World Cup 2026: Five things to know about every team coming to Gillette Stadium in group play

The World Cup kicks off this week and Gillette Stadium is going to see plenty of star power in the coming days.

From tournament favorites like France and England to underdogs like Haiti and Iraq, much will be decided on the new natural grass surface in Foxborough.

So what should fans know before the games begin?

Here are five things about every team coming to Gillette Stadium in group play:

The French side has won a pair of World Cups, first in 1998 and again in 2018.

The 1998 run was impressive, as France went undefeated overall (6-0-1) and outscored opponents 15-2. Hosts of the tournament, France beat Paraguay in extra time in the Round of 16 (1-0), edged Italy on penalty kicks in the quarterfinal after a 0-0 draw, and beat Croatia in the semifinal (2-1). Then France routed Brazil in the final (3-0) to capture their first World Cup in front of the home crowd at Stade de France.

The favorite entering the 2018 tournament, France flexed their muscles and took the crown home once again without a loss (6-0-1). After getting out of group play, the French won a high-scoring affair with Argentina (4-3), then beat Uruguay (2-0) and Belgium (1-0), before besting Croatia (4-2) in the final.

Ahead of this year’s tournament, France is the No. 3 team in the FIFA World rankings. Oddsmakers believe they have a shot to bring their third World Cup home this summer, too: The French currently have the second best odds (+475) to win the tournament, trailing only Spain (+450) at DraftKings Sportsbook.

France is currently captained by one of the world’s deadliest forwards, Kylian Mbappé. Still just 27 years old, Mbappé made his World Cup debut in the victorious 2018 run, scoring in the final as a teenager. He’s scored 55 goals in national team play and won the Golden Boot in the 2022 tournament, scoring eight goals, including three in a loss to Argentina in the final. Which brings us to…

France lost a heartbreaker to Lionel Messi‘s Argentina in an electrifying World Cup Final in Qatar. Tied 2-2 after regulation, both teams scored in extra time. Still knotted 3-3 after 120 minutes, France fell on penalty kicks, 4-2, in front of a viewing audience of 1.5 billion.

Following the 2026 tournament, France’s head coach Didier Deschamps will be retiring after 14 years running the national team. A player in 1998 and a manager in 2018, the 57-year-old Deschamps is one of just three men to win the World Cup as a player and coach.

“In 2026 it will be over. In my head it’s very clear. I’ve done my time, with the same desire and passion to maintain France at the highest level but 2026 is (a) very good (time to stop),” Deschamps told TF1. “One has to be able to say stop, there’s a life after this. The most important is for France to stay at the top as they have been for many years.”

Morocco had a historic run in the last World Cup, finishing fourth in the tournament.

After winning their group, the Moroccans eliminated Spain in the Round of 16 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw, and then knocked out Portugal with a 1-0 win, making them the first African country to ever advance to a World Cup semifinal. France ended their run there, 2-0, and Morocco fell to Croatia in the third-place match, 2-1, but it was a terrific performance.

While 2022 was their best showing, this will mark Morocco’s seventh appearance at the World Cup. They’ve advanced to the knockout rounds twice (1986, 2022) and own a 5-11-7 record (wins, losses, draws) on the world’s biggest stage. This will be their third consecutive appearance.

As Morocco readies for the 2026 tournament, they’re currently the 7th best team in the world, according to FIFA’s latest rankings. Oddsmakers believe they’ll have a slightly tougher road to a World Cup title though, as their +5000 odds (50-to-1) rank 12th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Morocco is the reigning 2025 Africa Cup of Nations champion, but the final match had some serious controversy.

Knotted 0-0 with Senegal, Morocco was awarded a penalty kick in extra time. Irate with the call, the Senegal players left the pitch for more than 15 minutes. They eventually returned, the penalty kick was saved, and Senegal appeared to win the match on the field, 1-0. However, the Confederation of African Football later deemed the match a forfeit by Senegal because they left the field for an extended period. Morocco was given the victory, 3-0, and the title.

Morocco is captained by Achraf Hakimi, a 27-year-old right back who is among the best in the game. Hakimi finished sixth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting, highest ever for a Moroccan-born player, and has already appeared in 93 games for the national team.

Oddsmakers are bullish on England’s chances in the 2026 World Cup.

At DraftKings, England has the third best odds to win the championship of any team in the tournament at +700. Only Spain (+450) and France (+475) have been given a better shot. England is currently No. 4 in the FIFA World rankings as well.

The English were downright dominant in the World Cup qualifiers, going a perfect 8-0 and outscoring opponents 22-0 — yes, they didn’t allow a single goal.

While England’s defense has been outstanding, striker Harry Kane is the team’s most recognizable player. The 32-year-old captain is England’s all-time leading scorer in international play with 78 goals in 112 appearances. In England’s eight qualifying matches, Kane netted eight goals for his side, so he certainly did more than his fair share.

At the 2026 World Cup, England will be looking to win its second title ever, and the first in 60 years. The last time England hoisted the World Cup trophy was in 1966 as hosts. They haven’t made it to a final since.

During the last tournament in 2022, England was eliminated in the quarterfinal by France, and in 2018 they were knocked out by Croatia in the semifinal.

The English will have a relatively new face calling the shots for their matches in Foxborough, as Thomas Tuchel took over as England’s coach last year and will be making his World Cup managerial debut in this tournament. A Champions League winner with Chelsea, the 52-year-old has gotten off to a 9-1 start as England’s manager and already earned a contract extension through 2028.

“We felt like we had a world-class coach doing a really good job for us and we wanted him to carry on,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said, via The Times. “We felt like he was really enjoying the job, the players were responding really well to him. We obviously had a good qualification campaign and we were looking ahead to 2028. Whenever we’ve got any tournament, we want to know where we are a few months ahead to remove that uncertainty.”

England’s nickname is “Three Lions,” which are prominently featured on their uniform. The crest dates back to King Richard’s reign in the 12th century. In Foxborough, their kits will reportedly feature a gold star atop their logo, paying homage to the 1966 World Cup championship. They’ll be hoping to secure a second star in 2026 to make those jerseys antiquated as quickly as possible.

Though just 25 years old, Haaland is already Norway’s all-time leading scorer in international play with 55 goals in 48 appearances. The striker was actually born in Leeds, England, but moved to his parents’ hometown of Bryne, Norway at 3 years old. He reportedly could have represented either country, but chose Norway — and the Norwegians are certainly glad he did.

Haaland was an absolute menace in qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The striker had 16 goals in eight appearances, including five against Moldova and a hat trick against Israel. Nobody else in the world had more than eight goals in the qualifiers.

Historically, Norway is relatively inexperienced at the World Cup.

The 2026 tournament will only be Norway’s fourth World Cup appearance and its first in almost three decades. They’ve made the Round of 16 twice (1938, 1998) and failed to advance from group play once (1994).

Though they haven’t appeared in a World Cup since 1998, Norway isn’t seen as a massive underdog in this tournament.

They’re currently 31st in the FIFA World Rankings, but oddsmakers are even more bullish on their team. The Norwegians have the ninth best odds to win the entire tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook (+3500). That 35-to-1 number doesn’t mean they’re a favorite, but it’s a far cry from countries like Jordan, Haiti and Curacao, who are all listed at 2500-to-1 (+250000).

Haaland may garner most of the headlines, but Martin Ødegaard is Norway’s captain. The 27-year-old midfielder has appeared in 67 national team games, scoring four goals. Ødegaard was a key player in Haaland’s bludgeoning of the qualifiers, as the midfielder registered seven assists, most of any player in the world.

Ståle Solbakken has overseen Norway’s recent ascent. A former Norwegian midfielder in his own right, Solbakken appeared in 56 national team games and was on the pitch the last time Norway made the World Cup in 1998.

Solbakken took over as manager in 2020, and though Norway didn’t qualify for the 2022 World Cup, he was very critical of Qatar as a host site due to human rights issues.

“I think that first of all Fifa has the biggest failing, given the circumstances back when Qatar was given the tournament,” Solbakken said, via the Irish Times. “That is obviously the biggest mistake. After that, I don’t think football has done enough, I don’t think journalists have done enough. I think you also have been asleep for a long, long time.”

Ghana is relatively new to World Cup play, first qualifying in 2006, but since that time they’ve appeared in five of the six tournaments. Their only miss since then was 2018.

The Ghanaian side punched their ticket for the 2026 World Cup in impressive fashion, winning CAF Group I with an 8-1-1 record and amassing 25 points. Nobody else in the group hit the 20-point mark.

Ghana is neither a favorite nor one of the longest shots in 2026. Though they’re currently the No. 73 ranked team in FIFA’s World Rankings, the Black Stars are listed at +30000 (300-to-1) to win the tournament at DraftKings.

Ghana’s best showing was in 2010, as they advanced to the quarterfinals, but were eliminated by Uruguay in controversial fashion. Tied 1-1 late in extra time, Uruguay defender Luis Suárez handballed a Ghanaian shot right on the goal line to keep it out of the net. Suárez was awarded a red card for the obvious foul, but Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty kick. Ghana went on to lose in penalties, 4-2, and was eliminated.

The Black Stars are preparing for the tournament in Rhode Island and will be conducting their training at Bryant University.

“Rhode Island is honored to welcome The Ghanaian Black Stars,” said James Diossa, chairman of the Ocean State 2026 organizing nonprofit. “They are a talented team with great depth and some young stars. It will be exciting to watch them make their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance, and our state will be invested in their success, knowing how they made Bryant University their first choice in the selection process.”

Though he’s facing multiple rape charges in London, Thomas Partey was selected for the Ghana roster by coach Carlos Queiroz. The 32-year-old midfielder has pleaded not guilty and is set to face trial in November.

“Let events run its normal course, let the river flow and one day when the river meets the ocean we will find the truth,” Queiroz said.

According to the Associated Press, Partey is “separately awaiting trial on five counts of rape related to two women and one count of sexual assault involving a third woman.”

Though Scotland has made eight World Cup appearances, this is the first time they’ve qualified for the prestigious tournament since 1998.

The Scots have never advanced beyond the group stage, so a trip to the knockout rounds would break new ground for them. Scotland didn’t lose a match in 1974, going 1-0-2 (one win, no losses, two draws), but were still left out as they fell short on goal differential. They went 1-1-1 in the next two tournaments (1978, 1982), but again, goal differential eliminated them in group play both times.

Despite a 28-year absence from the World Cup, Scotland has been ascending in recent years. They punched their tournament ticket by winning UEFA Group C with a 4-1-1 mark. They finished ahead of Denmark, Greece, and Belarus, while a trio of Scottish players scored multiple goals in the qualifiers (Ché Adams, Ryan Christie, Scott McTominay).

Scotland is neither a favorite nor one of the longest shots in the 2026 World Cup. They’re listed at +20000 (200-to-1) to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook. Those are the 24th best odds, and 48 teams qualify. Scotland currently sits 43rd in the FIFA World Rankings.

Scotland is led by left back Andy Robertson, who made his national team debut in 2014. The 32-year-old Liverpool star has been captaining the national team for the past eight years (2018). Robertson has made 90 international appearances for Scotland.

Scotland has declared June 15 a national bank holiday to celebrate the team’s return to the World Cup. The holiday will come the Monday after Scotland’s opening match against Haiti at Gillette.

“Scotland will be on the world stage this summer and I want as many people as possible to be able to celebrate that moment,” First Minister John Swinney said. “Football means a great deal to many people in this country and it has been almost three decades since our men’s national team played at the World Cup finals tournament. The joyous reaction when (manager) Steve Clarke and his players secured qualification demonstrated what it meant to end that long absence.

“We want to make the most of Scotland’s participation in this global sporting event by ensuring people have the opportunity to come together and celebrate – no matter the outcome of the match. That is why I proposed making the Monday following our opening game in Boston a national bank holiday.”

While most teams knew of their World Cup fate by the end of 2025, Iraq’s spot wasn’t secured until March 31. With the final spot in the tournament on the line, Iraq met Bolivia in a tightly-contested inter-confederation playoff. The two sides traded goals in the first half, but Iraqi forward Aymen Hussein’s strike in the 53rd minute proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 victory.

This will be Iraq’s second World Cup berth and first since 1986. During that tournament 40 years ago in Mexico, the Iraqi side went 0-3, outscored 4-1 in the three losses. Legendary striker Ahmed Radhi scored Iraq’s lone goal in World Cup play.

As expected for the team that was the last to punch its World Cup ticket, the Iraqis have long odds for this summer’s tournament. Currently No. 56 in the FIFA world rankings, Iraq is listed at +150000 (1500-to-1) to win the tournament. Only Haiti, Curacao and Jordan have longer odds.

Iraq is coached by Australian-born Graham Arnold, who took over in 2025 after managing Australia from 2018-2024. He knows his side is facing an uphill climb, but he’s not backing down.

“We qualified last. If you went through every individual player and every team, and the transfer price of all the players, we would probably be the lowest-ranked at the World Cup,” Arnold said, via Super Sport. “But it’s a World Cup. Anything can happen. And our boys have a great fighting mentality. It’s 11 versus 11. And if we win our one-versus-one battles, we can shock the world.”

The Iraq side goes by the “Lions of Mesopotamia,” with a nod to the cradle of civilization. The Lions are captained by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who has made 100 appearances for the national team.

The start of World Cup play will be a historic moment for the Haitians, as it will mark their second appearance, most of any Caribbean nation. Haiti’s first appearance came more than five decades ago. In that 1974 tournament, Haiti drew a gauntlet of a group with Italy, Argentina and Poland, and lost all three matches.

Haiti punched their ticket to the 2026 tournament by winning CONCACAF Group C by a narrow margin. The Haitians ultimately went 3-1-2 (3 wins, 1 loss, 2 draws) but finished pool play with back-to-back shutout wins over Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They narrowly edged Honduras for the top spot, 11 points to 9.

While it’s an inspiring return to World Cup play for Haiti, oddsmakers aren’t bullish on their chances to win the tournament. They are +250000 (2500-to-1) at DraftKings Sportsbook. That’s tied for the World Cup’s longest odds, along with Curacao and Jordan.

In the latest FIFA World rankings, Haiti is currently No. 81.

Haiti is led by goalkeeper Johny Placide, who has been playing for the national team since 2011. The 38-year-old captain has been in net for 79 of Haiti’s international games and takes his responsibility seriously.

“I have the role of all the veterans: to bring composure to the group, to help new players understand what it means to represent the Haitian crest, our responsibility to the country, our mission,” Placide said in an interview with FIFA during qualifying. “Today, we are a people who suffer – life in Haiti isn’t easy. When I decided to join the national team, my goal was to bring joy to people who suffer daily through football. That’s an extraordinary power. These are the kinds of messages we try to convey. And also to build a united group, because the most important thing is shared experience, objectives, and moving in the same direction together.”

Haiti’s run to the World Cup might be even more remarkable given their manager had never set foot in the country as of last November. French-born Sébastien Migné, who has been coaching the team since 2024, hadn’t been able to enter Haiti because of conflict in Port-au-Prince.

“It’s impossible because it’s too dangerous. I usually live in the countries where I work, but I can’t here. There are no more international flights landing there,” he told France Football magazine in 2025.

The 52-year-old Migné has also served as manager of Congo, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea.

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