Switzerland are the odds-on favorite to win Group B per the soccer futures odds. The Swiss are the only team in Group B that have made it out of the Group Stage and into the knockout rounds at the World Cup. While Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Qatar have combined to make four World Cup appearances, this will be Switzerland’s 13th trip to the World Cup. The Red Crosses have made it out of the Group Stage in each of the last three World Cups, but they haven’t progressed further than the Round of 16 since Switzerland hosted the 1954 World Cup.
Odds to win Group B
Switzerland -110
Canada +260
Bosnia and Herzegovina +285
Qatar +3700
Experience is one of the main reasons why the Group B World Cup betting odds favor Switzerland. The Swiss national team is loaded with blooded veterans that have been on this stage before, and it would be a shock to see Switzerland not advance from a relatively weak group. Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Qatar have combined to lose 11 of their previous 12 combined World Cup games. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the only team to previously secure a victory, knocking off Iran 3-1 at the 2014 World Cup after already being eliminated following losses to Argentina and Nigeria.
Odds to win World Cup for Group B Teams
Switzerland +9000
Canada +17000
Bosnia and Herzegovina +40000
Qatar +150000
Co-hosts Canada have very little history at the World Cup. This will only be the third time that Canada has qualified for the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world, and they failed to secure a result in their two previous appearances. They have only scored two goals on this stage in their six matches, and one of those tallies was an own goal. Canada is expecting to make it to the knockout stages though as they will have the home crowd at their backs for all three Group Stage matches.
Match Schedule
| Match | Fixture | Date | Time (ET) | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 3 | Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | June 12, 2026 | 3:00 PM | BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario |
| Match 8 | Qatar vs. Switzerland | June 13, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, California |
| Match 26 | Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | June 18, 2026 | 3:00 PM | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, California |
| Match 27 | Canada vs. Qatar | June 18, 2026 | 6:00 PM | BC Place | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Match 51 | Switzerland vs. Canada | June 24, 2026 | 3:00 PM | BC Place | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Match 52 | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar | June 24, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington |
Team Previews
Switzerland
The Swiss are easily the most seasoned team in Group B. Switzerland’s final World Cup roster will likely boast 10 players with 50 or more caps even without longtime standouts Yann Sommer and Xherdan Shaqiri. The only real question mark on the roster from an experience standpoint is Sommer’s probable replacement in goal, Gregor Kobel. However, the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper has spent close to a decade in the Bundesliga, and Kobel became the first Swiss goalkeeper to start for his team in the Champions League Final two years ago.
Newcastle United center back Fabian Schar retired from international football shortly after the most recent European Football Championship. His absence won’t affect the squad too much though as the back line has been set for a while. Ricardo Rodriguez is the most tested player of the bunch with 136 caps, while the other probable starters are Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, and Silvan Widmer.
Switzerland boasts a lot of experience in the midfield too. Captain Granit Xhaka has been the player to watch for a while now, and he is now the most capped player in Swiss history. Xhaka isn’t a big goal scorer and can be too aggressive at times, but he sets the tone for the squad in the midfield. Bologna’s Remo Freuler is savvier offensively and has netted 11 goals in 86 appearances, and Fabian Rieder has shown some attacking prowess in limited action too.
Breel Embolo is the featured playmaker up top for the Swiss. Embolo has thrived in both the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 over his long career, and he has seen regular action since turning 17 in 2014. Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas are the other options at forward for Switzerland, and Ndoye opened the scoring in the thrilling friendly against Germany in late March.
Canada
It will be interesting to see the type of boost that the Canadians get as the World Cup hosts. Canada has never had success at the World Cup, losing all six of their matches at this competition to date. They finished dead last at the 1986 World Cup, failing to net a goal in losses to France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union, and the Canadians were the second-worst team at the 2022 World Cup behind hosts Qatar. Once again, Canada was in a very difficult group with Croatia and Morocco each making the semifinals, while Belgium crashed out despite being a favorite to win the World Cup by the pre-tournament odds.
Perhaps the biggest question ahead of the World Cup for Canada is what to do with Alphonso Davies. The most talented player in Canadian history has not taken the field for the national team in over a year as he has dealt with multiple injuries since tearing his ACL last February. However, there is no denying his talent, and he will certainly have a spot in the final roster if healthy. Davies has 15 goals in 58 appearances with the national team, and he can be used like a Swiss Army knife if needed.
Juventus’ Jonathan David is already Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer at the age of 26. David has 39 goals in 75 appearances, and he thrived with Lille in Ligue 1, netting 87 goals in 178 matches with the French club. Meanwhile, Cyle Larin has shown he can score outside of the MLS after spending a few years bouncing between clubs. Larin hadn’t thrived with a club since leaving Besiktas in 2022, but he has six goals in 14 appearances with Southampton in the English Championship.
Canada has some solid players outside of the attacking sphere too. Jonathan Osorio has thrived in the MLS for several years, while Tajon Buchanan and Junior Hoilett are both midfielders that can jump in and join the attack. There are some real concerns in the back line though as most of the recent call-ups are players that have never gone further than the MLS.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Many observers were stunned to see Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify for the World Cup. They greatly benefited from being in the same group as Cyprus and San Marino in the qualifying groups, so the Golden Lillies were heavy underdogs to advance over Italy per the soccer betting odds. Italy took an early 1-0 over Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup qualifier, but a red card just before halftime provided a lifeline. Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th minute, and the hosts didn’t miss a penalty to ensure that Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third straight time.
Edin Dzeko is the most successful Bosnian player by a mile. Dzeko is 40 years old and is miles ahead of his compatriots in both caps (148) and goals (73). Although he is currently dealing with a shoulder injury, he is expected to be available for his country at the World Cup.
The strength of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the back line. Sead Kolasinac is the most experienced player in defense, while Amar Dedic is a rising star. Bosnia and Herzegovina are tactically sound in the back and will likely lie back and prefer to counter.
Qatar
The 2022 World Cup hosts qualified for their second consecutive World Cup with a win over the United Arab Emirates in October 2025. Qatar wasn’t impressive in their debut appearance despite playing at home, finishing in dead last. However, they were able to net their first-ever goal at this competition when Mohammed Muntari scored against Senegal.
Qatar might have the most capped team at the World Cup. Eight current players all have at least 125 caps, including Hassan Al-Haydos (187 caps) and all-time leading scorer Almoez Ali (60 goals in 125 caps).
However, there are a ton of questions surrounding Qatar ahead of the World Cup. Qatar didn’t get to play an international match in late March due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and their performances in late 2025 led much to be desired. Despite playing four matches at home, Qatar lost to Zimbabwe, Palestine, and Tunisia, and they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Syria.
Currently, Qatar is only supposed to play one match ahead of the World Cup. That leaves a lot of unknowns, so it’s hard to expect much out of Qatar when they head to North America for the 2026 World Cup.
