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World Cup Curiosities

Facts and surprising statistics from the 2026 World Cup

* the ages and players playing in local leagues data presented here is collected from external sources may not be 100% accurate, and is shared to add entertainment and playfulness to the game.

The group of Death?

Group D (USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey) is the most balanced and suffocating of all. Any minor slip-up means instant elimination.

A clash of planets!

8 out of the 12 groups feature 4 different confederations. Unique playstyles from 4 continents clashing face-to-face.

An unbridgeable gulf!

Group C (with Brazil and Morocco) registers the highest inequality in the tournament, with a huge gap compared to Scotland and Haiti.

Elite Pace!

Group I (France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq) holds the absolute record of active players in Europe's top 5 leagues (62.5% average). Maximum competitive level!

The voice of experience!

Group K has the highest average age (28.4 years), closely followed by Group G (28.3). Maturity and leadership will be key factors in this sector.

International passport!

Group F has only 10.58% of players in local leagues. Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia export nearly 90% of their rosters.

The kings of consistency!

Group L (England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama) is the most successful in the mid-term, accumulating an amazing 126 points in the last 4 World Cups.

The group of calm!

Group B is the friendliest on paper, registering the lowest average FIFA ranking (42.2) and only 32 points in the last decade.

Groups DNA

The defining quality of each group stage zone

a

Group A

True to their roots!

The group with the highest average of players in local leagues (52.9%), led by South Africa and Mexico.

b

Group B

Land of opportunities!

The group with the lowest average FIFA ranking in the entire World Cup (42.2). A golden chance to qualify!

c

Group C

Clash of giants and rebels!

The most unequal group of the tournament with a ranking standard deviation of 31.3. Any surprises ahead?

d

Group D

The true group of death!

Maximum parity and tension with a ranking standard deviation of just 8.8. Nobody has a guaranteed pass.

e

Group E

Far from the recent top!

The worst performing group in 2022 (only 4 points combined), eager to change history.

f

Group F

Elite exporters!

The group with the lowest percentage of local league players (13.5%), with nearly all players competing in top foreign leagues.

g

Group G

Battle of veterans!

One of the groups with the highest average age (28.3), alongside Group K (28.4), where experience will matter more than physical stamina.

h

Group H

Traditional dynamic clash!

The only group in the World Cup featuring two former world champions (Spain and Uruguay) facing squads with a very high wildcard factor.

i

Group I

Elite Pace

The group with the highest percentage of players in Europe's top 5 leagues (62.5% average), led by the powerhouse squads of France and Senegal.

j

Group J

The champion's path!

Argentina begins the defense of its crown in a physically demanding and highly tactical group.

k

Group K

History in the making!

The group with the lowest combined historical World Cup experience (only 15 appearances total), featuring Uzbekistan's debut and DR Congo's return after 52 years.

l

Group L

Golden consistency!

Highest amount of points accumulated in recent World Cups (126 combined points in the last decade).