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With the FIFA World Cup — hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — starting connected June 11, The Hindu begins its Countdown, analysing the 48 teams successful the fray.
Group A (Mexico, South Korea, Czechia and South Africa)
The majestic Azteca Stadium successful Mexico City, wherever much than 114,000 radical watched Diego Maradona’s Argentina bushed West Germany successful a five-goal thriller to assistance the World Cup successful 1986, volition big the opening lucifer connected June 11. The unit volition beryllium connected the co-host erstwhile it takes connected South Africa, which itself memorably conducted the 2010 edition.
Sport’s biggest amusement is returning to Mexico aft 40 years. The Mexicans had reached the quarterfinals successful 1986, arsenic they had 16 years earlier, erstwhile they archetypal hosted the World Cup. They should beryllium hoping they would bash it again connected location soil. Mexico has played each World Cup since 1994 and is the highest-ranked squad successful the group, astatine No. 14.
Mexico starts precise overmuch the favourite to apical the pool. It boasts stars specified arsenic Santiago Gimenez, Raul Jimenez, Edson Alvarez and Guillermo Ochoa, who volition beryllium appearing successful his sixth World Cup. Also ticker retired for the 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, the youngest successful the tournament.
South Korea is the squad astir likely, aft Mexico, to beforehand from the group. A regular since 1986, the Asian elephantine is ranked 25th successful the world. The Koreans person travel with an unbeaten grounds successful the qualifiers, spanning implicit 16 games. For inspiration, they could look to skipper Son Heung-min, who is poised to go their all-time starring scorer astatine the World Cup.
Unlike South Korea oregon Mexico, Czechia is nary regular astatine the World Cup. This is lone its 2nd World Cup. With talented performers similar Patrik Schick, Pavel Sulc and Tomas Holes, the Czechs are susceptible of surprises.
South Africa is ranked 60th, the lowest successful the group. It volition necessitate thing extraordinary, from the likes of Teboho Mokoena and Lyle Foster, to upset the fancied opponents.
Best finish: Mexico: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986); South Korea: Semifinal (2002); Czechia: Group signifier (2006); South Africa: Group signifier (1998, 2002, 2010).
Group B (Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Qatar)
Switzerland reached the knockout signifier astatine the past 3 World Cups. It volition beryllium a immense daze if the Swiss don’t marque it 4 successful a row. They are placed 19th successful planetary rankings and commencement the wide favourite to apical the radical that features nary large teams. There are large stars, though. Switzerland’s skipper Granit Xhaka, for instance. The Sunderland skipper is the astir capped subordinate for his state and helium is inactive the antheral his squad looks up to. And determination is people up beforehand successful the signifier of Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye and Noah Okafor.
Switzerland volition beryllium looing up to its inspirational skipper Granit Xhaka. | Photo Credit: AP
Canada has mislaid each its games astatine the World Cup. You whitethorn not rather beryllium capable to accidental that by the extremity of the radical signifier this clip around. It is perchance the best-ever Canadian side, and being the co-host is simply a bonus. The squad has players with capable acquisition successful Europe, specified arsenic Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed and Cyle Larin. Davies, though, is racing against clip to beryllium acceptable successful clip for the opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Bosnia booked the summons to its 2nd World Cup successful melodramatic fashion, knocking retired erstwhile champion Italy successful a punishment shootout. Coached by its erstwhile skipper Sergej Barbarez — his people was really Euro 2028 — the squad is returning to the tourney aft missing the past 2 editions. And it could consciousness astatine location arsenic thousands of Bosnians moved to North America due to the fact that of the warfare successful the 1990s.
It has immoderate good players, including the 40-year-old superstar Edin Dzeko, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic and Esmir Bajraktarevic, who took that winning punishment against Italy.
The past World Cup’s big Qatar is looking to people its first-ever constituent successful the showpiece. It is pinning hopes connected men similar Akram Afif, Almoez Ali and Mohammed al-Mannai. India, particularly Kerala, volition beryllium wondering Tahsin Jamshid, whose parents are from Kannur, could get connected to the tract astatine immoderate stage.
Best finish: Switzerland: Quarterfinals (1934, 1938, 1954); Canada: Group signifier (1986, 2022); Bosnia & Herzegovina: Group signifier (2014); Qatar: Group signifier (2022).
Group C (Brazil, Morocco, Scotland and Haiti)
Brazil has played astatine each World Cup. Nobody other has. Brazil has won 5 World Cups. Nobody other has. But the past of those triumphs came successful 2002. The Latin American giant, which has traditionally enjoyed popularity astir the globe for its flair, is not rather the unit it utilized to be. It has appointed, for the archetypal time, a overseas coach. Italian Carlo Ancelotti is 1 of the champion successful history, having won the rubric successful each the 5 large European leagues.
Brazil’s teen guardant Endrick is rated highly. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: AP
Ancelotti has brought Neymar back, though Brazil’s all-time top-scorer has wounded concerns. Brazil besides hopes a batch from the talented Vinicius Junior and the experienced Casemiro. And determination is the 19-year-old Endrick, for whom Bebeto has forecast greatness.
Morocco made past successful Doha, becoming the archetypal African squad to scope the semifinals. The expectations are besides precocious from the existent squad, featuring the likes of Achraf Hakimi, who helped Paris Saint-Germain triumph successive UEFA champion league titles implicit the past 2 seasons, Abde Ezzalzouli, Neil El Aynaoui, Brahim Diaz and the 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who had captained France’s under-21 squad not truthful agelong ago.
This is Scotland’s archetypal World Cup successful astir 3 decades. And the Scots achieved qualification successful spectacular style, beating Denmark 4-2, acknowledgment successful nary tiny measurement to a Scott McTominay’s overhead-kick extremity that has present been immortalised connected a slope note. John McGinn, Ben Gannon-Doak, Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Christie would besides beryllium trying hard to instrumentality their squad past the radical signifier for the archetypal clip successful history.
Haiti making it to its World Cup was a immense achievement, fixed the troubles the state has been facing. It is ranked 83rd, lone New Zealand astatine 85 is ranked little among each the teams successful the finals. But it has good players similar Duckens Nazon and Wilson Isidor.
Best finish: Brazil: Champion (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002); Morocco: Semifinal (2022); Scotland: Group signifier (1954, 1958, 1974-1990, 1998); Haiti: Group signifier (1974).
