Check out our other previews: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E
Curaçao
(Best result: N/A, 1 appearance, 82nd in World ranking)
Curaçao made history by becoming the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Led by veteran manager Dick Advocaat, who'll become the oldest manager in World Cup history, Curaçao enter the tournament as the ultimate underdogs, with them and Haiti sharing the spoils as the teams with the lowest odds to win it all.
Road to the Finals
Curaçao went unbeaten en route to the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The Blue Wave won all four games in the second phase of the CONCACAF qualifiers, beating Barbados (4-1), Aruba (2-0), Saint Lucia (4-0), and fellow World Cup contenders Haiti (5-1).
The Caribbean island nation went unbeaten once more in the final qualifying round, keeping clean sheets in four of their six games against Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, and Jamaica, sealing their maiden qualification with a 0-0 draw on Jamaica.
Key player
FC Volendam midfielder Juninho Bacuna couldn't avoid a dramatic relegation with his team, but is ready to attack this World Cup with his big brother and captain, Leandro Bacuna, right by his side. Juninho Bacuna perfectly embodies the spirit of this Curaçao team: A skilful, fun player with some silky touches in store, as well as heaps of international experience under his belt. Bacuna has played 100+ games for both Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City and has been a Curaçao star for nearly seven years, playing 48 games and scoring 13 goals (3rd all-time) for the Blue Wave.
Editor's view
A maiden World Cup voyage has brought immense joy to Curaçao, which will enjoy the adventure even more as it goes on. Dick Advocaat underlined this in a recent press conference: "It’s unprecedented for Curaçao. There’s a huge buzz about it. The joy of those people is so beautiful."
It'll be beautiful to watch Curaçao debut on the biggest stage, though it'll be hard to get a result in a tough group like this. They know they're football minnows taking their first step in a big project, so let's just enjoy the ride as football fans.
Flashscore prediction
Curaçao have been dealt a tough hand by being drawn in a group with Germany and Ecuador. The odds on the island nation shocking the world and making the knockouts are hugely against them, though that doesn't stop them, as Advocaat put it bravely: "It's something special for us to be there. Playing against players you see on TV, who play in the top leagues. Anyone can surprise. Why not Curacao?"
Again, it'll be a joy to watch them debut at the World Cup. Take in the experience, because I don't see them making a splash. They'll most likely exit the tournament in the group stages.
Fixtures
14 June, 19.00 CET: Germany - Curaçao (Houston Stadium)
21 June, 02.00 CET: Ecuador - Curaçao (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
25 June, 22.00 CET: Curaçao - Ivory Coast (Philadelphia Stadium)
Ecuador
(Best result: Round of 16, 5 appearances, 23rd in World ranking)
For the second time in a row and for the fifth time since 2002, Ecuador will feature at the World Cup. Ecuador, ranked 23rd in the FIFA World Rankings, are guaranteed to compete for wins at the tournament, with the South Americans having won at least one game during every World Cup appearance.
Road to the Finals
El Tri were mighty impressive in the South American qualifying cycle. Led by Argentine manager Sebastian Beccacece, Ecuador finished second, trailing only defending world champions Argentina in the 10-team qualifying group. They built their success on a stout defence, conceding only 5 goals in 18 games. They kept the low-scoring trend alive up front, with the Ecuadorian attack scoring just 14 goals in the qualifying cycle. Only Chile and Peru did worse in South America.
Nonetheless, Ecuador arrive at the World Cup in tremendous form, with their last defeat, a 1-0 away loss in Brazil, dating back to September 7th, 2024 - a streak of 17 games as of May 30th.
Key player
It wasn't long ago that Chelsea paid over €100 million for Moises Caicedo, and most people were shocked by the price tag. There's a reason we don't hear about the €115 million anymore - Caicedo has established himself as an absolute leader in Chelsea's and Ecuador's midfield. The 24-year-old missed just 220 of a possible 1,620 minutes in the World Cup qualifiers, all the while leading the Premier League in interceptions (59) and third in possessions won in midfield (109).
You could even see Caicedo as Ecuador's key to defensive success, with El Tri conceding as many goals in the two games without him in November's friendlies against the United States and Mexico (2) as in the 10 qualifiers they played with Caicedo before then.
Editor's view
There's a saying in the United States coined by legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant: "Offence sells tickets. Defence wins championships." It's a cliché, but it's hard to trump in Ecuador's case. Conceding just 5 goals during a 17-game unbeaten streak, which included a 1-0 win over qualifying winners Argentina, is impressive no matter how you look at it.
However, their attack will have to improve sooner rather than later if they want to make waves at the World Cup. They're still relying on 36-year-old Enner Valencia as their top striker, which has resulted in them scoring at least twice in just three of their last 17 games. That's not an indictment, but rather a worrying sign, in my humble opinion.
Flashscore prediction
The Ecuadorian World Cup campaign can go a lot of ways. They can frustrate everyone if they want to, but they can also frustrate themselves, giving them little leeway for mistakes. They'll make it out of the group stages, and with a group win, they'll face a third-placed team. Finish second, and they might face Portugal or Colombia. Emulating their best-ever result at a World Cup - a round-of-16 exit - will be a success in my books.
Fixtures
15 June, 01.00 CET: Ivory Coast - Ecuador (Philadelphia Stadium)
21 June, 02.00 CET: Ecuador - Curaçao (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
25 June, 22.00 CET: Ecuador - Germany (New Jersey Stadium)
Germany
(Best result: Champion, 21 appearances, 10th in World ranking)
Coming off the back of two disastrous FIFA World Cup campaigns, four-time champions Germany are back to prove they belong to the elite group of football nations. Now ranked 10th in the world under Julian Nagelsmann, will Germany finally return to being a force to be reckoned with?
Road to the Finals
Germany haven't failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup since 1950, and in a group with Northern Ireland, Luxembourg, and Slovakia, they had little to fear once again. The Mannschaft didn't get off to a flying start, falling 2-0 to Slovakia in their very first qualifying match. That's when Nagelsmann and his men turned it up a notch - Germany won the last five qualifying matches in a row, ending with a 6-0 rout over, you guessed it, Slovakia.
It was a true team effort, with Germany's 16 goals being scored by nine different players. Unfortunately for the Germans, one of the two players with more than two goals, Serge Gnabry, will not be there in North America after suffering a thigh injury.
Key player
He's yet to make a lasting impression at Liverpool, but for his country, Florian Wirtz is as key as they come. The young superstar has already played 39 caps for Germany, scoring 10 goals in the process. Wirtz is an attacking Swiss army knife for Nagelsmann, who uses the Liverpool star on the left, in the '10' position, and as a right winger.
In meaningful games, Wirtz has been excellent for Germany since the start of Euro 2024, scoring 7 goals and providing 5 assists in 19 games across the Euros, Nations League, and World Cup qualifiers.
Editor's view
Germany are looking strong under Nagelsmann. At Euro 2024, they had the bad luck of facing eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals and drawing a short straw with some questionable officiating. But two years later, the Germans look mature again. They're looking ruthless, confident, and back in their stride.
With a mix of young talent (Lennart Karl, Aleksandar Pavlovic) and proven veterans (Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rüdiger), it looks and feels like a classic, strong Germany side. Maybe they're missing a clinical striker, though the Germans will be hoping that Nick Woltemade can keep up his qualifying form of scoring once every 120 minutes.
Flashscore prediction
Germany will win the group. They have more than enough quality to qualify for the knockouts and end their worst-ever World Cup run of two consecutive group-stage exits.
They're likely to face either Scotland or Senegal in the second round, while France could await in the round of 16. That hurts their chances of potentially going deep into the tournament, but you know what they say: to be the best, you have to beat the best. If Germany really want to prove that they're back, reaching the quarterfinals at minimum is the goal to beat.
Fixtures
14 June, 19.00 CET: Germany - Curaçao (Houston Stadium)
20 June, 22.00 CET: Germany - Ivory Coast (BMO Field, Toronto)
25 June, 22.00 CET: Ecuador - Germany (New Jersey Stadium)
Ivory Coast
(Best result: Group stage, 4 appearances, 34th in World ranking)
12 long years after making their third-straight World Cup, Ivory Coast are finally back on the biggest stage. The Elephants, ranked 34th in the world, are looking to finally fulfil their promise and advance beyond the group stage.
Road to the Finals
When you look up the word 'imperious' in the dictionary, you'll find that the definition is just two words long: Ivory Coast. The West-African team finished top of their group after winning 8 of 10 games, scoring 25 goals, and most spectacularly of all, conceding zero goals. Ivory Coast beat out Gabon by one single point for the top spot to ensure a long-awaited comeback.
Key player
Known for his time with Barcelona and Milan, Franck Kessie is the absolute leader of Ivory Coast. The 99-time international has been with the Elephants for 12 years, but is still 'only' 29 years of age and, quite literally, a constant factor. Since missing two friendlies in November 2022 with an injury, Kessie has missed just two out of a possible 42 games, with the midfielder being rested in friendlies against Oman and South Korea.
The Al-Ahli midfielder has walked off the pitch a loser just five times in 23 games since being named captain of the orange machine. Look no further than the man from the football-rich town of Ouragahio to find the Ivory Coast's engine room.
Editor's view
This is the most talented Ivorian squad in years. They have proven players in every line: Wilfried Singo, Evan Ndicka, and Odilon Kossounou in defence; Kessie, Seko Fofana, and Ibrahim Sangare in midfield; and Nicolas Pepe, Yan Diomande, and Simon Adingra up front. And then I haven't even mentioned Amad Diallo, Elye Wahi, Ange-Yoan Bonny, Ousmane Diomande... This is a very exciting team.
It's generally a young squad, though. Thirteen players are aged 24 or younger; that's half the squad. Riding on a 2023 AFCON title and on the back of a fantastic qualifying campaign, I'm liking Ivory Coast's chances this year.
Flashscore prediction
Challenging Germany for the top spot might be a step too far for Ivory Coast, but battling with Ecuador for second place sounds very reasonable. That'd mean Ivory Coast would face the winners of Group I, which consists of Portugal, Colombia, the D.R. Congo, and Uzbekistan. That's already a tougher task, though I can see this team going toe-to-toe with Colombia.
I expect Ivory Coast to at least reach the knockouts, with a round-of-16 appearance not out of the question whatsoever.
Fixtures
15 June, 01.00 CET: Ivory Coast - Ecuador (Philadelphia Stadium)
20 June, 22.00 CET: Germany - Ivory Coast (BMO Field, Toronto)
25 June, 22.00 CET: Curaçao - Ivory Coast (Philadelphia Stadium)
