Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

Group: C

Key players: Goalkeeper Ederson (Fenerbahce), defender Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), winger Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)

Typical formation: 4-4-2

Population: 212 million

GDP rank: 10th ($2 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Home to the world’s largest rainforest; only country in South America that speaks Portuguese; world’s largest coffee producer.

Canada

Region: CONCACAF

Previous appearances: 2

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 27

Nickname: Les Rouges (The Reds)

Colors: Red and white

Manager: Jesse Marsch

Group: B

Key players: Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota), midfielder Stephen Eustaquio (Porto), striker Jonathan David (Juventus)

Typical formation: 4-4-2

Population: 42 million

GDP rank: 9th ($2 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: World’s longest coastline; inventor of basketball (James Naismith) is Canadian; beaver is national animal.

Cape Verde

Region: CAF

Previous appearances: Debut

Best finish: N/A

FIFA rank: 68

Nickname: Blue sharks (Tubarões Azuis)

Colors: Blue, red and white

Manager: Bubista

Group: H

Key players: Defender Logan Costa (Villarreal), midfielder Jamiro Monteiro (Zwolle), striker Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 524,000

GDP rank: 170th ($2.5 billion)

Cool facts about the country: It’s a volcanic archipelago off West Africa; nesting site for loggerhead turtles; formerly a colony of Portugal.

Colombia

Region: CONMEBOL

Previous appearances: 6

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 2014

FIFA rank: 13

Nickname: The Coffee Growers (Los Cafeteros)

Colors: Yellow, red and blue

Manager: Nestor Lorenzo

Group: K

Key players: Midfielder James Rodriguez (free agent), midfielder Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich), defender Davinson Sanchez (Galatasray)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 53 million

GDP rank: 42nd ($418.5 billion)

Cool facts about the country: World’s second-most biodiverse country; world’s largest producer of emeralds; world’s rainiest country.

Croatia

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 6

Best finish: Third: 2022, 1998

FIFA rank: 10

Nickname: Checkered Ones (Kockasti), Blazers (Vatreni)

Colors: Red and white

Manager: Zlatko Dalic

Group: L

Key players: Midfielder Luka Modric (A.C. Milan), defender Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), striker Franjo Ivanovic (Benfica)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 4 million

GDP rank: 74th ($92.5 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Birthplace of the necktie; has more islands (1,244) than any European nation; has the world’s smallest town, Hum (population of 20-30 people).

Curaçao

Region: CONCACAF

Previous appearances: Debut

Best finish: N/A

FIFA rank: 82

Nickname: The Blue Family

Colors: Blue and white

Manager: Dick Advocaat

Group: E

Key players: Midfielder Leandro Bacuna (Bandirmaspor), midfielder Tahith Chong (Sheffield United), striker Gervane Kastaneer (Persis Solo)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 156,000

GDP rank: 46th ($3 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Capital, Willemstad, is a UNESCO World Heritage site; has oldest active synagogue in the Americas (1732); smallest nation in World Cup.

Ecuador

Region: CONMEBOL

Previous appearances: 4

Best finish: Round of 16: 2006

FIFA rank: 23

Nickname: The Tricolor (La Tricolor)

Colors: Yellow, red and blue

Manager: Sebastian Beccacece

Group: E

Key players: Defender Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain), defender Piero Hincapie (Arsenal), midfielder Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)

Typical formation: 4-4-2

Population: 18 million

GDP rank: 68th ($125 billion)

Cool facts about the country: First country to grant constitutional rights to nature; Mount Chimborazo is Earth’s closest point to space; the U.S. dollar is its official currency

Egypt

Region: CAF

Previous appearances: 4

Best finish: Round of 16: 1934

FIFA rank: 34

Nickname: The Pharaohs

Colors: Red, white and black

Manager: Hossam Hassan

Group: G

Key players: Winger Mo Salah (Liverpool), striker Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), midfielder Amr El Solia (Cleopatra)

Typical formation: 3-4-3

Population: 116.5 million

GDP rank: 42nd ($347 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Invented the 365-day calendar; Egyptian alphabet has more than 700 hieroglyphs; Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is in Cairo.

England

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 16

Best finish: Won: 1966

FIFA rank: 4

Nickname: Three Lions

Colors: White, red and blue

Manager: Thomas Tuchel

Group: L

Key players: Striker Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), midfielder Declan Rice (Arsenal), winger Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 59 million

GDP rank: 6th, as part of UK ($2.5 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Stonehenge is older than Egypt’s pyramids; chicken tikka masala is the country’s national dish; stamps originated in the UK.

France

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 16

Best finish: Champions: 1998 and 2018

FIFA rank: 3

Nickname: The Blues (Les Bleus)

Colors: Blue, white and red

Manager: Didier Deschamps

Group: I

Key players: Striker Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), winger Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), fullback Jules Kounde (Barcelona)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 69 million

GDP rank: 7th ($3 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: World’s most visited country; has more time zones (12) than any country in world; invented camouflage in 1915.

Germany

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 20

Best finish: Champions: 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014

FIFA rank: 9

Nickname: The Team (Die Mannschaft)

Colors: Black and white

Manager: Julian Nagelsmann

Group: E

Key players: Midfielder Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), midfielder Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), striker Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 84 million

GDP rank: 3rd ($4.5 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Has more than 20,000 castles, printing press was invented there; has the largest economy in the European Union.

Ghana

Region: CAF

Previous appearances: 4

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 2010

FIFA rank: 72

Nickname: Black Stars

Colors: Red, yellow and green

Manager: Otto Addo

Group: L

Key players: Winger Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), winger Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur), midfielder Thomas Partey (Villarreal)

Typical formation: 4-4-1-1

Population: 34 million

GDP rank: 79th ($83 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Home of the world’s largest man-made lake by surface area; has a space program; Kente cloth originated in Ghana.

Haiti

Region: CONCACAF

Previous appearances: 1

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 84

Nickname: The Grenadiers (Les Grenadiers), The Red and Blue (Le Rouge et Bleu)

Colors: Red and blue

Manager: Sebastien Migne

Group: C

Key players: Defender Hannes Delcroix (Burnley), midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Wolverhampton), winger Josue Casimir (Auxerre)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 12 million

GDP rank: 108th ($20 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Only nation founded through a revolt by enslaved people; Vodou is an official religion; official languages are French and Haitian Creole.

Iran

Region: AFC

Previous appearances: 6

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 20

Nickname: The National Team (Team Melli)

Colors: Red, green and white

Manager: Amir Ghalenoei

Group: G

Key players: Winger Mehdi Ghayedi (Al-Nasr), winger Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Westerlo), striker Mehdi Taremi (Olympiakos)

Typical formation: 4-1-3-2

Population: 92 million

GDP rank: 44th ($437 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Was known as Persia until 1935; world’s largest producer of saffron; has coastlines on Caspian Sea and Indian Ocean.

Japan

Region: AFC

Previous appearances: 7

Best finish: Round of 16: 2002, 2010, 2018, 2022

FIFA rank: 18

Nickname: Samurai Blue (サムライ・ブルー)

Colors: Blue and white

Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

Group: R

Key players: Midfielder Wataru Endo (Liverpool), midfielder Takumi Minamino (Monaco) defender Ko Itakura (Ajax)

Typical formation: 3-4-3

Population: 124 million

GDP rank: 5th ($4 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Made up of more than 6,800 islands; experiences thousands of earthquakes every year; eating KFC is a holiday tradition.

Jordan

Region: AFC

Previous appearances: Debut

Best finish: N/A

FIFA rank: 66

Nickname: The Brave (Al Nashama)

Colors: Red and white

Manager: Jamal Sellami

Group: J

Key players: Forward Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes), forward Yazan Al-Naimat (Al-Arabi), midfielder Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Selangor)

Typical formation: 3-4-3

Population: 11.5 million

GDP rank: 91st ($53 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Has lowest point on Earth (Dead Sea); more than 100,000 archaeological sites; home to ancient city of Petra, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Mexico

Region: CONCACAF

Previous appearances: 17

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 1970, 1986

FIFA rank: 15

Nickname: The Three Colors (El Tricolor)

Colors: White, red and green

Manager: Javier Aguirre

Group: A

Key players: Defender Jesus Gallardo (Toluca), defender Edson Alvarez (Fenerbahce), striker Raul Jimenez (Fulham)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 131 million

GDP rank: 13th ($2 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Has world’s largest pyramid; has almost 70 recognized languages; birthplace of chocolate.

Morocco

Region: CAF

Previous appearances: 6

Best finish: Fourth place: 2022

FIFA rank: 11

Nickname: Atlas Lions (أُسُودُ الأَطلَس)

Colors: Red and green

Manager: Walid Regragui

Group: C

Key players: Defender Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), midfielder Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 38 million

GDP rank: 58th ($154 billion)

Cool facts about the country: World’s first university; Sahara desert runs through it; country’s official Arabic name is al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah, or Kingdom of the West.

Netherlands

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 11

Best finish: Runners-up: 1974, 1978 and 2010

FIFA rank: 7

Nickname: The Orange (Oranje, from the House of Orange-Nassau)

Colors: Orange and white

Manager: Ronald Koeman

Group: F

Key players: Defender Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), midfielder Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), forward Memphis Depay (Corinthians)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 17.7 million

GDP rank: 18th ($1.5 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: More bicycles (23 million) than people; is the world’s second-largest exporter of agriculture after the United States; Dutch East India Company was world’s first multinational corporation.

New Zealand

Region: OFC

Previous appearances: 2

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 86

Nickname: All Whites

Colors: White and black

Manager: Darren Bazeley

Group: G

Key players: Defender Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), defender Bill Tuiloma (Charlotte), striker Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 5.4 million

GDP rank: 51st ($260 billion)

Cool facts about the country: First to grant women the right to vote in 1893; has more sheep than people; is home to Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, the world’s longest place name.

Norway

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 3

Best finish: Round of 16: 1938,1988

FIFA rank: 29

Nickname: Red, white and blue (Røde, Hvite, Blå), Landslaget (national team)

Colors: Red, white and blue

Manager: Ståle Solbakken

Group: I

Key players: Striker Erling Haaland (Manchester City), striker Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid), midfielder Martin Odegaard (Arsenal),

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 5.5 million

GDP rank: 31st ($506 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Invented the cheese slicer; during the summer, the sun doesn’t set for 78 days in parts of country; is home to the global “doomsday vault” for seeds.

Panama

Region: CONCACAF

How qualified: Won group stage of CONCACAF

Previous appearances: One

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 30

Nickname: The Canal Men (Los Canaleros)

Colors: Red and white

Manager: Thomas Christiansen

Group: L

Key players: Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla (UNAM), midfielder Anibal Godoy (San Diego), midfielder Cesar Yanis (Cobresal)

Typical formation: 5-4-1

Population: 4.5 million

GDP rank: 45th ($83 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Can watch sun rise over the Atlantic and set over the Pacific from same place; home of the Panama Canal; actually not the home of the Panama hat.

Paraguay

Region: CONMEBOL

Previous appearances: 8

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 2010

FIFA rank: 39

Nickname: La Albirroja (white and red)

Colors: White, red and blue

Manager: Gustavo Alfaro

Group: D

Key players: Defender Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras), midfielder Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United), forward Angel Romero (Corinthians)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 7 million

GDP rank: 98th ($44 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Only country whose flag has different sides; has world’s second-largest dam (Itaipu); landlocked but home to one of world’s largest aquifers.

Portugal

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 8

Best finish: Third: 1966

FIFA rank: 6

Nickname: Team of the Quincunxes (Seleção das Quinas)

Colors: Red and green

Manager: Roberto Martinez

Group: K

Key players: Goalkeeper Diogo Costa (Porto), midfielder Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), winger Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 11 million

GDP rank: 45th ($337 billion)

Cool facts about the country: World’s largest cork producer; first country to decriminalize all drugs; has had same borders since 1139.

Qatar

Region: AFC

Previous appearances: 1

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 51

Nickname: The Maroons (العنابي)

Colors: Maroon and white

Manager: Julen Lopetegui

Group: B

Key players: Striker Akram Afif (Al Sadd), striker Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail), midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 250,000

GDP rank: 5th ($240 billion)

Cool facts about the country: First Arab nation to host a World Cup; 89% of its population are foreigners; “Machboos,” a spiced rice, is its most popular dish.

Scotland

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 8

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 36

Nickname: The Tartan Army

Colors: Blue and white

Manager: Steve Clarke

Group: C

Key players: Goalkeeper Craig Gordon (Hearts), defender Andy Robertson (Liverpool), midfielder Scott McTominay (Napoli)

Typical formation: 4-1-4-1

Population: 5.5 million

GDP rank: 14th ($293 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Along with England, has oldest national football team (1870); unicorn is national animal; national dish is haggis.

Senegal

Region: CAF

Previous appearances: 3

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 2002

FIFA rank: 19

Nickname: The Lions of Teranga (Les Lions de la Téranga)

Colors: Red, yellow and green

Manager: Pape Thiaw

Group: I

Key players: Winger Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr), striker Nicholas Jackson (Bayern Munich), defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal)

Typical formation: 3-4-3

Population: 20 million

GDP rank: 110th ($35 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Has a pink lake (Lake Retba); has continent’s tallest statue (African Renaissance Monument); national sport is Laamb, a kind of wrestling.

South Korea

Region: AFC

Previous appearances: 11

Best finish: Fourth place: 2002

FIFA rank: 22

Nickname: Taegeuk Warriors (태극전사)

Colors: Red

Manager: Myung-bo Hong

Group: A

Key players: Defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu (Tokyo), Son Heung-min (LAFC)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 52 million

GDP rank: 13th ($1.5 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Four is considered unlucky; home of K-pop music; celebrates a baby as one year old at birth.

Spain

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 16

Best finish: Champion: 2010

FIFA rank: 1

Nickname: The Red One (La Roja)

Colors: Red, blue and yellow

Manager: Luis de la Fuente

Group: H

Key players: Winger Dani Olmo (Barcelona), midfielder Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain), defender Marco Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 49 million

GDP rank: 12th ($1.5 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Home to world’s oldest restaurant (founded in 1725); national anthem has no lyrics; produces almost half the world’s olive oil.

Switzerland

Region: UEFA

Previous appearances: 12

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 1934, ’38, ’54

FIFA rank: 17

Nickname: National team (Nati), Red Crosses (Rossocrociati), A-team

Colors: Red and white

Manager: Murat Yakin

Group: B

Key players: Defender Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis), midfielder Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), striker Breel Embolo (Rennes)

Typical formation: 4-3-3

Population: 9 million

GDP rank: 3rd ($947 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Four official languages (German, French, Italian, Romansch); has no official capital; Red Cross was founded here.

Tunisia

Region: CAF

Previous appearances: 6

Best finish: Group stage

FIFA rank: 40

Nickname: Eagles of Carthage (نسور قرطاج)

Colors: Red and white

Manager: Sami Trabelsi

Group: F

Key players: Midfielder Ferjani Sassi (Al Gharafa), midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Al Ahly), striker Elias Saad (Augsburg)

Typical formation: 5-3-2

Population: 12 million

GDP rank: 92nd ($53 billion)

Cool facts about the country: Popular Hollywood filming location; world’s leading producer of olive oil; home of Carthage, a rival of ancient Rome.

United States

Region: CONCACAF

Previous appearances: 11

Best finish: Quarterfinals: 2002

FIFA rank: 14

Nickname: Stars and stripes

Colors: Red, white and blue

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino

Group: D

Key players: Winger Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan), midfielder Weston McKennie (Juventus), Folarin Balogun (Monaco)

Typical formation: 5-4-1

Population: 340 million

GDP rank: 1st ($29 trillion)

Cool facts about the country: Has no official language; world’s first national park (Yellowstone); flag has changed 26 times.

Uruguay

Region: CONMEBOL

Previous appearances: 14

Best finish: Champions: 1930, 1950

FIFA rank: 16

Nickname: La Celeste (The Heavenly)

Colors: Blue and black

Manager: Marcelo Bielsa

Group: H

Key players: Defender Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Facundo Torres (Palmeiras), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

Typical formation: 4-2-3-1

Population: 3.5 million

GDP rank: 80th ($81 billion)

Cool facts about the country: First country to host World Cup; first to legalize marijuana; has the longest national anthem.

Uzbekistan

Region: AFC

Previous appearances: Debut

Best finish: N/A

FIFA rank: 50

Nickname: White Wolves

Colors: White and blue

Manager: Fabio Cannavaro

Group: K

Key players: Centerback Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City), striker Eldor Shomurodov (Basaksehir), midfielder Aziz Ganiev (Al Bataeh)

Typical formation: 5-4-1

Population: 36.5 million

GDP rank: 64th ($115 billion)

Cool facts about the country: One of two countries that are landlocked and its border countries are also landlocked; Ancient Silk Road passed through; gold and cotton are important exports.

(Populations and GDP totals have been rounded up, down, or to .5 in some instances)