A lot of eyes will be on Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We’ve got everything from contenders to Cinderellas across four different continents. How this group shakes out will have a significant sway over the final stages of this World Cup. I’ll break down each of the four teams before picking the best value to win the group.
The Field
Brazil is the top contender from this group. The fifth-best team in FIFA’s rankings, they were one of the favorites to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but ultimately fell short. Now they’re back with a vengeance, and new manager Carlo Ancelotti is looking to lead them to greatness after racking up trophies at Real Madrid.
On pure talent, they have a case for the best in the world. That starts at the back with Liverpool No. 1 goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Still one of the top backstops in the world, he’s as good a starter as you can ask for. They also have Ederson, who was recently the No. 1 for Manchester City and remains in sharp form at Fenerbahce.
Brazil’s center-back group has a strong case for the best in the world. Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães, Real Madrid’s Éder Militao, and PSG’s Marquinhos are all starters for any team; one of them will be a bench option for Ancelotti. Caio Henrique (Monaco) figures to have one of the fullback slots; it’s unclear whether veteran Alex Sandro will take the other or whether budding Roma star Wesley will take the spot.
Midfield is arguably the Brazilians’ “weak” point. Newcastle United superstar Bruno Guimaraes leads the way as a true box-to-box option. They’re a little too reliant on Manchester United man Casemiro, who looks like he’s running in mud sometimes. Perhaps Ancelotti will turn to Lucas Paqueta (West Ham) or Andrey Santos (Chelsea) to get more youth and athleticism from his defensive midfielders. One of Casemiro’s teammates, Matheus Cunha, figures to hold down the center attacking midfield spot.
The forward group is truly unbelievable, and it starts with Ancelotti’s former star boys at Madrid. Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior have been playing together for quite some time, but the pressure was too much for the youngsters in the last World Cup. Now that they’ve had more seasoning, they’re ready to take the world by storm. Those two will be supported by Joao Pedro (Chelsea) and veteran Tottenham striker Richarlison. We may even get a look at 18-year-old Chelsea wunderkind Estevao, considered the future of this attacking group.
Brazil is loaded top to bottom. If Ancelotti presses the right buttons, they could walk away with their first World Cup in more than 20 years. How they handle business in the group stage will tell us a lot.
Morocco is next in line among the group contenders. The dominant force in Africa, this World Cup is a culmination of their build-up over the past decade.
It starts with a back line anchored by PSG fullback Achraf Hakimi. One of the best offensive wing-backs in the world, he loves to push down the flank and create pressure with his dribbling and progressive passing skills. He’s supported by his opposite number, FC Utrecht wing-back Souffian El Karouani, while Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd holds down the middle. Finding consistency from the other CB spot may prove problematic, but it’s a strong base.
The midfield group is young and hungry. Manager Walid Regragui favors three men in the middle: Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven), Neil El Aynaoui (Roma), and Eliesse Ben Seghir (Leverkusen). Ben Seghir may be the true breakout star here; the 20-year-old can play all over the front group and has excellent dribbling craft. An elite performance from the youngster changes the outlook for this team.
How the front three perform will decide a lot. Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz figures to hold down one wing spot with Real Betis man Abdessamad Ezzalzouli on the other. The striker position is a bit more unclear; Lille’s Hamza Igamane and Fenerbahce’s Youssef En-Nesyri figure to split a lot of the playing time.
It’s a strong team top to bottom with elite talents that can take them far. And they won’t have to wait long to measure up against Brazil; the two teams play their opening game against each other.
Scotland is one of the stories of the tournament. Their qualification was nothing short of a miracle story, capped off by a dramatic victory in a must-win game against Denmark.
They’re a solid side with upset potential. Scotland’s strong group of wing backs fueled them in the qualifying stages, getting huge contributions from Kieran Tierney (Celtic) and Aaron Hickey (Brentford). The Napoli midfield duo of Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay provide a steady presence up the middle, and McTominay always seems to find goals in big moments. Aston Villa stalwart John McGinn always steps up playing for his country.
In another group and with a better draw, Scotland would be an intriguing long shot to win the group. But drawing down against the mightiest teams that South America and Africa have to offer is a tough go. But we’ll always have that qualifying run.
Scotland’s story isn’t even the most inspiring in the group. Haiti has qualified for their first World Cup since 1974, which is incredible by itself. You can see the pure joy from their players when they learned they’d make their dreams come true.
The conditions in which Haiti qualified are nothing short of miraculous. Since 2021, the country has been in a state of civil unrest, with political violence putting the entire island in danger. Gangs seized the national stadium, forcing the team to play all its home qualifying matches in Curaçao. Despite these hardships on and off the pitch, Haiti made a miracle run to qualify for the Cup and bring joy to a struggling people. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.
Their squad doesn’t have the goods to make noise in this stacked group. But being here means more to them than it does to any other team. That can never be taken away from them.
The Pick
Here’s how the odds look for winning Group C:
Obviously, it isn’t easy to find value in Brazil here. Spain is the only team with shorter odds to win their group. Morocco is the only team with a realistic shot at upsetting them, and even if they do, Brazil could find a way back into the top of the group.
The value here is on Brazil to run the table. They’ve got the talent edge, the coaching, and won’t mind the hot conditions of their venues. You can get Brazil to win all three group-stage games at a tidy +100.
