European seed
Switzerland
Manager: Murat Yakin · FIFA rank: 19 · Route: UEFA Group B winners · Last World Cup: 2022 · Best result: Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954)
Switzerland are the highest-ranked side in the group and the technical favourite to top it. A strong defensive spine of Akanji and Elvedi, Granit Xhaka still dictating in midfield, Embolo and Ndoye providing the goals. Yakin’s sides don’t lose group games they shouldn’t.
Key man: Granit Xhaka (Sunderland) — the experienced metronome.
Betting angle: Short for group winner — back Switzerland to qualify with a clean sheet on the Bosnia or Qatar fixtures.
Switzerland full squad
GK: Marvin Keller, Gregor Kobel, Yvon Mvogo.
DF: Manuel Akanji, Aurele Amenda, Eray Comert, Nico Elvedi, Luca Jaquez, Miro Muheim, Ricardo Rodriguez, Silvan Widmer.
MF: Michel Aebischer, Christian Fassnacht, Remo Freuler, Ardon Jashari, Johan Manzambi, Fabian Rieder, Djibril Sow, Ruben Vargas, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria.
FW: Zeki Amdouni, Breel Embolo, Cedric Itten, Dan Ndoye, Noah Okafor.
Co-host
Canada
Manager: Jesse Marsch · FIFA rank: 30 · Route: Co-host · Last World Cup: 2022 · Best result: Group stage (1986, 2022)
Marsch’s Canada lean into intensity and direct attacking football. Alphonso Davies’s overlap is the most dangerous wide outlet at the tournament; Jonathan David’s finishing carries the central threat. Home advantage in Toronto and Vancouver is real — Canada have only lost twice at home in the last two years.
Key man: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) — the pace down the left wins games.
Betting angle: Canada to qualify is the value play; group winner price will look long but the home-advantage angle has merit.
Canada full squad
GK: Maxime Crepeau, Owen Goodman, Dayne St. Clair.
DF: Moise Bombito, Derek Cornelius, Alphonso Davies, Luc de Fougerolles, Alistair Johnston, Alfie Jones, Richie Laryea, Niko Sigur, Joel Waterman.
MF: Ali Ahmed, Tajon Buchanan, Mathieu Choiniere, Stephen Eustaquio, Marcelo Flores, Ismael Kone, Liam Millar, Jonathan Osorio, Nathan-Dylan Saliba, Jacob Shaffelburg.
FW: Jonathan David, Promise David, Cyle Larin, Tani Oluwaseyi.
European play-off winner
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Manager: Sergej Barbarez · FIFA rank: 65 · Route: UEFA play-offs winners · Last World Cup: 2014 · Best result: Group stage (2014)
Bosnia’s first World Cup since 2014, and Barbarez has built around a familiar spine: Kolasinac at the back, Dzeko still leading the line at 40, Demirovic providing the modern attacking threat. The play-off route says it all — this is a side that finds a way, but rarely cleanly.
Key man: Edin Dzeko (Schalke) — the captain, the talisman, the goalscorer.
Betting angle: Wildcard for third place — backing Bosnia to qualify is the each-way style angle.
Bosnia-Herzegovina full squad
GK: Nikola Vasilj, Martin Zlomislic, Osman Hadzikic.
DF: Sead Kolasinac, Amar Dedic, Nihad Mujakic, Nikola Katic, Tarik Muharemovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Nidal Celik.
MF: Amir Hadziahmetovic, Ivan Sunjic, Ivan Basic, Dzenis Burnic, Ermin Mahmic, Benjamin Tahirovic, Amar Memic, Armin Gigovic, Kerim Alajbegovic, Esmir Bajraktarevic.
FW: Ermedin Demirovic, Jovo Lukic, Samed Bazdar, Haris Tabakovic, Edin Dzeko.
Asian qualifier
Qatar
Manager: Julen Lopetegui · FIFA rank: 55 · Route: AFC Group A winners · Last World Cup: 2022 (as hosts) · Best result: Group stage (2022)
Former Spain and Wolves manager Lopetegui has organised Qatar around tactical discipline rather than firepower. The squad is still drawn almost entirely from the domestic league — Al Sadd, Al Duhail, Al Rayyan — with Almoez Ali and Akram Afif the main goal threats. Lopetegui can frustrate top sides; he can’t always score against them.
Key man: Akram Afif (Al Sadd) — the creative engine.
Betting angle: Qatar under 1.5 team goals looks like a sensible angle in every group match; the qualification price is realistic only as an outright outsider.
Qatar full squad
GK: Salah Zakaria, Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham.
DF: Hashmi Hussein, Ayoub Alawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Issa Laaye, Lucas Mendes, Sultan Al-Brake, Homam Al-Amin.
MF: Mohammed Al-Manai, Jassem Jaber, Karim Boudiaf, Ahmed Fathi, Abdulaziz Hatem, Assim Madibo.
FW: Tahseen Mohammed, Edmilson Junior, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Mohammed Muntari, Youssef Abdulrazzaq, Ahmed Alaa, Hassan Al-Haydos, Ahmed Al-Janahi.
