As a group, F may be a lot of fun. Canada is the only team not ranked in the top 25 by FIFA, but they indeed hold their own. Croatia and Belgium are the favourites in Europe, but Morocco has a shot at making the podium. It’s obvious how this bunch will shake out, but there will still be a few surprises.
Group Stage: Group F Complete Match Schedule
Despite Belgium’s first win in Group F, the two remaining spots in the elimination stages are still up for grabs.
Belgium’s Red Devils trailed tournament debutants Canada for most of their first group-round match. A goal from Michy Batshuayi was the difference, but Canada proved they would be a force to be regarded within this group.
The other match, between Croatia and Morocco, ended in a 0-0 stalemate, which threw the whole tournament into chaos. As for Canada’s next opponents, they’ll be taking against Croatia and Morocco.
With a win over Morocco on their second matchday, Belgium will guarantee themselves a position in the Round of 16. The Atlas Lions’ staunch defence and many Moroccan fans in attendance should make things difficult.
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Morocco vs Croatia | 05:00 A.M. | Al Bayt Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Canada vs Belgium | 02:00 P.M. | Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Belgium vs Morocco | 08:00 A.M. | Al Thumama |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Croatia vs Canada | 11:00 A.M. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Croatia vs Belgium | 10:00 A.M. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Canada vs Morocco | 10:00 A.M. | Al Thumama |
Morocco Team Brief Overview
Nothing could have gone wrong more for the Atlas Lions. They’re one of the hottest teams heading into the World Cup after being unbeaten in qualification from 2019 to 2021, and they may be eliminated early if they can’t repeat their 1986 performance.
Morocco will require a perfect performance from the stars to make it out of this group since they are the first African country to do so.
- FIFA Ranking: 23
- Odds of Winning Group: Sleepers
- One Player to Watch: Youssef En-Nesyri, a 25-year-old attacker, has not scored for Sevilla yet this year. So, this is a beautiful chance for him to resume his scoring ways.
Croatia Team Brief Overview
Croatia hopes to improve their 2018 World Cup runner-up performance as they compete again. Croatia’s experience is its greatest strength, particularly in the middle of the field.
Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, and Mateo Kovacic have 317 caps for Croatia. They have the majority of their 2018 World Cup squad intact, so they should be able to make another deep run.
- FIFA Ranking: 12
- Odds of Winning Group: The Favorites, depending on who you ask
- One Player to Watch: Joko Gvardiol became Croatia’s youngest player at Euro 2020.
Canada Team Brief Overview
After 20 years of development, Canada’s federation qualified for the World Cup again for the first time since 1986. The Reds’ chances of advancing out of the group stage are low, but they still have a chance to cause trouble.
Stars like Alphonso Davies bring in the crowds, but Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, and the rest of the supporting cast will completely lose it.
- FIFA Ranking: 41
- Odds of Winning Group: Dark Horse
- One Player to Watch: Just 17 years old, when he made his senior team debut, Alphonso Davies was the youngest player in the tournament.
Belgium Team Brief Overview
Belgium’s Golden Generation soccer team is about to retire. The final chance for the core group of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Alex Witsel, and Thibaut Courtois to win the World Cup is in 2022.
They have the most star power; thus, they are the group’s favourite. They make a relatively low-key entrance to the competition, which is well known to be their last appearance on the global stage.
- FIFA Ranking: 2
- Odds of Winning Group: The Consensus Favorites
- One Player to Watch: Jeremy Doku is the shining light of Belgium’s youth generation, and the striker has a chance to be a key cog in their run this season.