The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is approaching and the draw has been made. And after every World Cup draw, a debate ensues as to which group is deemed the "group of death." Quickly many proclaimed Group B, with Spain and the Netherlands to be the one, but the analysis shows that in fact Group G is this tournament's deadliest.
Thirty-one of the 32 teams in the World Cup qualified for the finals by competing in regional tournaments held within six Fifa continental zones (as the host country, Brazil qualified automatically). Twenty-three of Fifa's 24 top-ranked countries have made the final field.
Which team has the hardest schedule in the group stage?
GROUP A
- Brazil
- Croatia
- Mexico
- Cameroon
GROUP B
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Chile
- Australia
GROUP C
- Colombia
- Greece
- Ivory Coast
- Japan
GROUP D
- Uruguay
- Italy
- England
- Costa Rica
GROUP E
- Switzerland
- France
- Ecuador
- Honduras
GROUP F
- Argentina
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Nigeria
- Iran
GROUP G
- Germany
- Portugal
- United States
- Ghana
GROUP H
- Belgium
- Russia
- Algeria
- Korea
Thirty-one of the 32 teams in the World Cup qualified for the finals by competing in regional tournaments held within six Fifa continental zones (as the host country, Brazil qualified automatically). Twenty-three of Fifa's 24 top-ranked countries have made the final field.
Which team has the hardest schedule in the group stage?
WORLD CUP 2014 TEAMS
(ordered by FIFA rankings)
(ordered by FIFA rankings)
- 1 Spain1507 points
- 2 Germany1318
- 3 Argentina1251
- 4 Colombia1200
- 5 Portugal1172
- 6 Uruguay1132
- 7 Italy1120
- 8 Switzerland1113
- 9 Netherlands1106
- 10 Brazil1102
- 11 Belgium1098
- 12 Greece1055
- 13 England1041
- 14 United States1019
- 15 Chile1014
- 16 Croatia971
- 17 Ivory Coast918
- 19 France893
- 20 Mexico892
- 21 Bosnia-Herzegovina886
- 22 Russia870
- 23 Ecuador852
- 24 Ghana849
- 26 Algeria800
- 31 Costa Rica738
- 36 Nigeria710
- 41 Honduras688
- 45 Iran650
- 48 Japan638
- 51 Cameroon612
- 54 Korea577
- 59 Australia564
Strength of each team's group stage schedule
Australia were handed the most difficult set of matches, and the USA weren't very far behind with the third toughest schedule, pitting American coach Jürgen Klinsmann against Germany for a final group-stage match. England have the 10th hardest schedule, beginning the tournament against perennial powerhouses Italy.
Stronger Schedule
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Weaker Schedule
Strength of each match
It's no surprise that Spain versus the Netherlands is the strongest individual match in the group stages, but USA have two matches in the top seven and England have two in the top 10.
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