This is Belgium’s group to lose and should have no issue sweeping the competition and play for a final four appearance. Oh Canada, we are so glad to have you in the World Cup after a 36-year drought from your first appearance. I’m excited to watch our northern neighbors compete on the world stage. Morocco travels to their second straight World Cup for the first time since 1994 and 1998 and hope to make some noise close to home from North Africa. Croatia returns for their third straight World Cup appearance after becoming runner-up in a Cinderella story in 2018. Are they poised for another run back to the finals?

BELGIUM (2)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (14TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (THIRD PLACE IN 2018)

Belgium returns with one of the most experienced squads in their club’s history. They made it to the quarterfinals in their return from a 12-year hiatus in 2014 and followed up with a third place victory in 2018. Their roster continues to build through experience with talent following behind them. This could be the best squad that should compete for another final four appearance and even…a World Cup title.

CANADA (41)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (2ND APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (1986)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (DIDN’T ADVANCE IN 1986)

Canada finally returns to the World Cup after a three-decade drought. The Canucks could have a say in advancing to the knockout stage. But like Qatar, none of the players have experience at the World Cup stage and there’s no clue what their expectations will be. Whatever speculation could be, it’ll be fun to watch them play.

MOROCCO (22)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (6TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (DIDN’T ADVANCE IN 2018)

Morocco should be reluctant to play close to home this time. There’s also a few predicting them advancing to the knockout stage. Some even think the second spot in the group is up for grabs. If this isn’t enough motivation for this squad to play spoiler, I don’t know what will.

CROATIA (12)

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES (6TH APPEARANCE)/LAST APPEARANCE (2018)

FARTHEST IN LAST APP. (RUNNER-UPS IN 2018)

Croatia returns after coming up short in the finals against France. That was one heck of a Cinderella story to watch when they pulled off not one, not two, but three straight overtime victories in the knockout stage (two penalty kick victories). That was the first time any club pulled off this feat in World Cup history to make it all the way to the finals. With a return of Ivan Perisic and Luka Modric, they look for a return to the knockout stage, but with a target on their backs this time.

MATCHUPS:

GROUP MATCH 12: MOROCCO VS. CROATIA (NOVEMBER 23RD)

GROUP MATCH 9: BELGIUM VS. CANADA (NOVEMBER 23RD)

GROUP MATCH 26: BELGIUM VS. MOROCCO (NOVEMBER 27TH)

GROUP MATCH 27: CROATIA VS. CANADA (NOVEMBER 27TH)

GROUP MATCH 41: CROATIA VS. BELGIUM (DECEMBER 2ND)

GROUP MATCH 42: CANADA VS. MOROCCO (DECEMBER 2ND)

WHO SURVIVES THE GROUP:

BELGIUM

As I said before, Belgium sweeps the group without any issue. They should have the easiest group of all groups in the tournament.

CANADA

This is a gamble. I will give Canada a nod on this one. Maybe Croatia is hungover after coming up short in the World Cup finals. Maybe Canada has a chip on their shoulder and wants to play spoiler. Canada wasn’t great 36 years ago, but maybe three decades of watching, learning, and applying from other squads helped them develop their roster for a return and more. They’ll likely lose to Belgium, but anything goes for their last two matchups.

RESULTS

BELGIUM 9 POINTS

CANADA 4 POINTS

CROATIA 4 POINTS

MOROCCO 0 POINTS