World Cup 2026 Group B
GROUP B
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| Switzerland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| Canada | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Qatar | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
Andy Greeves
[Team Jersey Images © Soccerphile]
Canada
With the advantage of playing their three Group B fixtures on home soil, Canada will be looking to progress to the knockout phase of a World Cup for the first time.
The Canucks' two previous World Cup appearances, in 1986 and 2022, both ended at the group stage with three defeats in three matches. In 1986, they were in something of a 'group of death' with the Soviet Union, France and Hungary and failed to score in their three matches. Four years ago, they were in Group F along with surprise semi-finalists Morocco and experienced European campaigners Croatia and Belgium. Alphonso Davies scored their first ever World Cup goal in a 4-1 defeat to Croatia on 27 November 2022.
As co-hosts, Canada automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup. With no qualifiers to contest, the Canucks' competitive action over the last few years has come in the CONCACAF Nations League and CONCACAF Gold Cup. Drawn against Suriname in the quarter-finals of the 2024/25 Nations League, Canada won 4-0 on aggregate to advance to the last four of the competition and gain a place at the 2025 Gold Cup in the process. Canada were beaten 2-0 by Mexico in the Nations League semi-finals before beating the United States 2-1 in the third place play-off.
Victories over Honduras (6-0) and El Salvador (2-0) and a 1-1 draw with Curaçao saw Canada top Group B of the 2025 Gold Cup. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals though, losing 6-5 on penalties to Guatemala after their match in Minneapolis on 29 June 2025 finished 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Canada typically line up in a 4-4-2 formation which relies heavily on the ability of their wide players such as Tajon Buchanan and Ali Ahmed in attacking situations.
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Canada Kit 1 |
Canada Kit 2 |
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - June 12; Toronto
Canada vs Qatar - June 18; Vancouver
Switzerland vs Canada - June 24; Vancouver
Coach
Coach: Jesse Marsch
Record
Best World Cup: Group stage in 1986 and 2022.
Formation
4-4-2
One to watch: Jonathan David
Born in New York on 14 January, 2000 Jonathan David immigrated to Ottawa, Canada at the age of six. He made his international debut for the Canucks against the U.S. Virgin Islands on back on 9 September 2018 and has since gone on to become his country's all-time top goalscorer. His strike against Suriname in a CONCACAF Nations League A match on 19 November 2024 was his record-breaking 31st goal. His current international goalscoring tally stands at 39 strikes in 75 appearances.
Should Canada triumph in their World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12, they have every chance to make it through to the knockout phase. At present Canada are 250/1 outsiders to win the World Cup.
How they qualified
Canada qualified automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a tournament co-host. The country will host 13 matches of the tournament's 104 games in total.
On the sidelines
Having been as low as 122 in the FIFA World Rankings in 2014, Canada achieved their highest ranking of 26 in September 2025.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Dayne St Clair (Inter Miami), Maxime Crepeau (Orlando City), Owen Goodman (Crystal Palace)
Defenders: Alistair Johnston (Celtic), Derek Cornelius (Marseille), Richie Laryea (Toronto), Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire), Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham), Moise Bombito (Nice), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough)
Midfielders: Stephen Eustaquio (Porto), Ismael Kone (Sassuolo), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal), Mathieu Choiniere (Los Angeles FC), Ali Ahmed (Norwich City), Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht), Liam Millar (Hull City), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Jacob Shaffelburg (Toronto), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto)
Strikers: Jonathan David (Juventus), Cyle Larin (Southampton), Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal), Promise David (Union SG)
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina have been in excellent recent form. The Zmajevi (The Dragons) lost just one of their eight UEFA qualifying Group H fixtures, accumulating 17 points. They finished two points behind group winners Austria but went on to beat Wales in Cardiff and Italy in Zenica in the play-offs to book their place at this summer's World Cup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina made their one and only previous World Cup appearance back in 2014, where they finished third in Group F and therefore, didn't make the knockout round. They gave Argentina a real run for their money in their opening match in Rio de Janeiro on 15 June 2014 before going down to a 2-1 defeat, while they were beaten by single goal by Nigeria in Cuiabá six days later. They managed their first World Cup victory on 25 June 2014 as goals from Edin Džeko, Miralem Pjanić and Avdija Vršajević gave them a 3-1 win over Iran in Salvador.
40-years-young, Džeko will again lead the line for Bosnia and Herzegovina at this summer's World Cup, as he did in Brazil back in 2014. Lining up in a 4-4-2 formation, Džeko is usually partnered upfront by either Samed Baždar, Haris Tabaković or Ermedin Demirović while Benjamin Tahirović is often the man that makes things tick in The Zmajevi's midfield.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina Kit 1 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina Kit 2 |
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - June 12; Toronto
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - June 18; Los Angeles
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar - June 24; Seattle
Coach
Sergej Barbarez
Record
Best World Cup: Group stage in 2014.
Formation
4-4-2
One to watch: Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko was Bosnia and Herzegovina's leading goalscorer in qualification for this summer's World Cup. He netted five times in UEFA qualifying Group H and was also on target in the play-off semi-final against Wales.
Born in Sarajevo on March 17, 1986, Džeko made his senior international debut against Türkiye on June 2, 2007, which saw him score in a 3-2 victory. A hat-trick during an 8-1 victory over Liechtenstein on September 8, 2012 saw the 6ft 4in striker become Bosnia and Herzegovina's top, all-time goalscorer. He surpassed the previous record of 22 goals held by Elvir Bolić that day. Džeko has scored a total of 73 goals in 148 matches for The Zmajevi to date.
The Canada versus Bosnia and Herzegovina match on June 12 feels like a straight shootout for second spot in Group B.
How they qualified
As mentioned, Bosnia and Herzegovina sealed their place at this summer's FIFA World Cup by triumphing in the play-offs. The Zmajevi beat Wales 4-2 on penalties at the end of their semi-final in Cardiff on 26 March 26, which finished 1-1 after extra-time. Sergej Barbarez's team also triumphed on penalties in the final, beating Italy 4-1 after the Zenica showpiece of 31 March ended 1-1 after extra-time.
On the sidelines
Edin Džeko is one of a number of 40-plus aged players set to feature at this summer's World Cup along with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić and Guillermo Ochoa. The oldest player to feature at a World Cup to date was Essam El-Hadary, who played for Egypt against Saudi Arabia at the 2018 tournament at the age of 45 years and 161 days.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (St Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka), Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo)
Defenders: Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedic (Benfica), Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep), Nikola Katic (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljic (Rijeka), Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria), Nidal Celik (Lens)
Midfielders: Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos), Ivan Basic (Astana), Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher SC), Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby), Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzen), Armin Gigovic (Young Boys), Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV Eindhoven)
Strikers: Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04)
Qatar
Qatar automatically qualified for the 2022 World Cup as hosts, meaning 2026 is the first finals they have reached on sporting merit. The 'Maroons' first completed a World Cup qualifying campaign ahead of 1978 World Cup and failed to make the tournament then or on their next 11 attempts.
At the 2022 World Cup, Qatar competed in Group A. The Maroons lost 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening match of the tournament on 20 November and were also beaten by Senegal (1-3) and the Netherlands (0-2). Mohammed Muntari scored Qatar's first-ever World Cup goal in the aforementioned defeat to Senegal.
A far cry from their lowest FIFA Ranking of 113 back in November 2010, Qatar ranked as highly as 34 in April and July 2024. In recent years, the The Maroons have regularly featured in the top 60. The growth of the national team has also been mirrored by the success of the Qatar Stars League which currently features top overseas players such as Roberto Firmino, João Pedro, Aleksandar Mitrović and Boubakary Soumaré.
Qatar's head coach Julen Lopetegui has a wealth of experience, having previously managed Porto, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United and the Spain national team. Since becoming head coach of the Maroons in May 2025, his team have typically lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
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Qatar Kit 1 |
Qatar Kit 2 |
Qatar vs Switzerland - June 13; Santa Clara
Canada vs Qatar - June 18; Vancouver
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar - June 24; Seattle
Coach
Julen Lopetegui
Record
Best World Cup: Group stage in 2022.
Formation
4-2-3-1
One to watch: Almoez Ali
Sudan-born forward Almoez Ali moved to Qatar at a young age and has gone on to have an incredible international career for the Maroon One. The Al-Duhail forward has scored 60 goals in 125 appearances for Qatar which, unsurprisingly, makes him his country's all-time, leading goalscorer. His standout achievement came in 2019, as he won of the Golden Boot (with nine goals) and was named Best Player at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup - a competition Qatar triumphed in. He was also a key member of the squad which won the tournament again in 2023.
Despite their recent progress, Qatar are likely to finish bottom of Group B.
How they qualified
Qatar's journey to this summer's World Cup began in the second round of AFC qualifying as they topped Group A with home and away victories over Kuwait and India while, staggeringly, they beat Afghanistan 8-1 in Al Rayyan on 16 November 2023 before drawing 0-0 with the same opponents in Hofuf (Saudi Arabia) on 6 June 2024!
Qatar finished fourth in the six-team, third round Group A table before topping the three-team fourth round Group A table after a goalless draw with Oman and a 2-1 victory over United Arab Emirates in Al Rayyan on 14 October 2025 which made sure of their World Cup place.
On the sidelines
Pacy winger Ali Gholizadeh is out of the World Cup with a serious knee injury suffered at his Polish side, Lech Poznan.
Star striker Sardar Azmoun is also unlikely to feature. Despite having scored 57 goals in 91 internationals, the former Zenit Saint Petersburg and Bayer Leverkusen attacker has reputedly been dropped from the national side, having been an outspoken and highly visible critic of Iran's theocratic regime.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria (Al-Duhail), Mahmoud Abunada (Al Rayyan), Meshaal Barsham (Al-Sadd)
Defenders: Hashmi Hussein (Al Arabi), Ayoub Alawi (Al Gharafa), Boualem Khoukhi (Al-Sadd), Pedro Miguel (Al-Sadd), Issa Laaye (Al Arabi), Lucas Mendes (Al-Wakrah), Sultan Al-Brake (Al-Duhail), Homam Al-Amin (Cultural Leonesa)
Midfielders: Mohammed Al-Manai (Al Shamal), Jassem Jaber (Al Arabi), Karim Boudiaf (Al-Duhail), Ahmed Fathi (Al Arabi), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan), Assim Madibo (Al-Wakrah)
Strikers: Tahseen Mohammed (Al-Duhail), Edmilson Junior (Al-Duhail), Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail), Akram Afif (Al-Sadd), Mohammed Muntari (Al Gharafa), Youssef Abdulrazzaq (Al-Wakrah), Ahmed Alaa (Al Rayyan), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd), Ahmed Al-Janahi (Al Gharafa)
Switzerland
Switzerland will be making their 13th appearance at a World Cup finals this summer, having first appeared at the tournament back in 1934.
The Rossocrociati (Red Crosses) made it to the quarter-finals on their World Cup debut and again in both 1938 and 1954 - the later at a tournament which they hosted. Switzerland have been eliminated at the round of 16 stage in five of their six most recent World Cup appearances (1994, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022) while they failed to progress beyond the group stage in South Africa in 2010. In that time, the Nati (National Team) have been strong performers at the UEFA European Championships, with six tournaments appearances that have included a run to the round of 16 in 2016 and the quarter-finals in both 2020 and 2024.
Murat Yakin was appointed as Switzerland head coach in August 2021. Capped 49 times by his country as a player, the former defender was included in his country's squad for UEFA Euro 2004 while he has since guided his country to two World Cups and UEFA Euro 2024 as a manager. His side, which shaped up in 3-4-3 at UEFA Euro 2024, has more often lined-up in 4-3-3 formation since that tournament. The formation often appears more like a 4-3-2-1 with Breel Embolo playing at the most advanced forward.
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Switzerland Kit 1 |
Switzerland Kit 2 |
Qatar vs Switzerland - June 13; Santa Clara
Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina - June 18; Los Angeles
Switzerland vs Canada - June 24; Vancouver
Coach
Murat Yakin
Record
Best World Cup: Quarter-finals - 1934, 1938, 1954.
Formation
4-3-3
One to watch: Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka was a member of Switzerland's 'golden generation' that won the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2009 and reached the final of the UEFA European U21 Championships in 2011. The midfielder has since gone on to become his country's captain and most capped player of all-time, with 144 senior appearances to date.
The Sunderland midfielder, who made his senior debut for Switzerland in a 2-2 draw with England in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying fixture at Wembley on 4 June 2011, was included in the Rossocrociati's squads for the 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups as well as UEFA Euro 2016, 2020 and 2024.
Switzerland will be favourites to win Group B and should go on to reach the round of 16.
How they qualified
Switzerland were unbeaten during their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, winning four and drawing twice to top the four-team UEFA qualifying Group B. The Rossocrociati netted 14 times in those six matches and conceded just twice with victories including a 4-1 thrashing of Sweden in Geneva on 15 November 2025.
On the sidelines
Since 2004, the only major tournament Switzerland have failed to qualify for was UEFA Euro 2012.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Marvin Keller (Young Boys), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Yvon Mvogo (Lorient)
Defenders: Manuel Akanji (Inter Milan), Aurele Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt), Eray Comert (Valencia), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Luca Jaquez (VfB Stuttgart), Miro Muheim (Hamburg), Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis), Silvan Widmer (Mainz)
Midfielders: Michel Aebischer (Pisa), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Remo Freuler (Bologna), Ardon Jashari (AC Milan), Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), Fabian Rieder (Augsburg), Djibril Sow, Ruben Vargas (both Sevilla), Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), Denis Zakaria (Monaco)
Strikers: Zeki Amdouni (Burnley), Breel Embolo (Stade Rennais), Cedric Itten (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest), Noah Okafor (Leeds United)
World Cup Venue Cities
2026 World Cup Venue Cities Guide - All 16 venues in USA, Mexico and Canada.