World Cup 2022 draw group by group picks, X-Factors, must-see games and more

Get ready for some heavyweight clashes, a renewal of old rivalries and the chance for some teams to avenge bitter defeats after the draw for Qatar 2022 offered some box office match-ups in the group stage of this year’s World Cup.

The leading nations can now plot their path to the final, with Brazil aiming for a record sixth title and France aiming to become the first country to win back-to-back World Cups since Pele’s Brazil achieved that feat in 1958 and 1962. But to have a hope of winning the World Cup, you have to get out of the group, and there are some tantalising games awaiting in the early stages.

Spain face Germany in Group E, while Argentina and Mexico go head-to-head in Group C. In Group H, Ghana get the chance to avenge their 2010 quarterfinal loss to Uruguay in South Africa, when Asamoah Gyan missed a stoppage-time penalty after Luis Suarez had denied a certain goal by handling the ball on the line.

In Group B, the United States face England and Iran, with England also facing the prospect of a clash against British Isles neighbours Wales or Scotland if one of them emerges from a three-way battle, alongside Ukraine, for the final European qualification spot.

How will it all play out? Gabriele Marcotti (Groups A-D) and Mark Ogden (Groups E-H) have assessed each group to predict the big games and the teams who will qualify.

– England drawn against U.S. | Bracket and fixtures
– How the World Cup draw played out
– World Cup draw by the numbers: The most intriguing stats

Jump to: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H

GROUP A

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Ed Dove is “optimistic” that all of the African teams could make it into the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

Other than South Africa in 2010, every host nation has made it out of the qualifying group and into the knockout phase, but this might be like a tall order for Qatar. As hosts, they avoided going through qualifying, though they did play a string of…