With the World Cup expanding to include 48 teams — an increase from the 32-team format used in the 2022 tournament in Qatar — the international competition offers a larger opportunity for nations to participate in the global event when they otherwise might have not been able to qualify in past years. As a result of the tournament’s expansion, Group B mostly consists of countries with limited experience on the global stage and teams looking to make a statement.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland and co-host Canada will all compete against each other in Group B for a chance to advance past the group stage. Switzerland remains the only squad of the bunch to have reached the knockout stage, with Qatar and Canada still looking for their first World Cup wins. The limited tournament experience for the majority of teams in Group B have left the top two slots in the group up for grabs.

Switzerland

Switzerland has had the greatest historical success out of all the teams in Group B and is heavily expected to win the group and advance to the knockout stage. The Swiss have participated in six consecutive World Cups and qualified for the knockout stage in the last three. The Nati will look to add another appearance in the knockout stage while competing in a weaker group relative to other pools.

Captain and midfielder Granit Xhaka will be making his fourth appearance in the World Cup. He currently holds the Swiss record for World Cup matches played. The 33-year-old will continue to do a little bit of everything for the team both on and off the field.

“We are a completely different team to just a few years ago,” Xhaka said to FIFA media officials. “We have a new generation with lots of young players, but also a good blend of youth and experience. It’s important for us to take responsibility and to set an example for the younger players.”

To complement Xhaka up front will be Breel Embolo, who was the Nati’s top scorer in qualifying play and at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Canada

Canada automatically qualified for the World Cup as one of the host nations for the tournament — and with that comes pressure. The Canadian team will be making only its third appearance in the World Cup after participating most recently at Qatar in 2022. In their limited appearances, Les Rogues have not fared well and racked up an 0-1-6 record. Heading into this year’s competition, no other team had played more World Cup matches without winning a single game.

Canada’s performance will hinge on the availability of Canadian captain Alphonso Davies. Davies was the top scorer for the squad in the 2022 World Cup and was the youngest Canadian scorer at just over 22 years old. The superstar for Bayern Munich has been battling multiple injuries dating back to an ACL tear in March 2025.

“We’ve worked really well through this, and (Davies) is looking really good,” head coach Jesse Marsch told ESPN. “So it’s just a matter of, ‘Okay, what kind of game is it, what kind of moment is it, and how do we feel (Davies) can contribute right now?’ But he’s ready, he’ll be available.”

Qatar

After hosting the World Cup in 2022, Qatar will be making its second appearance in the tournament and is looking to improve upon its debut performance. In 2022, Al-Annabi struggled by scoring the fewest goals by a host nation and having the worst goal differential at negative six. The team lost all three of its group-stage matches and became the second host nation to be eliminated in the group stage.

Despite some recent national success in Asia, Qatar is once again massive underdogs in this year’s World Cup as the squad tries to earn its first-ever World Cup victory and advance out of Group B. Qatari captain Hassan Al-Haydos remains the steady veteran presence for Al-Annabi as Qatar’s all-time appearance leader. After winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2024, Al-Haydos retired from international play but returned to the team by request from head coach Julen Lopetegui.

“His presence is expected to provide technical stability and leadership as Qatar continue their push to reach the (2026 World Cup),” according to a statement from Qatar’s football association to The Athletic.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Bosnia & Herzegovina qualified for the 2026 World Cup in dramatic fashion by beating four-time champion Italy in a penalty shootout in the UEFA playoff finals. Like Qatar, the 2026 appearance for Bosnia & Herzegovina marks the nation’s second World Cup appearance. The Dragons hold a 1-1-2 record across their two World Cup appearances and are also looking to reach the knockout stage for the first time.

Striker and fan favorite Edin Džeko continues to be the leader of the Bosnian squad at 40 years old. Džeko currently holds a record 73 international goals and helped lead the Dragons to their first ever World Cup appearance in 2014 before doing it again this year.

Džeko reflected on his childhood during the Bosnian War and his opportunity to now thrive on the international stage.

“I grew up with war. Suddenly, I was living a fairy tale. Nothing is ever impossible. Not even taking Bosnia to the World Cup,” Džeko said in a heartfelt letter featured in The Players’ Tribune.

Group B previous results and match schedule

June 12:

Canada 1-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina

June 13:

Qatar 1-1 Switzerland

June 18:

Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina

Canada 6-0 Qatar

June 24:

Switzerland vs. Canada at noon PT in Vancouver, British Columbia

Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Qatar at noon PT in Seattle