Four-time champion Germany and newcomer sit at opposite ends of the global soccer spectrum.
In June they will be facing each other in Group E, which also includes Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Germany will be under pressure not to fall at the first hurdle again after in back-to-back tournaments since winning the World Cup in 2014.
Germany
Liverpool playmaker is at the heart of everything Germany does under coach . At 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters) striker Nick is hard for defenses to handle. Meanwhile, 18-year-old midfielder could be the tournament鈥檚 breakout star.
Still, conceding three goals in a over Switzerland in March revived concerns over Germany鈥檚 defensive robustness and doubts over Nagelsmann鈥檚 insistence on using Real Madrid center back Antonio R眉diger as a bench player. Germany hasn鈥檛 faced top-level opponents since losses to France and Portugal last year. There isn鈥檛 a reliable goalkeeping successor to Manuel Neuer, either.
Defender Nathaniel Brown adds an American connection. He was eligible for the United States but chose Germany, his birthplace, instead.
Curacao
With a population of about 156,000, Curacao is the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. An opening game against the mighty Germany will be a daunting introduction.
Its preparations have not gone to plan after veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat due to his daughter鈥檚 health issues.
He was replaced by Fred Rutten, a former coach at FC Twente, PSV and Feyenoord in the Netherlands and Schalke 04 in Germany.
Curacao, a Caribbean island country which for centuries was under Dutch colonial rule, relies heavily on players born and raised in the Netherlands.
Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast is back at the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and long after the retirement of national icons Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.
It has been a long wait for the Ivorians, having struggled without its golden generation of star players.
Now a new generation has emerged, and securing a return to the World Cup by qualifying top of its group.
Ivory Coast has made three previous appearances at the World Cup, but has never advanced beyond the group stage.
Coach Emerse Fae was appointed midway through the 2024 AFCON and went on to lead his nation to the trophy.
Manchester United forward Amad Diallo is one of the stars of the new generation.
Ecuador
Moises Caicedo became the most expensive player in the history of British soccer when in 2023.
The midfielder will be key to Ecuador’s hopes of advancing beyond the group stage for the first time in 20 years and only the second time in its history.
It qualified in second place behind defending champion Argentina, despite starting the campaign with a for a false document being used to get a passport for a player during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
Forward Enner Valencia was Ecuador’s top scorer in qualifying, with six of his country’s 14 goals.
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