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Players will travel to Qatar in November to participate in the biggest football extravaganza on earth - the FIFA World Cup. The competition begins on 20 November and the final will be played on 18 December.
This will be the first time the competition takes place during a domestic season, and it will be interesting to see its repercussions on league football.
Group F consists of Belgium, Canada, Morocco, and Croatia, and while the two European nations will be favorites, Canada and Morocco have quality.
Canada dominated their qualification group while Morocco have some brilliant players at their disposal.
We look at the most capped player for each team in the group that is likely to travel to Qatar this month.
#1 Jan Vertonghen - Belgium - 141 caps
Jan Vertonghen, alongside Toby Alderweireld, has formed Belgium's centre-back partnership over the last decade. Belgium's golden generation, which includes the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku, among others, consists of players reaching their 30s.
The farthest Belgium have gone in the competition is a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup, and they will aim to go one step beyond this time around.
Vertonghen began his career at Ajax, where he won the Eredivisie twice but failed to win anything at Tottenham Hotspur or Benfica. Currently 35, he returned to Belgium earlier this year to sign for Anderlecht but has been in and out of the team.
While others might get one more chance to feature for Belgium in 2026, this is likely to be Vertonghen's last outing.
#2 Atiba Hutchinson - Canada - 97 caps
Atiba Hutchinson is Canada's 39-year-old captain, who is still active at both club and national levels. Hutchinson plays as a midfielder and first found success at FC Copenhagen between 2006 and 2010, winning multiple league and cup titles. He went on to play for PSV Eindhoven before signing for Besiktas in 2013.
At Besiktas, Hutchinson has continued to win trophies and is also the team's captain. Hutchinson was injured earlier this year but there is optimism that he will be fit to travel to Qatar.
At 39, this will be his first and final World Cup, and what an accomplishment it would be for Hutchinson to captain his country at the tournament
#3 Romain Saïss - Morocco - 65 caps
Romain Saïss is Morocco's most capped active player and will captain the team as they look to get out of the group stage this month. Morocco has talented players like Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, and Younés Belhanda and should not be taken lightly by any of the other teams.
Saïss is mostly used as a centre-back but can play as a full-back if needed.
Saïss spent six years at Wolverhampton Wanderers from 2016 to 2022 and signed for Besiktas earlier this year. Morocco won't be favorites to get out of the group, but given the quality they possess, they could get a few shock results.
Saïss did feature for Morocco at the 2018 World Cup, but at 32, he will now need to lead the team through tough fixtures.
#4 Luka Modrić - Croatia - 154 caps
Luka Modrić and Croatia came so close to winning it all in 2018 but lost to France in the final. It is a testament to Modrić's ability and professionalism that at 37, he is still Croatia’s captain and will get another chance to win it all in Qatar.
Croatia have several quality players that are likely to be called up for the World cup, but Modrić remains the X-factor within the squad.
A person only needs to look at Real Madrid's Champions League run earlier this year for evidence of the Croatian's quality. Modrić rose to the occasion multiple times to deliver an inch-perfect pass or cross that led to a goal. He continues to be the heart of the team, playing as the central midfielder.
Going all the way will be a tough task but Croatia are well equipped to accomplish it and they should not be taken lightly.
