Group Stats
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A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

Group A

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
MEX
2-0 1 0 0 2 0 +2 3 Q2
KOR
2-1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3 Q1
CZE
1-2 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 Q3
RSA
0-2 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 X4

Adam backs South Korea to narrowly top this group ahead of Mexico, while the Czech Republic should comfortably finish in 3rd. South Africa will not be able to overcome stronger opposition and will be last.

Group B

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
SUI
1-1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 Q1
BIH
1-1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 Q2
CAN
1-1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 X4
QAT
1-1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 Q3

Adam picks Switzerland and Bosnia to advance in an expectedly tight group. He favors Qatar to stun Canada and send the hosts home without a playoff.

Group C

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
SCO
1-0 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3 Q3
MAR
1-1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 Q1
BRA
1-1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 Q2
HAI
0-1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 X4

Although everyone favors Brazil, Adam thinks it will be Morocco who top Group C, followed by Brazil and then a dogged Scotland. Haiti will fight but it won't be enough.

Group D

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
USA
4-1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 3 Q1
AUS
2-0 1 0 0 2 0 +2 3 X4
TUR
0-2 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 Q2
PAR
1-4 0 0 1 1 4 -3 0 X3

Adam backs hosts USA to take the group in style, dispatching all the other teams. Turkey should be strong enough to finish second, while Paraguay sneaks into third, but misses the playoffs.

Group E

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
GER
7-1 1 0 0 7 1 +6 3 Q1
CIV
1-0 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3 Q2
ECU
0-1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0 Q3
CUW
1-7 0 0 1 1 7 -6 0 X4

Despite Germany's atrocious choking in 2018 and 2022, they should top the group, while a valiant Ivory Coast takes second ahead of Ecuador. Curacao will not be able to do damage in the group.

Group F

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
SWE
5-1 1 0 0 5 1 +4 3 X4
JPN
2-2 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 Q1
NED
2-2 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 Q2
TUN
1-5 0 0 1 1 5 -4 0 Q3

Adam defies popular predictions to put Japan ahead of the Netherlands, who will nonetheless finish second. Tunisia edges out Sweden for one of the last spots for the 8 best third-place teams.

Group G

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
BEL
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q2
EGY
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X3
IRN
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q1
NZL
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X4

Iran should be number one, with Belgium not what they used to be after a 2022 choke. Egypt and New Zealand will not threaten either team, both failing to reach the playoffs.

Group H

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
ESP
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q1
CPV
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X4
KSA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X3
URU
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q2

Spain and Uruguay will prevail, the former landing first due to running up the score as they did in 2022. The Saudis will place ahead of Cabo Verde, but neither will make the playoffs.

Group I

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
FRA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q2
SEN
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q1
NOR
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q3
IRQ
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X4

Adam elects Senegal to shock the world and pip France for first. Norway is probably too good not to make the playoffs, and Iraq was unlucky in being placed in this group.

Group J

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
ARG
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q1
ALG
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q2
AUT
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X3
JOR
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X4

Argentina won't be bottled up by offsides, and should dominate this group. The other three teams are much weaker, but Algeria should sneak by as revenge for 1982, while Austria and Jordan fall.

Group K

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
POR
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q1
UZB
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q3
COL
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q2
DRC
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X4

Portugal will top the group, with Colombia close behind. Adam backs Uzbekistan to finish ahead of Congo and narrowly get into the playoffs.

Group L

Team W T L G A D Pts ADP Result
ENG
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q2
CRO
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q1
GHA
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Q3
PAN
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X4

Adam has two unpopular beliefs: that this group, and not Group I, is the true group of death (Norway is not robust and Iraq is not strong); and that Croatia will once again break English hearts to place 1st, while Ghana qualifies with 3rd and Panama goes out.