After reviewing what the three host nations will face in the group phase of next summer’s World Cup, it’s time to review some other highlights from the draw. Expanding to 48 teams has spread the big nations thin across the twelve first round groups. The favorites had no chance of meeting in the first round. However, a slip up here or there, or maybe a bit of overconfidence, could produce a blockbuster or two in the round of 32.
A couple of major powers managed to draw at least one team in their groups who will give them a solid test. Very few of the top twelve seeds would have wanted to find Norway in their group. The Scandinavians rolled through qualifying, led by striker Erling Haaland. The Manchester City goal machine lit up Norway’s opponents for 11 goals. The lucky top seed to draw Norway is France. Haaland v. Mbappe screamed the headlines. We had a preview last week when Manchester City travelled to Spain to meet Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Haaland came out on top 2-1, scoring on a penalty kick. It wouldn’t be impossible to imagine Norway taking points from France in the group phase either. The group also includes Senegal, who famously beat France to open the 2002 World Cup when the then defending World Cup holders crashed out in the group phase.
England will have a potentially tricky match against Croatia in group L, which also includes Ghana and Panama. Remembering how England struggled to a group exit in the heat and humidity of Brazil should give them pause. England, always favored, only won the World Cup in 1966 when they played every game at Wembley. They have been undone in past by overconfidence, travel, and hot summer weather. German coach Thomas Tuchel will have to give them a dose of reality before they embark on their American adventure. Slipping to second in the group would put them on a dangerous path.
England slipping to second in group L would put them theoretically in line to play Colombia, the favorite to be second in group K. However, the Colombians are no pushovers. They are fast, physical, and used to the kind of heat and humidity North America produces. It’s not farfetched to imagine them topping their group ahead of Portugal. Portugal has had struggles in the past as a top seed. In 2002 and 2014 they struggled against the United States, losing in South Korea and only earning a draw in stoppage time in Brazil. Imagine Portugal slipping to second spot and England slipping to second place! That would put two of the most fancied teams head to head in the round of 32. Their supporters would be hard-pressed for tickets to that matchup as it would take place in Toronto’s BMO Stadium, the smallest venue with only about 45,000 seats.
That second round stunner is only hypothetical at the moment. Another intriguing match will be in Group G. An aging Belgian team has the top seed but could easily wilt in the heat. The highlight of that group may be Egypt against Iran. The political overtones will be heavy. Then, to add to the tension, FIFA put that game in Seattle’s Lumen Field on the day Seattle will have their official Pride celebration. Not only will be tension between the two opponents, but both Muslim countries have already declared to FIFA how the Pride celebration offends their beliefs. Seattle had picked the date of the game long before the draw, so it looks like bad luck to have had that match there. However, given that Belgium, Egypt, and Iran will all believe they can take three points from New Zealand, the match between Iran and Egypt looks to be crucial for placement and a potential spot in the round of 32.
Scotland fans will have a sense of deja-vu after they were draw with Brazil and Morocco. They faced both countries in France in 1998 and haven’t been to the World Cup since. The Brazil v. Morocco match pits the 2022 semifinalist against a team that is used to being among the favorites. Brazil is still Brazil and the yellow shirts demand immediate respect. But, this isn’t Brazil 1970, or even 1994. For the first time, Brazil has a non-Brazilian manager. They persuaded former Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti to try international management. He has coached many of Brazil’s stars during his time at various European clubs, but this will be completely different. Brazil had a poor qualifying campaign, finishing well behind Argentina. They have a lot of egos and need a guiding hand.
Morocco is still riding the wave from being Africa’s first semifinalist. They have much of the team intact and more experienced. Their showdown with Brazil on the first match day of their group will be must see television. They meet in Met Life Stadium, New Jersey, the place of the final. As for the Scots, they will have to hope they can score a ton of goals on Haiti and battle hard against the top two so they can have a chance to advance. The Scots will have thousands of fans in their famous Tartan Army, many based in the US and Canada joining their brethren from across the Atlantic.
Spain, the bookies’ favorites, will have a tough game against Uruguay in a group that looks otherwise straightforward. Newcomers Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia could be a little tricky, but the Spanish team has the depth required to rotate players, saving their main stars for the elimination rounds.
Games aren’t played on paper. Even the lowest seeds still have a chance, even a small one, to make one of the favorites suffer. The travel and weather will be important factors, even with FIFA instituting a mandatory 3 minute hydration break in each half of every game, whether the weather demands it or not. As the dust settles from the draw, the players and coaches have returned to their regular duties. The international managers will be watching injury reports, as well as hours of video in between trips to monitor their players across the globe. The players know they are less than six months from fulfilling their dreams and playing in a World Cup.
