With an electrifying attack and an experienced core, Brazil enters the tournament as the team to beat. It would be stunning for a team led by Neymar that has lost only once since the start of 2020 (vs. Argentina in the ’21 Copa América final) to not win this group.
The fight for second, which will likely come down to a battle between Switzerland and Serbia, should be far more interesting. The Swiss earned a point in a 1–1 draw with Brazil at the last World Cup and dispatched France in the round of 16 at Euro 2020, topped a qualifying group that featured European champion Italy, and have defeated both Portugal and Spain in UEFA Nations League play this year.
Serbia has not advanced out of the group stage since 1998, when it played as Yugoslavia, and it has scored only two goals in each of the last three World Cups. But the side likes its chances with a forward line that features Juventus star Dušan Vlahović and Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrović.
