Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland

World Rankings (May 2026):

• Canada 30th

• Bosnia and Herzegovina 65th

• Qatar 55th

• Switzerland 19th

GROUP STRENGTH

• Group B is ranked 12th of the 12 groups

• On paper, this is the weakest group at the tournament. But not necessarily the worst to watch.

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Canada

O, Canada:  welcome back to the big stage. This is Les Rouges 3rd appearance at the World Cup, having last qualified back in 2022. This time around they’re back as co-hosts looking to disrupt the tournament egged on by tens of thousands of screaming canucks.

They have a core football fans will recognise. Probably the highest-reputed player on the teamsheet is captain Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich, who returned from an agonizing ACL injury in late 2025. He’s previously broken the Bundesliga speed record, clocking in at 23mph, so expect to see him utilised extensively as an outlet for Canada.

Other players English football fans in particular might recognise are Liam Millar, a wide player capable of cutting inside and curling shots from the edge of the box into the top corner, and Daniel Jebbison. Both of those players have plied their trade at Preston North End in recent years. 

Play style:

• Absolute verticality and an aggressive high press. Canada play an aggressive form of gegenpress that’s been dubbed the “Maplepress”. They aim to win the ball high up the pitch in attacking positions and quickly convert those opportunities with rapid transitions and direct, aggressive forward play. No pissing about for Jessie Marsch.

  
  

Expected formation: 

• Technically something like a 4-4-2, often turning into a more fluid system looking something like a 4-2-2-2 as players are constantly pressing, covering each other and working hard as a unit. The downside of this is they are potentially vulnerable on the counter, and of course this playstyle is not easy to keep up, especially at the end of a long season of domestic football. 

  
  

Chances: 

• They’re going to give it a good go, and they won’t be sitting back. Their style of play will rely on the crowd getting behind them, driving them to stay committed for 90 minutes or more. I have a feeling they might find themselves getting hit on the counter or, if they get out of the group, struggling with games that go to extra time. Regardless, qualifying from the group alone would be regarded as a success and I think they can manage 2nd spot.

  
  

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

They made it here by determination and force of will.

While their group rivals Canada kicked back and sipped on some maple tea (is that a thing?), Bosnia had to do it the hard way. Their rollercoaster qualification campaign saw them finish second in their group, just a couple of points shy of first-placed Austria. 

Venturing into the playoffs, they managed to beat Wales, levelling thanks to a late header from Edin Dzeko that silenced Cardiff and ultimately triumphing on penalties. 

In the playoff final, they faced Italy. Overwhelmingly considered the underdogs, 1-0 down, Haris Tabaković of Borussia Mönchengladbach scored a 79th minute equalizer and forced extra time. They won the shootout 4-1 and youngster Esmir Bajraktarević (remember his name) scored the final penalty to seal the deal.

Some accused Italy of bringing it on themselves. Leaked footage showed the Italian players celebrating Bosnia’s win over Wales, underestimating Bosnia and providing possibly the best team talk motivation in history. I’d have had that on a TV on loop in the dressing room. Coupled with Bastoni’s red card in the 41st minute, you’d be hard pressed to say Italy didn’t deserve the outcome.

Play style:

• Direct, physical and disciplined might be the first thing you’d think of when imagining how Bosnia and Herzegovina might play, and that is actually right on the money. Rather like Czechia, their never-say-die attitude shines through, although tempered by a calmness in possession. 

  
  

Expected formation:

• 4-4-2 / 4-2-3-1. Extremely solid, calm on the ball and direct when they see an opportunity. Very reliant on the aerial prowess of Edin Dzeko. If you’re wondering how Dzeko is still going, we are too. He’s now 40 years old, but no less lethal in front of goal. A dangerous opponent to underestimate. 

  
  

Chances: 

• Very much like Czechia, I think they’re a very challenging proposition, even if they’re ranked lowest in the group. But my prediction is that they will not have enough quality in depth to overcome the home support of Canada or the outright quality of Switzerland, so I expect them to exit at the group stage. 

  
  

They’ll fight and fight, though.

***

Qatar

Qatar took some pelters for their automatic qualification for the 2022 tournament as hosts, with some feeling their presence had not been earned. That argument doesn’t sit snugly with me, because plenty of tournament hosts have been in that position and not faced similar criticism over the years. 

But if there were critics, they'd have been somewhat silenced in 2026, as Qatar qualified on merit. Steered by former West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui, Qatar finished top of their qualification group before getting things over the line with a dramatic 2-1 victory over United Arab Emirates in Doha. 

Play style: 

• It’s not quite Spain, but you can see the influence of Lopetegui on this side. Measured and balanced, they play with a compact shape, leaning on quick transitions to bounce forwards and outfox opposition defences. I also expect they will use set pieces extensively. A huge advantage is the number of players they have who play together in the Qatar Stars League. That cohesion shouldn’t be underestimated. 

  
  

Expected formation: 

• They typically play a 4-4-2 to make the most of having two strikers up top. They look to absorb opposition attacks, counter and provide direct balls to the front two. They can switch it up to a 5-3-2 when they need to deep block, so expect to see that feature if they are ahead and looking to close out a game.

  
  

Chances:

• I don’t think they will grab 2nd spot, but I think they’ll have a good tussle for 3rd with Bosnia and Herzegovina. There’s a chance they could grab a win from a tight low block and a set piece, but I think better attacks will find a way through them and they might be saying goodbye at the group stage.

  
  

***

Switzerland

Clear group favourites, Switzerland enjoyed a dominant qualifying campaign where they turned their group opposition into a fine paste, conceding only two goals along the way. No swiss cheese holes in this defence. 

You might think that they were in an easy group, but they faced Sweden, Kosovo and Slovenia, so no pushovers. Kosovo ended up finishing 2nd and Sweden miraculously still qualified despite finishing dead last on 2 points thanks to their Nations League exploits.

Stars Breel Embolo and Granit Xhaka will undoubtedly turn up, as they did throughout the qualification campaign. For Xhaka, this will be the fourth world cup of his career and he’ll be wearing the captain’s armband for it. 

Play style: 

• Positionally fluid, dangerous on the build up with wide centre backs stretching play. Typically they’ll play with an asymmetry due to their fluidity, pushing into central areas from one flank and staying high and wide on the other. 

  
  

Expected formation:

• 3-4-2-1 / 4-3-3, often with a box midfield. When defending they will fall back into 5-4-1 mid block to deny pockets of space and suppress counters. One thing to be wary of is the asymmetry I mentioned. If one wing back pushes up, expect teams like Qatar to try to exploit that space and get in behind. This is nothing new for teams that play high and wide, so expect other players to try and cover that space defensively.

  
  

Chances:

• I absolutely think they’ll win the group. They have tournament experience, game management quality throughout and individual talent. Their fluidity will also cause teams problems, and if they can maintain the level of surprise throughout the tournament, there’s no reason this team couldn’t make the QFs.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The Tournament Scout’s Prediction 

Switzerland to win the group

Canada’s home advantage to get them out of the group

A tussle for 3rd and 4th between Qatar and Bosnia