2026 FIFA World Cup: Group C preview, what to know

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Major League Soccer

·5 Juni 2026

2026 FIFA World Cup: Group C preview, what to know

By MLSsoccer staff

Group C at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature Brazil, Haiti, Morocco and Scotland.

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The top two teams from each group, as well as the top eight third-place finishers, each advance to the knockout phase (Round of 32).

Here's what awaits in Group C during the expanded 48-team tournament, which will unfold June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Group C schedule

June 13 - 6 pm ET: Brazil vs. Morocco | New York/New Jersey
June 13 - 9 pm ET: Haiti vs. Scotland | Boston, Massachusetts
June 19 - 6 pm ET: Scotland vs. Morocco | Boston, Massachusetts
June 19 - 8:30 pm ET: Brazil vs. Haiti | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 24 - 6 pm ET: Scotland vs. Brazil | Miami, Florida
June 24 - 6 pm ET: Morocco vs. Haiti | Atlanta, Georgia

Brazil

FIFA World Ranking: 6th
How they qualified: Finished fifth in Conmebol qualifying
Head coach: Carlo Ancelotti

Key players

Neymar: A global phenomenon and Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, Neymar will participate in his fourth World Cup this summer.
Vinícius Júnior: La Seleção's hopes of making a deep World Cup run lie heavily on the shoulders of the superstar Real Madrid winger.
Raphinha: The FC Barcelona attacker led Brazil with five goals during South American (Conmebol) 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Marquinhos: The world-renowned center back captains Brazil internationally and wears the armband at the club level for French titans Paris Saint-Germain.
Alisson Becker: Widely considered one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, Becker has starred for Liverpool FC since 2018.

World Cup history

This will be Brazil's 23rd World Cup appearance. They are the only nation to feature at every World Cup since the tournament began in 1930.

Brazil also hold the record for most World Cup titles with five; their most recent triumph was in 2002.

Expectations

Boasting the most World Cup trophies comes with pressure – specifically, the expectation to always play for the title. This summer will be no exception.

Morocco

FIFA World Ranking: 8th
How they qualified: CAF qualifying Group E winners
Head coach: Mohamed Ouahbi

Key players

Achraf Hakimi: Arguably the best right back in the world, Hakimi captains Morocco in addition to starring for Paris Saint-Germain.
Brahim Díaz: The 26-year-old Real Madrid star forward has 13 goals in 25 appearances for Morocco, winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot with five tallies.
Noussair Mazraoui: A versatile defender who excels centrally and on the wings, Mazraoui stars for Manchester United after previous stints at Ajax and Bayern Munich.
Yassine Bounou: A two-time African Goalkeeper of the Year (2023, 25), Bounou delivered four clean sheets during Morocco's run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals.

World Cup history

This will be Morocco's seventh World Cup appearance and third straight tournament.

Their most successful performance was in 2022 when they earned a fourth-place finish.

Expectations

After delivering the best-ever World Cup performance by an African and Arab nation four years ago, Morocco will be looking for continued success with the eyes of the world watching.

Haiti

FIFA World Ranking: 83rd
How they qualified: Concacaf qualifying Group C winners
Head coach: Sébastien Migné

Key players

Danley Jean Jacques: A Best XI-caliber No. 6 midfielder for the Philadelphia Union, Jean Jacques started every game for Haiti during their successful 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Derrick Etienne Jr.: A veteran of over 200 MLS regular-season games, Etienne is in his third season with Toronto FC, producing 2g/1a in 11 games for the Reds this season.
Louicius Deedson: The FC Dallas winger scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua in November that sent Les Grenadiers to their first World Cup in over half a century.
Duckens Nazon:**** Haiti's all-time leading scorer (44 goals), Nazon also topped Concacaf 2026 World Cup qualifying with six tallies.

World Cup history

This will be Haiti's second World Cup appearance and first trip since 1974.

They exited the group stage with three straight losses 52 years ago.

Expectations

Qualifying for the World Cup is an achievement in and of itself.

Getting a first-ever tournament win, much less making the knockout stages, would be a historically transformative moment for Haitian soccer.

Scotland

FIFA World Ranking: 43rd
How they qualified: UEFA qualifying Group C winners
Head coach: Steve Clarke

Key players

Andy Robertson: Scotland's captain just ended a legendary nine-year spell at Liverpool FC, where he established himself as one of the world's top left backs.
Scott McTominay: The SSC Napoli cult hero is also a national team legend after scoring a stunning bicycle kick against Denmark last year to help secure a 2026 World Cup berth.
John McGinn: The Aston Villa captain is Scotland's fifth all-time goal scorer (20) and ranks fourth all-time with 85 caps.
Billy Gilmour: A teammate of McTominay's at Napoli, Gilmour is a classic regista thanks to his technical quality, field of vision and passing prowess.

World Cup history

This will be Scotland's ninth World Cup appearance, and their first since 1998.

The Tartan Army have never made it past the tournament group stage.

Expectations

With heavyweights Brazil and Morocco expected to vie for first and second place, Scotland could advance out of Group C as one of the best third-place teams. Once in the knockout stages, anything could happen.