Overview
- Teams submitted final 26-player squads by the June 1 deadline and are completing last-minute fitness checks before the June 11 tournament kickoff.
- Germany enter Group E under Julian Nagelsmann with a clear mission to recover from group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022 and a squad built around Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and veterans such as Joshua Kimmich and Antonio Rüdiger.
- Ecuador arrive with strong credentials after qualifying behind only Argentina and conceding just five goals in 18 qualifying matches under coach Sebastián Beccacece, giving them defensive solidity to challenge for the knockout stage.
- Curaçao make their first World Cup appearance led by veteran coach Dick Advocaat and a compact qualifying run, while Ivory Coast return after 2014 with Emerse Fae’s tactically flexible side seeking a first-ever knockout win and buoyed by a high-profile friendly win over France.
- The expanded 48-team format changes group strategy because the top two in each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance, which alters how coaches manage squad rotation, player fitness and match tactics in the extended group stage.