No, seriously, USMNT are better than most are willing to admit. I've always been critical of the team in years past, but this young squad could make a deep run. It will be a challenging group stage, but they should manage to close out games against any teams in the below tiers.

Ranked 7th by FIFA in March, Spain has the potential to place very high. Unlike the other teams in this tier and above, Spain's best wins belong in tiers below. They've tied with Netherlands, and tied three times with Portugal, so their success may depend on how composed they can be in extra time.

Taking games off of Belgium and England, Netherlands has already proven they can upset the top teams. On the other hand, they're lower in overall wins and overall matches played. They have the highest ceiling in this tier, but these red flags may result in rust or lack of synergy on the pitch.

Of the top UEFA teams, Portugal never seems to be recognized as the most dominant force. Still, they're a team no one's willing to count out, thanks to Ronaldo's prowess and leadership. Yet, in the last 3 World Cups, he hasn't gotten beyond the Round of 16. This may be his last chance.

In their 3rd World Cup appearance, Senegal will be a very intriguing team. Notably in 2018, they were the first team eliminated by the fair-play tiebreaker, so they're still looking for a bracket appearance. Africa's best are in a great position to do so.

One of my favorite sleeper teams, and a likely crowd favorite. They've shown a lot of regional success, but their ability to take games off the rest of the world is unseen. This year, they lost 0-3 to USA, but have a chance to make a big statement with Belgium in their group.

Despite being ranked below Iran by FIFA, Japan is being recognized as the biggest threat coming out of Asia. Winning their group is not out of the question for this very prepared team, as I expect them to at least win against Germany and Costa Rica.

Earlier this year, many were calling Denmark contenders and dark horses. With a win over France, the group favorite and defending champions, I understand the appeal. However, they've also been dominated in three meetings with Belgium. I'm not sold.

FIFA's #1 AFC team is the epitome of hidden with the 2nd least amount of matches played. They have the 4th best win rate, without beating any teams attending. There's good mystery and there's bad mystery... time will tell.

In 2019, Tunisia beat Croatia, and in 2022 they won the Kirin Cup over Japan. This global success makes them an interesting candidate for a juicy upset. With the 4th most amount of matches played, Tunisia is ready for blood.

A FIFA top 15 team shouldn't be this low. However, Uruguay ranked low in games played and win rate, not to mention their awful history with Brazil and Argentina. Maybe their win against Mexico this year was a sign of resurgence.

With consistent wins throughout their region, it will be interesting to see how Korea does against the rest of the world. However, of their infrequent chances to play outside of Asia, they've been demolished by Brazil twice.

The Russia 2018 runner ups have certainly fallen from glory. In 9 meetings against the top 5 UEFA teams, they've recorded 1 win, and their win rate is lower than FIFA's 51st ranked Qatar. Their group is doable, but I lack faith.

Their record against these nations over the last 4 years is 3 scoreless draws and 1 blowout loss. This leads me to believe they'll struggle a lot against teams with top scoring efficiency. Could get ugly with Brazil in their group.

Going 8-5-7 in 2019 drags their win rate to the bottom 5, but their 2021 record showed improvement at 10-2-2, just as good as anyone else in their region. Regardless, they'll need a miracle comparable to their sole bracket appearance in 1994.

The Swiss have the worst win rate of attending UEFA teams. Yet, 2 teams advance out of their lackluster group. Behind Brazil, Switzerland has the highest demonstrated ceiling, with wins over France, USA and Portugal since 2021.

The host nation hasn't taken this "free" slot for granted, frequently competing in friendlies and tournaments outside of Asia. Ironically, their only wins on the attendees are on AFC teams. At least they get to play Ecuador.

The most I can say for Wales' sake is they've been very active in getting World Cup ready. The result is not a single win on participating teams. With ties against Belgium (x2), USA, Switzerland, and Croatia, they can still make things interesting.

Fairly shocking for a nation with one of the most coveted footballers in the world. They haven't been able to put up great results against the top UEFA teams, recently losing 6-1 to Belgium. Maybe a change of scenery is all they need, with a non-UEFA group stage.

In an exciting penalty shootout, featuring their eccentric goalkeeper, Australia became one of the last teams to qualify. They had the least amount of matches played after forgoing all of 2020 due to COVID-19. This team may surpass expectations, or fail miserably.