LewisGT

Man City 2-0 Crystal Palace

31. Australia Group D AFC (3/9) World Ranking: 27 Best Result: Last 16 (2006, 2022) Fixtures: Turkey (14th June, 5AM) USA (19th June, 8PM) Paraguay (26th June, 3AM) While he will be at the World Cup this year representing Iraq, Grahan Arnold led Australia to their equal-best run at the last World Cup being unluckily knocked-out by eventual winners Argentina in the Last 16. He started the qualifying campaign for this tournament with Australia but was sacked after they lost 1-0 to Bahrain and drew 0-0 with Indonesia in the first two games of Round 3 of qualifying. They were looking destined to have to go through extra-qualifying rounds, owever, since he left, they’ve been a completely different side, taking four points from Japan and beating nearest-rivals Saudi Arabia to book their spot at the first stage. Just over 10 years ago, Australia reached their lowest-ebb, falling outside of the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings for the only time in their history (November 2014) but have been consistently on the up since and have now been in the top 30 for 3.5 years straight. This saw them being rewarded with being a Pot 2 side for this tournament’s draw for the first time. There is a real sense of optimism in the country going into this World Cup that they could be underestimated and surprise a few. The Manager: Tony Popovic Best known in his playing career for a five-year spell at Crystal Palace where he became the club captain and was part of their promotion to the Premier League. This time 20 years ago, he was preparing for the World Cup as a player. However, he got injured in the first half of the team’s second match versus Brazil and missed the final group stage game and the last 16 tie against Italy. As a manager, aside from some quick interludes in Turkey and Greece, he has stayed in his home country, winning the A-League with two different clubs (Western Sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory) as well as the 2014 AFC Champions League with Wanderers. A Centre-Back by trade, he has definitely brought a pragmatic, defence style of play to this Australia team. While he’s got great results, he has also faced criticism for his ‘boring’ football. But don’t expect him to change his ways now. Key Player: Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli) Almost knows as much for his progressive politics (see his willingness to criticise Qatar’s anti-LTBTQ laws during the last World Cup), it seems fitting that Irvine is the club captain of the most famous left-wing football club in the world, St. Pauli of Germany. A proper workman in midfield, Irvine will be need by Australia as the key man to win the ball back and progress it forward in an otherwise defence-minded side. He came through the youth academy at Celtic but never really made it at the club and his career didn’t really kickstart until he moved to England, first with Burton Albion but most famously with Hull City Why they're actually going to win it: Popovic knows how to get results. Western Sydney Wanderers were only in existence for 2-years when he led them to the Asia Champions League title so he already has underdog-winning-history.

10th May 2026 - 16th May 2026 Combined DVD & Blu Ray 1. Shelter (2026) 2. Send Help (2026) 3. Return To Silent Hill (2026) 4. Beyond Paradise: Series Four (2026) 5. (1) 28 Years: The Bone Temple (2026) 6. Point Blank (1967) 7. (7) Wicked: For Good (2025) 8. (6) Hamnet (2025) 9. (9) Predator: Badlands (2025) 10. Doctor Blood’s Coffin (1961) 11. (3) Whistle (2025) 12. (RE) Top Gun (1986) 13. (20) Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) 14. (5) Primate (2025) 15. The Snake Woman (1961) 16. (25) The Running Man (2025) 17. (14) The Housemaid (2025) 18. (19) Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) 19. (10) Mercy (2026) 20. (12) 28 Years Later: 2-Movie Collection (2025-2026) 21. (16) Anaconda (2025) 22. (13) Song Sung Blue (2025) 23. (18) Sinners (2025) 24. (22) Superman (2025) 25. (28) F1: The Movie (2025) 26. Surrender (2025) 27. (21) Wicked: 2-Film Collection (2024-2025) 28. (24) Zootropolis 2 (2025) 29. (35) Weapons (2025) 30. (23) Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (2025) 31. (57) Dune: Part Two (2024) 32. (58) Sisu: Road To Revenge (2025) 33. The Protector (1985) 34. (49) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) 35. (44) Tron: Ares (2025) 36. (42) Paprika (2006) 37. (37) A Minecraft Movie (2025) 38. (41) One Battle After Another (2025) 39. (48) Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025) 40. (31) The Choral (2025) 41. (40) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Three (2025) 42. (29) Marty Supreme (2025) 43. (60) Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) 44. (2) Innerspace (1987) 45. (64) Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) 46. (45) I Swear (2025) 47. (33) Ben-Hur (1959) 48. (RE) The Nice Guys (2016) 49. (54) Mission Alarum (2025) 50. (59) Nobody 2 (2025) 51. (50) Alien: Romulus (2024) 52. (RE) Kingdom Of Heaven (2005) 53. (62) Zootropolis: 2-Movie Collection (2016-2025) 54. (53) The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants (2025) 55. (63) The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) 56. (86) Dune (2021) 57. (65) The Long Walk (2025) 58. (4) H Is For Hawk (2025) 59. (72) Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick (2025) 60. (52) Interstellar (2014) 61. (RE) Possession (1981) 62. (43) Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (2024) 63. (55) Kangaroo (2025) 64. (71) Harry Potter: The Complete Collection (2001-2011) 65. (79) Thunderbolts* (2025) 66. (88) Karate Kid: Legends (2025) 67. (RE) Mission: Impossible: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) 68. (75) How To Train Your Dragon (2025) 69. (68) The Naked Gun (2025) 70. (80) 28 Years Later (2025) 71. (34) Giant (2025) 72. (76) Five Nights At Freddy’s: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) 73. (26) Practical Magic (1988) 74. (RE) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) 75. (73) The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (2001-2003) 76. (67) Dracula (2025) 77. (RE) Ready Or Not (2019) 78. (69) Ghost In The Shell (1995) 79. (100) Schitt’s Creek: The Complete Collection (2015-2020) 80. (89) Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) 81. (36) Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) 82. (RE) Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025) 83. (84) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) 84. (46) Die My Love (2025) 85. Touch Me/Hypochondriac (2022-2025) 86. (RE) Death In Paradise: Series Fifteen (2026) 87. (82) The Cure (2026) 88. (95) Call The Midwife: Series Fifteen & Christmas Special (2025-2026) 89. (RE) Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol. 3 (2023) 90. (93) Nosferatu (2024) 91. (97) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (2024) 92. (RE) Drive (2011) 93. (RE) Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003) 94. (RE) Pirates Of The Caribbean: 5 Movie Collection (2003-2017) 95. (RE) Scanners (1981) 96. (61) The Killer (1989) 97. (RE) Roofman (2025) 98. (83) Adopted (2024) 99. (RE) Nobody (2021) 100. (RE) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) Falling Out: Soldier (1998) The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) The History Of Sound (2025) Street Trash (1987) The Grapes Of Death (1978) The Living Dead Girl (1982) Werewolf Woman (1976) The Chronology Of Water (2025) God Of Gamblers II (1990) Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) Dogma (1999) Fall (2022) Village Of The Damned (1995) The Nightcomers (1971) Stardust (2007) Adventure Calls!: Karl May At CCC (1964-1965) Hard Boiled (1992) Gladiator II (2024) Now You See Me: 3 Film Collection (2013-2025) The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Gilda (1946) Vanished (2025) Blade Runner (1982) Harry Wild: Series 4 (2025) Predator: Wastelands (2025) Fackham Hall (2025) Salem’s Lot (1979) DVD Shelter (2026) Beyond Paradise: Series Four (2026) Send Help (2026) Return To Silent Hill (2026) 28 Years Later: Bone Temple (2026) Hamnet (2025) Wicked: For Good (2025) Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) Whistle (2025) Primate (2025) Song Sung Blue (2025) Anaconda (2025) Predator: Badlands (2025) Surrender (2025) The Housemaid (2025) Mercy (2026) The Running Man (2025) 28 Years Later: 2-Movie Collection (2025-2026) Wicked: 2-Film Collection (2024-2025) Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) Zootropolis 2 (2025) Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (2025) The Choral (2025) Sinners (2025) A Minecraft Movie (2025) Mission Alarum (2025) F1: The Movie (2025) Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025) The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants (2025) Superman (2025) Zootropolis: 2-Movie Collection (2016-2025) One Battle After Another (2025) Sisu: Road To Revenge (2025) Weapons (2025) Kangaroo (2025) I Swear (2025) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Three (2025) Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (2024) Schitt’s Creek: The Complete Collection (2015-2020) Harry Potter: The Complete Collection (2001-2011) Dune: Part Two (2024) H Is For Hawk (2025) Paprika (2006) Five Nights At Freddy’s: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) Death In Paradise: Series Fifteen (2026) Giant (2025) Nobody 2 (2025) The Cure (2026) Call The Midwife: Series Fifteen & Christmas Special (2025-2026) Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) Karate Kid: Legends (2025) The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) Adopted (2024) Predator: Wastelands (2025) Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) Marty Supreme (2025) How To Train Your Dragon (2025) The Naked Gun (2025) Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) Monty Don’s Rhineland Gardens (2026) Dracula (2025) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection (1975-1979) Nobody (2021) The Long Walk (2025) Now You See Me: 3 Film Collection (2013-2025) Lilo & Stitch (2025) Moana 2 (2024) Wicked (2024) The History Of Sound (2025) The Complete Open All Hours: Series One - Four (1976-1985) Vanished (2025) Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick (2025) 28 Years Later (2025) Practical Magic (1988) Thunderbolts* (2025) Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (2025) The Celebrity Traitors: Series One (2025) Nosferatu (2024) Die My Love (2025) Roofman (2025) Gladiator II (2024) The Hermit (2025) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (2024) Good Boy (2025) Tron: Ares (2025) Evil Nun (2025) Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025) We Bury The Dead (2024) Hellfire (2026) The Great Escaper (2023) Only Fools & Horses: The Complete Series (1981-2003) The Roses (2025) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Fackham Hall (2025) Dead Of Winter (2025) Shark Terror (2025) Dune (2021) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Primitive War (2025) Blu Ray Send Help (2026) Shelter (2026) Return To Silent Hill (2026) Point Blank (1967) Doctor Blood’s Coffin (1961) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Top Gun (1986) The Snake Woman (1961) The Protector (1985) Predator: Badlands (2025) Innerspace (1987) Sinners (2025) Superman (2025) Tron: Ares (2025) Ben-Hur (1959) The Nice Guys (2016) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Kingdom Of Heaven (2005) Weapons (2025) Dune: Part Two (2024) Possession (1981) Wicked: For Good (2025) F1: The Movie (2025) The Running Man (2025) Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) Alien: Romulus (2024) Sisu: Road To Revenge (2025) Touch Me/Hypochondriac (2022-2025) Paprika (2006) Interstellar (2014) Primate (2025) Drive (2011) The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (2001-2003) Dune (2021) Hamnet (2025) Ghost In The Shell (1995) Scanners (1981) The Killer (1989) Mission: Impossible: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) 28 Years Later: 2-Movie Collection (2025-2026) Hard Boiled (1992) Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003) Whistle (2025) Marty Supreme (2025) Dog Soldiers (1999) Heat (1995) Aliens (1986) Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) One Battle After Another (2025) Re-Animator (1985) The Hitcher (1986) Tokyo Godfathers (2003) Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) Ready Or Not (2019) The Thing (1982) The Long Walk (2025) Dogma (1999) Cowboy Bepop: The Movie (2001) The Housemaid (2025) Minority Report (2002) Soldier (1998) Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick (2025) The Fifth Element (1997) Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (2025) Salem’s Lot (1979) Excalibur (1981) Mercy (2026) Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol. 3 (2023) When Evil Lurks (2023) Late Night With The Devil (2023) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Three (2025) Alien (1979) Tombstone (1993) The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) Boogie Nights (1997) Ran (1985) Thunderbolts* (2025) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Brimstone & Treacle (1982) Mulholland Drive (2001) One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) The Florida Project (2017) Lawrence Of Arabia (1962) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Suzume (2022) Crucible Of Horror (1971) Blade Runner (1982) Pirates Of The Caribbean: 5 Movie Collection (2003-2017) The Sound Of Music (1965) Highlander (1986) The Blair Witch Project (1999) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) True Lies (1994) The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) The Wicker Man (1973) A Minecraft Movie (2025) Tron: Legacy (2010)

32. Czech Republic Group A UEFA (14/16) World Ranking: 39 Best Result: Final* (1934, 1962) *As Czechoslovakia Fixtures: 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 Koubek A 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.

33. Tunisia Group F CAF (7/10) World Ranking: 44 Best 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 Lamouchi Ex-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.

The new one is not even a D-Block Europe track. It’s a solo Young Adz track and they’ve credited it as D-Block Europe presumedly for extra exposure.

34. Iran Group G AFC (4/9) World Ranking: 21 Best Result: Group Stage (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022) Fixtures: New Zealand (16th June, 2AM) Belgium (21st June, 8PM) Egypt (27th June, 4AM) What can we say about Iran? With just over a month until the World Cup starts and we’re still not even sure if they’re going to play. If you thought that the circumstances surround their last appearance were difficult, with players protesting against their own government, that’s nothing compared to the country being bombed by the country that’s supposedly meant to welcome them. On a purely footballing level, they’ve been the nearly-men for many years now, never being able to escape the group stage. 2022 would have hurt with their dramatic win against Wales leaving them only needing a draw in a tense grudge match against the USA in their final game but Pulisic left they in tears. A really favourable group draw was meant to their big chance this year but who knows how they’re going to react to these circumstances? They have a solid, dependable side which sees them constantly in and around the top 20 in the World Rankings but I think non-footballing reasons makes this seem like too much for them. The Manager: Amir Ghalenoei They’ve had four World Cup’s in a row with Carlos Queiroz in their coaching staff (as Assistant Manager in 2006 and Manager in the three most recent) but this time they’ve looked much closer to home, hiring their league’s most successful manager, Amir Ghalenoei to lead the side. He has had another spell as Iran manager before, where he saw them to a disappointing Quarter-Final exit in the 2007 Asia Cup. Don’t expect a different approach to Quieroz, Ghalenoei still relies on largely the same players and sets the team up to soak up pressure and strike when they have a chance. Key Player: Mehdi Taremi (Olympiacos) Lethal at Porto between 2020-2024, not so lethal in a one-year spell with Inter Milan, Taremi is now back banging them in for Olympiacos. With 59-goals for the National Team too, there’s no doubt who is Iran’s biggest goal threat. At 33, this is probably his last chance to impressive on the biggest stage. Why they're actually going to win it: Can you imagine the story if they were to win it? A good start and it might feel written in the stars.

Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea Brighton 3-1 Wolves Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth Sunderland 1-1 Man Utd Man City 2-1 Brentford Burnley 0-1 Aston Villa Crystal Palace 0-2 Everton Nottingham Forest 1-2 Newcastle West Ham 2-2 Arsenal Tottenham 2-1 Leeds

The Second Voice - LET ME BE Noah Kahan - Doors Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen - I Can't Love You Anymore Olivia Dean - Baby Steps Jonas Blue & Malive - Edge of Desire Alyssa Grace - picking petals Unfortunately, I don't really like any of the songs this week and the AI one actually sounds the best of a meh bunch to me. At least it doesn't seem to be all AI and had some human artistry. It looks like a real musician called Elvin Cena wrote and recorded it originally but then used AI to make it 'better'.

My prediction for the weekend is The Devil Wears Prada 2 Michael The Sheep Detectives Mortal Kombat II I think the previews will be enough for 'The Sheep Detectives' to be the biggest new entry but 'Mortal Kombat II' taking premium screens away from 'Michael' will mean that it will drop harder this weekend compared to the last.

35. DR Congo Group K CAF (8/10) World Ranking: 46 Best Result: Group Stage (1974) Fixtures: Portugal (17th June, 6PM) Colombia (24th June, 3AM) Uzbekistan (28th June, 12:30AM) Their first qualification since 1974, when they were still called Zaire, and one of their defenders infamously received a yellow card for running out of the wall and booting the ball away before Brazil could take a free-kick. DR Congo is the fourth-most populace country in Africa but political instability, frequent wars and economic crises have meant that they never lived up to their full footballing potential, despite two AFCON wins in 1968 and 1974. However, they are a footballing-mad country and are starting to show signs of improvement. They almost qualified automatically but threw-away a 2-0 lead against Senegal and ended up in the play-offs where they overcame a fancied Nigeria on penalties to earn the right to take on Jamaica in the inter-continental play-off. Due to the instability in their country, a lot of people have had to emigrate from the country and they have started to use this large diaspora with Wan-Bissaka hailing from England, Lionel Mpasi, Arthur Masuaku, Cédric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa from France and Noah Sadiki from Belgium. The Manager: Sébastien Desabre Also from France is their manager Sébastien Desabre who is a rare coach who never played professionally. Despite still being in his 40s, he’s got a lot of experience with this already being his 15th job. His biggest success so far was also on the African-stage where he helped Uganda qualify for the 2019 AFCON and reached the Last-16 before a 1-0 defeat to eventual finalists Senegal. He’s been at DR Congo since 2022. Nicknamed ‘the florist’, he prefers an adaptable approach where he sets his team up in what he feels is the best way to beat their opponent rather than sticking to a rigid approach. Key Player: Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United) Most people would say that veteran striker Cédric Bakambu is the key-man as he does it all up-top for DR Congo usually, I’m going to say Wissa has the potential to be the difference-maker. Everyone knows how good he is from his time at Brentford but his Newcastle move this season has been a disaster. He spent the first half of the season injured, missing out on DR Congo’s AFCON squad and has really struggled to find his footing in a struggling Newcastle side since regaining fitness. However, I think this will spur him on and he will be determined to prove his worth at this tournament. If he can re-find the form that got him a place in the Best XI at AFCON 2023, DR Congo might just have a chance. Why they're actually going to win it: Their last World Cup appearances left some enduring scars and they will be desperate to leave some better memories this time and ensure that free-kick is never mentioned again.

. Ariana has been rehearsing ‘Dangerous Woman’ for tour. I’m so excited. I love this era so much and can’t believe it’s been 10 years.

36. South Africa Group A CAF (9/10) World Ranking: 60 Best 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 Broos Now 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.

1. Kim Petras - Need For Speed (3-1) 2. Olivia Rodrigo - drop dead (1-2-2) 3. Maisie Peters & Julia Michaels - Kingmaker (1-3) 4. Maisie Peters - My Regards (1-1-1-2-1-2-2-1-1-1-2-4-4) 5. Kacey Musgraves - I Believe In Ghosts (5) 6. Kacey Musgraves - Mexico Honey (6) 7. Ella Langley - Be Her (7-7) 8. Kacey Musgraves - Abilene (8) 9. Kacey Musgraves - Back On The Wagon (9) 10. Kylie Cantrall - Carrie Bradshaw (3-3-6-10) 11. Laufey - Madwoman (4-5-5-11) 12. Kacey Musgraves - Dry Spell (1-1-2-2-2-4-8-12) 13. Zara Larsson, Madison Beer & BAMBII - The Ambition (13) 14. Anyma & LISA - Bad Angel (11-7-9-14) 15. Janet Devlin - Working For The Man (14-8-11-15) 16. Kacey Musgraves - Loneliest Girl (16) 17. Bebe Rexha - Hysteria (9-10-12-17) 18. AJ Tracey - Quaresma (18) 19. Hilary Duff - Come Clean (Mine) (6-6-10-19) 20. YUNA - Ice Cream (3-3-5-9-13-20) Falling Out This Week Are: Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere (11-14) AJ Tracey, KR$NA, ENNY & Anik Khan - Too Bait (19-15) YUNA - B-Boy (15-(x1)-13-16) Laufey - From The Start (4-5-7-9-7-12-14-17) J. Cole & Future - Run A Train (14-3-3-8-12-14-13-19-11-18-18-18) BLACKPINK - Fxxxboy (11-7-9-8-8-8-13-15-19) BLACKPINK - Champion (3-2-3-3-6-5-10-12-20) Retro Top 10 1. Hailee Steinfeld - Dangerous (3-1-1) 2. Ariana Grande - dandelion (2-1-1-2-2-2) 3. Ariana Grande - twilight zone (1-2-2-1-3-3) 4. Lorde - What Was That (5-4) 5. Dove Cameron - French Girls (5) 6. Kylie Cantrall - Denim (11-4-6) 7. Ariana Grande - warm (6-7-8-8-6-7) 8. Ariana Grande - past life (5-6-9-9-7-8) 9. Mimi Webb & Meghan Trainor - Mind Reader (9) 10. HAIM - Down to be wrong (10) Album of the Week 2026: 7th January 2026: Laufey - A Matter of Time 14th January 2026: Laufey - A Matter of Time 21st January 2026: Madison Beer - locket 28th January 2026: Madison Beer - locket 4th February 2026: Madison Beer - locket 11th February 2026: J. Cole - The Fall-Off 18th February 2026: J. Cole - The Fall-Off 25th February 2026: Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 4th March 2026: BLACKPINK - DEADLINE (EP) 11th March 2026: J. Cole - The Fall-Off 18th March 2026: Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 25th March 2026: J. Cole - The Fall-Off 1st April 2026: Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 8th April 2026: Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 15th April 2026: Laufey - A Matter of Time 22nd April 2026: Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 29th April 2026: Megan Moroney - Cloud 9 6th May 2026: Kacey Musgraves - Middle of Nowhere This Week's Number One Highest New Entry

1. Kim Petras - Need For Speed (3-1) 2. Olivia Rodrigo - drop dead (1-2-2) 3. Maisie Peters & Julia Michaels - Kingmaker (1-3) 4. Maisie Peters - My Regards (1-1-1-2-1-2-2-1-1-1-2-4-4) 5. Kacey Musgraves - I Believe In Ghosts (5) 6. Kacey Musgraves - Mexico Honey (6) 7. Ella Langley - Be Her (7-7) 8. Kacey Musgraves - Abilene (8) 9. Kacey Musgraves - Back On The Wagon (9) 10. Kylie Cantrall - Carrie Bradshaw (3-3-6-10) 11. Laufey - Madwoman (4-5-5-11) 12. Kacey Musgraves - Dry Spell (1-1-2-2-2-4-8-12) 13. Zara Larsson, Madison Beer & BAMBII - The Ambition (13) 14. Anyma & LISA - Bad Angel (11-7-9-14) 15. Janet Devlin - Working For The Man (14-8-11-15) 16. Kacey Musgraves - Loneliest Girl (16) 17. Bebe Rexha - Hysteria (9-10-12-17) 18. AJ Tracey - Quaresma (18) 19. Hilary Duff - Come Clean (Mine) (6-6-10-19) 20. YUNA - Ice Cream (3-3-5-9-13-20)

1. Kim Petras - Need For Speed (3-1) 2. Olivia Rodrigo - drop dead (1-2-2) 3. Maisie Peters & Julia Michaels - Kingmaker (1-3) 4. Maisie Peters - My Regards (1-1-1-2-1-2-2-1-1-1-2-4-4) 5. Kacey Musgraves - I Believe In Ghosts (5) 6. Kacey Musgraves - Mexico Honey (6) 7. Ella Langley - Be Her (7-7) 8. Kacey Musgraves - Abilene (8) 9. Kacey Musgraves - Back On The Wagon (9) 10. Kylie Cantrall - Carrie Bradshaw (3-3-6-10) 11. Laufey - Madwoman (4-5-5-11) 12. Kacey Musgraves - Dry Spell (1-1-2-2-2-4-8-12) 13. Zara Larsson, Madison Beer & BAMBII - The Ambition (13) 14. Anyma & LISA - Bad Angel (11-7-9-14) 15. Janet Devlin - Working For The Man (14-8-11-15) 16. Kacey Musgraves - Loneliest Girl (16) 17. Bebe Rexha - Hysteria (9-10-12-17) 18. AJ Tracey - Quaresma (18) 19. Hilary Duff - Come Clean (Mine) (6-6-10-19) 20. YUNA - Ice Cream (3-3-5-9-13-20)

(59-80-103-126) J.I.D. feat. 21 Savage & Baby Tate - Surround Sound (40-60-83-105-127) TWICE - The Feels (68-89-115-128) Maisie Peters - Cate’s Brother (13-27-50-74-124-129) Watsky feat. Raquel Rodriguez - Undermine (x-107-130) AJ Tracey - Wifey Riddim 4 - (NE) Maisie Peters - Say My Name In Your Sleep (110-132) LISA - Rockstar (93-108-133) Sabrina Carpenter - Feather (81-109-134) The Weeknd & Ariana Grande - Die For You (21-35-53-79-111-135) J. Cole - Lion King On Ice (23-38-58-85-114-136) Spillage Village - Shiva (28-47-70-97-118-137) Childish Gambino - 35.31 (61-91-116-138) Taylor Swift - Lavender Haze (107-135-139) Olivia Rodrigo - get him back! (87-119-140) Madison Beer - 17 - (49-71-98-130-141) Olivia Rodrigo - All I Want (105-120-142) Taylor Swift - I Can See You (167-143) ROSÉ - toxic till the end (126-144) Jade - Angel Of My Dreams (12-44-67-96-129-145) BLACKPINK & Selena Gomez - Ice Cream (NE) Addison Rae - Fame is a Gun (60-39-55-82-112-147) Abra Cadabra feat. RV, Kush, Double Lz, Bandokay, Lowkey & Dezzie - On Deck (63-84-122-148) Dove Cameron - Breakfast (136-149) Kendrick Lamar - wacced out murals (NE) Gracie Abrams - Close To You Three songs from 2025 make their debuts in this section, coming from Gracie Abrams, Addison Rae and Maisie Peters. Wacced out murals is one of my favourite productions in a long time. Its so dark and foreboding and an insane way to open an album. it gets you attention from the start and lets you know that you’re in for something special. It’s so raw and Kendrick sounds composed, but you can still feel the anger in his delivery. This captures a mood so well: pure menace. To show how much rap has fallen off for me, this is still the most recent rap #1 in my charts. The highest placement for dove, Breakfast really builds on the sound she uncovered in ‘Boyfriend’ with her smoky, breathy vocals really hitting hard for me. It’s starting to fall down the list rapidly and I don’t go back to it as much as the others in this section but the ‘I eat boys’ bridge will eternally be stuck in the back of my mind. In my opinion, On Deck, especially the remix, is the greatest drill song ever released. The remix pulls together all of OFB’s finest for a masterclass in the posse-cut. Abra has the perfect voice for this genre and the guest features have a surprisingly high hit rate. Just look at that climb this had in its first two years. Reality is starting to hit but still a great showing for a song that was #60 in my 2020 EOY chart. Ice Cream is not particularly a shining light in either of their discographies (even with an Ariana Grande co-write) but I’m really starting to appreciate it more now the hype surrounding the collab has calmed down. I like the bright colours and summery aesthetic and LISA’s rap and the closing bridge are both strong. Angel of my Dreams was an admiralty creative and risky way to start a solo-career. It shown from the get-go that JADE had bigger ambitions. Musically, it’s all over the place, shifting from hard-hitting techno beats to angelic R&B vocals in the blink of an eye. I love the vitality she puts into performances of this song and it was the perfect centrepiece for her tour last year. toxic till the end was a much more traditional attempt at a solo girl-group song but no worse for it. Evan Blair’s synthy production is buoyantly bouncy and the hook is memorable. Everything you need for a good pop song! I Can See You was one of the surprise tracks from my tour date of the Eras Tour. I was very happy to hear it as it's certainly her strongest ‘from the vault’ track. This doesn’t feel at all like was recorded for ‘Fearless’ so I have to imagine the demos would have sounded a lot different than what we got. I think it came out at the right time where her voice has matured and the world is more ready for suggestive Taylor. All I Want is a rare song in this list that was released before 2020, coming from Olivia’s time on Disney+ show ‘High School Music: The Musical: The Series’. It’s a very Disney-esque pop ballad in many ways but it is just so catchy. Her songwriting has definitely matured but this was a lot better than it had any right to be. really loved hearing this in her delayed Manchester show on tour last year. While we weren’t all famous and under intense media scrutiny in our teenage years, I think everyone can relate to having regret at not appreciating the freedom and excitement of our younger years and Madison hits upon that feeling perfectly in 17. A mix of both nostalgia and mourning time lost. get him back! is a song designed to be an arena anthem if I’ve ever heard one and I can confirm this it does indeed go off in that setting with the whole crowd shouting along. I love the wordplay from Olivia on this one with the dual meanings of the titular phrase being explored in some creatively amusing ways. While I imagine most would say ‘folklore’, ‘Midnights’ is my favourite Taylor album of the 2020s and it's opening track, Lavender Haze, lured me in from the start. It was a sonically adventurous song from Taylor with the pounding bassline paired with ambient sounds and a slower pace. It felt really exciting and the falsetto parts are very satisfying. 35.31 now has an official title of ‘Little Foot Big Foot’ (and unnecessary Young Nudy feature) since Gambino released his 3.15.20 in fully completed form as ‘Atavista’ in 2024. I still prefer the original release but that’s long gone from streaming now. A bit like ‘Hey Ya’ in how deceivingly dark the lyrics are, this is a song about a drug dealer who feels stuck in the world but is sung with a country twang, with a huge smile and in a nursery rhyme metre. It feels like a TikTok hit that went away, despite the eventual music video release giving it a second chance. It was produced by an Oscar winning composer which is some pedigree. JID & EARTHGANG never miss together and there’ll be more evidence of that to come but now now we've got Shiva by their occasional supergroup, Spillage Village. Doctor Dot is like butter on the chorus, the production is so jazzy and relaxing and feels straight out of an older era of rap that I love and Jurdan Bryant, Johnny Venus, Benji., JID & Dot all make their verses sound effortless while hitting on some really big, introspective topics. Dot takes away the MVP award but it’s a song where everyone it firing on all cylinders. It really calms me down when it comes on. Lion King On Ice is matured evolution of Cole’s ‘Simba’ tracks and was released on the Lewis Street EP alongside another song which is still to come. They both have a great sound. The soulful production with a muted trap beat and pitched sample is a well-trodden path but Cole finds a great pocket to make it feel fresh. I’m a big fan of the STARBOY album but I can’t say that Die For You was ever a huge favourite. But with an added Ariana verse? - A new classic! Their fourth collaboration, they just never miss when they get together. They both know how to sing and their chemistry is always off the charts. I think this is better than the Save Your Tears remix Feather was Sabrina’s first song to crack the UK top 20. I’m sure no doubt in part to its campy, murderous (and controversial) music video that led to the iconic ‘Jesus was a carpenter’ quip. It has a really hummable melody and the spoken ‘I’m so sorry for your loss’ in the second pre-chorus is delivered perfectly. I can see why they based the whole concept of the video off just that one line. Rockstar is the most ‘LISA’ LISA single to date. It's like a mix of her first two songs (MONEY and LALISA) blended together and is exactly what you think a solo single of hers would sound. Confidence for days with a boastful rap, dance chorography and bold visuals. It might not be too original but she oozes star-qualify and you can’t take your eyes off her. As the title suggests, Wifey Riddim 4 is the fourth edition of AJ’s ‘Wifey Riddim’ series and, in my opinion, is the best of the bunch. I love the production here, the pitched sample of Lous and The Yakuza's 'Interpol' is addictive and would be a banger even without AJ flowing on top. But he does his job too with his classic sound with multiple anime references and a Japan-filmed video. Watsky is an artist that I associate with my teenage years but even in my 20s, he’s still bagged three entries in my top 150 with his first being ‘Undermine’. I think it’s 13th position in my 2020 EOY was a bit too high but this is still a really nice listen. He’s more in his singing bag here and it works but it really the ending rap that sticks with me most. A fun titbit for fact fans: the music video was filmed at the same location that Tame Impala went on to use for the cover of his ‘The Slow Rush’ album Cate's Brother is an ironically unhinged moment in Maisie’s career. This is a very unsubtle song about creating a fake relationship with her friend’s brother in a pop-punk Avril Lavigne styling. It’s silly but my god does it put my in a good mood. Sometimes you just want your songs to be fun with no deeper meaning and that’s ok. Don’t be surprised this to climb by the final chart in 2030. Speaking of songs that are just bundles of fun with not a cynical bone in it's body, how could you not smile listening to The Feels? It’s bubble-gum at its absolute sweetest and purist and I absolutely love every second. I know the K-POP Demon Hunters finally saw them make a UK top 40 breakthrough but it should have been this! I was officially ahead of the curve with Surround Sound with it already hitting #1 in my chart and bagging itself an EOY top 20 placement before it even had a sniff of the UK chart. JID sounds as unique as ever, going through about 40 different flows, many of which no other rapper would have never even dare considerm but it’s Baby Tate’s short-and-sweet couple of bars that steal the show for me. She sounds angelic and makes the beat switch more palatable.

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.

1st May 2026 - 3rd May 2026 1. (NE) The Devil Wears Prada 2 - £9,329,512 Weeks: 1 (£9,329,512) 2. (01) Michael - £7,011,727 (-40%) Weeks: 2 (£23,161,710) 3. (02) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie - £961,096 (-13%) Weeks: 5 (£35,660,856) 4. (NE) Hokum - £626,620 Weeks: 1 (£626,620) 5. (03) Project Hail Mary - £580,164 (-31%) Weeks: 7 (£33,020,276) 6. (NE) Patriots - £294,770 Weeks: 1 (£294,770) 7. (06) The Magic Faraway Tree - £270,352 (-22%) Weeks: 6 (£14,285,739) 8. (04) The Drama - £221,353 (-57%) Weeks: 5 (£9,794,379) 9. (05) Lee Cronin's The Mummy - £126,245 (-65%) Weeks: 3 (£2,149,976) 10. (NE) Eugene Onegin: Met Opera 2026 - £79,575 Weeks: 1 (£79,575) Falling out: Rose Of Nevada (1 week) Exit 8 (1 week) Fight Club (2026 Re-Release) (1 week) The Magic Flute: ROH, London 2026 (1 week) This weekend officially kicked off Summer Movie Season and taking an early advantage is ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (£9,329,512, #1). This is the third-biggest opening of the year and the second-biggest opening when you take out previews, which puts ‘Michael’ ahead. This is a huge increase on the first film (£3,267,580, #1, 2006) that went on to make £14 million. In terms of long-awaiting sequels, this has opened ahead of ‘Gladiator II’ (£9,100,897, #1, 2024) and ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (£7,352,761, #2, 2024) and they both went on to be very successful with £32 million and £26.3 million respectively. The highest new entry this week is ‘Hokum’ (£626,620, £564k without previews) at #4. This is an Irish horror film about an author (Adam Scott) who stays in a potentially haunted hotel. This sort of opening suggests that it should hit £1 million, especially with strong reviews and should act as a breakthrough for director Damian McCarthy who’s other two films (‘Caveat’, ‘Oddity’) have both been well-reviewed but only given small releases. Also new this week is Indian hit ‘Patriot’ (£294,770, #6). This is an action-thriller about a scientist who uncovers a massive governmental conspiracy and must clear his name after being framed. This is the third-biggest debut for an Indian film so far this year behind ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ (£2,064,355, #2) and ‘Aadu 3’ (£424,078, #6) which both opened in the same weekend in March. For the second weekend in a row, we have opera entering at #10 with ‘Eugene Onegin: Met Opera 2026’ (£79,575). Having a better weekend than any of this week’s new entries aside from ‘Prada’ was ‘The Sheep Detectives’ which made just under £1 million in previews over the weekend (as well as a very healthy extra £660k yesterday) ahead of its debut next week. Despite losing top spot, it was another great weekend for ‘Michael’ which drops 40% (18% without previews). With another £7 million added, it’s hit £23.2 million which puts it above ‘A Complete Unknown’ (£12.2 million) and ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ (£17.2 million) to be the biggest music-biopic from the past couple of years with 2022’s ‘Elvis’ being it’s next target (£27.8 million) and after that, it’s just ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ ahead of it (£50 million). It’s up to #4 on the YTD chart behind ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘Project Hail Mary’ and ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’. Speaking of those last two, ‘Mario’ has the best hold of the weekend with a 13% drop. ‘Zootropolis 2’ will be beaten by next week. ‘Project Hail Mary’ has a harsher drop (-31%) but still bags a seventh weekend in the top 5 and pushes above £33 million. There’s not really any interesting stories for the last three holdovers: ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ has a good weekend, dropping just 22% while ‘The Drama’ and ‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ lose 57% and 65%. There is one further new entry in the #11-15 section: ‘Kara’ (#12) but we also see a re-entry for ‘Funny Girl: The Musical’ at #14. Next week sees the openings of ‘The Sheep Detectives’, ‘Mortal Kombat II’, ‘Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour’, ‘Our Land’, ‘Kokuho’ and ‘Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition’. Can any of them top the charts? _ I thought it would be fun to track the Summer Box office this year. This is the first week of the summer season so only has this week's releases. My prediction for this year's top 5 is 'Toy Story 5', 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', 'The Odyssey', 'Minions & Monsters' and 'Moana'. With 'Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu' being my alternate pick. Summer Box Office: 1. (NE) The Devil Wears Prada 2 - £9,329,512 2. (NE) Hokum - £626,620 3. (NE) Patriots - £294,770 4. (NE) Eugene Onegin: Met Opera 2026 - £79,575 5. (NE) Kara - £52,123

38. Saudi Arabia Group H AFC (5/9) World Ranking: 61 Best Result: Last 16 (1994) Fixtures: Uruguay (15th June, 11PM) Spain (21st June, 5PM) Cape Verde (27th June, 1AM) The first team to have made out of the group stage, Saudi Arabia are World Cup regulars of late, reaching seven of the last nine tournaments. They are currently putting a lot of money into their football programme and will host the tournament in 2034. This experience is what puts them above the other Asian teams so far. However, they did not look very convincing in qualifying and only snuck over the line in Round 4 of Asian qualifying on goals scored over Iraq. Roberto Mancini was hired to be the man to take them to this tournament but was sacked half-way through qualification. Instead, they brought back Hervé Renard who led them to the biggest World Cup shock in history in 2022 when they beat eventual-champions Argentina in their opening match. He did the job but has since been let go himself after disappointing friendly results. The Manager: Georgios Donis Brought in on short notice is Greek manager Georgios Donis. As a player, he became the first Greek to ever play in the Premier League when he joined Blackburn Rovers in 1996 and made 24 appearances for the national side. As a manager his career has been spent almost in half between his home country and Cyprus (AEK Athens, APOEL, Panathinaikos) and the middle-east (Al-Hilal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Al-Wehda). He has built a reputation for favouring high-intensity, pressing football and it will be interesting to see if he can implement it with this Saudi Arabia side. Key Player: Salem Al-Dawsari (Al Hilal) His goal against Argentina will be remembered forever but the 34-year-old winger is much more than just that. He’s made 107 appearances for Saudi Arabia and has won the best player in AFC leagues twice. Aside from a loan spell at Villarreal in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, he has spent his whole career at Al Hilal and has won it all with the club. He’s great on the ball and scores some important goals and is a very technical player in a country that has been seen as being too rigid and lacking a spark. Why they're actually going to win it: We all remember their win against Argentina so we know what they can do. They will be looking for some confidence ahead of their World Cup hosting gig in 8-years time.

3rd May 2026 - 9th May 2026 Combined DVD & Blu Ray 1. (1) 28 Years: The Bone Temple (2026) 2. Innerspace (1987) 3. Whistle (2025) 4. H Is For Hawk (2025) 5. (3) Primate (2025) 6. (6) Hamnet (2025) 7. (8) Wicked: For Good (2025) 8. (RE) Soldier (1998) 9. (12) Predator: Badlands (2025) 10. (5) Mercy (2026) 11. The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) 12. (7) 28 Years Later: 2-Movie Collection (2025-2026) 13. (13) Song Sung Blue (2025) 14. (11) The Housemaid (2025) 15. The History Of Sound (2025) 16. (19) Anaconda (2025) 17. Street Trash (1987) 18. (22) Sinners (2025) 19. (20) Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) 20. (33) Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) 21. (26) Wicked: 2-Film Collection (2024-2025) 22. (18) Superman (2025) 23. (24) Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (2025) 24. (23) Zootropolis 2 (2025) 25. (25) The Running Man (2025) 26. (82) Practical Magic (1988) 27. The Grapes Of Death (1978) 28. (29) F1: The Movie (2025) 29. (28) Marty Supreme (2025) 30. The Living Dead Girl (1982) 31. (27) The Choral (2025) 32. Werewolf Woman (1976) 33. (RE) Ben-Hur (1959) 34. (10) Giant (2025) 35. (38) Weapons (2025) 36. (RE) Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) 37. (34) A Minecraft Movie (2025) 38. The Chronology Of Water (2025) 39. God Of Gamblers II (1990) 40. (32) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Three (2025) 41. (31) One Battle After Another (2025) 42. (RE) Paprika (2006) 43. (15) Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (2024) 44. (66) Tron: Ares (2025) 45. (35) I Swear (2025) 46. (9) Die My Love (2025) 47. Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) 48. (36) Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025) 49. (61) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) 50. (4) Alien: Romulus (2024) 51. (92) Dogma (1999) 52. (40) Interstellar (2014) 53. (42) The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants (2025) 54. (45) Mission Alarum (2025) 55. (17) Kangaroo (2025) 56. (RE) Fall (2022) 57. (48) Dune: Part Two (2024) 58. (67) Sisu: Road To Revenge (2025) 59. (47) Nobody 2 (2025) 60. (46) Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) 61. (2) The Killer (1989) 62. (70) Zootropolis: 2-Movie Collection (2016-2025) 63. (62) The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) 64. (52) Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) 65. (63) The Long Walk (2025) 66. Village Of The Damned (1995) 67. (57) Dracula (2025) 68. (56) The Naked Gun (2025) 69. (RE) Ghost In The Shell (1995) 70. The Nightcomers (1971) 71. (68) Harry Potter: The Complete Collection (2001-2011) 72. (65) Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick (2025) 73. (69) The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (2001-2003) 74. (RE) Stardust (2007) 75. (60) How To Train Your Dragon (2025) 76. (64) Five Nights At Freddy’s: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) 77. Adventure Calls!: Karl May At CCC (1964-1965) 78. (75) Hard Boiled (1992) 79. (87) Thunderbolts* (2025) 80. (54) 28 Years Later (2025) 81. (77) Gladiator II (2024) 82. (41) The Cure (2026) 83. (51) Adopted (2024) 84. (71) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) 85. (88) Now You See Me: 3 Film Collection (2013-2025) 86. (53) Dune (2021) 87. (RE) The Devil Wears Prada (2006) 88. (84) Karate Kid: Legends (2025) 89. (72) Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) 90. Gilda (1946) 91. Vanished (2025) 92. (76) Blade Runner (1982) 93. (79) Nosferatu (2024) 94. Harry Wild: Series 4 (2025) 95. (50) Call The Midwife: Series Fifteen & Christmas Special (2025-2026) 96. (80) Predator: Wastelands (2025) 97. (RE) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (2024) 98. (86) Fackham Hall (2025) 99. (81) Salem’s Lot (1979) 100. (97) Schitt’s Creek: The Complete Collection (2015-2020) Falling Out: Danger: Diabolik (1968) Crucible Of Horror (1971) Highway To Hell (1991) Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) Matador (1986) The Eye (2002) Task: The Complete First Season (2025) Phase IV (1974) Confessions Of A Police Captain (1971) Trouble In Paradise (1932) The Amsterdam Kill (1977) Death In Paradise: Series Fifteen (2026) The Sopranos: The Complete Series/The Many Saints Of Newark (1999-2021) Aliens (1986) Romancing In Thin Air (2012) Primitive War (2025) Flow (2024) Time To Play: Films By Jacques Rozier (1968-2001) Lilo & Stitch (2025) Nobody (2021) The Thing (1982) The Last Of Us: The Complete Second Season (2025) Chernobyl (2019) Mission: Impossible: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) The Fifth Element (1997) Moana 2 (2024) The Batman (2022) DVD 28 Years Later: Bone Temple (2026) Whistle (2025) H Is For Hawk (2025) Hamnet (2025) Primate (2025) Mercy (2026) Wicked: For Good (2025) Song Sung Blue (2025) Predator: Badlands (2025) Anaconda (2025) The Housemaid (2025) Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025) 28 Years Later: 2-Movie Collection (2025-2026) Wicked: 2-Film Collection (2024-2025) Zootropolis 2 (2025) The History Of Sound (2025) The Choral (2025) Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (2025) Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) Giant (2025) Sinners (2025) The Running Man (2025) Mission Alarum (2025) A Minecraft Movie (2025) The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants (2025) Kangaroo (2025) Superman (2025) Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (2024) Marty Supreme (2025) Zootropolis: 2-Movie Collection (2016-2025) Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025) I Swear (2025) F1: The Movie (2025) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Three (2025) Five Nights At Freddy’s: 2-Movie Collection (2023-2025) One Battle After Another (2025) The Cure (2026) Adopted (2024) Weapons (2025) The Naked Gun (2025) Harry Potter: The Complete Collection (2001-2011) Vanished (2025) Dracula (2025) Nobody 2 (2025) Harry Wild: Series 4 (2025) Sisu: Road To Revenge (2025) Call The Midwife: Series Fifteen & Christmas Special (2025-2026) Predator: Wastelands (2025) Schitt’s Creek: The Complete Collection (2015-2020) Die My Love (2025) The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) How To Train Your Dragon (2025) Now You See Me: 3 Film Collection (2013-2025) Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) The Long Walk (2025) Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) Practical Magic (1988) Karate Kid: Legends (2025) Dead Of Winter (2025) Death In Paradise: Series Fifteen (2026) Michael Jackson Live At Wembley July 16, 1988 (2012) Paprika (2006) The Devil Wears Prada (2006) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection (1975-1979) Evil Nun (2025) Lilo & Stitch (2025) Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick (2025) Wicked (2024) Thunderbolts* (2025) We Bury The Dead (2024) 28 Years Later (2025) Nosferatu (2024) Nobody (2021) Gladiator II (2024) Fackham Hall (2025) The Hermit (2025) Moana 2 (2024) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (2024) Good Boy (2025) Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (2025) Tron: Ares (2025) Bottom 1-3 (1991-1995) M3GAN 2.0 (2025) Euphoria: Complete Seasons 1+2 Plus Special Episodes (2019-2022) Paddington In Peru (2024) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Hellfire (2026) Shark Terror (2025) Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (2025) Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie (2025) Conclave (2024) Tron: 3-Movie Collection (1982-2025) Only Fools & Horses: The Complete Series (1981-2003) Primitive War (2025) Small Prophets (2026) The War Between The Land And The Sea (2025) Flow (2024) Moonwalker (1988) Blu Ray Innerspace (1987) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Soldier (1998) The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970) Street Trash (1987) Whistle (2025) The Grapes Of Death (1978) The Living Dead Girl (1982) Werewolf Woman (1976) Ben-Hur (1959) The Chronology Of Water (2025) God Of Gamblers II (1990) Practical Magic (1988) Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) H Is For Hawk (2025) Predator: Badlands (2025) Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) Primate (2025) Wicked: For Good (2025) Superman (2025) Dogma (1999) Sinners (2025) Fall (2022) The Killer (1989) The History Of Sound (2025) Village Of The Damned (1995) Tron: Ares (2025) Interstellar (2014) Hamnet (2025) The Nightcomers (1971) F1: The Movie (2025) Paprika (2006) Alien: Romulus (2024) Adventure Calls!: Karl May At CCC (1964-1965) Stardust (2007) Hard Boiled (1992) Marty Supreme (2025) Ghost In The Shell (1995) 28 Years Later: 2-Movie Collection (2025-2026) Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) Weapons (2025) Dune: Part Two (2024) Gilda (1946) The Running Man (2025) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) The Lord Of The Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (2001-2003) Die My Love (2025) One Battle After Another (2025) Dune (2021) Mercy (2026) Blade Runner (1982) The Housemaid (2025) Kingdom Of Heaven (2005) Aliens (1986) Salem’s Lot (1979) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season Three (2025) Excalibur (1981) Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (2025) Crucible Of Horror (1971) Lycoris Recoil (2022) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (2025) Summer Wars (2009) Scars Of Dracula (1970) Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) Shangri-La Frontier: Season 2 (2024-2025) Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003) Minority Report (2002) Mulholland Drive (2001) Naruto Shippuden: Volume 3 (2010-2011) Matador (1986) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: Season One: Part 2 (2023-2024) Undertow (1949) The Thing (1982) Tokyo Godfathers (2003) A Minecraft Movie (2025) The Long Walk (2025) The Fifth Element (1997) Alien (1979) Three Amigos! (1986) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Suzume (2022) Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) Ballerina: From The World Of John Wick (2025) Heat (1995) Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol. 3 (2023) Tombstone (1993) The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) Anaconda (2025) Highway To Hell (1991) Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up (2024) The Batman (2022) I Swear (2025) Cowboy Bepop: The Movie (2001) Sisu: Road To Revenge (2025) Gladiator II (2024) 28 Years Later (2025) Thunderbolts* (2025) Apocalypse Now (1979)

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.

(121-151) Eminem - Brand New Dance (34-46-66-88-123-152) Run The Jewels feat. Greg Nice & DJ Premier - ooh la la (81-102-131-153) BIA feat. J. Cole - LONDON (125-154) YUNA - Yet, but (60-72-99-128-155) Charli XCX - Good Ones (132-156) Tyler, The Creator feat. Teezo Touchdown - Darling, I (138-157) Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone - Fortnight (26-32-65-92-127-158) Ari Lennox - BUSSIT (53-77-116-146-159) Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (100-133-160) Kim Petras - brrr - (29-52-79-119-141-161) Taylor Swift - the 1 (15-43-69-101-134-162) ITZY - WANNABE (55-80-103-137-163) Digga D feat. ArrDee - Wasted (NE) JADE - IT girl (104-139-165) Tyler, The Creator - DOGTOOTH (94-115-148-166) Sabrina Carpenter - Fast Times (106-140-167) Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj - Alone (24-45-73-108-144-168) Juice WRLD - Wishing Well (142-169) beabadoobee - Ever Seen - (112-145-170) Mimi Webb - Red Flags (147-171) Addison Rae - Diet Pepsi (110-143-172) Kim Petras - Problématique (117-150-173) Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar - The Hillbillies (152-174) LISA - Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me) (75-111-149-175) Madison Beer - I Have Never Felt So Alive Only one song from 2025 make their debuts in this section, coming from JADE. I Have Never Felt More Alive was from the soundtrack to the movie 'Fall' and has a very cinematic feel and sounds perfect for the high-octane thriller with the production building in intensity before the eventual release. Madison’s moody vocals work a treat. LISA's interpolation of Sixpence None The Richer's 'Kiss Me', Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me) shows a different side of her. She's known for big, brash anthems but this is a cuter, reserved sweet love song where her vocals are put to the forefront. She proved she can do it both ways with ease. Talking about showing a different side of yourself, The Hillbillies was released off the back of Kendrick's densest, most reflective and reflective album yet in 'Mr. Morale...' and came way before the Drake beef and 'Mustarrrrrrrrrrrrrd'. This is playfully loose and is the outcome of two cousins having fun in the recording studio. Ironically, this interpolates Drake's 'Sticky' and does it much better. Problématique is a campy throwback from Kim and feels much more her that the mainstream-focused album she released just before it. Although, you will soon see that I enjoyed that too. A nice little play of words and the hooks are pure energy. I really enjoyed Addison's first EP in 2023 but the step-up in quality between that and Diet Pepsi was immense and impressive. A Lana clone perhaps but it's a damn good one and was the catalyst for her being taken seriously. I’m quite proud to have been an early adapter on this one with it having a #1 debut in my chart on release week. Mimi had some other songs I enjoyed but Red Flags was the one where everything fell into place to make me really pay notice. It doesn’t sound too dissimilar to Tate McRae’s stuff from the time but that isn’t a bad thing. This is the pinnacle of her career and she hasn’t been seen in the charts, mine or the official, since. Ever Seen is almost sickeningly sweet and saccharine but bea's vocals really ground it and make it enjoyable. She sounds so pretty here that she could sell any level of sappiness. It took quite a while to hit me, but I eventually fell to its infectious romantic charms. It's the sort of song that her voice was made for. Another song with quite stripped back production but one with pretty much the exact opposite atmosphere, Wishing Well can be a hard and melancholy listen. This is a haunting track, Juice is incredibly raw and vulnerable on this track and you can really feel the struggles he was going through. There was a lot of ‘sad boy’ music at the time (inspired by Juice and XXX) but nothing felt as (tragically) authentic as this. And no one else had the same ability to be this heartfelt but radio-friendly without it feeling at all contrived or forced. It's been a while since I listened to this and its really hit me today. Tonal whiplash then going into Alone. Some of the lazy, classic interpolations do end up hitting for me and this was one of them. It feels so odd to hear Nicki on this now with her recent political turn. For what it’s worth, she sounded quite good here. The YouTube comment saying “Kim is better off alone on this one” did made me laugh though I have to admit. Fast Times was Sabrina's biggest hit in my chart at the time. It sounded so different to what everyone else was making at the time. The guitar solo is a great addition and was an early sign of how on the ball she is when it comes to pop music and how she would soon start to dictate the trends and sounds very soon afterwards. DOGTOOTH is such a brazen, audacious strand-out track, it’s mad this was left off the original track listing for the album. It grabs your attention from the start with some eye-catching lyrics and Tyler's confident delivery keeps you engaged throughout. 'Heartbroken' was an absolute classic of my childhood and it still sounds so good on it's sample in Wasted. It is the reason the song works as Digga sounds alright and while ArrDee's verse is a career highlight, that isn't saying much in the scheme of things. I could just listen to the T2 original but this is a more-than-adequate update. It feels risky for a girl group to name a song WANNABE but this avoids comparisons by sounding completely original and throwing every production choice it could at the wall. It has some pretty classic-sounding melodies and I should have this much higher. It's probably their signature hit and I will go back to it more than I have been doing so. the 1 is a Taylor track that I don't think gets the recognition it deserves. It feels like the sort of song that has been around forever. It’s such a warm track and does such a great job of storytelling in the lyrics. The perfect way to kick off the folklore album! I was delighted it was included in the Eras Tour setlist but was devastated that it was removed before my tour-date. In her third appearance of the section, brrr is the highest Kim Petras track. Ilya, who has been announced today (as I write this) as executive producer on Ariana’s new album (eeeeek) and has had a hand many of her classics, also made this so you know it was going to sound good. It’s more minimalist that you first think but when the industrial sounds come in, it goes hard. I think Olivia has better in her discography but drivers license is one of the most important hits of the decade for introducing a new icon to the world at large. As far as ballads go, they don’t get more vital than this. I think it was the bridge that made everyone really sit up and pay attention and still sounds so fresh today. BUSSIT feels like a bit of a 90s throwback. it mixes some nice soulful production with some more modern-sounding melodies. As ever, Ari’s voice is the highlight and she sounds amazing on this type of confident, poppier tracks. 'Revenge of the Dreamers III' was one of my faveourite albums of 2019 but this was the perfect way to improve it ever further on the deluxe. The TTPD-era was really saved by the tour for me with Fortnight only spending 3 weeks in my chart with a peak of #15 before I was blessed enough to witness it. I’m not quite sure why I love this one so much, it’s quite monotonous really but by remaining at the same tempo throughout, the earworm melody really shines.. It's surprising how well Post Malone’s voice sits next to Taylor’s too. Tyler and Teezo are another pair that sound shockingly great together and that’s the big selling point on Darling, I. It just sounds gorgeous to listen to. An incredibly polished track, it feels a bit like a lost, classic love song from the 60s. It also gives me strong 'Igor' vibes which is a huge compliment. Charli had fallen off my radar for a few years until Good Ones reintroduced her in a massive way. The energy is infectious and the chorus is repetitive but addictive. She can make great experimental music but I’m always here when she makes something simple and basic because she always finds a way to make it distinctively her own. Charli knows how to write a good pop hit. Yet, but was easily the most bubblegum of the ITZY solo songs and suits YUNA's personality perfectly. Such a charming little release, it’s a pure ball of energy and listening to it, really puts a smile on my face. I wish we could have got a full video to this instead of the little teaser they released for all of the solo tracks. "Yo, BIA, I'm really happy for you, and I'mma let you finish, but Cole had one of the best verses of all time, of all time!” - I do really like BIA on LONDON; the chorus is memorable and she finds a couple of nice pockets in her verse but Cole completely owns the track as soon as he stars. The flow is immaculate, the punches all land (the TI line remains a fave) and the faux-British accent is hilarious. Still a banger for me. Ooh La La sounds fresher and fresher for me every passing year. Now I’ve gone back and heard the Gang Starr album where the sample originates, I’ve found a new sense of appreciation for Greg Nice's hook. El-P & Killer Mike are veterans of the rap game and they know how to make themselves sound good on a record and Premo’s record-scratches at the end are a brilliant throwback to a different age. On a highly political album, we needed this tension breaker as a reminder that the best music makes you want to move. On his album where he laid his Slim Shady persona to rest, the closest Em came to reliving his glory days and capturing his old sound is in Brand New Dance. And there’s no surprise why, seeming as this was originally recorded for his (worst album) ‘Encore’ but scrapped after it's target Christopher Reeves passed away. It’s a relic from the past but now feels like a nice tribute to his late, familiar adversary.

40. Qatar Group B AFC (6/9) World Ranking: 55 Best Result: Group Stage (2022) Fixtures: Switzerland (13th June, 8PM) Canada (18th June, 11PM) Bosnia & Herzegovina (24th June, 8PM) The first group to lose two team is Group B where 2022’s hosts, Qatar, kick-off the top 40. They were, of course, very disappointing in their home tournament, losing all three games and only bagging one goal. Their form going into this tournament is more patchy than last time but not having the added pressure of being hosts should help them this time. I know most people are down on them but not many other teams in this tournament have the same pedigree in recent international tournaments with Qatar winning the last two editions of the Asia Cup, beating Japan 3-1 in UAE 2019 and Jordan by the same scoreline in their home-hosted tournament in 2023. That alone should really have them at least 10 places higher but their inconsistent qualifying form and lack of experience on the World stage seems them land here. They have, what is probably on paper, the best strike-force in Asia and will be desperate to make amends. The Manager: Julen Lopetegui He will be very familiar to UK fans due to his successful spell at Wolves and his less-so-successful spell sat West Ham, he has been in this role for just less than a year with Qatar hiring their third Spanish manager in two years quickly after his sacking from the Hammers. You may remember that Lopetegui was manager of Spain in 2016, successfully seeing them through an unbeaten qualifying for Russia 2018. Two days before that tournament kicked-off, it was announced that he would be taking the Real Madrid job after its conclusion and Spain decided to sack him with the team already in Russia. His Madrid spell was a disaster and only lasted a few months. Although, the next year he rebuilt his reputation by joining Sevilla and winning them their 9 millionth Europa League title. He’s talked about feeling like he’s ‘owed a World Cup’ and this is his chance. A goalkeeper during his playing career, he became one of the rare few who played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona. Although, he only made 6 league appearances between the two of them. Key Player: Akram Afif (Al Sadd) He disappointed four years ago but Afif has not stopped scoring since that tournament and looks ready to leave his mark this time. The first Qatari to player in La Liga after he signed for Villarreal in 2016 and went out on loan to Sporting Gijón, he never quite made it in Europe buts scored 44 goals in 48 league games in his 2-year loan spell back in Qatar and has managed a crazy 80 goals in 100 league games since signing back to Al Sadd permanently in 2020. He’s the only player not-named ‘Son Heung-min’ to win Asia’s Best Player award in the last 10 years, having won it in 2024 and, at 29-years old, is at the peak of his powers going into this tournament. His partner up front will be Almoez Ali who is the National Team’s top ever scorer with 60-goals There’s a reason why they’ve won back-to-back Asian Cups and its mainly duo this this duo. Why they're actually going to win it: Not many other teams in this tournament have back-to-back major international cup wins in their locker and, if they can get their two strikers involved, they are lethal.

41. Jordan Group J AFC (7/9) World Ranking: 63 Best Result: n/a Fixtures: Austria (17th June, 5AM) Algeria (23rd June, 4AM) Argentina (28th June, 3AM) Jordan booked their first ever World Cup in style, finishing second behind South Korea in their group to qualify at the earliest possible stage. They’ve only came close one before, reaching the Intercontinental Play-Off in 2014 before a comfortably 5-0 default to Uruguay on aggregate. However, they are a side on the up, reaching their first ever Asian Cup final in 2024 (after beating South Korea in the semi-finals) before a 3-1 defeat by hosts and holders Qatar. They are slowly creeping their way up the World Rankings, constantly being a good 30-places above where they were during the Last World Cup qualifying period. The Manager: Jamal Sellami A Moroccan international, Selllami was part of the 1998 World Cup squad but only managed 3-minutes on the pitch. At club level, he represented Beşiktaş as well as a number of teams in his home country. He succeeded another Moroccan, Hussein Ammouta, halfway through this qualification campaign and matched the previous manager by also reaching a final, this time the Arab Cup. Despite the loss to his native Morocco, this run earned him official Jordanian citizenship. He favours counter-attacking tactics which could suit them having matches against sides that will want to dominate possession.. Key Player: Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes) The only Jordanian player to ever play in a top-5 league in Europe, Al-Taamari played for Montpellier before joining current club Rennes. A great dribbler, he is key to Jordan’s counter-attack approach with his great pace and close control. A left footer who plays on the right, he loves to cut inside and whip in dangerous crosses. Why they're actually going to win it: They’ve already made two finals in recent years and fully embrace their underdog reputation. Their style suits their opposition in the group.