World Cup 2026 Group of Death: which group is the toughest?

The 'Group of Death' is the group where too many strong teams are drawn together and someone good is guaranteed to go home early. With only the top two assured of progress, the 2026 draw has a few contenders.

Group I — France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq

The standout candidate. France are among the favourites, Senegal are a powerhouse with real pedigree, and Norway bring Erling Haaland's goals. Two of those three miss out on automatic qualification.

Group L — England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana

England against the 2018 finalists Croatia is a heavyweight tie, with Ghana a dangerous third side.

Group G — Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand

Belgium and an Egypt side built around Mohamed Salah make this trickier than it first looks.

Disagree on which is toughest? Rank every group your way on the predictor and see how the bracket falls out.