by: Aniruddh Nambudiri

(Wikimedia Commons)

World Cup fever is here! What makes the World Cup the ultimate tournament is the breakouts. The guys who pop up out of nowhere and end up being big difference makers for their nations. They come in all shapes and sizes and end up becoming national heroes. Names that are mentioned alongside heroes of freedom in countries and esteemed faces of pop culture. That is just how much it means to people from these nations. Younger players who bubble in the underground before bursting out into white heat. Older players who have been with their countries since they were teenagers now in their final days as a soccer player. Stars in the biggest of places who are the shining lights for smaller nations. All these people and more are who I wanted to write about as 2026’s edition of the biggest tournament in sport is around the corner.

However, I know my audience. If I mention big clubs in Europe, readers might question what they even are. People in the station have questioned if I have made names up of teams and players in my pure mania, so it is time to make things that little bit easier for the general American crowd. I have decided to compare my breakout pick to a name in American sports history who I think fits the billing of who I am talking about to help make things easier. This was a real fun exercise and hopefully this helps you relate and follow along to the tournament without the need to know what the offside rule is or where in the world the Orlando Pirates play (no they do not play in Florida)

Mexico – Gilberto Mora

It was really hard for me not to pick Guillermo Ochoa. The 40 year old man who at the club level was generally a journeyman who did not live up to his initial prospect pedigree who suddenly becomes a top ten goalie in the world when the World Cup rolls around. A man who has played over 150 times for the country. The only reason I have not is that he most likely will not be starting games for this team. His time is a bit past him and he really only has been the backup for the national team in the absence of their usual options. Instead, I have gone for a man who is primed to have his massive worldwide breakout. Playing for Tijuana in the Mexican league, Gilberto Mora at 17 years young is their star player. At age 15, he was the engine of his club. At 16, he was starting games and winning trophies for the Mexican national team at the Gold Cup. At 17, he is the youngest player called up to the World Cup. He is an absolute star who is so young he cannot even move to Mexico yet, but this tournament could be his full breakout after the more concentrated breakout from the Gold Cup. He has been dealing with some minor injuries but it looks like he is 100 per cent for the tournament and will be smashing records as one of the youngest to ever start at the tournament. Explosive, quick and incredibly smart with the ball at his feet for his age, he is Mexico’s gamechanger and if they do anything at this World Cup, it will absolutely be as a result of him.

American Sports Comp : Luka Doncic at Real Madrid – At similar ages, both dazzled at levels where their true abilities were questioned along with their physicality but both also had incredible IQ for their ages. Mora is waiting for his signature moment now, can he deliver?

South Africa – Lyle Foster

Lyle Foster has had a rough go at it. Coming in with a lot of hype to Monaco after being billed as a young superstar, he faced a harsh reality of not being the only one with that hype. He bounced around before finally founding a place at Burnley. The club consistently makes the Premier League before experiencing relegation the next season but Foster remains a solid part of their team. However, Foster has played with the South African national team since 2018 and is now emerging as their star. With a squad that is in its final chapter with fixtures like Ronwen Williams and Themba Zwane near the end of their careers, Foster has stepped in and become a newer leader. Someone who, with a good tournament, could further his name and make himself an attractive new signing for a club trying to reach that next level. He has shown his talent, but now he is looking for consistency and an opportunity to prove he can be consistent. A massive tournament moment would put him alongside names like Tshabalala in South African World Cup history and he provides high level European experience to a team that is mostly made up from players who play in the native league of the country.

American Sports Comp: Kirk Cousins on the Commanders – Foster is someone who is looking for his moment and also had the same problem Cousins had in Washington, consistency. Showcasing consistency on a big level could go a long way towards building his career and both Cousins and Foster at 26 could be on the cusp of truly moving up a tier when it comes to the caliber of player they could be.

South Korea – Son Heung-Min

I mean, they have players who play regularly for Bayern Munich and PSG, and the star will still always be Son Heung-Min. I remember the Asian Games when he played his heart out in a gold medal game and won him and his whole squad exemption from military service as a result. That is not why we remember him as fans of the game. Its because he was and still remains an incredible winger and forward. He might not have his burst anymore but he still has his technique. He was great in the MLS and will be more familiar to the American crowd which will makes his performance that little bit better. However, this is looking like his last ride and it could be for a team that I think is one of many major dark horses in this tournament. This South Korean team is filled with quality and some of the best players in Asia. Unlocking that ability from an aging Son could be the difference between Group Stage heartbreak and a potential run to later parts of the knockout stages. He truly is South Korean football and one more run could turn him into even more of a folk tale than he already is.

American Sports Comp: John Elway on the late 90s Broncos – South Korea now has a great young core and incredible talent in their prime. All they need to take them to their next level is their old star, the man who has been there forever at this point, to lead them to the promise land and show that there indeed might be some more gas left in the tank.

Czech Republic – Patrick Shick

Sometimes the easy answer is the right one. Schick has been a star in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen and provides a nation like Czechia with something a lot of other nations do not have at the tournament, a legit number 9. Tall and physical with a lot of speed and ability with the ball at his feet, his output for the national team has also been great. He averages about a goal every two games and the team will hope for him to take a majority of the offensive weight against opponents like South Korea. A simple choice for the team but his major European experience and with him turning 30, Schick is firmly in his prime and will be able to flex his muscles at the national stage, both while celebrating and with his skill.

American Sports Comp: Kevin Love on the Timberwolves – Both are tall and physical forwards who, whilst not being top 10 in the world, absolutely belong at the top of the game. Their output is one that can also be molded around the players around them while they are also firmly able to be the number one option and the person relied on to score. They also are a little bit boring for this reason as their games, though not completely lacking in flair, are punctuated by their ability to do the small things right.

Canada – Alphonso Davies

Another pretty obvious one but one that is interesting in its own way. Davies was absolutely the first player to break out of Canada’s soccer scene and transition over to Europe in a big way. This was obviously helped by him being, even after injuries, one of the fastest players in all of soccer. His position is what makes this interesting though. Davies is a full back on the left side of the field who attacks quite often and does not play a position that historically has been able to take over games. Davies has that ability and he obviously is not alone on this Canadian national team, but this was always one of those positions where players could be ignored due to their impact not always showing up on a stat sheet. What Davies has to do at this world cup is basically act as a facilitator to talented forwards like Jonathan David but also making sure his attacking does not compromise the Canadian defense. He is also the captain of this team at 25 so he will be looked on as the leader of this unit and his actions will be under that ever increasing magnifying glass. If he impresses though, Canada certainly has the potential and current technique to make some real noise at the tournament.

American Sports Comp: De’Aaron Fox on the Kings – This one makes too much sense for me. Fox, like Davies, is one of the fastest in the league and was also relied on at a young age to be the leader of a core that believed in him as the star. Just like the Kings under Fox, championships might not be in the future but a good showing at the biggest stage absolutely is. That is what Davies will also be hoping for Canada in 2026.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Edin Dzeko

Dzeko is not just the greatest Bosnian player in history, but one of the best strikers of the previous generation. He looked to be winding down his incredible career at Fiorentina and Schalke, two clubs that have lost the historical status they once had. Then Bosnia got to the World Cup playoffs and stared down the barrel of Wales, a team who was at the last World Cup, and Italy, one of the historic giants of the tournament who missed the last 2 tournaments but also won the European Championship in the 2020s. Then a newly turned 40 year old Edin Dzeko scored the goal to send a World Cup playoff to penalties. He then led the country through a demolition of a much better Italian side and is now the leader and one of the stars going into the tournament. None of this was supposed to happen. He was supposed to retire years ago after the Inter stint ended. He was supposed to retire after Turkey was a massive roller coaster. He will now start for the Bosnian team alongside natives to the nation and the sons of Bosnian refugees in a tournament that could provide hope to a nation that has been through so much.

American Sports Comp: 2006 Frank Thomas – Maybe not as good as Frank Thomas was in his Oakland stint, but certainly as the older statesman who people thought were done as a player being used to help the younger players but ending up as a key part of the team? This is absolutely where Dzeko slots in during the 2026 World Cup.

Qatar – Akram Afif

Qatar is always a hard team to profile before tournaments like this. An overwhelming majority of their team comes from the Qatari league which is a major league in Asia and a large portion of their team is the same names that have overperformed in the Asian Cup as the back-to-back winners whilst underperforming at the World Cup. Their best player, in my opinion, is two time AFC player of the year Akram Afif. A man who was initially scouted by Villareal in Spain before returning to Qatar and dominated after not fully finding his feet in the country. He is prolific for the national team in their best moments but what makes Qatar so good is the fact that even their stars are ones that are from the system. The national identity they have is not one where they have to accommodate their stars, rather it is one built by and for them. Afif might be their best player but not by much. However, their system is what has to be the ultimate fuel for them to reach the next level.

American Sports Comp: William Contreras – Just like the Brewers, Qatar does not have standout stars but what they do have is a team identity and just like Contreras, Afif is definitely the best player on the team. What makes him good, though, is how he fits in the system and steps up within that system and as a part of that identity.

Switzerland – Breel Embolo

Switzerland is another country that has a lot of players that have been with the team for a while without a lot of younger stars to contribute. They do have a very interesting story though. In 2014, people could not stop talking about Breel Embolo. A 16 year old challenging for the first team at a club like Basel when they were the stars of Swiss football. When Schalke poached him in 2016, he was going to lead the Gelsenkirchen movement and turn a region and country dominated by red and yellow into one overtaken with blue. Instead, it all fell apart. Injuries and inconsistency from a still young man led to this whole movement turning sour. Schalke’s own downfall both financially and on the pitch did not help either. Embolo tried moves around Germany before moving to Monaco to try and make things work and they sadly did not. He never stopped delivering for the Swiss team though. He scored in the 2022 World Cup twice and became a fixture up top despite the constant belief that he never delivered. He then moved to Rennes in September and things have been on the up for Embolo. He has finally become a consistent goal scorer for a team doing well for themselves in France and being under the age of 30, he still has access to a world where he can break out and make that move up. Switzerland doing well at this World Cup with him up front could help him with the breakthrough that someone with his prospect pedigree seemed destined for a decade ago. A very interesting story for a team where things have been solid like they always have been in the past two decades.

American Sports Comp: Andrew Wiggins – Both came in with hype that said they were going to be the best in the world at what they do before things fell apart in so many ways. Teams they were with that were supposed to be dynasties and injuries that hurt their progress. This World Cup has the potential to be the 2022 run to the Finals that Wiggins helped the Warriors with. The role where a former prospect shows why he had that pedigree in the first place and helps a team make a deep run.

Brazil – Neymar

One of the stories of the whole tournament. At 34, with a body that is comparable to glass at this point, Neymar will be going to the World Cup for what seems like the final time. One of the best players of a generation and the most expensive player of all time, a man who has had to deal with injuries a plenty and a magnifying glass on his every actions. He will be going to the World Cup to show if he has it in the bag one final time. Now, he is already injured with a calf injury. He has not played in the friendlies in the lead up. However, he showed that the quality has not left his body as he helped save his boyhood club Santos from what was a very close relegation battle in the Campeonato Brasileiro. He was breaking down and he still showed he had the quality. Everyone in the football world going into 2026 just wants one major thing out of this world cup, and that is one final tournament with Neymar playing at the top of his game. Hopefully he still has enough in the tank and he can remain free of injury down the stretch.

American Sports Comp: Albert Pujols on the 2022 Cardinals – By 2022, Albert seemed done but the final year on the Cardinals was iconic. In a similar way to Neymar, years had gone by of a Neymar who was a shadow of the player who used to be easily one of the best in the world. In that final year though, especially down the stretch, the Machine was back. That outcome is all a fan of Neymar would want and just like the 2022 Cardinals, a deeply talented team with players firing on all cylinders, Neymar wants to help and hopefully guide them to the promise land.

Morocco – Brahim Diaz

One of those players who I have always been high on but also one of those players who is waiting for his major moment. Diaz has been a part of Champions League winning squads, Serie A winning squads and AFCON “winning” squads. However, he is looking to get out of the zone where he is stuck in. This place of being a great talent on great teams but the inability to transform himself into best in the world conversations. This Morocco team provides him that opportunity to break out though. Morocco have moved from dark horses at the last world cup to the second tier of teams like Portugal with an absolute shot of winning it all without being a favorite. Brahim Diaz is crucial to them winning it though. He needs to be a star on the attack with the solid defense behind him. He needs to be the front end output for a squad filled with people who can keep the structure. He needs to be the creativity and the star power. He has been in big moments before but now he needs to prove that he can be the one to take over in those moments. He famously had an awful penalty attempt in the AFCON final despite being the tournament leader in goals. He needs to not just be good for the Morocco team in the matches they need to dominate, but also the matches they need to win to show their quality. Morocco’s chances at becoming the first non-European or South American team to win the tournament rest firmly on the shoulders of the 25 year old and he absolutely has the quality to deliver.

American Sports Comp: Jalen Brunson on the Knicks – Brunson when he first arrived on the Knicks and before the finals trip was someone who was waiting for the moment for him to fully breakout. Just like Brunson, Diaz was dealt from a team filled with talent as he did not fit the future vision and upon arrival in new areas, he started to form his own star identity. This World Cup will be him looking for his moment to burst out from the second tier of player to firmly establish himself in best in the world conversations like his talent has shown.

Haiti – Woodnesky Pierre

This one requires a lot of context. Haiti’s football league has been almost entirely suspended due to violence across the country and in the capital of Port-au-Prince. The entire team is players who are now outside of the country, except one. A young 21 year old who plays for the best team in the national, Violette, and is a starting caliber defensive and holding midfielder. His visa status was up in the air but it has now been granted, and he has the potential to be a difference maker for the nation. Haiti has been drawn in a very hard group and they will be on defense a lot with the type of teams they are facing, and a young holding midfielder being the difference between one and three points for a bigger nation would be a major story. Woodensky Pierre will be fighting for his time on the field, but with the way this tournament shakes out, his time on the field might be the most important for Haiti if they want to get anything out of one of the hardest groups in the whole tournament.

American Sports Comp: Randy Arozarena on Team Mexico – A weird one for me to compare because in a way this is kind of the opposite. Arozarena is from Cuba and him playing for Mexico was a massive story. That reason is why I am picking him to represent Woodensky Pierre in the way that their journey to reach where they are right now is a major part of their identity and the version of them that could step up for the national team could be one of the reasons that the country accomplishes big things at the tournament.

Scotland – Scott McTominay

From loved by the Manchester red to hated and blamed as the reason for failure to now where he is one of the most loved players for club and country. That is the Scott McTominay story plain and simple. McTominay is now a hero for Napoli after winning Serie A player of the year and a hero for Scotland after the bicycle kick that kickstarted Scotland to the World Cup. His passion and energy has now been rewarded after leaving Manchester and now he is firmly one of the best in the world at what he does. If Scotland wants to win their first World Cup game, it will be as a result of great performances from their new National superstar.

American Sports Comp: Baker Mayfield – A player who was loved by a fanbase before being blamed for the downfall despite him not fully being the reason and then becoming a lovable superstar? Yeah this one writes itself.

USA – Tim Ream

What a career for Tim Ream. A few seasons ago, he was a begrudging inclusion on World Cup teams of past and now, at 38 years old, he is playing his best soccer back in the US and will be wearing the captain’s arm band for the team. He is not an exciting player at all, but he is exactly the player the US needs to deliver if they want to go deep. Someone who does the dirty work in the back and stops the goals from going in. The players who can do the speed are around him and in their prime. He is the one who will stay back, keep the game simple and boring, and win games for the United States with good performances. Ream also works as a spiritual reminder of the previous era to the time where they are in right now where they can have forwards playing for Juventus and established European names playing game in and game out for the national team.

American Sports Comp: Dwight Howard on the 2019-20 Lakers – A very underrated modern season that I do not think gets talked about enough. A man who proved to be the glue in between minutes when the larger players could not fill all the minutes is exactly what Ream’s role will be at the World Cup and the history of the players definitely differs. Howard broke out after a few years but was not a ‘late bloomer’ like Ream but both needed to take step backs and then get to the core of extending what made them good players in these roles.

Paraguay – Omar Alderete

This should have been Julio Enciso before a horrific injury in the friendlies before the tournament. A talented spark plug who will not be at 100% at the tournament sadly. Instead, we move to the best player on this Paraguay team who is the definition of solid and in his prime. Alderete was the leader of the surprisingly incredible Sunderland defense and provides structure to the Paraguay defense that gets into dog fights almost every single game. If you are not significantly more talented than them, they will drag you into the slow and defensive football that led them to this tournament in the first place. Alderete is tall and physical and definitely not the most aesthetic style of player. What he is, however, is a player who contributes to a style that has propelled this team to places no one thought they could be. They need firepower up top but there is absolutely a world where they basically run goalless draws till the end of the line. That will all be as a result of Alderete.

American Sports Comp: Ray Lewis on the 2000 Ravens – This is not to say Paraguay are the favorites to win because the Ravens went all the way. There really is not a major way to turn defense into effective offense in Soccer like there is in football. What Alderete resembles is the leader of an absolutely relentless defense that might lack the offensive firepower. Like Lewis, he is a physical tackler and his physicality is kind of what makes him stand out alongside a larger edge across the line. If Paraguay wants to do anything, they need a solid offense but their defense is absolutely legit going into this group.

Australia – Nestory Irankunda

Australia is definitely a team that is up in the air. They might not be very talented even though some see the potential. What is undisputed though is that they have a young man who could prove to be an actual gamebreaker. A man who has incredible accuracy from long range, great free kick ability, and a lot of flair with the ball at his feet. He is someone who is waiting for his moment to burst and this World Cup is the exact place for him to show on a global scale what he has done in places like Australia. It has been a bit slow at Watford for him but he has shown that potential and a tournament like this with a country counting on him, having a big tournament could secure Irankunda a major pay day at a major club.

American Sports Comp: Michael Jordan on the 1984-85 Bulls – I am not saying Irankunda could be the greatest player of all time in his sport. What I am saying is he is a young player who has done absolutely eye grabbing and flair intensive things. There are things he can do that the regular player just is not capable of. He has a team of older players who are lookg towards him to provide a spark and this tournament is going to show if he is capable of doing that.

Turkey – Arda Guler

Turkey are major dark horses for the tournament and a major part of that is one of the best young players in the world leading the line alongside some other major young stars. Arda Guler won best Young Player for the Champions League and is already arguably the best player at Real Madrid. This tournament and a deep run for Turkey would further his overall legacy and is in many ways, his first real chance to build it. He plays well for Turkey but he needs that step up in the kit to the next level. Other major forces have their major stars step up and Turkey needs Arda Guler to do the same. Incredible technique and speed matched up with IQ, Turkey could capitalize on their dark horse potential with a great performance from Guler.

American Sports Comp: Josh Allen in the Playoffs – Very similar in how both are among the best players in the world and they just need that extra level of quality when the lights are brightest to truly transcend and become a part of much larger and more prestigious conversations

Germany – Manuel Neuer

Manuel Neuer proved in his Champions League run that he very much was still one of the best goalies in the world. This was supposed to be Nubel or Baumann’s full debut with the German team after Neuer’s retirement but with the announcement that he is back for one final year, there is a new buzz around this team. The team that underachieved at the last two World Cups is running it back with a younger core but the issue still remains they have no one up top. What Neuer does provide though is his sweeping ability making him as much a factor in the game as a foundational full back or anchorman. We still fully do not even know if he is starting, nor if he can still be top quality with the German national team. His story, however, does mirror a major story in the NFL right now.

American Sports Comp: Aaron Donald (if he comes back) – Both in their prime are some of the greatest, if not the greatest to ever do it at their positions. They have kept their bodies up and still have the tools to be one of the best in the world. Their returns could also be the fuel needed to help a team reach their ultimate goal of winning it all. It works too much for me to ignore.

Curacao – Tahith Chong

What I would consider the worst team at this World Cup but also a team hard done by a pretty hard draw, Curacao will be relying on miracles. They will also be relying on the fact that the players who play for this national team care for the national team more than anything. The biggest example is that of Tahith Chong. A man born on the islands before being recruited by Manchester United and it not working out, Chong has been a journeyman throughout his club career. The moment he puts on the Curacao kit, though, he becomes their superstar. In only 6 caps for the team, he has become the star. The man who the whole team looks up to. Chong is the stereotypical example of a player who may not be incredible for club but certainly is when he puts on his nation’s jersey. He wants a good showing for a team that absolutely deserves to be here and to prove the doubters (like me) wrong and I, for one, will be rooting for just that.

American Sports Comp: Dennis Schroder – The shining example in American sports of someone who plays like a superstar when the nation is on his jersey. Schroder transforms from NBA journeyman to a top tier scoring guard for the German national team the same way Chong moves from a solid playmaking force to goal scorer in the short time he has spent with the Curacao national team.

Ivory Coast – Yan Diomande

Another story of the tournament and one with a connection to the United States. In 2024, Yan Diomande was playing high school football in Florida after moving over from Abidjan to the states as a 15-year-old. By the end of 2025, he was starring for RB Leipzing in Germany and breaking into the Ivorian National Team as their star striker scoring in World Cup qualifying and at AFCON. In the middle was trials and star making performances and we are now at the point where he leads another major dark horse in the tournament. A good performance from Diomande could turn a young 19-year-old from high school soccer in the United States to a player who costs a major European team a nine-digit figure to sign. Diomande can do a bit of everything up top and will have plenty of players to feed him the ball. A major goal scoring output is absolutely on the table and this tournament provides the ultimate opportunity to complete one of the most out-of-nowhere wonderkids in the history of the whole sport.

American Sports Comp: Cam Ward – In the same way Cam Ward came out from almost nowhere and no prospect ranking to being a first overall pick in the NFL draft, Diomande has the chance to turn high school sports into a transfer to the European giants for a significant fee. This World Cup is basically what the season at Miami did for Ward’s stock, he just needs to deliver in the same way Ward did.

Ecuador – Kendry Paez

Ecuador is another one of those teams that everyone is talking about as a dark horse. Rightfully so. A young and aggressive team with a lot of creativity along with the ability to really upset the big guns in South American has given them a great track record over the years. Though the front line is led by the old ace in Enner Valencia, Kendry Paez is still my pick. A man who has an abundance of creativity and is just coming into his own at the big stages. He already has over 25 caps for the team and he is not even 20. For teams to win and do well at tournaments like the World Cup, they need creative sparks who can make attacks out of seemingly nothing. In what little we have seen of Paez at the top level, he has shown that potential. Between him and more established names in the team like Piero Hincapie, Pervis Estupiñán, Willian Pacho and Moises Caicedo, Paez could emerge as the creative leader and playmaker. A young team filled with established names and the occasional old spiritual leaders. A perfect dark horse.

American Sports Comp: Magic Johnson in 1981-82 – The Lakers were a very young team and coming back up from a short dark period between the 1972 team and the acquiring of Kareem. Magic being gifted to them in the draft led to a creative player with a lot of promise breathing new life into a team and birthing a new dynasty. Not saying Enner Valencia is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but more in how a young player who can make offense out of nothing changes fortunes and made a team into a winner.

Netherlands – Jorrel Hato

This whole team is a question mark. Netherlands is one of those teams that needs someone on offense because the rest of their team is incredible. Some of the best in their roles across the defense and the midfield but they are also rolling out an attack that can best be described as…..questionable. However, Jorrel Hato is a personal pick for me. The epitome of making defense fun to watch. A fast release and an incredible ability to screen whilst also being able to transition the ball into offense on a dime. There are not many who can do a great job as a full back and as a center back, but Hato absolutely can. Not just that, he is able to effectively play both wings as a wing back as well. When the ball is in the Dutch area, Hato will be the absolutely focus and seeing him operate will be up there with the best defensive film of the tournament.

American Sports Comp: Micah Parsons – I truly think Hato can reach this level. Micah was such a unique challenge when he came out of Penn State because he almost had no position but his position basically became “game wrecker”. Hato on defense has that same lack of position debate but I think the Dutch are more than happy to just have him be a defender without trying to tie him down.

Japan – Takefusa Kubo

Japan is really hard to give just one player for. The whole reason they are so dangerous is how well oiled a machine they are. The amount of players they have just under the major clubs in Europe along with how long they have all played with each other all contributes to how well they play with each other. They lost one game this qualifying and that was to a 90^th minute winner to Australia. They just beat England in a friendly. I guess Takefusa Kubo is the pick for me but even that is mainly because his story from failed Real Madrid wonderkid to solid European player is quite fun for me. The old guard is out and in its place is a machine set up as another major dark horse for the tournament. Kubo is just one of the heads of that machine.

American Sports Comp: The Prime Patriots Defense – The Patriots at their best never had any of what I would say were the top 3 in their position group on defense. The closest is Ty Law who sadly played in an era with several of the greatest defensive backs of all time. This is more a team comparison but that would basically make Kubo their version of Ty Law and a unit that is way more as a sum than any of its individuals.

Sweden – Alexander Isak

Sweden should not be here. The Nations League however has different ideas. Sweden came last in their qualifying group and their star strikers, one being Isak, did not perform well. Yet, they did well in an easy Nations League group so they got a direct invite to the European playoffs where they got an easy draw and are now here. The thing is that they do have the talent and that is what made their bad qualifying make that much less sense. Isak plays up top for Liverpool yet somehow he could not buy a goal next to Viktor Gyokores. He is incredibly talented and absolutely needs to step up in a group as open as this to get them results but they do not deserve to be here.

American Sports Comp: Mike Evans on the 2022 Buccaneers – I still cannot believe they made the playoffs this year. That is really what it represents because just like that Bucs team, there is talent here that could push them dangerously far despite a regular season where they absolutely did not deserve to make it. Just like Evans, Isak is consistent and uses his size to make him stand out and is also right up there with the best at his position in today’s game.

Tunisia – Hazem Mastouri

Tunisia is the hardest to preview at the tournament. By far. Its not even close. None of their players are permanent fixtures at major clubs. They have some exciting young talent with Khalil Ayari but he is not a confirmed starter. This whole Tunisia team is built to outlast their opponents more than anything. They play a very defensive style of football very similar to what Getafe in Spain used to reach the heights they have. This is also in an era after their biggest stars left. Whats remaining is just a unit made for absolute shutdown. Hazem Mastouri is their striker so he will be the person banging goals in but even then, he plays in the Russian League right now which is not even affiliated with Europe anymore.

American Sports Comp: Rasheed Wallace on the Jailblazers – In a sense, the aggression might not be a good comparison. However, the lack of scoring power and the bigger emphasis on a system that generates winning is really all the Tunisia national team is about. Pure defense and the where-with-all to outlast everyone with an even more extreme edge than Paraguay.