourth in 1930 and 1962)

Former playmaker Stojkovic, appointed just before the qualification campaign, insists on attacking football and has the talent to follow the philosophy, including Aleksandar Mitrovic, Tadic, Dusan Vlahovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Luka Jovic. He has fostered a strong team spirit. An insecure defence is perhaps cause for concern.

Serbia squad:

Gk: Dmitrovic, Rajkovic, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
Def: Stefan Mitrovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic, Veljkovic, Mladenovic, Erakovic, Babic
Mid: Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lukic, Grujic, Kostic, Racic, Maksimovic, Ilic, Zivkovic, Lazovic
For: Tadic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Vlahovic, Duricic, Jovic, Radonjic

Fixtures:

Brazil vs Serbia (Thurs, Nov 24 - 2100)
Cameroon vs Serbia (Mon, Nov 28 - 1200)
Serbia vs Switzerland (Fri, Dec 2 - 2100)

Switzerland

Granit Xhaka

Coach: Murat Yakin

Star player: Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1934, 1938, 1954

Switzerland impressively topped their qualifying group ahead of European champions Italy. A memorable 18 months in which they were also a penalty shoot-out away from the semi-finals of Euro 2020 gives them realistic hopes of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since they hosted the tournament 68 years ago.

Switzerland squad:

Gk: Kobel, Kohn, Omlin, Sommer
Def: Akanji, Comert, Elvedi, Rodriguez, Schar, Widmer
Mid: Xhaka, Fernandes, Frei (Basel), Freuler, Jashari, Rieder, Shaqiri, Sow, Steffen, Zakaria
For: Embolo, Fassnacht, Okafor, Seferovic, Vargas

Fixtures:

Switzerland vs Cameroon (Thurs, Nov 24 - 1200)
Brazil vs Switzerland (Mon, Nov 28 - 1800)
Serbia vs Switzerland (Fri, Dec 2 - 2100)

Cameroon

Vincent Aboubakar

Coach: Rigobert Song

Star player: Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1990

The Indomitable Lions are Africa's most frequent World Cup visitors but have not won a match at the finals for 20 years. Ex-defender Song replaced Portuguese coach Toni Conceicao in February after his former team-mate Samuel Eto'o became president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. Song's squad is in transition and may struggle to end the long wait for victory.

Cameroon squad:

Gk: Epassy, Ngapandouetnbu, Onana
Def: Castelletto, Ebosse, Fai, Mbaizo, Nkoulou, Nouhou, Wooh
Mid: Hongla, Kunde, Ntcham, Ondoua, Oum Gouet, Zambo Anguissa
For: Aboubakar, Bassogog, Choupo Moting, Marou, Mbeumo, Ngamaleu, Ngom, Nkoudou, Nsame, Toko Ekambi.

Fixtures:

Switzerland vs Cameroon (Thurs, Nov 24 - 1200)
Cameroon vs Serbia (Mon, Nov 28 - 1200)
Cameroon vs Brazil (Fri, Dec 2 - 2100)

GROUP H

Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo

Coach: Fernando Santos

Star player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

World Cup best: Third place 1966

Santos has been in charge since 2014 and led Portugal to Euro 2016 glory. Credit in the bank from that success has almost been exhausted due to poor performances in recent tournaments. His squad is brimming with mercurial talent, such as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, while 37-year-old Ronaldo remains the most reliable source of goals.

Portugal squad:

Gk: Costa, Sa, Rui Patricio
Def: Dalot, Cancelo, Pereira, Pepe, Dias, Antonio Silva, Mendes, Guerreiro
Mid: Palhinha, Neves, Bernardo Silva, Fernandes, Joao Mario, Nunes, Monteiro, Vitinha, Carvalho
For: Silva, Ronaldo, Ramos, Joao Felix, Leao, Horta

Fixtures:

Portugal vs Ghana (Thurs, Nov 24 - 1800)
Portugal vs Uruguay (Mon, Nov 28 - 2100)
South Korea vs Portugal (Fri, Dec 2 - 1700)

Ghana

Thomas Partey

Coach: Otto Addo

Star player: Thomas Partey (Arsenal)

World Cup best: Quarter-finals 2010

Ghana bounced back from the humiliation of finishing bottom of their Africa Cup of Nations group by upsetting Nigeria on away goals in a qualifying play-off. Interim coach Addo has a hungry, young crop of players but has enjoyed just one win in 90 minutes since being appointed. The Black Stars are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament.

Ghana squad:

Gk: Nurudeen, Ibrahim, Ati Zigi
Def: Odoi, Lamptey, Seidu, Amartey, Aidoo, Djiku, Salisu, Baba, Mensah
Mid: Andre Ayew, Partey, Owusu, Samed, Kudus, Kyereh
For: Afriyie, Sowah, Fatawu, Bukari, Williams, Semenyo, Jordan Ayew, Sulemana

Fixtures:

Portugal vs Ghana (Thurs, Nov 24 - 18600)
South Korea vs Ghana (Mon, Nov 28 - 1500)
Ghana vs Uruguay (Fri, Dec 2 - 1700)

Uruguay

Luis Suarez

Coach: Diego Alonso

Star player: Luis Suarez (Nacional)

World Cup best: Winners 1930, 1950

The two-time winners are very much in a transitional phase. Alonso took over late last year after Oscar Tabarez's record-breaking 15-year reign ended with the sack. The ex-Inter Miami coach must find the right blend between old and new generations, with Diego Godin, Suarez and Edinson Cavani preparing for final hurrahs.

Uruguay squad:

Gk: Muslera, Rochet, Sosa
Def: Araujo, Caceres, Coates, Gimenez, Godin, Olivera, Rodriguez, Varela, Vina
Mid: Bentancur, De Cruz, Pellistri, Torreira, Ugarte, Valverde, Vecino
For: Suarez, Nunez, Gomez, Cavani, Canobbio, De Arrascaeta, Torres

Fixtures:

Uruguay vs South Korea (Thurs, Nov 24 - 1500)
Portugal vs Uruguay (Mon, Nov 28 - 2100)
Ghana vs Uruguay (Fri, Dec 2 - 1700)

South Korea

Son Heung-min

Coach: Paulo Bento

Star player: Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

World Cup best: Fourth place 2002

South Korea are set for a 10th consecutive World Cup campaign, an enviable record only bettered by Brazil, Germany, Spain and Argentina. Qualification was straightforward but they are perhaps overly dependant on captain Son. The Tottenham forward, who has 35 international goals in 104 caps, is touch-and-go for the tournament due to a fractured eye socket.

South Korea squad:

Gk: Kim Seung-gyu, Jo Hyeon-woo, Song Bum-keun
Def: Kim Min-jae, Kim Jin-su, Hong Chul, Kim Moon-hwan, Yoon Jong-gyu, Kim Young-gwon, Kim Tae-hwan, Kwon Kyung-won, Cho Yu-min
Mid: Jung Woo-young, Na Sang-ho, Paik Seung-ho, Son Jun-ho, Song Min-kyu, Kwon Chang-hoon, Lee Jae-sung, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom, Jeong Woo-yeong, Lee Kang-in
For: Hwang Ui-jo, Cho Gue-sung, Son Heung-min

Fixtures:

Uruguay vs South Korea (Thurs, Nov 24 - 1500)
South Korea vs Ghana (Mon, Nov 28 - 1500)
South Korea vs Portugal (Fri, Dec 2 - 1700)

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