The 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearly here so let's take a look at who will be coming to Gillette Stadium.

Group C

Brasil

The big story is that Neymar will be returning. This is likely his last World Cup and he will be needed by Brasil. Against France, Seleção was lacking a No. 10 and Neymar is still the best for Brasil at filling that need. Neymar did pick up an injury but he still looks to feature in the tournament.

Elsewhere, the midfield is catastrophically old, which is concerning. The pressure will mainly be on Vini Jr., Endrick, and Raphina to step up and make up for the lack of a midfield.

On the backline, Marquinhos will lead the way and is likely to serve as captain (if it isn't Neymar). Overall, it is a decent squad but not one that seems like it can lift a trophy.

Haiti

Haiti has some local ties and support and I am excited to see them play. The most recognizable name will be Frantzdy Pierrot who played his high school soccer in Massachusetts.

Duckens Nazon is also likely to play an important role and he is currently the nation's leading goalscorer. He has 44 goals in 76 matches.

Elsewhere, Derrick Etienne Jr. will add to the MLS representation in the tournament while Ricardo Ade and Carlens Arcus are coming off strong club campaigns.

Morocco

Morocco is one of the nations that has been on the rise in recent years and is coming off an extremely controversial African Cup of Nations campaign.

The stars are clear: Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and Yassine Bounou will be key players for the African nation. Morocco has the firepower to compete against Brasil to be the top of the group.

Scotland

Scotland also has some clear stars. Scott McTominay, Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Ben Doak, John McGinn, and Che Adams will be players who fans are familiar with.

An interesting inclusion is 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon. The Hearts goalkeeper was the starter through qualification and will have a tough task in trying to help Scotland get out of the group.

Group I

France

Will Kylian Mbappe win his second-ever World Cup? It is possible.

The French squad is extremely deep with Mike Maignan behind a fortress of defenders, including Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, and Dayot Upamecano.

The midfield is a strong mix of veterans such as N'Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot as well as youngsters in Aurelien Tchouameni and Warren Zaire-Emery.

The attack is the most lethal part of the squad. Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, and Marcus Thuram are likely the strongest attack in the entire tournament.

France has to be considered a strong favorite to lift the trophy in 2026.

Iraq

The squad is headlined by midfielder Amir Al Ammari, winger Ali Jasim and talented goalscorer Aymen Hussein. Captain Jalal Hassan also returns, having missed the team’s FIFA Play-Off Tournament win over Bolivia due to injury.

Hussien has scored 93 goals on the international stage and will be an important player for the nation as it looks to battle in a strong group.

Norway

Erling Haaland and Maetin Odergaard will get the headlines but Julian Ryerson is a quality defender and Oscar Bobb is a promising talent that will only continue to improve.

Norway is likely to come in second but could contend with France for the top spot in the group.

Senegal

United States fans got an up close look at this squad and it proved that they shouldn't be taken lightly. The Lions are lead by Sadio Mane who missed out on the 2022 tournament as well as Premier League stars Habib Diarra, El Hadji Malick Diouf, Ismaila Sarr, Mamadou Sarr, Pape Matar Sarr and Iliman Ndiay. Teenagers Ibrahim Mbaye and Bara Ndiaye, who play for Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich also made the final roster.

In between the sticks, Edouard Mendy is likely to elad the way while teammate Kalidou Koulibaly will be a key piece of the backline. Additionally, veteran Idrissa Gana Gueye will provide leadership in the midfield.

Senegal will be competing with Norway for the second spot in the group and will put the Nordic nation to the test.

Group L

Croatia

Luka Modric, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic, and Nikola Vlasic will bring experience and talent to the squad. The same goes for the likes of Ivan Perisic.

MLS fans will be happy to see Marco Pasalic (Orlando City) and Petar Musa (FC Dallas) make the squad. This is another tough group as Croatia will be competing with Ghana and England for supremacy of the group.

England

Similar to the U.S. squad, the Brits roster is defined more by who isn't in it compared to who is. Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are among the absences.

The backlien seems rather lackluster with Marc Guehi and John Stones likely to shoulder a heavy burden at center back. Dan Burn is a veteran option but Tino Livramento, Nico O'Reilly, and Djed Spence are young but less experienced options.

The midfield is dominated by Jude Bellingham, Ebrechi Eze, and Declan Rice. Jordan Henderson provides some experience while Kobbie Mainoo is a young star to watch.

Finally, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka will be the key attackers. Marcus Rashford, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, and Noni Madueke will look to make an impact as well.

If England plays to its potential, it should win the group.

Ghana

Ghana will be lead from the front with veterans such as Antoine Semenyo, Iñaki Williams and Jordan Ayew.

Further back, the ever-problamatic Thomas Partey will be the man in the midfield while Jerome Opoku and Greece-based defender Baba Abdul Rahman will patrol the backline.

Rahman returns to the team for the first time since September 2023, following consistent performances for PAOK. The former Chelsea left back has made 35 appearances this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists across all competitions.

Panama

Unfortunatley for Concacaf fans, Panama is likely to be the bottom dwellers in the group. Revs II goalkeeper JD Gunn missed out on the final roster.

Adalberto Carrasquilla leads the way in the midfield alongside Anibal Godoy. Amir Murillo, Eric Davis and Fidel Escobar, along with goalkeeper Luis Mejia also return to the roster after playing in the 2018 World Cup.