Sports – Soccer/Football

2026 FIFA World Cup – Group F Focus

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment

With each group, you get a mix of teams and how much they’ve achieved in the past. Two teams of Group F have been finalists, one has only made it as far as the Round Of 16 and one has never made it out of the Group Stage. We’ll see what this World Cup has in store for them. Here’s my review of the teams for Group F:

-Netherlands (7): Event though this will be their twelfth World Cup, the World Cup does not feel complete if Oranje is not present. Known for finishing runner-up at the World Cup three times and known for having beloved players like Cruyff, Bergkamp and Rijkaard, Oranje have become beloved around the world. Recent play in the last ten years have shown difficulties in creating a new Dutch team. They failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018. Also in the past twenty years, they appeared to make a move from graceful play to overly aggressive play. That’s been noticed as they gave played in the three most carded World Cup games including the 2010 Final: the most carded final in World Cup history. A recent third-place at the 2024 Euro has improved their reputation.

The Netherlands’ coaching staff is completely Dutch and their head coach is Ronald Koeman who has coached the team since their 2022 World Cup quarterfinals defeat. Most of the team plays in teams for the Premier League. Star players include goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion, defender and captain Virgil van Dijk who plays for Liverpool, midfielder Marten de Roon who plays for Atalanta, and striker Memphis Depay who plays for Brazil’s Corinthians. The team’s last defeat was against Germany in October 2024. In the past twelve months, they’ve had wins against Malta, Finland, Lithuania and Norway. They’ve drawn against Ecuador and both games against Poland. Chances are Clockwork Orange can deliver a winning performance for the Cup if they all do things right.

-Japan (18): Samurai Blue made their first World Cup appearance in 1998 and they haven’t missed since. Their first World Cup appearance would lead to a boom in football in Japan. The unfortunate thing is that they have not been able to make it past the Round Of 16: something they’ve done four times. To their achievement, they have won the Asian Cup four times. Their last win being in 2011. Japan comes to the Americas with something to prove.

Japan’s coaching staff is completely Japanese and their head coach Hajime Moriyasu once played for the Japanese team, but retired from the national team before their first-ever World Cup appearance (1996). Star players include goalkeeper Zion Suzuki who plays for Italy’s Parma, defender Yuto Nagatomo who plays for FC Tokyo, midfielder and captain Wataru Endo who plays for Liverpool and striker Ayase Ueda who plays for the Netherlands’ Feyenoord. Their play in the last twelve months have mostly been wins and their most notable have been against England, Scotland, Brazil and South Korea. They’ve endured draws against Paraguay and Mexico, and losses against the United States and Australia. If there’s one team that can pull a surprise at United 2026, it’s Japan. Only the tournament will tell.

-Sweden (38): Sweden are an on-again, off-again nation in football. This is the thirteenth World Cup for the Blagult and their best finish is finalists when they hosted in 1958. Unfortunately they have missed qualifying for the last World Cup and the last Euro. Just as they did for qualifying in 2018, they know how to luck out in qualifying this time around too. They didn’t win a single game in their qualifying play but their UEFA status helped them qualify for the playoff rounds. What happened next? It was there when they finally started winning, beating Ukraine and Poland to qualify.

The Swedish coaching staff is made up of Swedish coaches except for the head coach, Graham Potter, who is from England. Most of the team plays in teams from all over Europe but are most common with England’s Premier League. Star players include goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeld who plays for Sweden’s AIK, defender Viktor Lindelof who plays for Aston Villa, midfielder Mattias Svanberg who plays for VfL Wolfsburg and striker Alexander Isak who plays for Liverpool. Their play in the last twelve months has been a case of mixed results. They won their playoff games against Ukraine and Poland as well as against Hungary and Algeria. They drew twice against Slovenia and also lost to Norway, Kosovo and Switzerland. It’s very possible their play at the World Cup can prove their naysayers wrong.

-Tunisia (44): One team that seems to have one of the most frustrating World Cup careers happen to be the Eagles Of Carthage. It’s easy to see why. Six previous World Cup participations starting in 1978 and never qualifying for the next round. The 21st Century has given them feats to be proud of like winning the 2004 African Cup of Nations and finalists for the 2021 Arab Cup but they have a record of inconsistency. There’s no doubt Tunisia is hoping this will be their breakthrough year.

Tunisia’s coaching staff is a mix of Tunisian and French coaches and their head coach Sabri Lamouchi was born in France to Tunisian parents. Top players include goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, defender Montassar Talbi who plays for France’s Lorient, midfielder Ellyes Skhiri who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt and striker Elias Achouri who plays for FC Copenhagen. For their play in the last twelve months, most of their wins have been to African teams but they also won against Haiti, Qatar and Jordan. They’ve had draws to Canada, Palestine and Brazil, and they’ve had notable losses to Nigeria, Syria and Austria. 2026 could finally be the breakthrough year Tunisia has been waiting for.

My Qualifier Predictions: Predicting the Top 2 is easy. I think Netherlands will top it with Japan second. However, I feel my third-place pick, Tunisia, will not be a wildcard qualifier.

FUN FACT: The June 20th game of Tunisia vs. Japan at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe will be the 1000th World Cup match ever.

And there you go. That’s my look at World Cup Group F. Hard to believe I’ve done six blogs of this and I’m only half-finished! Did they have to expand to 48 teams?

2026 FIFA World Cup – Group E Focus

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment

You know, I went into a Walmart in Vancouver and I’ve already seen lots of memorabilia and collector’s items already being sold. It’s very exciting to see, but the items are quite expensive. That’s what happens with a World Cup. A lot of keepsakes at a big price.

Moving on, here’s my look at the teams of Group E of this year’s World Cup:

-Germany (10): For a long time, Die Mannschaft were one of the most feared teams in the world. One with an excellent record of consistency and performing well at major tournaments time and time again. Things changed right after their fourth World Cup win in 2014. The following World Cup, they failed to progress past the opening round for the first time in 80 years. Further disappointment came as they again missed qualifying for the knockout round in 2022 and in the last two Euros, the furthest they got was the quarterfinals. It appears like right now is the toughest era for German football.

The German team’s coaching staff is from a mix of European nations but their head coach is German: Julian Nagelsmann. Star players include legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from Bayern Munich, defender Antonio Rudiger from Real Madrid, midfielder Joshua Kimmich also from Bayern Munich and striker Kai Havertz from Arsenal. In these past twelve months, the team had a terrible UEFA Nations League losing to Portugal, France and Slovakia. They would then come back with wins against Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Finland and Ghana. This World Cup is the arena where Germany can seize redemption in the world’s eyes.

-Curacao (82): One thing about this World Cup is that we will have teams the never previously had a chance in qualifying in the past make it this time. Increasing it to 48 teams really changes a lot. Curacao is one of four teams competing in its first-ever World Cup. Nicknamed The Blue Wave, Curacao competed as an independent nation after the Netherlands Antilles dissolved in 2010. They’ve qualified for three CONCACAF Gold Cups and won one Caribbean Cup back in 2017. Upon coming first in their qualifying CONCACAF group, Curacao, with a population of just over 155,000, became the smallest country to qualify for a World Cup!

Curacao is making sure they’re team will be ready for the World Cup. Their coaching staff is of mostly Dutch coaches and their head coach Dirk Advocaat will make his fifth World Cup appearance as head coach, for five different teams! Most of the players play for either MLS or the Netherlands’ Eredivisie. Top players include goalkeeper Eloy Room who plays for Miami FC, defender Jurien Gaari who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Abha, midfielder Leandro Bacuna who plays for Turkey’s Igdir and striker Kenji Forre who plays for Israel’s Maccabi Haifa. Their play in the last twelve months have included wins to Jamaica, Bermuda and Haiti. They’ve drawn against Trinidad and Canada. They’ve also lost to Scotland, Australia and China. Whatever the result, the 2026 World Cup will take Curacao and its football to a whole new level.

-Ivory Coast (34): The Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire, have participated in three previous World Cups. All of them were consecutive from 2006 to 2014 and all of them were out in the Group Stage. In all three previous times, Les Elephants had their most heralded players: defender Didier Zokora and striker Dider Drogba. The team has struggled since those two players retired after World Cup 2014 but a new team has come of age and they have a win at the 2023 African Cup Of Nations to their credit.

The team has a mostly-Ivorian coaching staff. Head coach is Emerse Fae who has played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup. The team plays for a mix of of European teams. Top players include goalkeeper Yahia Fofana who plays for Turkey’s Caykur Rizespor, defender Ghislain Konan who plays for Portugal’s Gil Vicente, midfielder and captain Franck Kessie who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, and striker Nicolas Pepe who plays for Villareal. Their play in the last twelve months tell a lot. They’ve had wins to non-African teams like South Korea and Scotland. They’ve had draws to Gabon, Cameroon and Canada. Their losses came to New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The World Cup can be the chance for the Ivory Coast to take their football to a new level.

-Ecuador (23): Hard to believe La Tricolor never participated in a World Cup in the 20th Century. This coming World Cup will be their fifth. Making a name for themselves has been a struggle. Their best-ever World Cup result in the Round of 16 and the best they ever did at the Copa America was a fourth-place finish. Proving themselves in the CONMEBOL is tough for them. Ecuador did prove themselves as a team ready to play well. They succeeded in qualifying for the World Cup despite a three-point deduction for player Byron Castillo having a passport with falsified information.

Their coaching staff is completely made up of Argentineans and their head coach Sebastian Beccacece is a former assistant with the 2018 Argentinean national team. Top players include goalkeeper Hernan Galindez who plays for Argentina’s Huracan, defender Angelo Preciado who plays for Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro, midfielder Moises Caicedo who plays for Chelsea, and striker and captain Enner Valencia who plays for Mexico’s Pachuca. In the past twelve months, they have not had a single loss! They have only had three wins: to New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Argentina. They’ve had draws to the USA, Mexico, Canada and Brazil to name a few. If there’s one team that pull a surprise at the World Cup, it’s Ecuador.

My Qualifier Predictions: Sometimes you think you know who will qualify. Sometimes it’s all a shocker. I predict Germany will top the group with Ecuador second. I think my third-place pick Ivory Coast will qualify.

And that completes my look at Group E of this year’s World Cup. Sometimes I wonder how I’m able to do all this typing and have it all completed before the first game begins!

2026 FIFA World Cup – Group D Focus

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment

Of the three nations hosting, it’s the United States that will have the most cities and venues contesting with 11 stadiums: 2/3 of the stadiums of this Cup. That number is two more than when they hosted the 24-team World Cup of 1994.

Here’s a brief description of the stadiums:

  • Dallas’s AT&T Stadium, which is actually in Arlington, is a 94,000-sest stadium opened in 2009.
  • MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey was opened in 2010 and seats 82,500.
  • Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta opened in 2017 and it seats 75,000.
  • GEHA Field at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium can seat 73,000 and was opened in 1972.
  • Houston’s NRG Stadium was opened in 2002 and seats 72,000.
  • Levi’ Stadium in Santa Clara, California opened in 2014 and can seat 71,000.
  • SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles is a 70,000-seat stadium that’s actually in Inglewood and was opened in 2020.
  • Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field was opened in 2003 and can seat 69,000.
  • Lumen Field in Seattle can seat 69,000 and was opened in 1998.
  • Boston’s Gilette Stadium is a 65,000-seat stadium that’s actually in Foxboro and was opened in 2002.
  • Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was opened in 1987 and can seat 65,000.

Anyways enough of this stadium talk. Let’s now focus on the teams of World Cup Group D:

-United States of America (16): Where to start. The United States is not the joke in football they used to be. They now field a talented team that knows how to play well in international tournaments. They still have a lot of well-known struggles. The last time they got as far as a World Cup quarterfinal was back in 2002. Their last three appearances have found them out in the Round Of 16. The Stars And Stripes have shown recent prowess. They finished runner-up at the most recent CONCACAF Gold Cup and they’ve won three of the four CONCACAF Nations Leagues.

When they were the sole host in 1994, they only went as far as the Round of 16. To prepare themselves for a good showing as hosts, the US Team’s coaching staff is completely of foreign coaches and their head coach is Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino. The players come mostly from either MLS or European teams. Stars in the team include goalkeeper Matt Turner from the New England Revolution, defender Tim Ream from Charlotte FC, midfielder Weston McKenzie form Juventus and striker Christian Pulisic from AC Milan. Their play in the last 12 months has been a mixed bag. They’ve had wins against Australia, Japan and Senegal. They’ve had draws to Costa Rica and Ecuador. Their biggest losses came to Switzerland, Belgium and Portugal. I’m sure that the United States will rise to the occasion and give a performance the host nation can be proud of.

-Paraguay (40): Paraguay is not normally known for their athletes but La Albirroja have been known to perform well. They’ve won two Copa Americas, won an Olympics silver in 2004, and they’ve competed in eight previous World Cups with their best finish being the quarterfinals in 2010. They have struggled to qualify since. As for the Copa Americas, the last four have been either out in the quarterfinals or the group stage.

The coaching staff is mostly Argentinian and the head coach is Argentina’s Gustavo Alfaro. Star players include goalkeeper Gatito Fernandez from Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno, defender Gustavo Gomez from Brazil’s Palmeiras, midfielder Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United and striker Oscar Romero from Argentina’s Huracan. In the past 12 months, they’ve achieved wins against Uruguay, Mexico and Greece, they’ve drawn against Japan and Ecuador, and they’ve lost to Brazil, the US and Mexico. This World Cup looks to be the perfect stage for Paraguay to stage their comeback to the football world.

-Australia (27): It’s looks as though since their World Cup return in 2006, The Socceroos have made it a mainstay to be part of the World Cup. That comes from the help of switching from Oceania’s OFC to Asia’s AFC. They’re on some years, off other years. At the last World Cup, they made the Round Of 16 for the second time ever. Australia hopes to make up for the disappointment of their quarterfinals finish at the 2023 Asian Cup.

Australia has an all-Australian coaching staff with head coach Tony Popovic being a former national team player who was part of Australia’s breakthrough at the 2006 World Cup. Top players include goalkeeper Mathew Ryan from Spain’s Levante, defender Milos Degenek from Cyprus’ APOEL, midfielder Ajdin Hrustic from the Netherlands’ Heracles Almelo and striker Martin Boyle from Scotland’s Hibernian. In the past 12 months, they’ve achieved notable win against Cameroon, Canada and Japan, and they’ve endured losses to the United States and Colombia. Chances are the Socceroos could just surprise the world again with their play.

-Turkey (22): Turkey have always been known to have a talented team but the biggest challenge for Ay-Yildizlilar is World Cup qualifying. They have been successful for qualifying for six Euros since 1996 but this will only be their third World Cup. Their last World Cup in 2002 helped them establish themselves with a third-place finish. Here, they will be coming just after a quarterfinals finish at the Euro.

The current team has a coaching staff that’s a mix of Turks and Italians and Italian Vincenzo Montella is the head coach. Most of the players play for teams in Turkey’s Super Lig and other European teams. Top players include goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, defender Merih Demiral who plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu who plays for Inter Milan and Kerem Akturkoglu who plays for Fenerbahce. In the past twelve months, they’ve achieved notable wins against the United States, North Macedonia and Georgia. They’ve only had a single draw against Spain. They also had a loss to Spain months earlier and a loss to Mexico. 2026 marks a return for Turkey to show the world what they’re made of!

My Qualifier Predictions: This is is. Predicting the Top 2 and the possible wildcard. For the Top 2, I predict Turkey to top with the United States second and my third-place prediction, Australia, to qualify.

And there you have it! That is my look at Group D of the World Cup. With the US having 11 of the 16 host stadiums, hopefully this should be a smooth ride, despite Trump’s politics and all that’s happening.

WORK CITED:
“2026 FIFA World Cup.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup>

2026 FIFA World Cup – Group C Focus

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment

With the World Cup now expanded to contest 48 teams for the Cup, it will be very hard for one single nation to host. Even long before Qatar hosted in 2022, I thought having a nation as small as Qatar to host was a bad idea. They did host to the best of their abilities and did a good job of it, but I still feel a nation that small is too small to host a World Cup of 32 teams.

For 2030, Spain, Portugal and Morocco will share the hosting duties but there will be a special tribute to the 100th anniversary of the World Cup with Montevideo, Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Asuncion, Paraguay staging a single match each for the Centennial celebration. For 2034, it has been stated Saudi Arabia alone will host that World Cup. Can a World Cup of 48 nations be staged in a single nation? That World Cup will be the first test.

In the meantime, here are the participating teams of Group C:

-Brazil (6): It’s easy to see why the Selecao Canarinho are one of the most beloved teams in the world. Five World Cups, nine Copa Americas and legendary players like Leonidas, Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The problem is the last 20 years have not been kind to Brazil. Since their World Cup win in 2002, the best World Cup finish has been fourth when they hosted in 2014. They had three Copa America wins this century but the last Copa America had them out in the quarterfinals. It’s been a common thing with Brazil in the 21st Century: big expectations, a talent-packed team, falling short too soon. Heck, since their embarrassment at the 2014 World Cup, they have gone through five different head coaches!

Although most of the coaching staff are Brazilian, the current head coach of Brazil’s national team is an Italian: Carlo Ancelotti, who has experience in coaching eleven major league teams. Standout players include goalkeeper Alisson who plays for Liverpool, defender and captain Marqinhos who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, midfielder Casemiro who plays for Manchester United, and defenders Neymar and rising talent Vinicius Junior. Their play in the past twelve months have been a set of mixed results. They’ve achieved key wins against Chile, Senegal and Croatia, draws to Ecuador and Tunisia, and notable losses to France and Japan. The 2026 World Cup is another chance for Brazil to achieve their sixth World Cup and they have what it takes to deliver at the occasion.

-Morocco (8): One thing we learned from the last World Cup is do not underestimate the Atlas Lions. They shocked by beating Belgium 2-0 while qualifying from the Group Stage and defeated highly-favored rivals like Spain and Portugal to qualify for the semifinals. They became the first African team to achieve this feat. They also added to their fears the first African team to qualify for the knockout round back in 1986 and the first African team when continental allocations were introduced in 1970.

The team comes strong after winning the last three African Nations Championships and also winning the last African Cup of Nations thanks to a controversy caused by Senegal’s poor sportsmanship in the final. They also have a new head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, who is the former coach of the national under-23 team. With many of the players under 25, they will be familiar with his coaching style. Top players include goalkeeper Yassine Bounou who was one of the stars of World Cup 2022, defender and captain Achraf Hakimi who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, midfielder Sofyan Ambarat who plays for Spain’s Betis, and striker Ayoub el-Kaabi who plays for Greece’s Olympiacos. Morocco is fortunate they haven’t had a loss in the last twelve months. Their only draws have been against Oman, Mali, Nigeria and Ecuador. This World Cup offers another chance for Morocco to prove its ability to perform well under the world’s spotlight.

-Haiti (83): Haiti may be the poorest nation in the Americas but they have shown their football prowess at times. Les Grenadiers did win the 1973 CONCACAF Gold Cup and did play at the World Cup of 1974. They have had struggles since such as their last Caribbean Cup win being in 2007 and finishing last in the Group Stage of the most recent CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Their coaching staff is mostly Haitian but their head coach is a Frenchman: Sebastien Migne. The team has a lot of players under the age of 25. Star players include goalkeeper Johny Placide who plays for France’s Bastia, defender Ricardo Ade, midfielder Leverton Pierre and striker Duckens Nazon who plays for Iran’s Esteghlal. Recent play includes wins against Costa Rica and Nicaragua, draws to Iceland and Trinidad, and losses to the United States, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. This World Cup can be an opportunity for Haiti to take their football to a new level.

-Scotland (43): Scotland have been to the World Cup eight times before. The Tartan Army hold an unfortunate World Cup record. They have the most World Cup participations without ever making it past the first round! They also have that bad luck at the Euro tournament. It happens each time The team is loaded with talent but it fails to live up to expectations!

The current head coach is Scotsman Steve Clark who has coached since 2020 and it the longest-serving head coach ever for the Scottish national team. Most of the team plays for either England’s Premier League or Scotland’s Premiership. Star players include goalkeeper Craig Gordon, defender and captain Andy Robertson from Liverpool, midfielder John McGinn from Aston Villa, and striker Lyndon Dykes. For their play in the last twelve months, they’ve achieved wins against Belarus and Curacao, a win and a draw against Denmark, a win and a loss to Greece and losses to Japan and the Ivory Coast. This World Cup is another chance for Scotland to take their football to another level.

My Qualifier Predictions: I have no problem here predicting the two main qualifiers: Brazil and Morocco. The difficult part is the wildcard prediction. Just remember there will be four third-place teams that won’t qualify. Game stats will decide it all. Nevertheless, I feel Scotland will qualify.

And that’s my look at World Cup groups for now. My look at Group C is complete and I have nine more to go. In my blogs, I won’t just focus on the teams. There’s lots to talk about when the topic is the World Cup!

2026 FIFA World Cup – Group B Focus

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment

Never in my lifetime did I think Canada would host a men’s World Cup. We hosted an impressive Women’s World Cup but I figured we really needed to improve our national team big time if we wanted to host a men’s World Cup.

This paragraph is my personal opinion. I am happy that Canada is one of the three host nations but I’m unhappy that only two Canadian cities will stage matches. Toronto and Vancouver are good picks but we could have also added in Edmonton and Montreal. Those two cities have the two biggest stadiums in Canada. Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium and Montreal’s Olympic Stadium can seat just over 56,000. Why weren’t they included?

I’m also unhappy Mexico is only having three cities stage matches. Mexico hosted two previous World Cups and they have good enough venues. The three staging matches are Mexico City’s 87,500-seat Azteca Stadium which was part of Mexico’s two previous World Cups and even hosted matches during the 1968 Summer Olympics. Second is Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA. It’s a modern 53,500-seat stadium that opened to the public in 2015. Third is Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron. This stadium opened in 2010, seats almost 50,000 and was the host venue for the 2011 Pan Amercian Games.

Those wondering about the two Canadian stadiums, Vancouver’s BC Place was opened in 1983 and can seat 54,000. Toronto’s BMO Field was opened in 2007 and can seat 45,000.

Anyways, that’s enough for stadium talk until I focus on the U.S. Now it’s time to focus on the teams of World Cup’s Group B:

-Canada(30): To most of the world, Canada is seen as a joke in football. Sure, our women are very good at delivering in major tournaments, but our men are very lackluster. The Canucks have only qualified for two previous World Cups and have lost all their matches. Back in 1986, they didn’t score a single goal. In 2022, they finally scored but still lost all their matches. Much to Canada’s relief, they only finished second-last with hosts Qatar behind them. More on them later. The Canadian men have delivered some noteworthy feats in the past. Fourth at the 2024 Copa America and winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1985 and 2000. Most recently, they beat the United States for third-place at the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada has worked hard to build a national team the host nation can be proud of. American Jesse Marsch is the head coach with a mix of other coaches from North America and Europe. The top players of the team are goalkeeper Maxine Crepeau who plays for Orlando City, defender and captain Alphonso Davies who plays for Bayern Munich, midfielder Jonathan Osorio who plays for Toronto FC, and striker Cyle Larin who plays for Southampton. For their play in the last 12 months, their most notable wins are Ukraine, Wales and Uzbekistan. They’ve had notable draws to Colombia and Ecuador and their only loss has been to Australia. Chances are Canada can rise to the occasion and deliver a great showing as a host nation!

-Bosnia-Hercegovina (65): If there’s one thing to learn from the qualifying matches, it’s that you should never underestimate Zmajevi or The Dragons. Their road to the World Cup led them to the longer path after they finished second to Austria in their qualifying group. They would have to face Wales and Italy in the playoff berths. In both cases, they drew 1-1 during the game and won on penalty kicks. Never underestimate the power of teams you dismiss as ‘minnows.’ Interesting they’ve never qualified for a Euro but this will be their second World Cup!

Leading the coaching for the team is Bosnia’s Sergej Barbarez. Only two members of Bosnia’s coaching staff are not from Bosnia. Top players for the team include defender Sead Kolasinac who plays for Italy Serie A team Atalanta, midfielder Amir Hadziametovic who plays for Hull City and legendary striker Edin Dzeko. Their play has been notable these past twelve months for resulting in a lot of draws. Their wins may have been to Malta, San Marino and Romania but they’ve achieved draws against more lauded teams like Austria, Wales and Italy. The latter two, they had the winning edge in penalty kicks. Chances are it’s here in United 2026 where Bosnia can surprise the world on a big scale!

-Qatar (55): It’s tempting to either feel sorry for The Maroons or laugh at them after the 2022 World Cup. Back in 2022, they achieved three ignominious firsts for a World Cup host nation: first-ever host nation to lose their opening match, first-ever host nation to lose all their Group Stage games, and first-ever host nation to finish dead last! But Qatar showed they can rebound from humiliation.  Back in 2023, they successfully defended their AFC Asian Cup on home soil. For World Cup qualifying, this marks the first time they’ve achieved qualification outside of hosting the last Cup with Almoez Ali being the second-biggest scorer of the qualifiers. No kidding they will be coming here with something to prove.

The current team’s head coach is Spain’s Julen Lopetegui and the majority of its coaching staff is Spanish. All but one of the players play in teams with Qatar’s Stars League. Top players include goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, defender Boualem Khoukhi, midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem and strikers Hassan al-Haydos and Almoez Ali. The last twelve months have included wins against Iran and the UAE, draws against Bahrain, Oman and Syria, and loses against Ireland, Zimbabwe and Tunisia. North America can be the stage for Qatar to prove their redemption in the football world.

-Switzerland (19): Right now the A-Team or the Nati are hard to describe. Their common World Cup frustration of bombing out in the Round of 16 keeps on happening, like the three previous World Cups. The past two Euros showed some improvement as in those two, the Swiss team won their first knockout match and made it as far as the quarterfinals. It’s a case that the talent is there but it’s a matter of consistent delivering.

The Swiss coaching staff is completely Swiss and the Head Coach Murat Yakin is the same coach from World Cup 2022. Top players include goalkeeper Gregor Kobel who plays for Borussia, defender Ricardo Rodriguez who plays for Spain’s Betiz, legendary midfielder Granit Xhaka who plays for Sunderland and striker Breel Embolo who plays for France’s Rennes. Their play in the last 12 months have been mostly consistent. Their most notable wins include the United States, Mexico and Sweden. They’ve had draws to Slovenia and Norway and their only loss was to Germany back in March. Chances are here in World Cup 2026, Switzerland can deliver their best finish ever.

My Qualifier Predictions: This is a very different mix of teams. It’s easy for me to make my first pick: Switzerland. My second pick is tough but I will go with Bosnia. I predict Canada to be the wildcard qualifier.

And there is my look at World Cup Group B. Interesting three of the nations are either former or present host nations. More unique group mix-ups to come.

WORK CITED:
“2026 FIFA World Cup.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup>

2026 FIFA World Cup – Group A Focus

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment

It’s 2026. For football fans around the world, this is their favorite year of the quadrennial because that mean the contesting of the FIFA World Cup! This year is the first year in which 48 teams will compete! This should make for a lot of excitement.

This World Cup also marks the first ever World Cup consisting of three host nations. True, we had a case where two Asian nations — Japan and South Korea — shared hosting duties but this is the first in which three nations agree to host together. Billed as the ‘United’ hosting, the nations are the North American nations of Canada, Mexico and the United States.

For those wondering of the venues hosting this World Cup, I’ll give a brief mention. The opening match will take place at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Friday, June 11th. The Final for the Cup will take place on Sunday, July 19th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  Here’s a brief guide to the sixteen stadiums staging the matches:

  • MEXICO: Mexico City – EstadioAzteca
  • Guadalajara – Estadio Akron
  • Monterrey – Estadio BBVA
  • CANADA: Toronto – BMO Field
  • Vancouver – BC Place Stadium
  • U.S.A.: Dallas – AT & T Stadium
  • New York/New Jersey – MetLife Stadium
  • Atlanta – Mercedes Benz Stadium
  • Kansas City – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
  • Houston – NRG Stadium
  • San Francisco Bay Area – Levi’s Stadium
  • Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium
  • Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field
  • Seattle – Lumen Field
  • Boston – Gilette Stadium
  • Miami – Hard Rock Stadium

The two nations hosting together have alerted of some possible complications. For those of you who paid attention to North American news in the past ten years, the political news has been a circus. The biggest news being the havoc Donald Trump provokes. In his first term, it was all about him building a wall against Mexico because of illegal immigration. Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, it’s been about threatening tariffs on Canada, claiming we shortchanged the nation. Even after he withdraws the tariffs, that hasn’t stopped him from talking smack about Canada. Further controversy erupted as it’s possible some nations like Iran are on Trump’s ‘no entry’ list. Is FIFA sure he deserved that Peace Prize?

Whatever the situation, the World Cup will go on and 48 teams will contest over a 39-day period to decide the best football nation in the world!

To start things off, here’s my look at Group A. The number in brackets is the team’s FIFA World Ranking as of May 2026:

–Mexico (15): Of all nations in North America, Mexico seems most rightful to host. This makes it the eighteenth World Cup Mexico will compete in and the third time they will host, having been the sole host of 1970 and 1986. Unfortunately Mexico has had some World Cup difficulties. They’re often the CONCACAF qualifiers but they are the team with the most World Cup defeats. Their best finishes are the quarterfinals but only when they’ve hosted. The 1986 is the only World Cup where they won a knockout match. At last year’s World Cup, it became the first since 1978 where they failed to qualify out of group play.

There is a ray of hope for El Tricolor. They won last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Their intercontinental play is still in question. The team has been coached by Javier Aguirre since 2024 and the team features stars like goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defender Jesus Gallardo, midfielder Edson Alvarez and striker Raul Jimenez who plays in England for Fulham. They’ve recently had key wins against Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Ghana. They’ve also had some notable draws to Portugal, Belgium and South Korea and they’ve had notable losses to Colombia and Switzerland. The home stage is set for Mexico to prove they can be among the best.

-South Africa (60): No kidding Bafana Bafana are glad to be back at the World Cup for the first time since they hosted in 2010. When they were first reintroduced to FIFA in the late-90’s, there was a lot of hope for the team. Unfortunately things have not gone as well as they hoped. Three World Cup participations and out in the Group Stage. Even as host, they became the first host nation to fail to make it to the second round. Lately there have been signs of hope. South Africa finished third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Also qualifying after being socked three game points for fielding an ineligible player during a qualifier game against Lesotho should tell the team is back.

The team is coached by Belgian Hugo Broos. Most of the players play for South Africa’s Premiership league but there are some who play for European teams. They’ve showed their ability to win against some of Africa’s biggest teams but they’ve also had losses to Cameroon, Egypt and Lesotho. They also haven’t had much experience playing teams outside of Africa over this year’s time. Nevertheless, United 2026 is the ideal arena for South Africa to possibly pull a shocker and delight the nation in the process.

-South Korea (25): I’m sure South Korea must be annoyed with being referred to as ‘Korea Republic.’ It’s easy to label them Asia’s best football team, especially since they have been at every World Cup since 1986 and are the only Asian team to make it to the semifinals. Only thing is the last time they won an Asian Cup was in 1960. Also despite having more success at the World Cup than the other Asian teams, I’m sure they would like to move past the Round Of 16 which is where they finished last World Cup. At the last Asian Cup, they only made it to the semifinals.

Since 2024, South Korea has made a return to having coaches from the home nation. Current head coach is Hong Myung-bo who lead South Korea to their fourth place finish in 2002 as World Cup co-hosts. The coaching staff is a mix of Koreans and Portuguese. The team features great players like goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, defender Kim Min-jae who plays for Bayern Munich, midfielder Lee Jae-sung who plays for Mainz and striker Son Heung-min who plays for Los Angeles FC and is South Korea’s most capped player ever. Recent play has given them some key wins against the United States, Bolivia and Ghana. They endured a 2-2 draw against Mexico in September, and had losses to Brazil, Austria and the Ivory Coast. This World Cup is another change for South Korea to prove themselves and what they’re able to achieve.

-Czechia (41): It’s tempting to feel for Czechia. Back when Czechoslovakia existed, the team qualified for eight World Cups and made the finals twice. After Czechoslovakia split up, the Narodak have qualified for every Euro and even finished in the Top 3 twice, but this is only their second World Cup! The only other World Cup appearance was back in 2006. Hard to believe a nation with that much football talent has only qualified for two World Cups.

The current team has an all-Czech coaching staff with 75 year-old Miroslav Koubek being the head coach. Top stars of the national team include defender Valdimir Coufal who plays for TSG Hoffenheim, midfielder Tomas Soucek who plays for West Ham United and striker Patrik Schick who plays for Bayer Leverkusen. Over the past twelve months, they’ve achieved many wins over major European teams, a draw to Saudi Arabia and losses to Croatia and the Faroe Islands. Chances are Czechia could achieve its best success in decades at this World Cup.

My Qualifier Predictions: Not only do I review the teams but I also predict which teams will qualify for the knockout rounds. For this tournament, it’s the Top 2 of each group and the eight best third-place teams that qualify. Very much like the World Cups from 1986 to 1994 where it was the four best third-place teams! I will go with Korea Republic and Mexico with Czechia being the wildcard qualifier.

Also since we’re on the topic of the knockout rounds, I have to bring up something unique about this year’s World Cup. It’s the first World Cup to have the Knockout Round start with a Round Of 32! That’s how it is with 48 teams! Going from starting with a Round of 16 to starting with a Round Of 32! Possibly the craziest thing is how this new format is expanding the World Cup from 64 games to 104! No wonder three nations are needed to host this format of tournament for the first time!

On the topic of the third-place ‘wildcard’ qualifiers, we’ve had three World Cups in the past with a 24-team tournament that lead to four wildcard qualifiers. Now it’s eight wildcard qualifiers! FIFA has a list of which group’s wildcard team will play who once the eight qualifiers are decides. When you see it on Wikipedia or at the FIFA website, you can see how it will only make sense to FIFA!

And there you have it! There’s my look at the teams from Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hard to believe I have eleven more blogs to go! For past World Cup blogs, I would have seven after my first. Now it’s eleven!

WORK CITED:
“2026 FIFA World Cup.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup>

Copa America 2024: My Prediction For The Final

Jon The Blogcentric1 Comment
Will this be Argentina’s record-setting sixteenth win?
Or Colombia’s second?

Back on my talk about the Euro final, I talked about how people shouldn’t see continental tournaments as joke tournaments. Same with the Copa America. Especially knowing that all the teams of the CONMEBOL are as capable of losing to each other as they are winning. Argentina may be the World Cup holder but that doesn’t guarantee they’ll win every game in their wake. Most likely, they’ll face defeat at the hands of a South American team. In fact, Argentina’s only loss since their World Cup win was to Uruguay this past November!

Here in the Copa America, the final is down to two teams from the CONMEBOL, as I feel it should be. One team is tied with Uruguay for fifteen previous wins while one won it only once back in 2001. So the big question is which team will win the Copa America on Sunday? Here’s my look:

Head-To-Head Stats: The two teams have played each other 42 times before. Argentina has won 25 times before, Colombia has won nine times before, and eight games were draws.

Team-By-Team Analysis:

ARGENTINA: Coming to this tournament as the reigning World Cup holders, it’s easy to assume they would become the favorites to win. Added to the fact they are the reigning Copa holders from their 2021 win. Very often, many World Cup winning teams start feeling immediate changes after their win. That hasn’t been the case for the Albiceleste. Lionel Scaloni is still the team’s head manager as he’s been since after the 2018 World Cup. Many anticipated Lionel Messi would retire after the win in Qatar 2022 but he’s still part of the team and still captain. Also remaining with the team are star players like Angel di Maria, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez and goalkeeper Dibu Martinez. Their play in the US has been consistent with their reputation as they won all three of their Group Stage games and made it through both of their knockout matches.

Despite their great play, they have shown vulnerability. As anticipated, it’s come at the hands of South American teams. Recently it was in their quarterfinal against Ecuador that went to a 1-1 draw. It was after penalty kicks that they won. I know I talked about Argentina’s only loss since their World Cup win being to Uruguay. It’s possible Colombia could expose their vulnerability in the final. The last time they met back in February 2022, Argentina won 1-0. If Argentina is not overconfident and they take their rivalry against Colombia seriously, they can become repeat Copa winners.

COLOMBIA: It hasn’t been an easy time for Los Cafeteros. Right after they learned they would not qualify for the 2022 World Cup, they dropped their coach for Argentine coach Nestor Lorenzo. Since then, they have not lost a game. Actually their 1-0 loss to Argentina in February 2022 in a World Cup qualifier is their last loss. James Rodriguez is the captain with David Ospina being the head goalkeeper. Here at the Copa, Colombia delivered the best results in their group, delivered the only win in regulation time in their quarterfinal against Panama and delivered another win against Uruguay 1-0.

Other than Argentina, Colombia has delivered the best consistency in play. They’ve been scoring well and delivering strongly against their opponents. I know I talked about possible vulnerability of Argentina. Colombia can be just as vulnerable and Argentina could take full advantage of it. In the final, neither team can afford to give anything away. If Colombia want to upset the current World Cup Holder, they will have to be on the ball from the start and give nothing away.

My Final Verdict: We should remember that the Copa America and the World Cup are two different tournaments and both have their own challenges. Winning either trophy is not easy at all. My prediction is Argentina to take it 2-0.

And there you have it! That’s my look at the 2024 Copa America final and my prediction for the win. Interesting how both the Euro final and the Copa America final are happening on the same day! Aren’t you relieved of the time difference?

UEFA Euro 2024: My Prediction For The Final

Jon The Blogcentric1 Comment
Will Spain win its record-setting fourth Euro?
Or will England win its first ever?

In the last while, I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about continental championships and some people going as far as saying some are jokes of tournaments. Continental or confederation championships are not jokes. I think it’s a good idea that the continent’s best play each other. Also they can be challenging competitions themselves. The opponents from your confederation know your team better than other teams in the world. You could win your continental championship one year but fail to qualify for the World Cup another year. They’re a tough competition all themselves.

The Euro has been one tough competition. The defending champions went out in the Round of 16, the bronze medalists from the World Cup went out in the Group Stage, the hosts went out in the quarterfinals and a finalist from the World Cup went out in the semifinals. 114 goals have been scored in the 50 matches, ten of them own-goals, seven red cards have been handed out as well as a total of over $1,000,000 in fines to national teams for bad fan behavior. Now it’s time for the dust to settle and for the final to be played. One team has won the Euro three times before and played in one additional previous final. The other team makes it their second consecutive Euro final which is also their second ever! So let’s have a look at the two Euro finalists. Spain and England: same two finalists as in the Women’s World Cup last year!

Head-To-Head Statistics:

They’ve met 27 times before in the past, including three past Euro games. Spain was won ten games, England won fourteen and three were ties.

Team Breakdown:

SPAIN:

We’ve seen a lot of teams who gave bad performances at the 2022 World Cup or teams that failed to qualify for Qatar continue to give a lackluster performance. On that same token, we also saw teams that did well in Qatar 2022 fall short here in Germany. There are also some teams that either did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup or did bad in Qatarthat have shown considerable improvement since. The most noticeable is Spain. La Furia Roja didn’t live up to their name at the 2022 World Cup as they were ousted in the Round Of 16 by eventual semifinalists Morocco. Immediately after, they hired a new coach: Luis de la Fuente. De la Fuente is a coach who likes to focus more on the young or on rising talents. A grassroots approach. It has paid off noticeably as last year, Spain won the UEFA Nations League final. Germany 2024 would show Spain had more to prove. Here in Germany, they’ve won every game without having to resort to a penalty shootout, scoring thirteen goals and only conceding three. Sure, their win over Germany in the quarterfinals came in added extra time but so far, Spain has had the best record of all teams at Euro 2024.

It’s obvious de la Fuente has assembled quite the tram for this Euro. We’ve seen excellent performances from defender Jesus Navas, midfielders Dani Olmo and Rodri, and the young gun of Lamine Yamal, who turns 17 the day before the Euro final! Judging by their play, Spain doesn’t appear to have any faults that would give notice of them losing the final. Mind you this is football and anything can happen. I’ve seen cases where the team with the more superior play before the final would end up losing. Basically Spain needs to play as consistently as they’ve been playing in Germany and not underestimate their opponent if they want to win their record-setting fourth Euro Cup. Besides I’ll bet Spaniards don’t want to hear any singing of “It’s Coming Home” at the end of the game!

ENGLAND: Before Euro 2024 started, the strength of the Three Lions were in question. It was here in his eight-year tenure as head manager of Team England that Gareth Southgate came under his biggest criticism. Even many of the veteran players like Harry Kane and Phil Foden were under question. Most critics would eventually be silenced as England did work its way to becoming finalists for the second Euro in a row. Despite topping Group C upon delivering the group’s only winning game, England has delivered by coming from behind each knockout game. First was the Round of 16 match against Slovakia that first appeared to end as a loss until Bellingham equalized near the end and Kane delivered the winner in added extra time. Then came the quarterfinal against Switzerland that ended as a 1-1 draw and England won on penalties. Then came the semifinal where what appeared to end as a 1-1 draw became a case of Ollie Watkins delivering the game winner in the 90th minute!

Southgate and Team England have done a lot to silence their critics and showcase a new English team. Over the eight years of Southgate, England has delivered a team with the most team unity in decades. Even their penalty kick results are a surprise. Before Southgate, England had only won a single penalty kick round in a major tournament. Since Southgate has taken over, they’ve won three. No doubt they want to win their first ever Euro. One thing Southgate, Kane, Bellingham and Bukayo Saka need to do is play better than they have in previous Euro games. In each of their knockout games, their opponent would score first. Their two winning games were a case of suddenly coming from behind. They can’t afford to do tricks like those in the Euro final. It’s too risky against a team like Spain. If they want to win, they need to be the most in control from the start. Also they can’t take the chance of drawing and going to penalty kicks. They may have won their quarterfinal but we all remember what happened in the last Euro final.

My Final Verdict: So many predictions from others. So many guesstimates. Yet nothing in football is guaranteed. I feel this will be a case where Spain will win 2-1.

And there you have it! That’s my prediction for the final of the 2024 European Championships. Expect it to be one intense evening!

2024 Copa America: My Semifinals Predictions

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment
Just four teams are left in the running for the Copa America.

Some of you may wonder why I didn’t do a Copa America blog for the groups with a game to go or a quarterfinals prediction blog. Firstly, blogs are too tiring. I like the Copa America but my hands can only take so much typing and I can only have so much inspiration. I’m not a professional blogger. Secondly, I was on vacation in my city of birth. So naturally, I will embrace my rest and relaxation while I have it.

Now that my vacation is near ending, it’s time to focus on the semifinals of Copa America 2024. The group play has been something. Argentina was great as expected, but Canada progressed even though they scored just a single goal in group play! Also Canada’s more lauded CONCACAF rivals of the USA and Mexico didn’t qualify for the quarterfinals! Even Panama qualified thanks to their 2-1 win over the USA! Venezuela, who has never won a Copa or even qualified for a World Cup, topped Group B with straight wins! The tight rivalry of Colombia and Brazil was expected to pour over into group play and it did!

Then the semifinals! Interesting that the CONMEBOL have it there’s no added extra time and goes straight to penalty kicks. It’s something because that was the case for three of the four quarterfinals! Only Colombia’s 5-0 win over Panama was a decisive game.

Now we have the semifinals. Like the Euro, they will also be contested on the Tuesday and Wednesday. Only one CONCACAF team still stands. Chances are it will again go to a CONMEBOL team. A CONMEBOL team has always won the Copa and that’s how it should be. In the meantime, here’s my look at the two semifinals:

SEMIFINAL #1: ARGENTINA vs. CANADA

Head-To-Head Stuff:

Aside from Argentina’s 2-0 win over Canada in the very first game of this Copa, their only other time meeting was in 2010 where Argentina again won, but the score was 5-0.

Team-By-Team Analysis

ARGENTINA: When you are the current World Cup Holder, a lot is expected from you. The Albiceleste did not disappoint in the Group Stage. They began the Copa with a 2-0 win over Canada, followed it with a 1-0 win over Chile and capped it off with a 2-0 win against Peru. All three games won, nothing conceded. It’s when they got into their quarterfinal against Ecuador that the challenge began. They conceded for the first time at this Copa and drew 1-1. It was after the penalty shootout that they won.

No doubt they intend to repeat as Copa champions. In the past few years, they built up a full top-notch team instead of relying on just Messi. Actually here at the Copa, the top scorer has been 26 year-old Lautaro Martinez! For their semifinal, I can’t really see them having much of a chance of losing. I think the only way they can is if they underestimate their opponent. It’s highly unlikely they will but I have seen big-name teams underestimate opponents and then lose.

CANADA: It’s easy to underestimate The Canucks. Most of the other teams here at this Copa have had bigger renown and are way more lauded. Canada came with something to prove and they did a good job of proving it. They may have opened with a 2-0 loss to Argentina but they came back with a 1-0 win over Peru and a scoreless draw against Chile. It is possible to qualify for the knockout round by scoring a single goal! That’s football for you!

Their quarterfinal win against Venezuela was a game where Canada showed both its strengths at the right time, but also their weaknesses. It’s obvious Canada intends to send a top team to the World Cup when they co-host two years from now. Their first time ever to a Copa America semifinal is a feat all its own. Nevertheless they will need to improve more if they want to go far. As for their upcoming semi, they should not let their group stage loss get to them. Argentina is a tough team but they’re beatable. It’s up to Canada to deliver well.

My Final Verdict: I thought tournaments organize themselves so that teams that play each other in group play don’t meet again until the final. I know the World Cup does it. Despite the two clashing again so soon, I think Argentina will take it 3-0.

SEMIFINAL #1: URUGUAY vs. COLOMBIA

Head-To-Head Stuff:

The two have dueled each other 45 times before. Uruguay won 20 times, Colombia won 14 times, there were 11 draws.

Team-By-Team Analysis:

URUGUAY: Here in the USA, La Céleste have put on quite a show. At a time when one wonders who the successors for Suarez and Cavani will become, in come new stars like Darwin Nunez, Maximiliano Araujo and Mathias Olivera who have dazzled during the Copa. Uruguay opened with a 3-1 win over Panama, followed it up with a 5-0 win over Bolivia and then delivered a 1-0 win over the hosting Americans.

Despite the stellar play in the Group Stage, they followed it with a scoreless draw against Brazil in the quarterfinals that was won on penalty kicks. Many complained it was lacklustre play from two top teams. A team like Uruguay will have to get itself together. Especially since Colombia had a big win in their quarterfinal.

COLOMBIA: Most people originally thought Group D was Brazil’s for topping, but Los Cafeteros had other plans. They began with a 2-1 win over Paraguay, followed it with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica and followed it with a 1-1 draw to Brazil. Their consistency took them to the top of Group D. They also followed it up in the quarterfinal with a 5-0 win over Panama. They were the only team to actually win their quarterfinal match!

The team have it together and they have what it takes to win. It’s a matter of them delivering at the moment. As they face Uruguay, they know it can go either way. They’ve been brilliant this whole tournament. They will have to continue their brilliance to get into the final.

My Final Verdict: They’ve had fierce rivalries before. The winning team is usually the one with the better World Cup chances. I think this will play to a 2-2 draw and Uruguay will win on penalty kicks.

And there you have it! Those are my predictions for the semifinals of the Copa America. Interesting this is while the Euro doesn’t have a third-place game, the Copa America does. I’m undecided if when I do my blog predictions for the final, I should predict the third-place match. Only time will tell.

2024 UEFA Euro: My Semifinals Predictions

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment
After more than three weeks and 48 games, only four teams remain in contention.

If you thought the group play had a lot of crazy moments, the Round of 16 matches and quarterfinals have their share of shockers too. Where do I start? Starting with the quarterfinals, first came Switzerland surprising Italy 2-0. Any hopes of a comeback for Team Italy will have to be put on development. Just when England appeared to lose to Slovakia, a goal from Bellingham in the 90+5th minute saved them and the goal from Kane in the 91st minute kept them alive. Then what seemed to be a scoreless draw for Belgium vs. France became a winner for France thanks to Kolo Muani’s strike bouncing off Ventonghen’s knee. A scoreless Portugal-Slovenia game saw a penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo stopped.

Then came the quarterfinals. In the very first match, Spain vs. Germany, lots of shockers as an 89th-minute goal from Germany’s Wirtz prevented Spain from winning in regulation. Then a 119th minute goal from Spain’s Merino stopped any hope for a penalty kicks round for the hosts. What would be Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth Euro would become the first and only where he doesn’t score a goal. What would become yet another scoreless draw for Portugal, France beat them in penalties. England not only had the rare case of winning a game on penalty shootout in their match against Switzerland but they sank all five! To end it all, Netherlands arrived late but won it despite Turkey’s attempt for a big comeback.

Now that the first rounds of the knockout stage are done, it’s the semifinals. Three of the semifinalists have already won the Euro at least once before. The other was a finalist at the last Euro for their first time ever and missed winning its first Championship “by that much!” The quarterfinal winners from Friday’s games will play Tuesday’s match and the quarterfinal winners of Saturday’s matches will play Wednesday’s match. With that in mind, here’s my look at the two semifinals and my predictions:

SEMIFINAL #1: SPAIN vs. FRANCE

Head-To-Head Stuff: The two teams have squared off 36 times before. Spain have won 16 times, France has won 13 times and seven were draws.

Team-By-Team Analysis

SPAIN: La Furia Roja have won the Euro three times before. Here in Germany they came to this tournament in an unknown situation. They were out at the 2022 World Cup in the Round Of 16 but came back to win the UEFA Nations League this past year. Here in Germany, they appear to be the team that’s delivered best. Their group stage play was straight wins without even conceding a goal. Their Round Of 16 match against Georgia started with an own-goal but they made up for it by scoring four for themselves. They faced a tough challenge against Germany in the quarterfinal but hung in to win 2-1 in added extra time.

With five wins, eleven goals and two conceded, Spain looks to be in top form to win. It’s also something one should not rush into thinking. Even they can face stiff challenges from their highly-ranked opponents. Their win over Italy came on an own goal and was the only goal of the match. Their win over Germany was in added extra time. Even though France’s play has been lacklustre here in Germany, they should not underestimate them or they could be in trouble.

FRANCE: I honestly think Les Bleus are the luckiest team here at the Euro so far. Their first game was a 1-0 win over Austria due to an own-goal from Wober. Their game against the Netherlands was a scoreless draw and their game against Poland was a 1-1 draw. In the Round of 16, they again benefited from an own-goal as Kolo Muani’s strike bounced off Ventonghen’s knee. In their quarterfinal, their game against Portugal went scoreless but a perfect five-set of penalty kicks gave France the win.

It’s easy to label France’s success at this Euro as being “by fluke.” Two 1-0 wins won by an own-goal, having two of the six 0-0 draws of this Euro, only three goals for them and the only one that wasn’t an own-goal was a penalty by Mbappe against Poland. If France wants to win their third Euro ever, they will have to come alive in the semi because Spain will deliver a challenge where their luck could run out on Tuesday.

My Final Verdict: Will Spain continue its winning ways of play? Will France’s lucking out continue in the semis? I think Spain will take it 2-0. I have more faith that consistent play will pay off that night.

SEMIFINAL #2: THE NETHERLANDS vs. ENGLAND

Head-To-Head Stuff: They have met 22 times before including two Euro meetings; the last being in 1996 which England hosted. Past results are The Netherlands won seven games, England won six, and nine are draws.

Team-By-Team Analysis

THE NETHERLANDS: They’ve won one Euro before; back in 1988. No doubt they want to do it again. Oranje has the talent to do it again with the likes of Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay. They also have the play to achieve their second Euro. Their 3-0 win over Romania shows they know how to dominate. Their 2-1 win over Turkey in the quarterfinals also shows they know how to come from behind.

They’ve also shown some vulnerability during this tournament. That was evident in their scoreless draw to France and their 3-2 loss to Austria caused by an own-goal by Donyell Malen near the start. Even their win over Turkey was a concern as they only came alive in the last 25 minutes. If they want to win the semifinal, they can’t afford to give anything away. Especially if they’re playing England.

ENGLAND: They’re the team many love to hate. They boast the best combined football talent in the world but they have the habit of falling short in major tournaments. Nevertheless The Three Lions are able to pull the unexpected. In group play, their 1-0 win over Serbia was the only game in Group C that wasn’t a draw. That sole win of the group put them in first of Group C. What appeared looming to be a 1-0 loss to Slovakia in the Round Of 16 was ended thanks to a last-minute goal from Jude Bellingham and an almost -immediate goal from Harry Kane to win. Then their quarterfinal against Switzerland ended in a 1-1. Usually penalty kicks are England’s biggest weakness but they sank all five of their openers en route to the win.

No question England is talented. They have a lot of talent. They also have one of their best coaches in decades. Nevertheless as we’ve seen in play here, England can underplay. They often deliver short of what they’re capable of and we’ve seen it in the past as well as at this very Euro. Holding back and not arriving until the last few minutes of the game can cost them in the semifinals. Additionally, coach Gareth Southgate has received criticism for some of his coaching decisions. Decision here will affect if he continues on as team manager or if his eight-year stint ends here.

My Final Verdict: I know this will be a tight match with it being against two of the toughest European teams. I predict the game will end as a 1-1 draw and The Netherlands will win on penalty kicks.

And there you have it. Those are my thoughts on the two semifinals and my predictions for the winners of the games. Hard to believe the final is just a week away!