Qatar 2022 - World Cup Group D

France, Denmark, Tunisia and the Intercontinental Playoff 1 winners make up World Cup Group D at Qatar 2022.

FRANCE

Confederation: UEFA
FIFA ranking: 3
Team nickname: Les Bleus
Previous World Cup appearances: 15
Honours: World Cup (2): 1998, 2018, European Championship (2): 1984, 2000, Confederations Cup (2): 2001, 2003, Nations League (1): 2021
Head coach: Didier Deschamps
Star players: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (PSG).

Winners in 2018, France will be hoping that the curse of the holders doesn’t strike again – the last four European winners have failed to progress from the group stage at the next finals (Germany 2018, Spain 2014, Italy 2010 and France themselves in 2002).

Didier Deschamps will lead Les Blues into a major tournament for the fifth time, but is under pressure for the first time – his tactics and team selection were criticized following their Round of 16 exit at Euro 2020, with many surprised he changed from 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 in Bucharest.

The return from international wilderness coupled with stunning La Liga form for Karim Benzema will continue to boost an already star-studded squad that will arrive in Qatar as second favourites behind Brazil.

Steven Caldwell's take: “France are obviously loaded with talent. I think they’re coming off a disappointing Euro where they expected to compete for the title, but they’re the World Cup holders at the moment and they’ll be one of the favourites because of Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann being probably the most dangerous front three in the tournament.”

Head-to-head v Canada: 1-0-0

DENMARK

Confederation: UEFA
FIFA ranking: 11
Team nickname: De Rød-Hvide
Previous World Cup appearances: Five
Honours: European Championships: 1992; Confederations Cup: 1995
Head coach: Kasper Hjulmand
Star players: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City) Christian Eriksen (Brentford), Kasper Dolberg (Nice)

Following their emotional summer at Euro 2020, Denmark’s attentions can turn to their 2022 World Cup campaign with the knowledge that Christian Eriksen is playing once again having joined Brentford in January. Semi-finalists at Euro 2020 playing a 3-4-2-1 formation, the tournament highlighted some emerging talent in the squad with Andreas Christensen, Kasper Dolberg, Mikkel Damsgaard and Mathias Jensen all catching the eye. Having never progressed past the quarter-finals in their five previous World Cups, Kasper Hjumland will be hoping to emulate last summer’s run which was halted by England at Wembley.

Kevin Kilbane's take: “Denmark were galvanized by what happened with Christian Eriksen at the Euro. We didn’t expect him to come back playing again, but it’s been a sensational return for him. He’s played two games [for Denmark] since that horrific incident that we all witnessed at the Euro and scored two goals in the games that he’s played. They’ve got real togetherness. They came together as a team during the Euro with what happened and I’ll be looking at them and wondering can they kick on to the next level? They got knocked out by England in the semi-finals at the Euro, but they’ve got so much talent throughout that team. They’re not a team that’s necessarily built around superstars, but the team itself is what will, hopefully for them, get Denmark out of the group stage and into the latter stages of the World Cup.”

Head-to-head v Canada: 3-0

TUNISIA

Confederation: CAF
FIFA ranking: 35
Team nickname: Eagles of Carthage
Previous World Cup appearances: 5
Honours: AFCON (1): 2004
Head coach: Jalel Kadri
Star players: Wahbi Khazri (Saint-Etienne), Youssef Msakni (Al-Arabi), Naim Sliti (Al-Ettifaq)

Tunisia’s qualification for the 2022 World Cup wasn’t the prettiest – an own goal by Mali’s Moussa Sissako was enough to separate the sides in the play-off, but interim head coach Jalel Kadri has achieved what he was appointed to do after replacing Mondher Kebaier, who was dismissed after a quarter-final exit at the 2021 AFCON.

This will be Morocco's sixth World Cup appearance, but the Eagles of Carthage are yet to progress from the group stage. They pushed England all the way in their opening match of 2018, falling to Harry Kane’s injury-time winner, before defeat to Belgium and a 1-0 win against Panama.

Their five goals in Russia were more than they had scored at any of their previous appearances at the finals, but goals have been lacking recently. The 31-year-old attacking midfielder Wahbi Khazri led the way in qualifying with only three and no current forward has reached the 10-goal mark for the national team. Khazri and winger Naim Sliti will be the ones called upon to provide goals in Qatar.

Head-to-head v Canada: 1-0

IC PLAYOFF 1