NFL
By: Randall Slifer
The World Cup is approaching quickly, and rosters are being finalized in preparation. As a once-in-a-lifetime scenario, the USA is hosting this World Cup. It will be interesting to see who gets through the group stage.
The new rules of the group of 32 put a new test on the World Cup. The ability to advance from a group as a 3rd-place representative is interesting, to say the least. Now, only 8 of the 12 3rd-place teams will advance, so it is not a guarantee you will advance. Still, every team’s focus should be on getting 1st or 2nd in their group. That’s because the chances of a 3rd-place team advancing past the round of 32 are very slim.
Group C is a tough bracket aligned with Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, and Haiti. Both Brazil and Morocco are ranked in the top 10 in the world. Scotland has caught some buzz in the past 5 years. Let’s take a quick look at a quick outlook on the group as a whole. Then, we can break down each team more specifically, closer to the start of the World Cup:
Scotland
Manager: Steve Clarke
Steve Clarke is making his World Cup Debut for Scotland, having coached the team since 2019 and previously managed teams like Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Liverpool. Clarke led Scotland to their first major tournament in 23 years at UEFA Euro 2020, and continued with Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup Bid.
Style: 4-2-3-1
Clarke uses a 4-2-3-1 style in international play to keep 6 back and play a physical style of football. He relies on his defense to be structured and sound, and on his midfielders to do much of the work. He will have his team push the ball out wide with his outside midfielders to bring it down to the corner and open up the final third of the field. Clarke relies on accurate passing and sending it back to midfielders for their chance to score.
Top Players
Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay has burst onto the scene in Napoli, becoming a prolific goalscorer. In the last two years, he has scored 22 goals in 67 matches and added 6 assists. Expect Scott McTominay to be showcased as their top midfielder and set him up for as many goal-scoring chances as he can get.
Che Adams
If Scotland can get some striker power in this World Cup, it should begin with Che Adams. In the past two years, he has notched 15 goals and 5 assists at Torino and scored 2 goals in 6 matches during the World Cup qualifiers.
Biggest question entering the World Cup: Age
Scotland may roll out 43-year-old Craig Gordon as their goalie, making him the 2nd-oldest player to play in the World Cup. Their primary defenders are 28 or older and have some midfielders in their 30s. Can Scotland keep up with Morocco and Brazil, when they have aging players and a weaker roster?
Haiti
Manager: Sebastian Migne
Sebastian Migne has been a coach since 2013 and has coached many international teams like Congo, Kenya, and Cameroon. He was nominated for the CAF Men’s National Team of the Year award in 2018 for Kenya. After moving to Haiti, he led them to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, their 2nd-ever World Cup appearance.
Style: 4-2-3-1
Haiti knows they are projected to be 4th in this group, and they come with a plan just for that. Haiti will play the long ball in hopes of creating mismatches or mistakes in the final 3rd of the field. Defenders will send the long ball in hopes of a 3 v 2 matchup in the back and capitalize on those opportunities to score goals. Will it work? Stranger things have happened.
Top Players:
Duckens Nazon
Duckens is the striker they will look to take those long balls and capitalize on them with 1-on-1s. He is Haiti’s all-time top goalscorer with 44 goals and looks to add to that record this year.
Hannes Delcroix
Hannes is a left-footed center back who does a great job at commanding the back 6 to stay organized and stout. He is a top defender for FC Lugano and looks to keep the defense on their toes for the full 90 minutes of each game.
Biggest question mark: Costly Turnovers
When their style of scoring goals is sending the long ball from the defenders, that comes with turnovers in precarious spots, Haiti is known for giving the ball up in their defensive zone, which is brutal in World Cup play. All three teams in group C will look to capitalize on these turnovers. Can Haiti limit those turnovers to stay in the mix and get a bid to the round of 32?
Morocco
Manager: Walid Negragui
Walid is the Moroccan manager for the infamous 2022 World Cup and their run to the semi-finals. That was the first national team from Africa and the Arab world to reach the semi-finals. He has maintained a strong resume with the Moroccan National team since that run, posting a 19-game winning streak from 2024-2025.
Style: 4-2-3-1
Moroccan soccer is a fun style of play, where they look to create mismatches with transition and speed. Defenders know not to waste any time in possession of the ball and move it quickly into midfield. The speed at which they can transition can create gaps between the center back and outside backs, leading to breakaways and two-on-ones that can result in game-changing goals.
Top Players
Achraf Hakimi
Hakimi is a strong defensive back who can quickly contribute to those transitional goals. As a right-back, he has 11 assists over the last 2 years with Paris Saint-Germain and had 1 assist at the 2022 World Cup.
Youssef En-Nesyri
Youssef is looking to build off his impressive 2022 World Cup, scoring 2 goals in 7 matches. Recently, in the Saudi Pro League, he has scored 6 goals in 13 matches, and 2 goals in 4 matches in the AFC Champions League.
Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair is one of the primary defensive backs for the Moroccan National Team. As a primary defender at Manchester United, he is pivotal to Morocco’s attempt at another legendary run. Expect Noussair to lead the charge in getting his defenders ready to stand strong, but also be the creators of the mismatches they look for in transition goals.
Biggest Question Mark: Can they continue the run?
It will be hard to replicate what they did in the 2022 World Cup. Getting out of the group stage no longer means much, and they may need to focus on finishing 1st in the group rather than 2nd. The easier path past the group stage will be a better sign of how far they can go in this World Cup.
Brazil
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti has been a manager for a long time and has coached teams like Real Madrid and Everton. He was also the manager for Italy and is now the manager for Brazil. Ancelotti is looking to get Brazil back into the finals, as they have not won a World Cup since 2002.
Style: 4-2-3-1
Brazil’s style of futbol is one of the most fun games to watch. They allow their players to use their footwork without limits and play freely. They like some style and ability to bend the ball any way they can. Brazil will look to possess the ball slowly in the middle of the field and send it out to the wings to put it back into the box. They will let their players go one-on-one on the outside to allow the other players to move well off the ball and get open for a header or a trap-and-shoot situation.
Top Players
Marcos Correa (Marquinhos)
Marquinhos is the heart of the defense in the center-back position. He is a captain for the Brazil National Team as well as Paris Saint-Germain. At 32 years old, he has won 11 championships and has had over 300 starts.
Gabriel Magalhães
Magalhaes just won the Premier League for Arsenal this year. He is considered one of the best defenders in the world, thanks to his aggression and accuracy in sending the ball from the backfield. The left-footed back played the full 90 minutes in all his 30 starts this year, and had 3 goals and 4 assists with the Premier League Champions this year.
Biggest Question Mark: Neymar Jr
Neymar Jr was selected to the Brazilian National team, something that was up in the air due to his hamstring and knee injuries. Therefore, Neymar will not participate in any friendlies and will most likely come off the bench at the World Cup. Can Neymar show any potential that he has left in this 2026 World Cup and get this team back to the finals?
Group C will be an interesting group to see how it unfolds. The first- and second-place teams from Group C will play Group F, and that group is very good. Group F contains Japan, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Whoever gets 1st in that group is someone I would not want to face in the round of 32, because they will be ready to go and advance quickly. Getting first place in Group C seems to be a priority, and who will get it? Right now, I’m betting on Brazil, but don’t be surprised if Morocco steals it.
