World Cup: Group F Preview

Japan – The Samurai Blue enter the World Cup as the highest ranked Asian nation in the world, sitting at 18th. They’re coming in hot too, winning their last five games while taking down Brazil, Ghana, Bolivia, Scotland, and England. Japan will be without their star player, Kaoru Mitoma after he injured his hamstring, but the squad is deep. Ayase Ueda is coming off a monster season with 25 goals for Feyenoord, and the midfield is full of workhorses like Daichi Kamada, Wataru Endo, and Ao Tanaka.

Player to watch: Keisuke Goto
Ceiling: Semifinals

Sweden – The Swedes are very lucky to be making the trip to North America, but they won’t care one bit. After floundering in the group stage qualifiers, their Nations League performance earned them a second chance in the playoffs, and they took that chance eagerly. Arsenal frontman Viktor Gyökeres delivered a hattrick in the semifinals then a late winner in the final. Now ranked 38th, their world ranking has plummeted since the 2022 World Cup but it’s still a squad with big names. They’ve got lots of Premier League talent like Brighton’s Yasin Ayari and Liverpool’s Aleksander Isak along with the aforementioned Gyökeres. Manager Graham Potter has quickly turned Sweden from crisis to looking like they should make the knockout stages.

Player to watch: Yasin Ayari
Ceiling: Quarterfinals

Tunisia – The Eagles were dominant in qualifying, never even conceding a goal. Since then, it hasn’t been the strongest from them. They were eliminated early at the African Cup of Nations and weren’t convincing against Haiti and Canada in March. Tunisia is not a team that will win with flashy moments from a single star, but they have a chance because of their strength as a collective. At just 23 years old, former Manchester United man Hannibal Mejbri has made himself one of the rocks of this team. They’ll need his leadership to have any chance in this group.

Player to watch: Ismaël Gharbi
Ceiling: Round of 32

Netherlands – The Oranje will be the favorite in Group F and one of the favorites of the tournament. Ranked 7th in the world currently, they topped their qualifying group and haven’t lost a game since October of 2024. Front to back, the Dutch have about as strong a squad as you could ask for. The lack of an in-form striker might be their only weakness but Donyell Malen’s hot finish to the season with Roma could be the answer to that dilemma. This tournament also presents the perfect opportunity for young Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen to cement himself as one of the world’s best.

Player to watch: Bart Verbruggen
Ceiling: Final