The pressure is on co-host Canada to advance past the group stage for the first time at the World Cup.
Canada is in Group B along with Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which eliminated Italy in the European playoffs for the World Cup.
The Canadians will have all three of their matches on home soil, which certainly means there will be big red-clad crowds on their side.
Canada
Known more as a hockey nation, Canada is hoping to make its mark on soccer as one of the co-hosts of the sport’s biggest event.
Canada has been to the World Cup twice before, in Mexico 1986 and 2022, but the team has never advanced past the group stage.
American coach Jesse Marsch hopes the team’s “aggressive, confident, powerful” style of play will make an impact at this year’s tournament.
“I’ve just tried to bring a style of football that accesses and exposes their raw abilities and commitment at the highest level of how to play the game, and I think that they’ve enjoyed it, I’ve enjoyed it, and I think people watching the team have enjoyed it,” Marsch said.
The team finished at the bottom of its group in Qatar four years ago, but Alphonso Davies scored the nation’s first World Cup goal in a 4-1 loss to Croatia.
Davies, who plays for Bayern Munich, is among the most prominent players in the squad, along with Juventus forward Jonathan David and Cyle Larin, who plays for Southampton.
Ranked No. 30 in the world, Canada opens the World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto.
Switzerland
The Swiss have played in the last five World Cups, making the knockout round in the last three but never advancing any further. Switzerland has been to the quarterfinals of the World Cup three times, but not since 1954.
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka, who plays for Premier League club Sunderland, has made more than 140 appearances for the national team. The team is coached by Murat Yakin, a former center back who made 49 appearances with the national team.
The Swiss, ranked No. 19, did not drop a game during qualifying, conceding just two goals in six matches. But in friendlies in March, the team fell 4-3 to Germany before playing to a scoreless draw with Norway.
Switzerland opens against Qatar on June 13 in Santa Clara, California.
Qatar
Qatar is making its second World Cup appearance, after qualifying as hosts in 2022. Eliminated in the group stage, Mohammed Muntari scored the nation’s only World Cup goal in a 3-1 loss to Senegal.
The squad, ranked No. 56 in the world, is led by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, a former goalkeeper, who took over the team after a six-month stint as head coach at West Ham.
The nation has been ambitious about building both a respectable national team and a domestic league. Nearly all of the team’s players play professionally in Qatar.
Team captain Hassan Al-Haydos, who retired from the national team in 2024 but returned for World Cup campaign, has scored 41 goals in 184 international matches. Striker Almoez Ali has 55 goals in 118 appearances.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina earned one of the last spots in the World Cup after eliminating four-time world champion Italy in a penalty shootout on March 31, sparking a wave of celebrations across the Balkan country.
Striker Edin Džeko, widely regarded as Bosnia’s greatest player, injured his shoulder during the match. The 40-year-old, who plays for Germany’s Schalke 04, is Bosnia’s all-time top scorer, with 73 goals in 148 international appearances.
It is the team’s second World Cup; they also made the field in 2014 but were eliminated in the group stage.
Ranked No. 66 in the world, Bosnia and Herzegovina is coached by Sergej Barbarez who was captain of the team as a player.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
