5 ‘Groups of Death’ following 2026 FIFA World Cup draw

The FIFA World Cup will always feature matchups between teams who have a chance at making noise. However, there are groups that could see talented teams miss out on the next round due to the immense strength of the group.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has its groups ready for next year, seeing 42 teams already preparing for their matches. The tournament will have the six remaining spots be taken in late-March, fully setting the stage of the groups that will take the pitch in June.

Here are five groups that will make the most noise throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. All of the national teams' rankings are according to FIFA's latest standings as of November 19.

5 ‘Groups of Death' after World Cup draw

Group L: England (4th), Croatia (10th), Ghana (72nd) and Panama (30th)

England has frequently been in the mix of being a favorite to win the World Cup, last winning it all in 1966. However, this tournament features a tough path for the European powerhouse.

The English will begin group play against Croatia, a remarkable unit who finished second and third place in the 2018 and 2022 editions. The Croatians stopped England in the 2018 semifinals and stunned favorites Brazil in the 2022 quarterfinals via penalties. That matchup will set the tone on who will be the true favorite to come out of that group.

Ghana returns to the World Cup for the second straight tournament, their fifth in the last six editions. Their best run was in 2010 when they got to the quarterfinals, losing to Uruguay via penalties in heartbreaking fashion.

Panama comes back to the global competition for the second time ever. They first qualified in 2018, having a group-stage exit after competing in a tough group featuring England, Belgium and Tunisia.

While England and Croatia stand out as the likely favorites, it is possible that Ghana and Panama could stun people if the first two teams slip in crucial ways.

Group I: France (3rd), Senegal (19th), IC Path 2 winner, Norway (29th)

France has shined as an international powerhouse since reaching the mountaintop in 2018, finishing as the runners-up in 2022 after an incredible loss in the final against Argentina.

Their journey in the 2026 edition will be tougher than in past tournaments. They have a score to settle against Senegal, a talented African squad who stunned them 1-0 back in the 2002 competition.

The Senegalese stand out as one of the best teams in the African region, reaching the knockout stage in 2022. They can compete with some of the best teams in the world, showing themselves as a national side that can make noise when they find the right opportunities to strike.

The intercontinental playoff winner in Path 2 will bring plenty of intrigue to this group. Iraq stands out as a favorite as they could return for the first time since 1986. Meanwhile, Bolivia could come back for their first appearance since 1994 while Suriname has a chance to make their debut on the biggest stage. While all of them would stand out as the underdog, it gives them an opening to catch opponents by surprise during the matchdays.

Meanwhile, Norway enters the picture as a deadly squad. Erling Haaland headlines the team as one of the best strikers in the world, leading all players with 16 goals throughout World Cup Qualifying.

Group G: Belgium (8th), Egypt (34th), Iran (20th), New Zealand (86th)

Belgium has maintained its relevancy as one of the better European squads, finishing third place in the 2018 World Cup.

However, they've suffered a significant dip in form. While Kevin De Bruyne still stars as the most important player, the Belgians haven't returned to those heights after crashing out in the 2022 group stage. They also lost in the early knockout rounds of the 2024 UEFA Euros, a sign that their best days might be over sooner rather than later.

Egypt is back on the biggest stage after being absent in 2022. Veteran star Mohamed Salah would be back in full strength as he wasn't fully fit in 2018, presenting him and his squad as one to watch out for in the group stage.

Iran maintains its presence as one of the better teams in the AFC region, having the potential to shake up expectations if teams don't have the right preparation. Meanwhile, New Zealand is back for the first time since 2010, fully taking advantage of Oceania's guaranteed spot in the 48-team tournament.

While Belgium stands out as the likely favorite, the rest of the group could have a case to make. As a result, keep an eye on this group to look unique when the group stage comes to a close.

Group E: Germany (9th), Curacao (82nd), Ivory Coast (42nd), Ecuador (23rd)

Germany has been through disappointments since winning the World Cup in 2014. They've suffered group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, setbacks they will look to rectify as they prepare for 2026.

The Germans might start out easy as they host Curacao, who punched their first-ever ticket to the global tournament. The CONCACAF side finally put together a talented squad that got the job done in qualifying.

However, the next two teams will be tricky to get past. Ivory Coast returns to the tournament for the first time since 2014. While they haven't been to the knockouts in the three previous times they qualified, they managed to secure at least one win throughout group play. In other words, they won't be a simple team to beat in convincing fashion.

Ecuador wraps up the group as an elite defensive squad. They conceded just five goals throughout South American qualifying, a major example to show how much trouble opponents will have in creating goals against the CONMEBOL squad.

Group F: Netherlands (7th), Japan (18th), UEFA Path B winner, Tunisia (40th)

The Netherlands will have a case to make as one of the best national sides from Europe. They finished as runners-up in 2010 and third place in 2014 during their past generation of players.

Reaching the quarterfinals in 2022, they will look to build on that progress by making a deep run in 2026. However, it won't start easy as Japan will be first on their radar. The Japanese stunned both Germany and Spain during the group stage in 2022, a big characteristic that the Dutch will have to be very careful against.

Then comes the next team in the group, who will come out of UEFA's Playoff Path B. Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and Albania stand out as the possible candidates, which could help in determining who can advance from the group.

Last comes the likes of Tunisia. They exited in the group stage of the 2018 and 2022 editions but got at least one win in both tournaments. Their most significant win was against eventual runners-up France by a 1-0 score in the group stage finale.