2026 FIFA World Cup Group B
FIFA World Cup group
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Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place from June 12 to 24, 2026.[1] The group consisted of Canada (co-host), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland. This also marked the return of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar to the World Cup finals, with the Bosnians making their first appearance since 2014 and Qatar returning after hosting the tournament in 2022.
Switzerland began their World Cup campaign with a draw, and would go on to top the group after winning their next two group games. Canada finished as runners-up, thanks to their first ever World Cup win against Qatar, and both teams advanced to the round of 32.
Bosnia and Herzegovina finished in third based on goal difference, and their performance secured them as one of the eight best third-place teams,[2] allowing them to progress to the knockout stage. Qatar finished fourth after losing their second and third group games, which resulted in their elimination.
Teams
| Draw position | Team | Pot | Confederation | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Previous best performance |
FIFA Rankings[3][4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025[nb 1] | June 2026 | |||||||||
| B1 |  Canada | 1 | CONCACAF | Co-host | February 14, 2023[nb 2] | 3rd | 2022 | Group stage (1986, 2022) | 27 | 30 |
| B2 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4[nb 3] | UEFA | UEFA second round Path A winner | March 31, 2026 | 2nd | 2014 | Group stage (2014) | 71[nb 3] | 64 |
| B3 |  Qatar | 3 | AFC | AFC fourth round Group A winner | October 14, 2025 | 2nd | 2022 | Group stage (2022) | 51 | 56 |
| B4 |  Switzerland | 2 | UEFA | UEFA Group B winner | November 18, 2025 | 13th | 2022 | Quarterfinals (1934, 1938, 1954) | 17 | 19 |
Notes
- The rankings of November 2025 were used for seeding for the final draw.[5]
- Although the United bid was selected on June 13, 2018, the automatic berths allocated to the hosts were not confirmed until a decision by the FIFA Council on February 14, 2023.[6]
- As the identity of the UEFA second round Path A winner was not known at the time of the final draw, positions in the FIFA Rankings were not taken into account, and the placeholder in the draw was automatically seeded into pot 4.[5]
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Canada (H) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 4[a] | |
| 3 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4[a] | |
| 4 | Qatar |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 1 |
- Tied on head-to-head result (Canada 1–1 Bosnia and Herzegovina). Overall goal difference was used as the tiebreaker.
In the round of 32:[2]
- The winner of Group B, Switzerland, advanced to play the third-place team of Group J, Algeria.
- The runner-up of Group B, Canada, advanced to play the runner-up of Group A, South Africa.
- The third-place team of Group B, Bosnia and Herzegovina, advanced to play the winner of Group D, the United States, as one of the eight best third-place teams from the group stage.
Matches
All times listed are local.[1]
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
The two teams had never met before.
Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute when Jovo Lukić headed into the net from close range after Sead Kolašinac had flicked on Ivan Bašić's corner from the right. In the 78th minute it was 1–1 when substitute Cyle Larin scored with a deflected shot to the right of the net.
With a 1–1 draw, this marked the first time that Canada won a point at a World Cup, after they had been beaten in all three games in 1986 and then again in 2022.[7]
| Canada | 1–1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|---|---|---|
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[Report 1] |
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         Canada[8]
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    Bosnia and Herzegovina[8]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[8]
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Qatar vs Switzerland
The teams previously met in a 2018 friendly, which ended in a 1–0 win for Qatar.[10]
In the 17th minute, Switzerland were awarded a penalty when Remo Freuler was fouled by the diving Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. Television replays appeared to show Freuler had strayed marginally offside in the build-up but the penalty was awarded and was scored by Breel Embolo with a low finish to the left. In the 94th minute, Qatar scored an equalizer when Switzerland defender Miro Muheim under pressure from Boualem Khoukhi, headed a Homam Ahmed cross from the left past his own goalkeeper to the right of the net with the match finishing 1–1.[11]
This was the first time Qatar earned a point at the World Cup, after losing three consecutive matches as the host nation in 2022.[12]
     Qatar[13]
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     Switzerland[13]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[13]
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Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
The teams had only met in a 2016 friendly, which ended in a 2–0 win for Bosnia.[14]
As for Bosnia, this was their biggest defeat in a World Cup match since their debut in 2014.
| Switzerland | 4–1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|---|---|---|
| [Report 3] |
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    Switzerland[15]
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Bosnia and Herzegovina[15]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[15]
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Canada vs Qatar
The teams previously faced each other once in 2022, a friendly won 2–0 by Canada.[16]
This was the first World Cup match won by Canada in its history, and the biggest winning margin by a nation outside of UEFA or CONMEBOL in World Cup history.
Additionally, Jonathan David became the first North American player to score a World Cup hat-trick since Bert Patenaude did so for the United States against Paraguay in 1930, and the first player to score a World Cup hat-trick on home soil since Geoff Hurst did so for England against West Germany in the 1966 final.[17] He also became the second player to score a hat-trick in the tournament, after Lionel Messi did so in Argentina's opening match against Algeria.[18]
As for Qatar, this was their worst World Cup defeat to date, and the second-largest for any Arab nation in tournament history, behind Saudi Arabia’s 8–0 loss to Germany in 2002.
    Canada[19]
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     Qatar[19]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[19]
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Switzerland vs Canada
The teams' only meeting took place in 2002, a friendly won 3–1 by Canada.[20]
With this fixture, co-hosts Canada finished as Group B runners-up behind Switzerland, who secured the top spot after handing the Canadians their only defeat. A day later, fellow co-hosts the United States also suffered a setback, losing 3–2 to already-eliminated Turkey in Group D in Los Angeles. This leaves Mexico as the only co-host to remain undefeated, having won all of their group stage matches.
The loss forced Canada to play against Group A runners-up South Africa outside of its borders for the round of 32 in Los Angeles, as failing to top the group cost them a guaranteed spot on home soil, a match which was also played in Vancouver.
| Switzerland | 2–1 | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| [Report 5] |
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Switzerland[21]
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    Canada[21]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[21]
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Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar
The teams had met twice: Qatar won 2–0 in 2000, and their most recent meeting was a 1–1 draw in 2010.[22]
Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-goal victory secured their first-ever spot in the round of 32. Meanwhile, Qatar was eliminated from the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup, following their 2022 exit as hosts.
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3–1 | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
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[Report 6] |
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  Bosnia and Herzegovina[23]
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Qatar[23]
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[23]
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Discipline
The team conduct ("fair play") score would have been used as a tiebreaker if the head-to-head and overall records of teams were tied. It would also be used as a tiebreaker for the third-place ranking between groups if the overall records of teams were tied. The score was calculated based on yellow and red cards received by players and team officials in all group matches as follows:[2]
- yellow card: −1 point;
- indirect red card (second yellow card): −3 points;
- direct red card: −4 points;
- yellow card and direct red card: −5 points;
Only one of the above deductions could be applied to a player or team official in a single match.
| Team | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 | Score | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Switzerland |
1 | 1 | 1 | −3 | |||||||||
| Canada |
2 | 1 | 2 | −5 | |||||||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | −10 | ||||||||
| Qatar |
2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | −12 | ||||||||