17 hours ago17 hr Author 26. @HarryInnanen- Czech RepublicWorld Cup Appearances: 10Best: Runners-Up (1934,1962) as CzechoslovakiaOn 10/05/2026 at 13:32, LewisGT said:32. Czech RepublicGroup AUEFA (14/16)World Ranking: 39Best Result: Final* (1934, 1962) *As CzechoslovakiaFixtures:South Korea (12th June, 3AM)South Africa (18th June, 5PM)Mexico (25th June, 2AM)Two penalty shootout victories (over Republic of Ireland and Denmark) after consecutive 2-2 draws saw the Czechs book their spot through the Play-Offs after a disappointing group stage saw them lose to Faroe Islands before pipping them to second. But Czech Republic are back on the big stage for the first time in 20 years and will be fancying their chances of getting out of the group. That team 20 years ago was a bit of a golden generation with Petr Cech, Tomáš Rosický, Milan Baroš and Ballon d’Or winner Pavel Nedvěd all in the squad. They don’t have the same quality this time around but do have a hard-working side that are capable of causing any team frustration. They competed as Czechoslovakia until 1994 and were runners-up twice in their old form.The Manager: Miroslav KoubekA goalkeeper during this career, retiring at Sparta Prague in 1982, Koubek has tonnes of experience and, at 74 years young, will become the eldest ever manager to take charge at a World Cup when they face South Korea on the tournament’s opening day. Aside from a short spell as assistant manager of Chinese club Tianjin Jinmen Tiger in 2008, he has been managing in the Czech Republic since 1983, leading giants Slavia Prague and three spells at Viktoria Plzeň where he won the league title in 2015. More important he managed my favourite Czech side Bohemians 1905 who I saw play live in the Europa Conference League qualifying stage against Bodø/Glimt during my holiday to Prague in 2023.Key Player: Tomáš Souček (West Ham United)Very familiar to Premier League fans, Souček gets his fair share of stick at West Ham and every time a new manager comes in, they seem to drop him for a bit. But he always finds his way back in their plans and has a knack of scoring massively important goals at decisive moments thanks to his great physicality and willingness to stick his head on the end of every cross. He has recently been stripped of his captaincy after some controversies with the team but he always works his way back in favour at West Ham so I’m sure he’ll do the same with Czech Republic.Why they're actually going to win it: Only the Netherlands have been to more World Cup finals without winning one than the Czechs and a favourable group draw could see them gain momentum and put that fact to right.
17 hours ago17 hr Author 3. @Paddington James- Ivory CoastWorld Cup Appearances: 4Best: Group Stage (2006, 2010, 2014)On 27/05/2026 at 19:17, LewisGT said:15. Ivory CoastGroup ECAF (3/10)World Ranking: 34Best Result: Group Stage (2006, 2010, 2014)Fixtures:Ecuador (15th June, 12AM)Germany (20th June, 9PM)Curaçao (25th June, 9PM)Despite being a giant in African football, Ivory Coast have only ever qualified for the World Cup on three occasions before and they were all consecutive between 2006-2014 where they had their golden age of talent, led by the Touré brothers, Didier Drogba and Salamon Kalou. However, the underperformed and did not make it out of any of their group stages, coming closest in 2014 when an injury time winner from Georgios Samaras saw them fall to a late defeat to Greece and finish a point behind them. At this year’s AFCON, they reached the quarter-finals and shown they have some of the most exciting attacking talent in Africa but it was the AFCON in 2023 where they hosted which was the most dramatic. Despite an opening day win, they then lost their two other group stage matches, 1-0 to Nigeria and an embarring 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea which saw them sack their manager, presumed to be out. However, some shock results in the other groups left them sneaking through as the fourth-best 3rd-placed team with 3 points and a minus 3 goal difference. In perhaps the greatest new manager boost of all-time, they turned their fortunes on their head and wins against Senegal, Mali, DR Congo and revenge against Nigeria saw them win the most remarkable title.The Manager: Emerse FaéFaé is already a national hero in Ivory Coast for stepping up from Under 23s Manager and first-team Assistant halfway through AFCON 2023 to guide the Elephants to the trophy. Born in Nantes, Faé played for the French youth teams before becoming a senior player for the African side. He played over 100 league games for his hometown club before moving to England with Reading in the Premier League. However, this move could not have gone any worse. He only played eight times for the club, caught Malaria while on international duty and was suspended for refusing to play for the reserve team. He then travelled to France, said he would never play for the club again and spent the rest of his career at Nice before retiring at 28.Key Player: Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig)Still a teenager, Diomande is already set for a big summer with the rumours suggesting Liverpool and PSG are both set to battle it out for the blisteringly fast and tricky winger. He only moved to Leipzig last summer after they paid his $20 million release clause from Leganés and he’s going to go for a much larger fee this time around. He became the youngest player to score a Bundesliga hat-trick in over 60 years when he scored half the goals in a 6-0 win over Frankfurt in December. He was also eligible for hosts USA after he moved there young and came up through the DME Academy but chose his birth nation. He’s already scored at the recent AFCON in Morocco and I think he’s going to be one of the breakout stars next month.Why they're actually going to win it: Their 2023 AFCON win was the most remarkable tournament turn-around I’ve ever witnessed so this should be a walk in the park comparably.
17 hours ago17 hr Author 14. @nine¾- South KoreaWorld Cup Appearances: 12Best: Fourth Place (2002)On 18/05/2026 at 17:48, LewisGT said:24. South KoreaGroup AAFC (2/9)World Ranking: 25Best Result: Semi-Final (2002)Fixtures:Czech Republic (12th June, 3AM)Mexico (19th June, 2AM)South Africa (25th June, 2AM)South Korea are at their eleventh consecutive World Cup and are still chasing the highs of their run to the Semi-Final in their co-hosted 2002 tournament. They had provided us with massive drama in the final group game of their last two tournaments. In 2018, they scored twice in added time in an ultimately futile 2-0 win over Germany that did mean the European side finished bottom of a World Cup group for the first time with Korea ending third. And in 2022, they again scored in added time. This time to beat Portugal and book their place in the knockouts at Uruguay’s expense. They’re always a hard-working side but the question surrounding them is always whether they can create enough going forward. Questions are especially being raised after two defeats in their March friendlies: 4-0 against Ivory Coast and 1-0 against Austria.The Manager: Hong Myung-boAn icon of Asian football, Hong was the first player from the continent to play in four World Cups with his final tournament in 2002 seeing him earn the Bronze Ball; again making him the first Asian player to receive a World Cup award. A centre-back by trade, he spent the majority of his career in his native Korea but did make one international move, concluding his playing time with LA Galaxy. After retirement, he went straight into being the assistant manager to (recently reappointed Curaçao manager) Dick Advocaat with the Korean national side. He then worked his way up to the main job in 2014 by managing the under 20s and under 23 side. However, a winless World Cup saw his first spell as Korea manager come to a brief end. He’d earned another shot after leading Ulsan HD to consecutive league titles with efficient, if not spectacular, style of play.Key Player: Son Heung-min (Los Angeles)Just like with Salah yesterday, there’s no doubt who Korea’s poster-boy is. Son is probably the best Asian footballer of all-time. He’s the only Asian player to score 100+ goals in the Premier League, he has more Champions League goals than anyone else on the continent and has won the ‘Best Football in Asia’ award ten times, with 2016 and 2024 the only years he hasn’t won it since his first. His 10 years at Tottenham saw him become a Premier League legend and eventually the club captain, as well as seeing him win the Puskás Award for his goal against Burnley that saw him run the whole length of the pitch. He’s now made a tactic move to the US, getting used to the country where he will play in the Summer and has been showing great form. However, his last season with Tottenham was poor and he looked like he’d lost a yard of pace so it might just be the lower standard of the league that’s making him still look good.Why they're actually going to win it: They were the only unbeaten side in Asian qualifying and Son has been studying the land for a year already.
17 hours ago17 hr Author 18. @Brett-Butler- TurkeyWorld Cup Appearances: 4 Best: Third Place (2002)On 20/05/2026 at 17:47, LewisGT said:22. TurkeyGroup DUEFA (11/16)World Ranking: 22Best Result: Third-Place (2002)Fixtures:Australia (14th June, 5AM)Paraguay (20th June, 4AM)USA (26th June, 3AM)It feels crazy that this is only Turkey’s third ever appearance at the World Cup and their first since finishing third in 2002. They were very unfortunate to be placed with Spain in their qualifying group but still impressed in their matches and a heavy defeat against Spain early on was the only thing separating the sides. In the play-offs, they looked more nervy but successive 1-0 victories against Romania and Kosovo were enough to see them here. This feels like a really exciting time for Turkey though. They had a strong showing at the recent Euros and have plenty of young, exciting talent coming of age. They are one of those sides that everyone seems to hype up before they end up disappointing but maybe this time, they can live up to the expectations.The Manager: Vincenzo MontellaA prolific goalscorer in his native Italy, Montella played for Empoli, Genoa and Sampdoria but it was his 10-year spell at Roma where he had the best times of his career, winning a Seria A title and eventually being welcomed in their Hall of Fame. He did also have a 10-game stint in England on loan at Fulham at the tail end of his playing career. As an international, he made 20 appearances for Italy and was in their 2002 World Cup squad. His first spell as a manager was as caretaker at Roma but he’s since had two spells at Fiorentina, Sampdoria, AC Milan and Sevilla. But it’s with Turkey were he’s really found a home. First by booking Adana Demirspor their first ever European qualification and since having great success with the national side. Turkey always have the flair but Montella has worked hard at making them more solid and being able to grind out results.Key Player: Arda Güler (Real Madrid)Still only 21 but already a Champions League winner, Güler is one of the most exciting young players in the World. A winger with a deadly left foot, his low centre-of-gravity makes him very tough to tackle and he has a great ability to make the right pass. He was a teenager in EURO 2024 but still was key to the Turkey side that reached the Quarter-Finals winning Man of the Match in his tournament debut after scoring a memorable worldie.Why they're actually going to win it: Every time they qualify for a tournament, they are everyone’s dark horse but the finally look like they might have enough to actually follow-through with the hype this time.
17 hours ago17 hr Author 10. @Iz様 🌟- FranceWorld Cup Appearances: 18Best: Winners (1998, 2018)21 hours ago, LewisGT said:2. FranceGroup IUEFA (2/16)World Ranking: 1Best Result: Winners (1998, 2018)Fixtures:Senegal (16th June, 8PM)Iraq (22nd June, 10PM)Norway (26th June, 8PM)Champions in 2018 and only a penalty shoot-out (or Kolo Muani scoring a late 1-on-1) away from retaining their title in 2022, France have lost some of the key names from those sides (Lloris, Varane, Pogba, Griezmann, Giroud) but have found just as strong replacements. That is where the key strength of this French side lays, the sheer depth of talent that they possess, especially in attacking areas. Who else would be able to leave a player like Camavinga and at home? With PSG finally living up to their potential and winning back-to-back Champions League titles, this feels like a bit of a golden time for French football with five of this side playing their trade there, including reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé. The only reason why they’ve not topped this list was their poor showing at Euro 2024 where they looked lethargic and never got going, despite reaching the Semi-Finals.The Manager: Didier DeschampsThe longest reining manager at this tournament, Deschamps has seen it all in his 14-year spell as France’s manager where he has notably become only the third man to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager. It will be the end of an era this time around as he leaving the side after his contract expires next month. Despite his huge success, he has not always been the most popular manager and has faced many spells of criticism, especially after their poor showing at the last Euros and when they were unable to win the trophy at home in 2016. A legendary defensive-midfielder as a player, he captained the first French team (Marseille) to win the Champions League in 1993 and captained the first French side to win the World Cup in 2018. He also had a brief spell in English football with Chelsea in 1999.Key Player: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)He was the star of the show when he won the World Cup at the age of 18 and stole plenty of the headlines away from winners Argentina four year later when he became the second player to bag a World Cup hattrick. It’s safe to say that Mbappé embraces the biggest stage. In fact, he’s equaled Pelé’s record of scoring 12-goals in 14 World Cup matches and is only four goals behind Miroslav Klose as being the top ever scorer at the World Cup. You wouldn’t bet against him at-least equaling that record by the end of July. Despite having an insane goal record wherever he’s been at, he’s never quite become the next-generation Ballon d’Or dominator after Ronaldo and Messi’s dominance we all expected after he tore up World Cup 2018 and he’s still yet to win the top honour. His move to Real Madrid (who had won 6 of the last 11 Champions League when he joined) was meant to be the moment for him but it’s all went a bit wrong as he’s gone trophyless for two seasons while his old team, PSG, have become the top team in Europe.Why they're actually going to win it: On paper, they have the strongest side and their recent World Cup experience will be vital.
17 hours ago17 hr Author 47. @TheSnake- TunisiaWorld Cup Appearances: 7Best: Group Stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)On 09/05/2026 at 12:24, LewisGT said:33. TunisiaGroup FCAF (7/10)World Ranking: 44Best Result: Group Stage (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2022)Fixtures:Sweden (15th June, 3AM)Japan (21st June, 5AM)Netherlands (26th June, 12AM)A really poor AFCON where they were knocked out in the Last 16 on penalties by a Mali side that played for over 90 minutes with 10-men has seriously dented any enthusiasm there was for Tunisia going into this tournament. They qualified in style with 9-wins and 1-draw with zero goals conceded, finishing 13 points ahead of second placed Namibia. However, when you consider that the pot 2 team, Equatorial Guinea, had two wins stripped off them and boycotted another match, it starts to look less impressive. They don’t have much flair going forward and will be relying on a strong defence to see them through a particularly tricky looking group. They replaced their manager after their poor AFCON and so their new manager hasn’t had much chance to work with the squad before the tournament.The Manager: Sabri LamouchiEx-Nottingham Forest and Cardiff manager Lamouchi was hired in January to try to turn the countries fortunes around. As a player Lamouchi made 12 appearances or France, won Ligue 1 with Monaco and also played for Inter Milan, Parma and Marseille. At Forest, he was their first manager to complete a full season at the club for over 9 years when he fell short of the Championship play-offs on the final day of the season in 2019/20. He has managed at the World Cup before, seeing Ivory Coast through qualification in 2014 before being knocked-out in the group stage after loses to Colombia and Greece.Key Player: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)Ex-Manchester United midfielder Hannibal will be key if Tunisia are able to show any attacking intent at this tournament. A high-energy, dynamic presence in the centre of pitch, Hannibal loves a tackle and a press but what sets him apart from Tunisia’s other midfielders is that he has the composure and technical ability to then progress with the ball and try to start quick counters. This will be their first World Cup without Wahbi Khazri who carried the team on his own during those tournaments, including scoring the iconic winner against France at last year’s tournament.Why they're actually going to win it: No matter how unlikely, they have won a game at their last two tournaments so, if they turn up, they could turn that into a few more.
16 hours ago16 hr 1 hour ago, awardinary said:Surely @dandy* can't get Paraguay again can he?I didn’t see this - but happy to join in if there’s a number available still
16 hours ago16 hr Author 8 minutes ago, dandy* said:I didn’t see this - but happy to join in if there’s a number available stillYes that's fine.
16 hours ago16 hr Author 36. @dandy*- South AfricaWorld Cup Appearances: 4Best: Group Stage (1998, 2002, 2010)On 06/05/2026 at 17:43, LewisGT said:36. South AfricaGroup ACAF (9/10)World Ranking: 60Best Result: Group Stage (1998, 2002, 2010)Fixtures:Mexico (11th June, 8PM)Czech Republic (18th June, 5PM)South Korea (25th June, 2AM)If you listen to their fans, they’re the best team in the world but in reality, South Africa are still a fairly limited side, as evidenced in their disappointing AFCON campaign this year where they were knocked out by a Cameroon side that couldn’t even qualify for this tournament in the last 16. One thing they will be is pleasing on the eye. They are a team that love to attack and they will try to be on the front foot in this tournament. Unlike most African sides, not many of their top players have decided to go abroad with most of Bafana Bafana’s starting XI playing for Mamelodi Sundowns who have won 10 out of the last 12 Premiership titles, including 8-conseuctive which is looking to become 9 very soon. They have some of the most passionate fans and we have a rematch of the iconic opening match from 2010. It’s good to have them back!The Manager: Hugo BroosNow in his 70s, Broos will retire after this World Cup after a decorated career saw him represent Anderlecht and Club Brugge as a player while managing both of them and many more in a 38-year coaching career. His biggest achievement was probably leading Cameroon to the AFCON title in 2017. He has been South Africa manager since 2021 and led them to third-place in 2023’s AFCON as well as beating Nigeria to qualification for this World Cup, despite a 3-point deduction.Key Player: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)Despite being a team that loves to attack, South Africa’s best player is their veteran goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. Having some experience with Tottenham in his youth development, it wasn’t until the 2023 AFCON where he really made his name worldwide with an epic-performance in the Quarter-Finals against Cape Verde where he saved four-penalties in the shoot-out. He looked unbeatable and it led to him winning the Best Goalkeeper award at the tournament and appear on the long-list for the 2014 Ballon d’Or.Why they're actually going to win it: With some many of their players coming from Mamelodi Sundowns, they already have so much experience playing together and will feel more like a club-side. There's no need to try and get everyone to gel in the short preparation window.
14 hours ago14 hr I've changed my mind, the tournament no longer requires an underdog or unexpected winner.La Marseillaise has always been a bit of a banger
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