Based on rankings and recent form, England are clear group favourites to easily navigate the group stage and contend for a deep run in the 2026 World Cup.Croatia are contenders for second position, while Panama face an uphill battle to take points off the two European heavyweights but can pull a surprise or two. The odds seem against Ghana based on their ranking. ENGLAND When Three Lions head coach Thomas Tuchel revealed his final squad for the global showpiece, it was received with much criticism. Big names like Harry Maguire, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, to name a few, were ommitted. It was also labelled a brave move the German manager made by many pundits, to leave out those marquee players, who have been part of the build-up. All eyes will be on the England team and whether their boss made the correct choices.The last time the England tasted the competition silverware was exactly 60 years ago, on home soil in 1966.Since then England have had a a few ‘golden generations’ made up of top-draw English Premier League players, but haven’t managed to crack the code. The 1990 and 2018 semifinals were the closest they got. Four years ago in Qatar they had a quarterfinal exit to France. Can this year’s combination emulate the country’s celebrated 1966 heroes of manager Alf Ramsey, led on the field by Bobby Moore and spearheaded by Sir Bobby Charlton? They appear more than capable of it.They have the all-time leading scorer for England, Harry Kane, who has been in his best scoring form of his life for Bayern Munich. Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham and the Arsenal EPL-winning duo of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are game changers and can finish off any opposition on their day.Tuchel is a coach who knows how to win trophies, his titles including the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League, 2021 UEFA Super Cup and 2022 FIFA Club World Cup with with Chelsea. He has prioritised a winning combination over trying to include all the star names, which had been a previous failing for England. The Lions face Croatia in their opening game on June 17, and from there could make a dent at this World Cup.Fifa ranking: 4Best World Cup finishes: Champions (1966)World Cup appearances: 16CROATIA The Vatreni, ever four years in, every four years out at the World Cup, always bring out their A-game. However since making their debut at the World Cup in 1998, the silverware has always managed to slip out of their hands. There was the 2018 final defeat to France and third-place finishes in their inaugural campaign and 2022 in Qatar from a country that punches far above its weight in football. Their roadmap to the 2026 World Cup has been red-hot, as they were unbeaten in the qualifiers.The class of 2026 is a mix of experience and youth, headlined by legendary 40-year-old Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric and veterans Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, and Josko Gvardiol. Zlatko Dalić is one of the longest-serving coaches at the World Cup having served his country since 2017, and schemed their past tournament successes.Fifa ranking: 11Best World Cup finishes: Runners-up (2018)World Cup appearances: 6GHANAAsamoah Gyan’s penalty hitting the top of the crossbar and flying over in the quarterfinal against Uruguay in 2010, after Luis Suarez had hand-balled the striker’s shot on the line, remains a nightmare memory even today for the Black Stars. This year’s group has another chance to erase that painful memory from 16 years ago where the where the Black Stars were cruelly denied becoming Africa’s first World Cup seimfinalists on the continent’s soil at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. In 2014 and 2022, Ghana failed to make it past the group stage. Form-wise, they are in good shape going into this year’s edition, as they comfortably topped Group I in the African qualifiers with 25 points to second-placed Madagascar’s 19, earning eight wins, a draw and a defeat in 10 games.But what would be a concern would be the new tactics and strategies brought by veteran Portuguese manager Carlos Queiroz, who took over in April, replacing Otto Addo just months before the World Cup. Ghana also failed to rebuild much of their 2010 combination well into the 2020s, meaning they have had an ageing combination for some time.The Black Stars do still have star quality, though. Queiroz named a strong squad, with hugely experienced Jordan Ayew (now at League One club Leicester City) serving as the captain, Villarreal’s Thomas Partey, Atletico Bilbao’s Iñaki Williams and Manchester City Antoine Semenyo included. They face Panama in their opener at BMO Field in Toronto on June 18. Fifa ranking: 73Best World Cup finishes: Quarterfinals (2010)World Cup appearances: 4PANAMALos Canaleros return to the big stage after making their debut in 2018.Though they bowed out in the group stage after three defeats in Russia, they created unforgettable moments and won friends with some sparkling football. They will hope to perhaps cause some big upsets in Group L. They will be led by Danish coach Thomas Christiansen, who steered them from the Concacaf qualifying process to the World Cup. Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla, who won the Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year award in 2024, will be their go-to man.A ranking of 34th suggests they could perform better at this World Cup.Fifa ranking: 34Best World Cup finishes: Group Stage (2018)World Cup appearances: 1• TimesLIVE, Sowetan, The Herald, Daily Dispatch and Business Day online will profile a 2026 WORLD CUP GROUP every Tuesday until the tournament’s June 11 kick-off. Also catch the STAR PLAYER profile every Friday.