17. @King Rollo- Norway

World Cup Appearances: 4

Best: Round of 16 (1998)

On 29/05/2026 at 18:39, LewisGT said:

13. Norway

Group I

UEFA (9/16)

World Ranking: 31

Best Result: Last-16 (1938, 1998)

Fixtures:

Iraq (16th June, 11PM)

Senegal (23rd June, 1AM)

France (26th June, 8PM)

Norway are back for only their fourth ever World Cup and first since 1998 thanks to their golden generation of players who did it in style. They beat Italy twice, first at home 3-0 and then away 4-1 which booked their spot on the final day. They also managed to put 11 past Moldova in a game where two players both scored 4-goals, including a substitute. So, while they have little experience at this level (they’ve only ever played at one Euros too), every time will be fearing having to play them, mainly because of one-man, Erling Haaland. As you might expect, this team is all about attack. They do have some talented defenders (Ajer and Ryerson) but it pales to that of their players further up the pitch. Norway did, amazingly, reach #2 in the FIFA World Rankings in 1993 before being knocked out in the Group Stage in 1994 when all teams finished on 4-points but this still feels like they’re best ever chance. Even their club football is in great shape with Bodø/Glimt upsetting many of the biggest teams in Europe (Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan) in their maiden Champions League campaign.

The Manager: Ståle Solbakken

A Midfielder in the last Norway side at the World Cup in 1998, Solbakken was forced to retire in 2001 at the age of 33 after he suffered a heart attack in training at Copenhagen and was pronounced clinically dead for 7-minutes. Before that, he had been a star in the Norwegian top flight for Hamarkameratene and Lillestrøm before an ill-fated move to Premier League side Wimbledon only lasted 4-games after he fell out with manager Joe Kinnear. In his first 5-year spell managing Copenhagen, he won 5-league titles and a cup but he left as he was being lined up for the national team role. However, this didn’t end up happening and he had spells at Köln and Wolves where both lasted less than a year and ended with the team battling relegation, with his Wolves sacking coming after being knocked-out by non-league Luton in the FA Cup. He then had 7 more years at Copenhagen, adding 3 more titles before being sacked in 2020. His spell at Norway didn’t start well, missing out on World Cup 2022 and Euro 2024 qualification but it’s looking rosy now.

Key Player: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

49 caps, 55 goals. What more do you need to say than that? Born in Leeds while his Dad was playing for the club, Haaland was eligible to play for England but chose the country he lived in since he was three. The greatest goalscorer of this generation, he won the Gerd Müller Trophy in 2023 after scoring 52 goals in 56 that season for City where he won the treble and broke the Premier League record for most goals in a season with 36 (two more than Shearer and Cole both scored in 42-game seasons). Somehow, he only finished 2nd in the Ballon d’Or that year. It took him 111 games to score 100 Premier League goals. Despite having a ‘slow season’ this year, he’s added another golden boot after scoring 27 goals.

Why they're actually going to win it: Just read Haaland’s stats above and captain Ødegaard has just had some practice lifting trophies.

4. @Jade- Switzerland

World Cup Appearances: 13

Best: Quarter-Finals (1934, 1938, 1954)

On 26/05/2026 at 18:07, LewisGT said:

16. Switzerland

Group B

UEFA (10/16)

World Ranking: 19

Best Result: Quarter-Finals (1934, 1938, 1954)

Fixtures:

Qatar (13th June, 8PM)

Bosnia & Herzegovina (18th June, 8PM)

Canada (24th June, 8PM)

Perennially a reach-the-knockouts-but-not-much-further side, Switzerland have qualified from the group at their last 6-tourmanents (World Cup and Euros) since 2014 but have only made two Quarter-Finals (at the 2020 and 2024 Euros). But after a very-favourable group draw and simple qualifying campaign, they will feel like this is their opportunity to get further. It was only a penalty shoot-out defeat to England(!) that stopped them reaching the semis two years ago and they’ve mainly retained all the stars from that team. They’ll be a challenge for anyone but do they have that little spark to doing something special? This World Cup is defined by the many icons who will be making their final appearances (Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, Ochoa) but this is also the first time we won’t be seeing another legend of the tournament, Xherdan Shaqiri, who retired from international football in the wake of Euro 2024 after playing in four World Cups.

The Manager: Murat Yakin

I remember before Euro 2024, there was a lot of talk about whether Yakin was the right man for the job after terrible pre-tournament form but he silenced all of his critics with Switzerland playing some of their best ever football, impressively dismantling Italy in the Last 16 before their loss to England where they were the better side. A centre-back by trade during his playing career, Yakin’s best spell came at hometown club Basel where he was captain and won three league titles. But he also had spells earlier in his career in Germany (Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern), Turkey (Fenerbahçe) as well as winning his first two Swiss titles with Grasshoppers at a young age. As a manager he added some more titles with Basel, managed a handful of other Swiss sides as well as a quick spell in Russia at Spartak Moscow.

Key Player: Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)

I think most people were shocked when Xhaka signed for newly-promoted Sunderland this time last year from a Bayer Leverkusen side where he had won an unbeaten title (the club’s first) in this first season. But with Sunderland bagging a Europa League spot on Sunday, their first European adventure for 52-years, his decision is looking very vindicated. A tough tackling, all-action midfielder who also has great technical ability, he is the heartbeat of this Swiss side and when he plays well, the team does too. The one criticism in his career has been his temperament and frequent ref cards. Who can forget when he was stripped of the captaincy at Arsenal after reacting badly to being booed off the pitch? But he has matured into a great leader and even managed to become a fan-favourite at Arsenal which looked impossible at one point.

Why they're actually going to win it: They’re always solid and have plenty of experience. It feels like they’re bound to go far one day so why not this time?

9. @Chez Wombat- Portugal

World Cup Appearances: 9

Best: Third Place (1966)

On 06/06/2026 at 12:31, LewisGT said:

5. Portugal

Group K

UEFA (4/16)

World Ranking: 5

Best Result: Third-Place (1966)

Fixtures:

DR Congo (17th June, 6PM)

Uzbekistan (23rd June, 6PM)

Colombia (28th June, 12:30AM)

The highest placed team not to have already won the trophy before, Portugal’s Eusébio-led 3rd place finish in 1966 was one of only two times they qualified in the first 16 editions of the World Cup (the other being a group-stage exit in 1986). However, since 2002 where they broke the duck before a group-stage knockout, they’ve become one of the top nations in the world, especially since the debut of one Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003, not missing a tournament since. And, at 41, he’s still going to dominate all of the headlines surrounding Portugal again. We have an iconic picture of Pelé holding the World Cup aloft, we have an iconic picture of Maradona holding the trophy, we finally got the image of Messi doing in last time around but we still don’t have that picture of Ronaldo and he will be DESPERATE to do that in his final chance. While he may not be at his peak, he might have the best team around him that he has ever had in a Portugal shirt and they looked good when winning the Nations League last year.

The Manager: Roberto Martínez

The only manager at this World Cup that I used to go and watch play when I was as a kid, Martínez never quite became a Chester legend during his one-and-a-half seasons there but he’s certainly a Wigan Athletic and Swansea City legend having played and managed both of the sides very successfully. As a player, he won the League One title and the Football League trophy at the former and League Two survival at the later. He took over as manager at Swansea at 33 and won them promotion again, this time to the Championship before taking over Wigan and keeping them in the Premier League for 3-seasons before, remarkably, winning the FA Cup with the side. This earned him the Everton job as Moyes’s replacement where he bagged a 5th placed finished before taking over the golden generation of Belgium. Despite keeping Belgium top of the World Rankings for three-whole years, his inability to win a trophy with Belgium means that his reputation is mixed and many were surprised to see Portugal give him the keys to their top side. A Nations League win was a good start but this is the tournament he will be judged by.

Key Player: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

Ronaldo will be the focus and Vitinha will also be important but the reigning Premier League Player of the Season and record-breaking assist maker Fernandes is in the form of his career and his desire to always look forward and try to find an opening can help create goals out of nothing. If Portugal play anything like United, everything will come through him and Ronaldo, Leão and Conceição will be licking their lips every time he gets the ball. At 31, this is likely his last World Cup at his peak so, like Ronaldo, he has a lot to play for.

Why they're actually going to win it: Ronaldo has won everything else in his career and this is the last one missing. Messi’s already done it so it feels like it’s now his time.

23. @PeteFromLeeds- Croatia

World Cup Appearances: 7

Best: Runners-Up (2018)

On 02/06/2026 at 20:22, LewisGT said:

9. Croatia

Group L

UEFA (7/16)

World Ranking: 11

Best Result: Final (2018)

Fixtures:

England (17th June, 9PM)

Panama (24th June, 12AM)

Ghana (27th June, 10PM)

A country that constantly plays above their station, including finishing 2nd and 3rd at the last two tournaments with only a 3.9 million population. They have such an experienced side that have been here above with the core of their side all being in their 30s. People said they were past in 2022 but they proved everyone wrong and will be looking to do so again. They qualified with ease, going unbeaten and finishing 6-points above runners-up Czech Republic. They had practically qualified after their first two games where they smashed Gibraltar and the Czechs by 7-0 and 5-1 margins. Since becoming an independent team in 1990, they’ve only missed one World Cup and you should never rule them out.

The Manager: Zlatko Dalić

Currently in his 9th year as the national team manager, Dalić is a hero of Croatian football after leading the side to a World Cup final and another semi-final. While on the front foot against weaker sides, against the top sides he always seems to bring the best out of his players and sets up them up to be incredibly difficult to beat. He’s stayed loyal to the same core group of players and they have rewarded him tenfold. As a player, he represented many Croatian sides which his longest spell being with the now-defunct Varaždin. As a manager, his biggest success in club football came in Asia where he managed Al Faisaly, Al Hilal and Al Ain although he did manage three Croatian and one Albanian side earlier on.

Key Player: Luka Modrić (AC Milan)

40-years old and still running everything from the middle for this Croatia side. Modrić is one of the greatest midfielders of all-time and his antics 8-years ago saw him win the Ballon d'Or. That felt like a ‘career award’ so for him to still be going strong is remarkable. A late bloomer, he was 27 when he left Tottenham for Real Madrid and was awarded ‘worst signing of the season’ in his first year at the Bernabeu. But there’s not many players better at picking out a pass and 394 La Liga appearances later, it’s safe to say he made the doubters look like fools.

Why they're actually going to win it: They’ve beat the odds to reach 2nd and 3rd at the last two tournaments, who’s to say they can’t complete the missing position?

24. @Henessy Lake- Austria

World Cup Appearances: 9

Best: Third Place (1954)

On 15/05/2026 at 20:22, LewisGT said:

27. Austria

Group J

UEFA (13/16)

World Ranking: 24

Best Result: Third-Place (1954)

Fixtures:

Jordan (17th June, 5AM)

Argentina (22nd June, 6PM)

Algeria (28th June, 3AM)

Qualifying for their first time since 1998, Austria were a Pot 1 side in qualifying and took full advantage by securing their place with a 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina in their final match. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing with a defeat against Romania making it nervy. Their one of the more interesting teams to watch at the moment. They try to play on the front foot and, when it’s working, it’s spectacular. In Euro 2024, they topped their group after impressively beating Poland and Netherlands and became everyone’s underdogs for the tournament. However, they were then beaten comfortably by Turkey in the Last 16. Inconsistency is why I can’t rank them any higher but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them have some great games.

The Manager: Ralf Rangnick

He had a very unnotable playing career which included a spell in non-league English football with Southwick but Rangnick has since become one of the most distinguished football coaches of the 21st century. He’s been in roles since 1983 but it wasn’t until 1999 when he joined Stuttgart and had a spell of German jobs that he really made his name (Hannover, Schalke, Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig). He had two spells at Leipzig as well as being director of football at Red Bull and was a key proponent of the influential Red Bull gegenpressing way of playing. He’s well loved in Austria for turning their fortunes around and changing them from a pragmatic side to an exciting watch and earned extra credit by turning down an approach from Bayern Munich a couple of years ago. But what he will ultimately be remembered for in the UK is his infamous interim role as Manchester United manager where he clashed with the board and fans and didn’t pick up many positive results.

Key Player: Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund)

David Alaba is the best Austrian player but hasn’t had a consistent spell of being fully fit for years and I’m not confident he will end up playing much at the tournament. Sabitzer is also the wrong side of 30 and isn’t currently having the best season of his career at Dortmund but he always performs for the national side and is probably their most naturally gifted player. Capable of playing anywhere across the midfield or attack, his best work has come as an attacking midfielder where his shooting ability and tiki taka passes can create chances out of nothing. Being an RB Leipzig legend, he also has a lot of experience playing for the manager.

Why they're actually going to win it: When they’re fully on it and Ragnick’s tactics are working, they can dismantle anyone so if they turn up at the right times, they could just do it.

39. @Mack.- Netherlands

World Cup Appearances: 12

Best: Runners-Up (1974, 1978, 2010)

On 03/06/2026 at 19:20, LewisGT said:

8. Netherlands

Group F

UEFA (6/16)

World Ranking: 7

Best Result: Final (1974, 1978, 2010)

Fixtures:

Japan (14th June, 9PM)

Sweden (20th June, 6PM)

Tunisia (26th June, 12AM)

The greatest footballing nation to never win the World Cup, Netherlands have made three finals without ever picking up the trophy and there’s optimism in the country that this could be the time they put that right. They dropped to their lowest World Rankings position of 36 when they didn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup but have worked their way back up and have been in the top 10 for 5 years straight now. They’ve come agonisingly close at the last two tournaments, their loss on penalties to Argentina in the quarter-finals in 2022 followed a 3-3 draw which was one of the games on the tournament and it was only a late Ollie Watkins winner that stopped them reaching the Euro final. They are in a tough group but they have a great mix of technical players and players with great pace which should see them do well. They will have one of the most-familiar squads to fans in England with 20 of their 26 players either currently playing or has previously played in the Premier League.

The Manager: Ronald Koeman

A curious manager who doesn’t seem too popular anywhere he goes. Koeman is on his second spell at Netherlands manager having previously took charge in 2018 and seeing them qualify for Euro 2020. However, he left to join Barcelona before the delayed tournament could kick-off. His time in Spain didn’t go well, lasting just over a season and seeing the club go trophyless. After van Gaal retired, he has been brought back to the Dutch side and reached the Euro semi-final. His most successful manager spells have been in the Netherlands (where he won titles with Ajax and PSV) and at Southampton where he led them to their highest Premier League finish (6th). As a player, his reputation is much more secure. Despite being a defender, he was known for his goalscoring ability and powerful long-shots which saw him score 192 league goals in his career across spells at Groningen, Ajax, PSV, Barcelona and Feyenoord. Most centre-forwards can only dream of stats like that.

Key Player: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

I was considering choosing Denzel Dumfries who always seems to play his best football for his national side but I’ve gone with de Jong who missed Euro 2024 through injury and is the biggest difference going into this tournament. There was a time where he was constantly linked to Manchester United wen Barca were struggling with their finances but he fought to remain at the club and has been rewarded with three La Liga titles after not winning in his first three seasons. The typical classy Dutch midfielder (in the vein of Sneijder, Seedorf and Gullit, he dictates the way his team plays and first shot to fame as part of the Ajax side that caused shockwaves across Europe in 2018/19, reaching the Champions League semi-finals at 21.

Why they're actually going to win it: It feels crazy that they’ve never won one before and their squad this time certainly looks capable.

46. @CowTzy was here- Morocco

World Cup Appearances: 7

Best: Fourth Place (2022)

On 30/05/2026 at 13:57, LewisGT said:

12. Morocco

Group C

CAF (2/10)

World Ranking: 8

Best Result: Semi-Finals (2022)

Fixtures:

Brazil (13th June, 11PM)

Scotland (19th June, 11PM)

Haiti (24th June, 11PM)

The only African side to ever reach the World Cup semi-finals after their historic run in 2022, if you ask CAF, Morocco are also the current African Champions so will be expected to go far this year. Their rise in the past few years has been astonishing. Nobody gave them a chance in Qatar, especially when they had Croatia and Belgium in their group as they had both finished 2nd and 3rd at the previous World Cup. But their manager, Walid Regragui, who had only been hired 3-months before the tournament, was able to turn them into a real team in such a short period of time. They currently sit in the top 10 of the world rankings but, in 2015, they were ranked in the 90s. The country has been investing billions into their football programme in preparation for their co-hosting in four-year’s time and now expect results. They hosted the AFCON this year with Regragui saying he’d resign if they didn’t win. We all know what happened there and Regragui stuck to his world, leaving the role in the aftermath of Senegal’s celebrations. If only he’d waited a few months...

The Manager: Mohamed Ouahbi

Just like Regragui four years ago, Ouahbi will have only had 3-months in the role before the World Cup kicks so only time will tell if the trick can be completed twice. Born in Belgium to a Moroccan family, Ouahbi fell in love with football watching Morocco reach the knock-out at the 1986 World Cup but didn’t want to become a player. Instead, he went straight into coaching and at 21, started working as a youth-team coach at his local Maccabi Brussels. His worked impressed Anderlecht who hired him to manager their under-9 side which included future Premier League players Adnan Januzaj and Charly Musonda. He eventually worked his way up to Assistant Manager of the senior side but never got the top job. In 2022, he took the job managing Morocco’s under 20s and earned worldwide headlines for leading the side to the Under 20’s World Cup title in 2025. This earned him the Under 23’s job but that only lasted 3-months because he was needed for the senior side.

Key Player: Achraf Hakimi (PSG)

The 2025 African Player of the Year, Hakimi is still only 27 but has a chance to earn his 100th cap for his country at this World Cup. The best RB in the world, Hakimi has one of the most impressive CVs in world football. Starting his career in the city he was born for Real Madrid, he had a 2-year loan spell at Borussia Dortmund before signing for Inter Milan and then PSG. During this time, he has won 6-conseccutive league titles (one at Inter and 5 since joining PSG), two Champions Leagues (one at Real Madrid and one at PSG with a chance to bag his third tonight) and a Club World Cup (at Real Madrid). Really solid at 1-to-1 defending, like all modern fullbacks, Hakimi is a massive threat going forward too and bagged the opening goal at last year’s Champions League final against his old club, Inter.

Why they're actually going to win it: If the AFCON is anything to go by, they’ll probably just be awarded the trophy months after the World Cup actually ends.

2. @Riser- Uruguay

World Cup Appearances: 15

Best: Winners (1930, 1950)

On 21/05/2026 at 17:37, LewisGT said:

21. Uruguay

Group H

CONMEBOL (5/6)

World Ranking: 17

Best Result: Winners (1930, 1950)

Fixtures:

Saudi Arabia (15th June, 11PM)

Cape Verde (21st June, 11PM)

Spain (27th June, 1AM)

Uruguay won their first two appearances at the World Cup and, while they have never quite reached those heights again, they are constantly in that second-tier of sides who always have the potential to reach the later stages. However, they go into this tournament with more questions surrounding them than ever. Their qualifying campaign was completely up-and-down. They had early wins against Brazil and Argentina and looked to be cruising at the mid-way point, but then things started to fall apart. Their form dipped massively and as Suárez retired in September 2024, he publicly slammed the manager describing him as causing a toxic environment which was backed by other key players. Public opinion seemed to turn on the manager too with many feeling like he’s not getting the best out of the side. In November, Bielsa hosted a 105-minute post-match press conference after a 5-1 defeat to the USA where defended his role. Two draws in March against England and Algeria in March haven’t really changed their fortunes but they certainly have the talent to turn things around.

The Manager: Marcelo Bielsa

As I’ve already said, he’s facing a lot of pressure in Uruguay currently by Bielsa remains, without a doubt, one of the most influential and respected managers in world football. He retired from his playing career at 25 to focus on management. He had spells in Argentina, Mexico and Spain before being awarded the Argentina national team job in 1998. He led them to a disappointing World Cup in 2002 but won Olympic gold in 2004. He then took over at Chile and saw them reach the Quarter-Finals of World Cup 2010 but resigned after Segovia became the FA’s president. At Athletic Bilbao, he leaded the side to the UEFA Cup semi-final after knocking-out Manchester United with a performance that shocked Sir Alex Ferguson and seemed to instantly make him a cult-favourite in the UK. This was only enhanced when he joined Leeds United in 2018 and helped them gain promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 16-years. His high-tempo, hard-working, all-out-attack style has become iconic and has helped his sides punch well above their weight.

Key Player: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)

The vice-captain of Real Madrid, Valverde has faced some stick recently, especially after the details of his fight with teammate Tchouaméni were made public. Despite this he has been a key midfielder in a very successful Madrid side for years now and his performances against Man City recently show just how special he can be. A very versatile player, he has played full-back many a time for Madrid and has the ability to fit in wherever Uruguay need this summer.

Why they're actually going to win it: When everyone buys into his methods, Bielsa makes Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison look like world-beaters. If he can get the players on side for 8 weeks, they are more than capable of doing something special.

11. @Lee_J11- Mexico

World Cup Appearances: 18

Best: Quarter-Finals (1970, 1986)

On 23/05/2026 at 15:27, LewisGT said:

19. Mexico

Group A

CONCACAF (2/6)

World Ranking: 15

Best Result: Quarter-Finals (1970, 1986)

Fixtures:

South Africa (11th June, 8PM)

South Korea (19th June, 2AM)

Czech Republic (25th June, 2AM)

There’s been times over the past-few years where it has looked like this tournament was going to be a disaster for Mexico. They were knocked out in the group stage in 2022, the first time they hadn’t been seen in the knock-outs since they were banned in 1990, and suffered the same fate in the 2024 Copa América before losing the 2025 Gold Cup to the USA. They felt like a team that were just drifting towards this tournament without showing any signs of life. However, in March they got morale boosting draws with Portugal and Belgium and people are starting to believe again. This will be a record-breaking third time hosting for Mexico and their other two times (1970, 1986) have both seen their best ever results, reaching the quarter-finals. Between 1994-2018, they were knocked out in the Last 16 for seven consecutive tournaments and with a tasty looking group, they look like they will probably reach that round again.

The Manager: Javier Aguirre

Aguirre was rehired last July for his third-spell as Mexico boss and will lead them into his third World Cup after their previous two managers, Diego Cocca and Jaime Lozano have failed to impress. Both of his previous campaigns ended in Last 16 defeats, against USA in 2002 and Argentina in 2010. At club level, he has mainly managed in Spain, leading Osasuna to the Champions League before stints at Atlético Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés and Mallorca. In between them, he has tried two other international roles. He was sacked by Japan in 2015 after he had been indicated in a match-fixing scandal and Egypt let him go in 2019 after they were knocked out in the last 16 of the AFCON they were hosting. Aguirre also had a successful playing career in Mexico and USA, making 59 caps for Mexico and becoming their first ever player to be sent off at a World Cup in 1986.

Key Player: Raúl Jiménez (Fulham)

The bridesmaid for Mexico for three World Cups, at 35 it looks like Jiménez is finally going to be the main man up top this time around and doing it on home soil will be special. He will be incredibly familiar to Premier League fans due to his prolific spell at Wolves where he bagged 40 league goals becoming their top ever Prem goalscorer. There was a spell where he formed an electric partnership with Diogo Jota and Adama Traore that fired Wolves into Europe and made them everyone’s bogey side. But he had a horrific clash of heads with David Luiz in 2020 where he fractured his skull and was out for nearly a year. He has never able to find the same form again at Wolves but was rejuvenated after moving to Fulham and has now had three seasons as their main striker, holding off the pressure from Rodrigo Muniz.

Why they're actually going to win it: Their best results have come on home soil where they have one of the most passionate fanbases in the world. If World Cup fever takes over, they will be very hard to beat.

13. @Scene- Colombia

World Cup Appearances: 7

Best: Quarter-Finals (2014)

On 28/05/2026 at 16:58, LewisGT said:

14. Colombia

Group K

CONMEBOL (3/6)

World Ranking: 13

Best Result: Quarter-Finals (2014)

Fixtures:

Uzbekistan (18th June, 3AM)

DR Congo (24th June, 3AM)

Portugal (28th June, 12:30AM)

Many a person’s dark horse at this tournament, Colombia missed out in 2022 after two knock-out campaigns in a row but are back and looking hungrier than ever. Not many teams had such a bipolar qualifying campaign with huge highs (beating Brazil and Argentina) being followed by deep lows. Their 3-game losing streak in between November 2024-March 2025 was starting to bring back bad memories from four years before, especially when they threw away an early 2-0 lead to draw with Paraguay in the next game. In 2022, they had a 7-game streak without winning that cost them their place but, this time, they ended strong with a 3-0 win against Bolivia and a 6-3 win at Venezuela seeing them finish third. At the 2024 Copa América, hosted in the US, they finished runners-up after a Lautaro Martínez goal for Argentina in Extra-Time saw the final finish 1-0 and they have the attacking talent to cause similar problems this time around.

The Manager: Néstor Lorenzo

Another Argentinian coach at this tournament, Lorenzo features for his side in the 1990 World Cup but after signing for Swindon Town(!) in the aftermath of the tournament, never played for the national team again. From 2000-2019, he worked as José Pékerman’s assistant manager and followed him to Spanish and Mexican clubs as well as the national sides of Argentina (World Cup 2006 - Quarter Finals) and Colombia (World Cup 2014 and 2018 - Quarter-Finals and Last 16). After a year in his first lead-role at Peruvian side Melgar, Colombia came calling back and gave him their main job in 2022. He joined them at a low point and guiding them to a final and World Cup qualification is an impressive job. He will now have to find the right balance with this squad and answer the James Rodríguez question.

Key Player: Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich)

Oh, how Liverpool have missed him this year. After winning the title in Merseyside, Díaz completed a £65.5 million transfer to Bayern Munich and has enjoyed a brilliant first season, bagging 15 league goals and 14 league assists, storming the title and becoming part of one of the most-feared top 3s in the world alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise. He’s been in the form of his career and at 29, is at the perfect age to define his legacy with the national side while he’s still at his peak. A golden boot win in the last Copa América proves that he can delivery in the biggest tournaments.

Why they're actually going to win it: If James can runback his 2014 form and Díaz plays to his best then it’s going to take a strong defence to stop them.

12. @LiamSime- Panama

World Cup Appearances: 2

Best: Group Stage (2018)

On 05/05/2026 at 17:06, LewisGT said:

37. Panama

Group L

CONCACAF (4/6)

World Ranking: 33

Best Result: Group Stage (2018)

Fixtures:

Ghana (18th June, 12AM)

Croatia (24th June, 12AM)

England (27th June, 10PM)

With the three host countries booking their spot automatically, Panama were the highest ranked team in North American qualifying but made a bit of a meal of getting here, relying on Suriname falling apart in their final match to climb above them in the group. Steadily improving each year, Panama feel better suited for this tournament than they did in their only other World Cup appearance in 2018 where they finished bottom of their difficult group with no points and only one goal scored (against England, who they will play again this time around). Perhaps lacking in attacking options, Panama are still not to be underestimated. They aren’t this high in the World Rankings for no reason and impressed as guests at the most recent Copa America in 2024 where they escaped a tricky group featuring Uruguay, Bolivia and hosts USA before succumbing to Colombia in the Quarter-Finals.

The Manager: Thomas Christiansen

There will be Danish representation at this World Cup as Christiansen was born in the country, despite making two appearances for the Spanish national side. He has impressively overseen Panama climb from the 80s in the World Rankings when he joined in 2020 to the 33rd spot they sit in today. With Panama being the top side in qualifying, he saw them play a possession-based style but against the bigger teams, like in the Copa America, he sets the team up to defend and expect him to do that again this time. He will be best known to British fans for a spell as Leeds United manager in 2017 where he replaced Garry Monk.

Key Player: Aníbal Godoy (San Diego)

Not easy to choose as they don’t really have any standout names but Godoy is their captain and record-appearance maker and will be key if Panama do well. I think Panama are going to try to soak up lots of pressure and hit on the counter and Godoy will be key to their defensive effort as a deep-midfielder. He is 36 now so it will be difficult for him to see out every match but if Panama are to do well, expect to be hearing his name a lot.

Why they're actually going to win it: A home confederation tournament will give them a boost and they’ve already shown that they can get results against good sides.

1. @Steve201- Algeria

World Cup Appearances: 5

Best: Round of 16 (2014)

On 16/05/2026 at 12:11, LewisGT said:

26. Algeria

Group J

CAF (5/10)

World Ranking: 28

Best Result: Last-16 (2014)

Fixtures:

Algeria (17th June, 2AM)

Jordan (23rd June, 4AM)

Austria (28th June, 3AM)

Algeria have missed out on two World Cups in a row since they reached the knock-outs for the only time 2014. Going into that tournament, Riyad Mahrez only had two caps for the country, since then he’s won the league title with Leicester, won four more at Man City as well as a Champions League and captained Algeria to an AFCON victory in 2019. They have constantly had one of the stronger sides in Africa so missing out on both World Cups of Mahrez’s prime will be a massive disappointment. At the recent AFCON, they showed their strength in the groups stage but were toothless in the Quarter-Final against Nigeria, not even managing a shot-on-target in the whole 90. They will be desperate to put that right this summer.

The Manager: Vladimir Petković

The Switzerland manager for seven-years, Petković oversaw the them become one of the most-consistent countries in world football, overperforming their reputation to reach the knock-outs of all four tournaments he led. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Petković had a distinguished playing career in Yugoslavia and Switzerland before managing Lazio and Bordeaux at club level. His spell as Switzerland boss has proved him to be a very reliable coach who knows how to get the best out of his players.

Key Player: Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli)

He might be 35-now and playing in the Saudi league but Mahrez is still a vital part of this Algerian side. He proved this at the recent AFCON where he scored within 2-minutes in their opening match. He might not have the same pace anymore but his left-foot is still a huge asset and is still capable of firing them in from anywhere if defenders let him cut inside.

Why they're actually going to win it: They were the team that were eliminated after the Disgrace of Gijón where Germany ‘beat’ Austria 1-0 so both teams safely qualified and a re-match against Austria should be spicy.

42. @Suedehead2- Scotland

World Cup Appearances: 10

Best: Group Stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978. 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998)

On 03/05/2026 at 14:51, LewisGT said:

39. Scotland

Group C

UEFA (15/16)

World Ranking: 43

Best Result: Group Stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998)

Fixtures:

Haiti (14th June, 2AM)

Morocco (19th June, 11PM)

Brazil (24th June, 11PM)

Scotland are back on the big stage for the first time since 1998 after two recent Euro qualifications that ended in disappointing, winless group stage exits. With three times qualifying from most groups and an opening match against unfancied Haiti, Scotland fans will be expecting to see their team reach the play-offs to a major tournament for the first ever time (at the thirteenth attempt). Their spot was sealed after two impressive stoppage-time goals against Denmark in their final match but their loss against a ten-men Greece three-days before showed their vulnerabilities. Their reward is a group with two of the same sides as in 1998, Morocco and Brazil, where they will be underdogs.

The Manager: Steve Clarke

Proving that it’s not just England who constantly criticise their most successful managers, Clarke gets a lot of stick for his boring style and reliance on the same set of players despite now booking Scotland’s place at three major tournaments after they had ten-consecutive misses. He’s had successful spells in both England and Scotland as a player (St Mirren, Chelsea) and as a manager (West Brom, Kilmarnock). In his two seasons of Kilmarnock, he leaded the team to their highest-ever league position twice and picked up two Manager of the Year awards. He made six appearances for the national side but did not go to any major tournaments.

Key Player: Scott McTominay (Napoli)

He was often unfairly maligned as a defensive midfielder at Manchester United where his McFred double-pivot was often blamed for any of the team’s shortcomings, but his move to Napoli and push further forward up the pitch has proved to be more than fruitful. In just two seasons, McTominay has already become an icon in Naples, winning the Serie A MVP award for 2024-25, pick up the scudetto and even finish 18th in the Ballon d’Or. With Scotland, he has now scored 14-goals (including an overhead kick versus Denmark), not bad for someone who only scored once in his opening 37-caps. The son of the late-great Diego Maradona has called Scott the most influential Napoli player since his father and labelled him ‘Jesus’. Now that’s some praise!

Why they're actually going to win it: After twelve group-stage exits, despite some top talent over their time, they are way overdue a good tournament run and have a very experienced group of players.

25. @Houdini- Canada

World Cup Appearances: 3

Best: Group Stage (1986, 2022)

On 13/05/2026 at 17:30, LewisGT said:

29. Canada

Group B

CONCACAF (3/6)

World Ranking: 30

Best Result: Group Stage (1986, 2022)

Fixtures:

Bosnia & Herzegovina (12th June, 8PM)

Qatar (18th June, 11PM)

Switzerland (24th June, 8PM)

The first of the three hosts to drop out, Canada have lost all six of their World Cup games so far but look very likely to make some history this time around. Despite surprising everyone by winning the CONCACAF qualifying group in 2022 and playing brilliantly against Belgium in their first game, they underwhelmed in Qatar but have been steadily improving since and now will be thinking about qualifying for the knock-outs on home soil, not just hoping to win a game like before. They were ranked as low as 120 in the world less than 10-years ago but have started taking it much more seriously, boosted by Canadian teams playing in the MLS for 20-years now (Toronto FC were the first in 2007) and a golden generation of talent that have travelled to top European teams (Alfonso Davies, Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan).

The Manager: Jesse March

Seen as a bit of a Ted Lasso in the UK due to his time at Leeds United replacing club-legend Marcelo Bielsa being while the Apple TV+ show was at its peak, he did manage to keep them up in 2022 before being sacked the following season. A student of the Red Bull philosophy, after a short spell with Montreal Impact, his next three managerial jobs were at New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Salzberg and RB Leipzig. His best spell was certainly at Salzberg where he won back-to-back league and cup doubles. He was at one time being lined-up to be the manager of his native-side, USA after Gregg Berhalter left in 2022, but after they rehired Berhalter, Marsch has been very critical of their national associated and joined neighbours Canada. In his first 6-weeks in the job, he took the side to 2024 Copa America where they impressed, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions Argentina. He’s made Canada a more tactically astute side and will look to implement Red Bull’s famous high intensity, high press system.

Key Player: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

Currently injured with a month to go before the World Cup, he has spent more time in the medical room than most which has plagued him since the last World Cup. And as of this week, he’s suffered another injury that is putting his participation in doubt. But, he is still only 25 and, despite some long lay-offs, has already achieved more in his career than all other Canadian players combined. He’s the only Canadian to win the Champions League (which he did as a teenager in 2020) and has seven Bundesliga medals in his back-pocket. A real contender for the best current North American footballer, if not of all-time.

Why they're actually going to win it: They’re the host nation with the most momentum going into this tournament and have their best-ever side. Whether Trump would actually hand over the trophy though, that’s a different story.

32 @Julian_- Paraguay

World Cup Appearances: 9

Best: Quarter-Finals (2010)

On 12/05/2026 at 17:09, LewisGT said:

30. Paraguay

Group D

CONMEBOL (6/6)

World Ranking: 40

Best Result: Quarter-Finals (2010)

Fixtures:

USA (13th June, 2AM)

Turkey (20th June, 4AM)

Paraguay (26th June, 3AM)

After achieving their best-ever World Cup run in 2010, Paraguay have suffered three straight unsuccessful qualifying campaigns (like Italy lol) but they’re finally back on the big stage and ready to impress. Despite finishing if the sixth-and-final-qualifying-spot, it was much more comfortable than it sounds. They were only one-point behind 2nd place and eight-points above Bolivia in the Play-Off place. With only five-points from their first seven games, it was some turnaround with wins against Brazil and Argentina the highlights. They have a great defensive record and I expect them to frustrate the other teams in the group. There’s no need for them to worry about 2030, they’ve already qualified and will play their opening game at home.

The Manager: Gustavo Alfaro

The Argentinian manager is no stranger to the World Cup; he was in charge of Ecuador at the last tournament and oversaw their 2-0 win against Qatar on the opening day. After leaving them, he had a 9-month stint as Costa Rica manager but resigned to take charge of Paraguay. With him turning Paraguay’s fortunes around while Costa Rica missed out on qualifying, coincidently for the first time since 2010, I bet they wish he’d stayed. Paraguay picked up 24-points in 12 games in qualifying after he joined and conceded the second-least number of goals so he’s got them playing incredibly consistently and made them very hard-to-beat.

Key Player: Julio Enciso (Strasbourg)

Signed by Strasbourg last summer, I think it’s safe to say we can consider him a Chelsea player if he continues to develop well. Still only 22, it already feels like ages since he burst onto the scene with Brighton, scoring the goal of the season in 2022/23 with his dramatic equaliser against Man City. However, he’s had some bad injury issues since then a disappointing loan spell at Ipswich last season killed his momentum. But anyone who’s seen him play, knows that he has a vicious right-foot and isn’t afraid to shoot from any distance. He’s a maverick but could be the little bit of genius Paraguay need this year.

Why they're actually going to win it: They’ve got great balance in their side and look very difficult to beat. They have a decent group where they can really frustrate the other teams

5. @-Jay-- Ghana

World Cup Appearances: 5

Best: Quarter-Finals (2010)

On 14/05/2026 at 17:45, LewisGT said:

28. Ghana

Group L

CAF (6/10)

World Ranking: 74

Best Result: Quater-Finals (2010)

Fixtures:

Panama (18th June, 12AM)

England (23rd June, 9PM)

Croatia (27th June, 10PM)

Certainly the team I have overperforming their World Ranking in this countdown, Ghana have the World Cup history other African nations can only look at with envy but have been a disaster ever since Luis Suárez handballed in South Africa 2010. They were comfortably ranked in the top 20 in the world then but have now spent 2-years in the 70s. With four AFCON titles, only Egypt and Cameroon have won it more but they faced the ignominy of not even qualifying for the most recent tournament, after two consecutive group-stage exits. This is despite, on paper, having the best front-three in Africa. Senegal are probably the only other country that could name a front-three anywhere near as strong as Mohammed Kudus, Iñaki Williams and Antoine Semenyo and still have options such as Jordan Ayew, Abdul Fatawu, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Kamaldeen Sulemana as back-ups. Their results have been awful of late but they’ve recently hired a manager who has some experience at this level...

The Manager: Carlos Queiroz

If you were worried after reading my Iran post that you wouldn’t get your Queiroz fix at this World Cup then worry not as less than a month ago, Ghana confirmed that he’ll be taking charge of their side. An international football manager veteran, he first took charge of his native Portugal in 1991 when they were not a top side and had spells with Sporting Lisbon, NY/NJ MetroStars, Nagoya Grampus Eight and the UAE before he took charge of South Africa and helped them qualify for the 2002 World Cup before resigning before the tournament kicked-off. It wasn’t joining Manchester United as assistant manager in 2002 where he really made his name. He stayed there until 2008, aside from one season as Real Madrid manager which didn’t go well, winning trophy galore and earning a second-spell as Portugal manager. They struggled in qualifying for 2010, eventually winning a play-off and reaching the Last-16 in the tournament. He then had his first spell at Iran, reaching two World Cups and only missing out on the knock-outs in 2018 after Spain scored an injury-time equalizer against Morocco in their last-group game. He has since had unsuccessful stints at Colombia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman the other sides of his return with Iran in 2022.

Key Player: Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)

Born in Chelsea, Semenyo committed to Ghana in 2022 and made two substitute appearances at that year’s World Cup. In the time since, he has become one of the most coveted players in the Premier League after joining Bournemouth in 2023. His six-goals in the opening seven-games this season eventually led to his big-money move to Man City in January that has already resulted in his first trophy, the Carabao Cup in March. A dynamic winger which great skill and ball-control, he’s really added goals to his strengths in recent years and with Kudos being injured for most of the season, a lot of Ghanian hopes will be directed squarely at him.

Why they're actually going to win it: It was only a Luis Suárez that stopped them becoming the first African side to reach the Semi-Finals of the World Cup and they now feel very overdue a bit of luck at the World Cup.

21. @Assy!- Egypt

World Cup Appearances: 4

Best: Last 16 (1934)

On 17/05/2026 at 13:13, LewisGT said:

25. Egypt

Group G

CAF (4/10)

World Ranking: 29

Best Result: Last 16 (1934)

Fixtures:

Belgium (15th June, 8PM)

New Zealand (22nd June, 2AM)

Iran (27th June, 4AM)

The traditional giants of Africa, Egypt have 7 AFCON titles in their trophy cabinet but have only ever made three World Cups and while their best result section above may say ‘Last 16’, there was only 16 teams involved in the 1934 World Cup. Yet to win a game on the biggest stage, their 2018 campaign was famously hit by an injury Salah received in that year’s Champions League final which meant that he looked like a shell of himself during the actual tournament. He did manage to score in their final game, a 2-1 defeat by a Saudi Arabia side who had lost 5-0 in the opening game against hosts Russia. They will expect to put that to right this year but there’s similar questions around Salah going into it again. One thing you can always say about Egypt though is that they know how to defend. Expect them to try to frustrate Belgium and Iran and try to hit on the counter.

The Manager: Hossam Hassan

The man who was considered Egypt’s greatest until Salah, Hassan remains the country top-ever goalscorer with 69 goals in 177 caps. He had two years in Europe with PAOK of Greece and Neuchâtel Xamax of Switzerland in the middle of 16-years with Al Ahly where he won 11 league titles. In his time in Switzerland, he made headlines in the UK for scoring 4-goals in a UEFA Cup match versus Celtic. Playing well into his 40s, he then also played for another 5 Egyptian sides adding more league titles to his collection. To show how epic his international playing career was, he won his first AFCON title with Egypt in 1986 and his third title twenty-years later in 2006. As a manager, he’s taken charge of numerous Egyptian sides but his only other international experience was with Jordan in 2013-2014 where he took them to the Intercontinental Play-Offs for the World Cup before a 5-0 aggregate defeat to Uruguay.

Key Player: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Who else? Salah is probably the best African footballer of all-time and will be devastated at how his World Cup career has gone (or more accurately not gone) so far. At 33, this is likely his last shot and, had this tournament been last year, everyone would have him as a potential Player of the Tournament. However, this season has been the most difficult of his Liverpool career with him being dropped for a fallout with the manager and his struggle to find form when he has been on the pitch. With 193 Premier League goals in his back-pocket, the most of any non-English player, you just can’t rule him out doing some spectacular this summer. If he can get 3-goals, he overtakes his manager to be Egypt’s top-ever goalscorer.

Why they're actually going to win it: Their AFCON history shows that they’re very capable of turning up for big tournaments and they owe themselves a good run after their dismal history in the competition.

Suede stole my number

I'll settle for 43 then x

31, please

38. @Spiceboy- Brazil

World Cup Appearances: 23

Best: Winners: (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)

On 04/06/2026 at 17:13, LewisGT said:

7. Brazil

Group C

CONMEBOL (2/6)

World Ranking: 7

Best Result: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)

Fixtures:

Morocco (13th June, 11PM)

Haiti (20th June, 1:30AM)

Scotland (24th June, 11PM)

The most iconic and successful team in World Cup history, Brazil have won the tournament on five occasions but are currently going through their record drought if they cannot win this year. The days of Pelé, Zico, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are long gone but they’ve been hampered by their determination to try to relive those days. Their whole preparation for this tournament has been overshadowed by one question: Neymar - in or out? He’s their last remaining icon and record top goalscorer but is 34 now and has spent more time injured than playing for Al-Hilal and now Santos since the last World Cup. In the end, he’s been picked ahead of Chelsea’s João Pedro (you have to imagine, mainly because the reaction in Brazil would have been horrific if he wasn’t) which feels to outsiders like a poor decision. Disappointing (and embarrassing) recent results (the 7-1 verses Germany at home, letting Croatia counter-attack them in the last 5 minutes in 2022) has seen them turn to a foreign-manager for the first time which felt impossible at one point. Who would have thought when it was announced that the World Cup was expanding to 48- teams that Brazil would be the main benefactors? A poor qualifying campaign saw them finish 5th and would have sent them to an Intercontinental Play-Off previously. The worst part is, they only finished above Paraguay on goal difference so would have been very close to missing out altogether in past years.

The Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

One of, if not the, most legendary currently-active managers in World Football, Ancelotti has won it all before: 5 Champions Leagues, 3 Club World Cups, 2 La Ligas, a Bundesliga, a Scudetto, a Ligue Un title, an FA Cup and a Premier League. All of that and he’s never been more animated than when doing his signature eyebrow curl. But with this being his first international role, there’s one trophy missing from his cabinet. With his insane success as a manager, it’s easy to forget that he was a brilliant footballer too. He’s one of only 7-people to win the Champions League as a player and a manager after winning back-to-back titles with AC Milan between 1989-1990. Injury stopped him from being picked for World Cup 1982 and meant he didn’t get off the bench 4-years later. It wasn’t until Italia 1990 until he made his tournament debut, playing three times.

Key Player: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid)

Many people believed he was robbed in 2024 when Rodri pipped him to the Ballon d’Or title and he’s never really recovered from that disappointment since. He’s took the brunt of the blame after Real Madrid’s collapse in the past two years. His position at the club is now looking rough after José Mourinho’s hiring after the Portuguese manager had been very critical of his actions after Vini reported being racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni. He’s also been frequently criticised for never living up to his potential for his country. So far only scoring 8 goals in 47 appearances. But if there’s one man who knows how to get the best out of him, it’s Carlo Ancelotti. During their time together, Vinícius became much more aware of his defensive duties, became a lot more consistent at decision making in the final-third and reached a point where he was legitimately a contender as being the best player in the world.

Why they're actually going to win it: They’re Brazil. You can never rule them out. And any team that names 9 attackers while only picking 5 midfielders is going to score goals.