A casual's guide to the World Cup teams coming to Massachusetts

We’ve talked a lot about the logistics for this year’s World Cup. The tickets. The transportation. The behind-the-scenes prep. The parties. The jargon. The jerseys.

With the start of the tournament less than a week away, it’s time to talk about the players actually wearing those jerseys and kicking the ball around.

Diehard soccer fans are pretty enthused about the lineup coming to Foxborough. The five group stage matches at Gillette Stadium (or “Boston Stadium,” as it’s being called by FIFA) feature several titans of international soccer. Even the teams coming to Massachusetts that aren't favored to go deep in the tournament have players soccer fans will recognize. And you don’t need to be a diehard to enjoy it.

Whether you wake up early to watch the Premier League on the weekends or haven’t watched a lick of soccer since the last World Cup, here’s an intro to the initial eight teams coming to our state, their (often lion-themed) nicknames and fun facts about each squad:

When they play here: Friday, June 26 at 3 p.m. against Norway

FIFA ranking: 1

Nickname: Les Bleus (which, you may have guessed, is French for The Blues)

World Cup history: France has won two World Cups (1998 and 2018) and lost the 2022 finals in an all-time thriller to Argentina. They’re favorites to contend for another trophy this year.

How they got here: Easily! France didn’t lose a game during qualifying.

Names to know: There are too many to list. But we have to start with Kylian Mbappé, the 27-year-old superstar forward who scored the most goals at the 2022 World Cup. (That included two goals in 95 seconds to send the final into overtime.) Mbappé captains Real Madrid and holds the all-time record for most World Cup final goals.

France's frontline also includes Michael Olise, a left-footed winger for Bayern Munich who will — and I emphasize will — curl the ball into the top corner of the goal if you give him an inch. And, oh by the way, they have Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé, the guy who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best men’s soccer player.

So, yeah, the attack is scary. But their defense and goalkeeper are elite, too. And France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, is one of three people ever to win the World Cup as both a player and coach. He’s hoping to be the first coach to take his team to three straight World Cup finals.

Fun fact: France’s home base for training during the World Cup will be right outside Boston at Bentley University in Waltham. Why? NBC Boston reports it has a lot to do with the specific location and condition of the school’s soccer field. Meanwhile, the team will stay in downtown Boston at the Four Seasons hotel, which it booked out entirely. Does that mean you could catch Mbappé strolling the Common? Olise grabbing a bite at Tatte? Time will tell.

When they play here: Tuesday, June 23 at 4 p.m. against Ghana

FIFA ranking: 4

Nickname: The Three Lions

World Cup history: England, the birthplace of modern soccer, has famously won just one World Cup, exactly six decades ago in 1966 on their home soil. But as their fans will tell you every year, it’s coming home. Eventually, it has to, right? (Right!?)

How they got here: Trepidaciously! This is actually England’s first World Cup appearance in North America, after they infamously failed to qualify in 1994. They’ve had no problem qualifying for more recent tournaments. The problem is they keep getting devastatingly close to winning before disaster strikes. England’s last four international tournaments have all ended in a similar kind of heartbreak: an overtime loss in the 2018 World Cup semis, a penalty shootout defeat in the 2020 Euro final, a missed penalty in the 2022 semis, another close finals loss in Euro 2024.

Names to know: England comes into the tournament with a new coach: Thomas Tuchel. Following a decorated club coaching career, Tuchel is the first-ever German to lead England.

And the roster is once again filled with talent. Harry Kane, the country’s all-time leading goal scorer, is back as striker. The midfield is deep, headlined by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Arsenal’s Declan Rice. The backline features a group of relatively young stars, like Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi. And the inimitable Jordan Pickford is back in goal.

Fun fact: Gillette may feel a little like Fenway Park during The Three Lions’ match. England fans recently adopted Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline” as a soccer anthem, a trend that started after the Red Sox played a few games in London in 2019.

When they play here: Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. against Scotland

FIFA ranking: 8

Nickname: The Atlas Lions (after a species that once ranged across North Africa)

World Cup history: Morocco became the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in 2022, after upsetting European neighbors Spain and Portugal in the knockout rounds. Morocco will also cohost the next World Cup in 2030 with Spain and Portugal.

How they got here: Controversially! Morocco sailed through qualifying, becoming the first African team to clinch a spot in this year’s tournament. But more recently, Morocco was at the center of an international sports kerfuffle. Despite losing 1-0 in the finals of the regional Africa Cup of Nations tournament to Senegal, Morocco was shockingly awarded the title two days later when organizers ruled the Senegalese team had forfeited when they left the pitch in protest of a few last-minute decisions by the referee. Players are still arguing over it.

Names to know: Morocco is captained by the speedy Paris Saint-Germain rightback Achraf Hakimi, who finished sixth in last year’s Ballon d'Or voting — even above Mbappé. (Off the pitch, Hakimi is facing a potential trial in France on rape charges, which he denies.) Meanwhile, 2022 World Cup hero Yassine Bounou is back in goal. And on offense, look for Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz, who switched international allegiances across the Strait of Gibraltar in 2023, to lead the attack. Diaz scored the most goals of any player at AFCON, despite missing a penalty kick in the final.

Fun fact: The city of Revere estimates that 10% of its population is Moroccan, and local fans literally shut down streets in celebration during the team’s 2022 run. The city is holding free public watch parties for two of Morocco’s group stage games this time around.

When they play here: Tuesday, June 16 at 6 p.m. against Iraq AND Friday, June 26 at 3 p.m. against France

FIFA ranking: 31

Nickname: Løvene (which is Norwegian for The Lions)

World Cup history: It’s only Norway’s fourth World Cup, and their first since 1998, when they sneaked into the round of 16. (It’s more of a Winter Olympics country.)

How they got here: Prodigiously! Norway won all eight of their World Cup qualifying matches, outscoring opponents by a 37-4 margin — including a 11-1 battering of poor Moldova.

Names to know: There’s only one place to start: Erling Haaland, the 6-foot-5 viking-looking striker who has led the Premier League in goals three of the past four seasons. (You can watch his first 100 here.) Look for Norway to try to feed Haaland the ball, and for opponents to focus their defense on stopping him. But he’s not the only star on the roster. Norway captain Martin Ødegaard also just captained Arsenal to a Premier League title and anchors the team’s midfield. On the outside, RB Leipzig’s young quick-footed winger Antonio Nusa is highlight reel fodder. And upfront with Haaland, Alexander Sørloth has the second-most goals among active Norwegian players.

Fun fact: The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup back in 1994, Norway was part of a strange group in which all four teams finished tied with four points (one win, one tie and one loss). They also all had the same goal difference. So it came down to the next tiebreaker: goals scored. Unfortunately for Norway, they scored the least goals and were the only team in the group that didn’t advance. (OK, so maybe a not-so-fun fact for Norway.)

When they play here: Saturday, June 13 at 9 p.m. against Haiti AND Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. against Morocco

FIFA ranking: 43

Nickname: The team itself doesn’t have one, but their fans do. (More on that in a moment.)

World Cup history: This is Scotland’s eighth World Cup — and first since 1998. They’ve never advanced past the group stage, thanks in part to some tough luck in 1974.

How they got here: On a bike! Needing a win in their final qualifying match, Scott McTonimay’s audacious overhead bicycle kick goal sparked a 4-2 win over Denmark. (Do yourself a favor and just listen to the Scottish radio call of the goal.) The Bank of Scotland even put the goal on a special edition of its £20 bill.

Names to know: McTominay, for one! The former Manchester United midfielder revived his career with the Italian club Napoli. Premier League fans may also recognize Scotland’s longtime captain (and former Liverpool staple) Andy Robertson, as well as Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn and Celtic leftback Kieran Tierney, who used to play for Arsenal.

Fun fact: Scotland’s supporters group is nicknamed The Tartan Army after their famous kilts. (Translation for Americans: The Plaid Army.) They have an official tartan design. And they’re known to travel well. With two games in Foxborough, the group chartered 20 school buses to help up to 1,100 Scotland fans get around the expensive transportation costs.

When they play here: Tuesday, June 16 at 6 p.m against Norway

FIFA ranking: 57

Nickname: Lions of Mesopotamia

World Cup history: This is also just the second World Cup appearance for Iraq. (The first was a winless group stage exit in 1986.)

How they got here: Dramatically! Iraq was literally the last team to qualify for this year’s World Cup, after beating Bolivia 2-1 in a qualifying playoff tournament. Team captain Aymen Hussein, who scored the game-winning goal, fled his home region of Kirkuk over a decade ago after losing multiple family members to Al-Qaida and ISIS attacks.

Names to know: The 30-year-old Hussein and 25-year-old Mohanad Ali are currently Iraq’s two most prolific goal scorers. And British fans may recognize attacker Ali Al-Hamadi, who became the first Iraqi to play in the Premier League in 2024. Iraq is led by Australian coach Graham Arnold, who has gotten high marks internationally for leading the Socceroos to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2022.

Fun fact: According to FIFA, Iraq played the most 2026 World Cup qualifying matches of any team: 21. That’s because they didn’t get an automatic berth in the group stage and had to go through the qualifying tournament. The 28-month qualifying campaign took the team all over the world — from Abu Dhabi to Seoul to, finally, Monterrey, Mexico.

When they play here: Tuesday, June 23 at 4 p.m against England

FIFA ranking: 74

Nickname: The Black Stars

World Cup history: Ghana may give American soccer fans a bit of PTSD, after they eliminated the U.S. men’s national team in both 2006 and 2010. They went to the quarterfinals in 2010 (their best World Cup finish) and probably should have made the semis, if not for an unsportsmanlike handball by their opponent.

How they got here: Fractiously! Ghana breezed through qualifying — then fired and replaced their coach just two months ago after a four-game friendly losing streak. They appointed Carlos Queiroz, whose managerial career spans from Portugal to Real Madrid to Iran to the MLS’s old MetroStars, as their new head coach in April.

Names to know: Compared to the years when Ghana was repeatedly knocking out the U.S., the Black Stars are in the midst of a downswing. But the team still has some big names, led by Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo, who recently won England’s FA Cup with this nifty backheel goal. They’re unfortunately missing Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus due to an injury, but Leicester City’s Jordan Ayew and Athletic Bilbao’s Iñaki Williams provide some experienced support up front.

Fun fact: Like France, Ghana will be based locally for the World Cup. The team is setting up camp over the border in Rhode Island, staying in Providence and training at Bryant University. (Also, they have one of our favorite World Cup kits.)

When they play here: Saturday, June 13 at 9 p.m. against Scotland

FIFA ranking: 83

Nickname: Les Grenadiers (a callback to Haiti’s revolutionary history)

How they got here: Surprisingly! Despite playing all the matches in other countries due to instability at home, Haiti finished atop their Caribbean World Cup qualifying group.

World Cup highlights: The only other time Haiti qualified for the World Cup was in 1974. They lost all three of their games, but there was one fleeting moment of glory: a stunning goal to take the lead against Italy, whose keeper hadn’t allowed a goal for a record 1,143 minutes.

Names to know: Haiti’s attack is led by striker Duckens Nazon, who recently became the country’s all-time leading goal scorer. (Nazon plays professionally in Iran, and had to evacuate the country this spring due to U.S. and Israeli bombings.) The offense also got reinforcements from the English Premier League in the form of Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor and Wolverhampton midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde — both of whom are French-born players of Haitian descent who recently committed to play for the country internationally. (Most of the team is diaspora players.)

Fun fact: One of the two Massachusetts natives in this year’s World Cup plays for Haiti: Frantzdy Pierrot. The 6-foot-4 striker played soccer for Melrose High School, followed by two years at Northeastern, after moving to Massachusetts with his family as an 11-year-old. Pierrot scored a crucial game-winning goal in qualifying against Costa Rica. (His younger brother, Frantz Pierrot, also played soccer for Melrose High and Merrimack College, but didn’t make Haiti’s World Cup team.)