CANADA I RANK: 30 BEST FINISH: GROUP STAGE (1986, 2022) Known more as a hockey nation, Canada are hoping to make their mark on football as one of the co-hosts of the sport’s biggest event. Canada have been to the World Cup twice before, in Mexico 1986 and 2022, but the team has never advanced past the group stage. The team finished at the bottom of their group in Qatar four years ago, but Alphonso Davies scored the nation’s first World Cup goal in a 4-1 loss to Croatia. Davies, who plays for Bayern Munich, is among the most prominent players in the squad, along with Juventus forward Jonathan David.SWITZERLAND I RANK: 19 BEST FINISH: QF (1934, 1938, 1954) The Swiss have played in the last five World Cups, making the knockout round in the last three but never advancing any further. Switzerland have been to the quarterfinals of the World Cup three times, but not since 1954. The Swiss didn’t drop a game during qualifying, conceding just two goals in six matches. But in friendlies in March, the team fell 4-3 to Germany before playing to a scoreless draw with Norway.Also Read | FIFA World Cup Group A: A study in contrastsQATAR I RANK: 55 BEST FINISH: GROUP STAGE (2022) Qatar are making their second World Cup appearance, after qualifying as hosts in 2022. Eliminated in the group stage, Mohammed Muntari scored the nation’s only World Cup goal in a 3-1 loss to Senegal. The nation has been ambitious about building both a respectable national team and a domestic league. Nearly all of the team’s players play professionally in Qatar. Team captain Hassan Al-Haydos, who retired from the national team in 2024 but returned for World Cup campaign, has scored 41 goals in 184 international matches.Also Read | FIFA 2026: Iran to play World Cup warm-up behind closed doors, head to Mexico on SaturdayBOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA I RANK: 65 BEST FINISH: GROUP STAGE (2014) Bosnia earned one of the last spots in the World Cup after eliminating four-time world champion Italy in a penalty shootout on March 31, sparking a wave of celebrations across the Balkan country. Striker Edin Džeko, widely regarded as Bosnia’s greatest player, injured his shoulder during the match. The 40-yearold, who plays for Germany’s Schalke 04, is Bosnia’s all-time top scorer, with 73 goals in 148 international appearances. It is the team’s second World Cup; they also made the field in 2014 but were eliminated in the group stage.