Which Nations are in FIFA World Cup 2026 Group of Death?

The draws for the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stages was held today in the US capital of Washington D.C. With the main-event only seven months away from kicking off, the qualified teams learnt their fate of the first round. The cup marks the first edition of a revamped tournament which sees 48 nations competing for the ultimate prize in football, instead of 32 until now. Naturally, there will be more group matches as the showpiece is set to have 12 groups instead of eight, with each comprising of four teams.

Defending champions Argentina national football team have been drawn alongside Austria, Algeria and debutants Jordan in Group J whereas five-time champions Brazil will play Morocco, Scotland and Haiti. Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal meet Colombia in a first ever encounter, while debutants Uzbekistan also rep up the group. One more team from the intercontinental playoffs will join them too.

After back-to-back group stage exits, Germany will be hoping to reach the knockout stages again as the 2014 World Cup winners have been handed an easy group featuring Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Curacao, who also make their first appearance in the competition. The three hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026,US, Canada and Mexico, have also been lucky to avoid all the major teams, but should Italy qualify, they will join the Maple Leaves in Group B.

Now let's analyze the FIFA World Cup 2026 group of death.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group of Death

The group stage draw is always a fascinating event to look forward to as it offers a first glimpse into what we as fans can expect from the tournament, while the teams competing realize the challenges they have to go through in order to reach the knockout stages. Every World Cup edition also features at least one group where there are multiple big teams, often referred to as the ‘Group of Death’, as such a clubbing promises a shock result; the prospect of a potential title favorite bowing out in the first round.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 group of death looks to be the very last group, consisting of England national football team, Croatia and Ghana. Minnows Panama join them too in Group L. England and Croatia famously contested the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where the Vatreni prevailed 2-1 in extra-time. The Three Lions will hence be gunning for a revenge here.

Meanwhile, Ghana are back in the mix once again, and will be aiming to cause an upset here. The Black Stars are blessed with some talented players in their ranks such as former Atletico Madrid star Thomas Partey, ex-Crystal Palace hitman Jordan Ayew, Athletic Bilbao's midfield anchor Inaki Williams, Tottenham forward Mohammed Kudus. and Tariq Lamptey. Not to mention Ghana held England to a 1-1 draw in their only prior meeting, coming in 2011. A similar result at the World Cup would definitely spice things up in the group.