World Cup champions France will defend their title in Qatar against a manageable and familiar group.
The world champions have been drawn against Denmark, Tunisia, and the winner of the intercontinental playoff, Australia.
Denmark notably defeated France twice in the UEFA Nations League this year and will be confident of dethroning the French.
The Socceroos defeated Peru in a penalty shootout to earn a trip to Qatar after defeating the United Arab Emirates in an earlier playoff.
Les Bleus, led by Didier Deschamps, will face Australia in the first round and are the firm betting market’s favourite to advance to the knockout stages. However, there could be an exciting battle for second place behind them.
Surprisingly, three teams from Russia 2018 will meet again in this World Cup 2022 Group D: France, Denmark, and Australia were all part of Group C in that tournament, with France and Denmark progressing and Australia finishing last.
World Cup Group D fixtures and match schedule
Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
Tue, Nov. 22 | Denmark vs. Tunisia | 8 a.m. | Education City Stadium |
Tue, Nov. 22 | France vs. Australia | 2 p.m. | Al Janoub Stadium |
Sat, Nov. 26 | Tunisia vs. Australia | 5 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium |
Sat, Nov. 26 | France vs. Denmark | 11 a.m. | Stadium 974 |
Wed, Nov. 30 | Tunisia vs. France | 10 a.m. | Education City Stadium |
Wed, Nov. 30 | Australia vs. Denmark | 10 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium |
The four teams chosen for the group will compete in a round-robin format, with each country facing the other three. The points from those three group-stage matches are used to calculate the group standings — three points for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a loss.
The top two teams from each group in terms of total points advance to the single-game knockout rounds. If two teams are tied on points, the first tiebreaker is goal difference, followed by goals scored. If teams are tied in those categories as well, another set of tiebreakers is used.
Teams from World Cup 2022 Group D
France
France, the 2018 World Cup champions, will be desperate to defend their title, but they will have to perform far better than they did at Euro 2020, where they were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Switzerland.
If superstar Kylian Mbappe is at his best, it may make all the difference for Les Bleus, and Didier Deschamps’ brilliant side has plenty of other international experience.
France won the 2020/2021 UEFA Nations League by defeating Spain in the final, and if they can play as a coherent one, they will undoubtedly be among the top candidates for triumph in Qatar.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 4 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 2nd (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: 2
- World Cup appearances (last): 15 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified: UEFA Group D winners: 5W-0L-3D
- Coach: Didier Deschamps (France) since July, 2012
- Key players: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain / France), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham / England)
Australia
The Socceroos defeated Peru in a penalty shootout on June 13 to win a single-elimination FIFA intercontinental playoff for the final spot in Group D. Six days earlier, Australia had to defeat the UAE 2-1 in a separate Asian qualifying playoff to earn the right to face Peru in the World Cup.
Australia salvaged a qualifying campaign that began promisingly (11 straight wins), but ended with defeats to Japan and Saudi Arabia, which ended their hopes of automatic qualification and forced them to compete in the playoffs.
Since the turn of the century, the Socceroos have been regulars at the World Cup, advancing to the competition proper five times in a row.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 38 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 4th (AFC)
- World Cup appearances (last): 5 (Russia 2018)
- Coach: Graham Arnold (Australia) since July, 2018
- Key players: Mat Ryan (Copenhagen / Denmark), Aaron Mooy (Celtic / Scotland)
Denmark
Denmark, looking to build on an impressive showing at Euro 2020, might be the centre of one of the most tragic and emotionally resonant stories at 2019 World Cup.
That tournament began in harrowing fashion, as talisman Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening defeat to Finland in Copenhagen. Thankfully, the playmaker survived, and his teammates rebounded thrillingly in his absence, propelling them to the semifinals, where they fell just short against England in extra time.
Despite having an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placed last year, Eriksen returned to Premier League football with Brentford and joined Manchester United this summer. He is now back in the national squad and, despite all chances, might shine on the biggest stage once more as part of Kasper Hjulmand’s dynamic side.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 10 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 8th (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 6 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified: UEFA Group F winners: 9W-1L-0D
- Coach: Kasper Hjulmand (Denmark) since August, 2020
- Key players: Christian Eriksen (Manchester United / England), Joakim Maehle (Atalanta / Italy), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford / England)
Tunisia
Tunisia qualified for back-to-back World Cups after defeating Mali in the final qualifying round, marking the country’s sixth appearance in the tournament’s finals. For the first time, the North Africans will attempt to advance to the knockout stages.
The majority of the squad is based in Europe, with Montpellier forward Wahbi Khazri serving as the team’s main creator, while Manchester United youngster Hannibal Mejbri, currently on loan at Birmingham, is one of the names to watch who could be set for a breakthrough tournament.
The Eagles of Carthage are entering a new era in preparation for the World Cup in 2022, led by coach Jalel Kadri. Formerly an assistant, Kadri was appointed head coach by the Tunisian Football Federation in January, succeeding Mondher Bebaier, who was fired after a poor performance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
- Current FIFA world ranking: No. 30 (November, 2022)
- Regional ranking: 3rd (CAF)
- World Cup titles: —
- World Cup appearances (last): 5 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified: CAF Third Round winners (agg 1-0 vs. Mali)
- Coach: Jalel Kadri (Tunisia) since January, 2022
- Key players: Wahbi Khazri (Montpellier / France), Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City / England), Ali Maaloul (Al Ahly / Egypt)
World Cup 2022 Group D odds and forecasts
Sports Interaction has provided the odds for each team to win and qualify from the group.
The minus odds represent the amount that must be wagered in order to win $100 on that specific bet, while the plus odds represent the winnings from a successful $100 wager.
The first and second-place finishers in Group D will advance to the Round of 16 and will face the two teams advancing from Group C on Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4.
Team | Group Winner | To Qualify |
France | -244 | -1111 |
Denmark | +246 | -294 |
Australia | +1500 | +256 |
Tunisia | +1600 | +283 |