World Cup analysis: Winners and losers
Imagine fighting for four years to qualify for a World Cup only to find out you have to try get past France, and then Norway with Erling Haaland.
Such is the challenge facing Senegal, no slouch, and a playoff winner of Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname.
That Group, I, was put together during Friday’s draw at the Kennedy Center.
It is, to use the done-to-death phrase trotted out for all tournaments featuring podded multiple teams, the Group of Death.
More on the three qualified teams:
France
Region: UEFA
Previous appearances: 16
Best finish: Winners, 1998 and 2018
FIFA rank: 3
Nickname: The Blues (Les Bleus)
Colors: Blue, white and red
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Key players: Striker Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), winger Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), fullback Jules Koundé (Barcelona)
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Norway
Region: UEFA
Previous appearances: Three
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
Key players: Striker Erling Haaland (Manchester City), striker Alexander Sørloth (Atletico Madrid), midfielder Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
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Senegal
Region: CAF
Previous appearances: Three
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2022)
FIFA rank: 19
Nickname: The Lions of Teranga (Les Lions de la Téranga)
Colors: Red, yellow and green
Manager: Pape Thiaw
Key players: Winger Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr), striker Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich), defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal)
Second toughest group
Group L, featuring England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama, will be fun to watch.
England features some of the world’s best players, led by striker Harry Kane, and may have the depth to compete for the championship. Croatia, led by Luka Modric, has been a world power for years and has the coolest, checkerboard kits.
Ghana, as any U.S. soccer fan has learned, is always a tough out in international tournament. The same is true of Panama.
England
Region: UEFA
Previous appearances: 19
Best finish: Won, 1966
FIFA rank: 4
Nickname: Three Lions
Colors: White, red and blue
Manager: Thomas Tuchel
Key players: Striker Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), midfielder Declan Rice (Arsenal), winger Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
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Croatia
Region: UEFA
Previous appearances: Six
Best finish: Third, 2022
FIFA rank: 10
Nickname: Checkered Ones (Kockasti), Blazers (Vatreni)
Colors: Red and white
Manager: Zlatko Dalic
Key players: Midfielder Luka Modric (A.C. Milan), defender Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), striker Franjo Ivanovic (Benfica)
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Ghana
Region: CAF
Previous appearances: 5
Best finish: Quarterfinals, 2010
FIFA rank: 72
Nickname: Black Stars
Colors: Red, yellow and green
Manager: Otto Addo
Key players: Winger Jordan Ayew (Leicester City), winger Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur), midfielder Thomas Partey (Villarreal)
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Panama
Region: CONCACAF
Previous appearances: One
Best finish: Group stage
FIFA rank: 30
Nickname: The Canal Men (Los Canaleros)
Colors: Red and white
Manager: Thomas Christiansen
Key players: Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla (UNAM), midfielder Anibal Godoy (San Diego), midfielder César Yanis (Cobresal)
Third toughest group
Group F, featuring Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and a playoff winner.
Netherlands churn out talent year after year, though it still has just a 1988 UEFA Championship for its riches. Japan is disciplined. Tunisia has grit.
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
Key players: Defender Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), midfielder Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), forward Memphis Depay (Corinthians)
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Japan
Region: AFC
Previous appearances: Seven
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
Key players: Midfielder Wataru Endo (Liverpool), midfielder Takumi Minamino (Monaco) defender Ko Itakura (Ajax).
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Tunisia
Region: CAF
Previous appearances: Six
Best finish: Group stage
FIFA rank: 40
Nickname: Eagles of Carthage (نسور قرطاج)
Colors: Red and white
Manager: Sami Trabelsi
Key players: Midfielder Ferjani Sassi (Al Gharafa), midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Al Ahly), striker Elias Saad (Augsburg)
Easiest group(s)
That would be a tie between Group B, led by Canada, and Group D, led by the U.S.
Canada’s group features Qatar, Switzerland and a playoff winner. None in the group are ranked higher than 17th by FIFA.
The U.S. group also features Paraguay, Australia and a playoff winner. The U.S., at 14th, is the group’s highest-ranked team.
Looking at Group D:
Canada
Region: CONCACAF
Previous appearances: Two
Best finish: Group stage
FIFA rank: 27
Nickname: Les Rouges
Colors: Red and white
Manager: Jesse Marsch
Key players: Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota), midfielder Stephen Eustáquio (Porto), striker Jonathan David (Juventus)
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Switzerland
Region: UEFA
Previous appearances: 12
Best finish: Quarterfinals, 1934, 1938, 1954
FIFA rank: 17
Nickname: National team (Nati), Red Crosses (Rossocrociati), A-team
Colors: Red and white
Manager: Murat Yakin
Key players: Defender Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis), midfielder Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), striker Breel Embolo (Rennes)
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Qatar
Region: AFC
Previous appearances: One
Best finish: Group stage
FIFA rank: 51
Nickname: The Maroons (العنابي)
Colors: Maroon and white
Manager: Julen Lopetegui
Key players: Striker Akram Afif (Al Sadd), striker Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail), midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan)
And looking at Group D:
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
Key players: Winger Christian Pulisic (A.C. Milan), midfielder Weston McKennie (Juventus), Folarin Balogun (Monaco)
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Paraguay
Region: CONMEBOL
Previous appearances: Eight
Best finish: Quarterfinals, 2010
FIFA rank: 39
Nickname: White and red (La Albirroja)
Colors: White, red and blue
Manager: Gustavo Alfaro
Key players: Defender Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras), midfielder Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), forward Angel Romero (Corinthians)
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Australia
Region: AFC
Previous appearances: Six
Best finish: Round of 16, 2006, 2022
FIFA rank: 26
Nickname: Socceroos
Colors: Green and yellow
Manager: Tony Popovic
Key players: Winger Sam Livera (Middlesbrough), winger Nestory Irankunda (Watford), midfielder Patrick Yazbek (Nashville)
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