All you need to know about the World Cup 2022 groups.

09.05.2022

Written by Tue

We have gathered all the information possible about the groups at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Who, when and where. What can be expected of the different teams and how they have qualified for the tournament. This is the ultimate guide when it comes to the eight different groups at the World Cup 2022, so don’t look any further. We have got everything you need to know.

To begin with 32 teams in eight groups of four will start the tournament. The groups in the World Cup 2022 looks like this:

  • Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
  • Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales
  • Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
  • Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
  • Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
  • Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
  • Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
  • Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

    • This is all of the teams in each pot before the draw with their FIFA World Cup ranking.

    POT 1

    POT 2

    POT 3

    POT 4

    Qatar (51)*

    Mexico (9)

    Senegal (20)

    Cameroon (37)

    Brazil (1)

    Netherlands (10)

    Iran (21)

    Canada (38)

    Belgium (2)

    Denmark (11)

    Japan (23)

    Ecuador (46)

    France (3)

    Germany (12)

    Morocco (24)

    Saudi Arabia (49)

    Argentina (4)

    Uruguay (13)

    Serbia (25)

    Ghana (60)

    England (5)

    Switzerland (14)

    Poland (26)

    Costa Rica (44)

    Spain (7)

    USA (15)

    South Korea (29)

    Australia (32)

    Portugal (8)

    Croatia (16)

    Tunisia (35)

    Wales(19)

    See the match schedule for the 2022 World Cup.

    Group A - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in group A are Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and Netherlands.

    Expected outcome of Group A in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • Netherlands
  • Senegal
  • Ecuador
  • Qatar

    • The Netherlands.

    How have the Netherlands qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    After a close race the Netherlands finished top of group H in front of Turkey and Norway.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    It is definitely expected that the best team in the group will also end up on top after the first three games in the group. Next game will be against the runners up in Group B (England, Iran, USA, Ukraine/Scotland/Wales). Many have the Netherlands as an outsider to lift the trophy once we reach December 18th.

    Star players: Virgil Van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.

    See their individual collections. Van Dijk, de Jong and de Ligt. We have also got a Netherlands collection

    Senegal

    How have Senegal qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Despite being crowned AFCON champions Senegal has to go into play offs again Egypt and after penalties Sadio Mané and the rest of the Senegal team could book their ticket to Qatar.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Being the current best team in Africa ranked number 20 on the FIFA world ranking it is going to be very interesting to see if they can push the Netherlands off their expected top spot in Group A. If Senegal finish first it’ll be second place from Group B (England, Iran, USA, Ukraine/Scotland/Wales) and if they finish second they’ll meet first place from Group B.

    Star players: Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy

    Here you’ll find the Sadio Mané and Senegal collection,

    Ecuador

    How have Ecuador qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    It was a close race between Ecuador, Uruguay and Peru to get the two final spots in the direct qualification to the World Cup 2022. In the last round Ecuador lost to Paraguay, but Uruguay beat Peru, and Ecuador didn’t need to get into play offs before qualifying.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    It probably all comes down to the game between Ecuador and Senegal which is the last game in the group stages if they are to qualify for the knockout round, and finish second in the group. Then they’ll meet the winners of Group B (England, Iran, USA, Ukraine/Scotland/Wales).

    Star players: Pervis Estupiñán, Enner Valencia and Piero Hincapié

    Qatar

    How have Qatar qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    As the host nation Qatar is automatically qualified for the World Cup 2022

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Let’s put it this way, it is going to be a major surprise if the Qatar team manages to get three points in the group. But we really hope that they can put up a fight against the Netherlands, the AFCON (Africa Cup of nations) winner Senegal and also Ecuador.

    Star player: Akram Afif

    Group B - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in group B are England, Iran, USA, Wales

    Expected outcome of Group B in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • England
  • USA
  • Wales
  • Iran

    • England

    How have England qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    England were in total domination in their qualifying group. Eight wins, two draws and zero losses and a whopping 39-3 in goal difference. Poland came in second in that group.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Is it finally coming home? This English side looks very promising and must be hungry for more after losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy at Wembley. They should finish first in the group and then it is probably a game against Senegal or Ecuador if one of them finishes second in Group A.

    Star players: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden

    See Kane and Sterling’s individual collections, and our collection of England merchandise.

    USA

    How have the USA qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    It has been some ride for the USMNT (US Men’s National Soccer Team) to qualify for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. They finished third in CONCACAF Group which means they secured the final direct spot to the World Cup, but first after the last game was played.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    The USA did not qualify for the World Cup in 2018 in Russia. But this time they are ready to fight for their stars and stripes in Qatar. They are currently ranked 15th on the FIFA world ranking, which means they should qualify for the last 16. But maybe that’ll also be their final destination.

    Star players: Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna and Tyler Adams

    Iran

    How have Iran qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    It was close to a perfect run for Iran, because they only lost one game in the whole qualification, and that was against South Korea, and they finished second in the group. So eight wins, one draw and one loss.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Even though Iran finished first in their qualification group then the expectations for Iran in this tournament is quite low. They might be pushing for second spot depending if they can get a good result in the first game against England.

    Star players: Sardar Azmoun, Ehsan Hajsafi and Mehdi Taremi

    Wales

    How have Wales qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Wales finished second in their qualification group after one of the outsiders to win the World Cup, Belgium. It was actually a close race for second as they finished just one point ahead of The Czech Republic. Then Wales had to face playoffs if they wanted to qualify for the World Cup. The first match was against Austria at home, and after a 2-1 win, both goals by Gareth Bale, they were ready for the final. Here Wales faced Ukraine. They were under alot of pressure but once again Bale came to the rescue and Wales secured a spot at the World Cup with a 1-0 victory.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    This could be a very interesting group for Wales. Can they tease big brother, England, and the guys across the pond, USA, which they have to meet in the first match of the tournament. Will this be the deciding match of Wales’ tournament already?

    Star players: Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies

    We have of course got a collection with the one and only, Gareth Bale. See the Gareth Bale collection here.

    Group C - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in group C are Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland

    Expected outcome of Group C in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • Argentina
  • Mexico
  • Poland
  • Saudi Arabia

    • Argentina

    How have Argentina qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Argentina finished second in CONMEBAL qualifying group after Brazil.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    The two time winners and runners up in 2014 are one of the main outsiders for the title. Quality players in every position and of course Lionel Messi’s last chance of lifting the trophy. The group stage isn’t necessarily that easy, and finishing first could mean Denmark from Group C and finishing second then probably France. So it will not be the easiest of ways for Argentina to win the tournament.

    Star players: Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Rodrigo de Paul

    The biggest star of them all has of course got his own collection. See our Messi store click here, or take a closer look at the Argentine store.

    Mexico

    How have Mexico qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    In a close CONCACAF Mexico finished second and secured a direct spot to the World Cup 2022. They finished level on points with first place Canada and only three ahead for USA and Costa Rica in third and fourth place.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Currently ranked 9th on the FIFA world ranking Mexico were the best seeded team in the second pot, so they might be able to push Argentina for the first place spot in Group C. It could also be a very interesting match in the round of 16 against either France or Denmark.

    Star players: Raúl Jiménez, Alexis Vega and Érick Gutiérrez

    Support Mexico by getting their shirt.

    Poland

    How have Poland qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Poland had to go through an extra round of qualifying before they could book their tickets to the World Cup 2022. They finished second in their Group after England and now they had to beat Sweden to get to Qatar. They did with a solid 2-0 win at home in Poland.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    In a difficult Group C it is going to be very interesting to see how the Polish will handle the pressure of playing against Mexico in the first match which could be very decisive, and then maybe France or Denmark in the next group if they qualify for the round of 16.

    Star players: Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zielinski and Wojciech Szczesny

    We have of course got a collection with the biggest Polish football star. See the Lewandowski collection here, and the Polish collection here.

    Saudi Arabia

    How have Saudi Arabia qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    They finished first in the AFC qualification, actually in front of Japan and only losing a single match along the way - to Japan away.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Not much is expected of Saudi Arabia in this Group C. The other countries in the group look very good and will try to make sure Saudi Arabia doesn’t ruin a possible qualification to the next round for them.

    Star player: Salem Al-Dawsari

    Group D - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in group D are France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia

    Expected outcome of Group D in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • France
  • Denmark
  • Tunisia
  • Australia

    • France

    How have France qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    France qualified in style to the World Cup 2022. With a total of five wins, three draws and zero losses they came flying out of the qualifying group.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    France are reigning world champions and are one of the favorites to win the tournament again. Their squad is quality from top to bottom and with a deeped in that squad that means they could easily have two French national sides in the competition. In the group only Denmark could give France problems and then England in the quarterfinal.

    Star players: Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté

    Both Mbappé, Benzema and Kanté have their own collections here at Unisport. Check them out and see the entire French collection.

    Denmark

    How have Denmark qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Denmark were absolutely fantastic in their qualification to the World Cup 2022. They only lost once in Scotland when they had already qualified to the tournament. Beating a lot of teams 4-0 or more along the way.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    After a great EURO2022 Denmark looks like a team of troublemakers for some of the bigger teams. In the group they could cause trouble for France, and maybe in the round of 16 they could face Argentina and see what they could do against Messi and his Argentina team.

    Star players: Christian Eriksen, Kasper Schmeichel and Pierre-Emil Højbjerg

    Take a look at our Christian Eriksen collection, and the whole Danish range.

    Tunisia

    How have Tunisia qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Tunisia won their CAF group and then had to beat Mali over two games to qualify for the World Cup 2022. First they won the away game 0-1 and then a draw 0-0 at home, and the qualifying were secured.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Number 35 in the world. The worst team in the third pot, then not much is expected of Tunisia. They’ll meet Denmark in the first match of the tournament, and maybe they can create a surprise there.

    Star players: Dylan Bronn, Youssef Msakni and Ellyes Skhiri

    Get your Tunisia shirt here.

    Australia

    How have Australia qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    They finished third behind Japan and Saudi Arabia in the qualifying group and only one point ahead of Oman. Then they had to face United Arab Emirates, and won 2-1. Next up was Peru, and if they won they were ready for the World Cup 2022, and they did but first after a thrilling shoot out, where Australia won 5-4. Actually did Australia change their keeper in the 120th minute, just before the penalty shootout and it worked out as intended.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Not much is expected of the socceroos. It would be a surprise if they make it past the group stage, but this proud nation will of course fight with all its got.

    Star players: Aaron Mooy, Mathew Ryan and Harry Souttar

    Group E - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in Group E are Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

    Expected outcome of Group E in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • Spain
  • Germany
  • Japan
  • Costa Rica

    • Spain

    How have Spain qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Spain finished first in their qualifying group ahead of Sweden. The results haven't been overwhelming in terms of the score but still mostly wins. Six wins, one draw and one loss away to Sweden.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Spain used to be unbeatable and have won both the World Cup and Euros. Now the Spanish side looks a lot different, but it still has great players in every position, and is missing some of their biggest names from the past. Spain is in this years ‘Group of Death’ and has to deal with Germany and Japan to make sure they qualify, and in the round of 16 Belgium or Croatian might be the next opponent.

    Star players: Rodri, Thiago and Álvaro Morata

    Get your Spain shirt and merchandise right here:

    Germany

    How have Germany qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Just like Spain, Germany finished top of their qualifying group. Winning nine and losing only once and scoring a total of 36 goals and conceding only four.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    It has been a tough draw for Germany. They were in pot 2, so had to be drawn against a pot 1 team and they have to face Spain in their second match of the tournament which could be very decisive for the rest of the tournament if they finish first or second in the group and might face Belgium or Croatia.

    Star players: Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sané and Marc-André ter Stegen

    See the Germany shirts and Leroy Sané collection

    Japan

    How have Japan qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    The Japanese team will make their seventh straight World Cup appearance after winning 2-0 against Australia. They won the group and then had to play Australia to secure the place and did.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    In the ‘Group of Death’ facing Germany and Spain the Japanese side is not given many chances of qualifying to the round of 16. But you never know. In the 2018 World Cup only a goal in the dying seconds secured Belgium a 3-2 win a place amongst the last eight.

    Star players: Takumi Minamino, Wataru Endo and Takefusa Kubo

    See our cool Japan collection

    Costa Rica

    How have Costa Rica qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    It was a close race in the CONCACAF World Cup qualification. Only three point difference between number one Canada and number four Costa Rica. So Costa Rica had to go into playoffs to secure their spot, and so they did by beating New Zealand 1-0 in Doha after a goal scored after only 3 minutes.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Against the two giants Spain and Germany not much is expected of Costa Rica, but you’ll never know if they have a surprise goal up their sleeve.

    Star players: Keylor Navas, Joel Campbell and Bryan Oviedo.

    Group F - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in Group F are Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia

    Expected outcome of Group F in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • Belgium
  • Croatia
  • Morocco
  • Canada

    • Belgium

    How have Belgium qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Belgium won their qualifying group ahead of Wales. With six wins and 2 draws and zero losses, and scoring a lot of goals on their way to the World Cup 2022.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    It is about time for this team of great players to finally get their hands on some silverware. Huge stars from the biggest leagues in Europe are in this squad. Belgium should win the group, with an interesting match against Croatia in the third and final round. In the round of 16 is will probably be Spain or Germany trying to stand in their way of Belgium success at the World Cup 2022.

    Star players: Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku

    Check out our De Bruyne, Hazard , Lukaku and Belgium collection.

    Croatia

    How have Croatia qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Croatia also won their qualifying group ahead of Russia. But due to world ranking they were in pot 2.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Croatia always shows up in a good fighting spirit and ready to give everything for their country. It could go both ways, they could challenge Belgium for the top spot in the group but might also find it difficult against Morocco and Canada.

    Star players: Luca Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Ivan Perisic

    Get your hands on the checkered Croatian shirt.

    Morocco

    How have Morocco qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Morocco cruised through their qualifying group. Winning all six games and conceding only one goal (!). In the final two play off games against DR Congo they drew the first one 1-1 and got home and won 4-1 in the return leg.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    In a difficult Group F not much is expected of Morocco. But they will do their best and with players from many big European clubs they might be able to get points against Croatia in the first match of the tournament for both teams. It is going to be interesting to see what they can do against some top sides.

    Star players: Achraf Hakimi, Youssef En-Nesyri and Romain Saïss

    Canada

    How have Canada qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Canada secured the direct spot in the second to last round after winning 4-0 against Jamaica. They finished top of the CONCACAF group ahead of Mexico and USA. Canada were tied for first on points with Mexico, but were better on goal difference.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    For the first time in 36 years Canada is ready for the World Cup 2022. Not much is expected of the North American side when facing teams like Belgium and Croatia.

    Star players: Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Atiba Hutchinson

    Group G - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in Group G are Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon

    Expected outcome of Group G in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • Brazil
  • Switzerland
  • Serbia
  • Cameroon

    • Brazil

    How have Brazil qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Brazil was untouchable in the CONMEBOL qualification group. Against a lot of great teams they just kept winning and proving they have one of the best teams in the world. The finished first above Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Brazil is the favorite to win the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Their team oozes quality and with many experienced players in their prime it is their time to shine in Qatar. The squad is built around the absolut superstar Neymar, but every player in the starting line up is a huge star.

    Star players: Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Alisson

    Check out our Neymar Jr., and the Brazil store.

    Switzerland

    How have Switzerland qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    The clear favorites to win the qualifying group were Italy, but they drew 0-0 in their last game and Switzerland won 4-0 against Hungary, so the two teams ended level on point, 18, but Switzerland with 15-2 and Italy with 13-2. So the last game was really decisive for the Group stage and now Switzerland are in the World Cup 2022.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    With Brazil in Group G it is a fight for second spot against Serbia and Cameroon. Switzerland can, if they finish second in the group, end up against Portugal or Uruguay in the round of 16, and there is definitely a chance of a surprise in that kind of game.

    Star players: Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji

    Get your Switzerland shirt here.

    Serbia

    How have Serbia qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Serbia was the big surprise in their qualifying group. They ended up unbeaten, top of table and directly through to the World Cup 2022. In their qualifying group were also teams like Portugal and Ireland, but they couldn’t beat a strong Serbian side.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Being in a group with Brazil always lets the rest of the teams fight for second place. Switzerland, Serbia and Cameroon will fight for this spot, and Serbia and Switzerland will meet each other in the last game of the group play.

    Star players: Dusan Vlahovic, Dusan Tadic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

    Cameroon

    How have Cameroon qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    Cameroon won their group ahead of the Ivory and then had to face Algeria in the last two play off matches. They lost the first one away 0-1, and they had to go back home to get a result. And what a match it was. In the dying second of the extra time they scored the winning goal to 2-1, and qualified to the World Cup 2022 in Qatar

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    They’ll probably end up being Brazil, but could be very difficult for both Serbia and Switzerland to get past.

    Star players: André Zambo Anguissa, André Onana and Vincent Aboubakar

    Group H - World Cup 2022.

    The four teams in Group H are Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

    Expected outcome of Group H in the World Cup 2022 according to the FIFA world ranking List:

  • Portugal
  • Uruguay
  • South Korea
  • Ghana

    • Portugal

    How have Portugal qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    It was a rough road for the former European champions to qualify for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. First they finished second in their qualifying group behind Serbia. Then they had to play two knockout games to qualify. They won them both. The first one against Turkey 3-1 and the final 2-0 against North Macedonia (Who won against Italy in their first game).

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    Can Ronaldo carry the team to the knockoff and further then that? It is going to be an interesting tie against Uruguay in the second game of the tournament. If they win the group it could be Serbia they’ll face once again after finishing behind them in the qualifiers, and finishing second would be even more interesting, since the probability of meeting Brazil is very high then.

    Star players: Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva

    See our Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Portugal collections.

    Uruguay

    How have Uruguay qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    They finished third in the CONMEBOL behind the two giants, Brazil and Argentina. That meant they had a direct spot in the World Cup 2022.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    It would be a surprise if they were to go really far in the tournament. But they have been able to give some of the best teams a run for their money especially in 2010 where they lost the game for third place to Germany. If you take a look at the history books there are some interesting meetings with Uruguay in this group. Some might remember the Suarez handball against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup quarter final. Ghana missed the penalty and Uruguay won the game on penalties. Also in 2010 Uruguay won 2-1 over South Korea in the round of 16. In 2018 Uruguay won the round of 16 against Portugal 2-1. So both Ghana, South Korea and Portugal have to revenge themself in the group when they are up against Uruguay.

    Star players: Luis Suarez, Federico Valverde and Darwin Nunez.

    Get a Uruguay shirt.

    South Korea ​​

    How have South Korea qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    They finished top of their group and had to play a playoff game against Syria, which they won 2-0, and got their ticket to the World Cup 2022.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    They could make a surprise like they did in 2018 when they won against Germany, but still didn’t qualify for the round of 16. This is their 10th World Cup and with their star Heong-Min Son from Tottenham they could be a small surprise of the tournament like in 2002 when they finished fourth - beating Portugal on their way.

    Star players: Heong-Min Son, Hee-chan Hwang and Min-jae Kim

    The biggest football star to come out of South Korea. See the Son collection.

    Ghana

    How have Ghana qualified for the World Cup 2022?
    A crazy end to the group stage meant that Ghana clinged top spot ahead of South Africa after a 1-0 win. Then Ghane faced Nigeria in two knockout matches. The first at home was a 0-0 draw and then a 1-1 draw away got Ghana their ticket to the World Cup 2022.

    Expectations going into the tournament?
    In this group a lot can happen. Maybe Ghana can be the big surprise or maybe they’ll get run over by the three other teams.

    Star players: Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew and Mohammed Kudus

    They are underdogs but you can still show your support for Ghana. See the Ghana collection here.

    Bravo. If you have read so far you should know a lot about what is going to take place at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

    If you have a newfound interest in one of the teams and want to take a closer look at their shirt, you can see many of the national team shirts right here at our World Cup shop.

    We have made a Q&A that will answer all the questions you have got about the World Cup 2022.