THE ALS WORLD CUP TEAM GUIDE (PART 4)

The 23rd edition of the World Cup has begun, with 48 teams, three host nations, 16 stadiums and 104 matches, it’s the biggest ever. Here’s a brief(ish) overview of every country in Groups G,H and I (here's a link to the third part) at the upcoming tournament and how I think they’ll get on:

ARGENTINA

RANKED: 1ST

MY PREDICTION: RUNNERS UP

They’re probably not the second best team on paper but they do go in as defending champions and, should they top their group, they shouldn’t face anyone truly elite on the way to the final. My path has them facing the likes of Uruguay, Croatia, Portugal and Brazil in the knockouts, and Argentina are capable of beating all of them. The greatest player ever (subject to debate), Lionel Messi (the obvious captain), will earn his 200th cap at this World Cup. They have a few players who play in the Premier League, including goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), defender Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur) and midfielder Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool). Attacking midfielder Nico Paz, who plays for Serie A outfit Como, is their youngest player. 48-year-old Lionel Scaloni, who has won two Copa Americas (2021 and 2024) with The White and Sky Blue and, of course, made them champions of the world in 2022, continues to lead them.

AUSTRIA

RANKED: 25TH

MY PREDICTION: ROUND OF 32

They’ll get out of the group before facing someone really good in the round of 32 and going out. Austria has one player who plays in the Premier League, centre back Kevin Danso of Tottenham, but you’ll also be aware of striker Marko Arnautovic, formerly of Stoke City and West Ham United. Defender David Alaba (Real Madrid) is the captain and midfielder/winger Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven) is the youngest member of the squad. Former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick will be in the dugout. Other key personnel include midfielders Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund) and Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich), the latter can also be deployed as a defender.

ALGERIA

RANKED: 28TH

MY PREDICTION: ROUND OF 32

Algeria will be keen to get revenge over Austria after what happened in 1982 (search for the Disgrace of Gijon if you’re unaware) and that game will likely decide who finishes second in their group. Their sole representative in the Premier League is Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City) but captain Riyad Mahrez had spells with Leicester City and Man City and defensive midfielder Nabil Bentaleb was with Spurs for three seasons. Their youngest player is German-born Ibrahim Maza, a forward who plies his trade at Bayer Leverkusen. The boss is Bosnian Vladimir Petkovic, he managed Switzerland between 2014 and 2021 and won the Coppa Italia with Lazio in 2013.

JORDAN

RANKED: 64TH

MY PREDICTION: GROUP STAGE

This is The Chivalrous Ones first World Cup. The only squad member who plays their club football in Europe is right winger Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes), their captain is 32-year-old right back/midfielder Ihsan Haddad (Al-Hussein) and their youngest player is 20-year-old forward Odeh Al-Fakhouri (Pyramids). Former Morocco international Jamal Sellami is the manager, he almost led Jordan to Arab Cup success last year and won the African Nations Championship (a competition for national teams made up of players who play in domestic leagues only) in 2018. Winger Mahmoud Al-Mardi (Al-Hussein), centre back Yazan Al-Arab (FC Seoul) and goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila (Al-Hussein) are a few of the men in the squad with over 50 caps for Jordan.

PORTUGAL

RANKED: 5TH

MY PREDICTION: QUARTER FINAL

It’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup but I don’t think his country will win the whole thing, as much as he will want to. If results go a certain way then there's a chance they'll face Messi's Argentina in the quarter-final, which is where I think they'll exit the tournament. The Lusitanians have a strong contingent of players for both Manchester United and City, including midfielders Bernardo Silva (City) and Bruno Fernandes (United). Their youngest player is Joao Neves (midfielder, Paris Saint-Germain) and manager Roberto Martinez is a familiar name to fans of English football, having been in charge of Swansea City, Wigan Athletic and Everton in the Premier League. Martinez led Portugal to the Nations League trophy in 2025.

COLOMBIA

RANKED: 14TH

MY PREDICTION: ROUND OF 16

They’ll be hoping to get to the quarter final for only a second time (they did it first in 2014). They’ll be good for getting past the round of 32 but I think getting to the quarter final will be a step too far. The Coffee Growers have two Crystal Palace players in their squad, with midfielder/defender Jefferson Lerma and defender Daniel Munoz. Midfielder James Rodriguez (Minnesota United) is the captain, with 22-year-old midfielder Gustavo Puerta (Racing Santander) being their youngest player. Head coach Nestor Lorenzo has been a runner up at a World Cup before as a player with Argentina in 1990.

UZBEKISTAN

RANKED: 51ST

MY PREDICTION: GROUP STAGE

Another World Cup debutant, Uzbekistan have been painfully close to qualification in the past but have finally gotten over the line. Their best player is clearly Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov but Istanbul Basaksehir forward Eldor Shomurodov is the captain. Most of the team play club football in their home country, including their youngest player Bekhruz Karimov of Surkhon, with the remainder mostly being based in Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. One of those players who play in Iran is forward Igor Sergeev, who has 25 goals in 84 caps, behind only the captain (44) in terms of current Uzbek top scorers. Italian Fabio Cannavaro is the boss, he won the competition with Italy as a player in 2006.

DR CONGO

RANKED: 46TH

MY PREDICTION: GROUP STAGE

Obviously they have Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku of Sunderland, with Sadiki probably being one of their best players. Their captain is Lille centre back Chancel Mbemba, formerly of Newcastle United of course and the youngest member of the squad is 21-year-old Standard Liege goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo. This is their first World Cup since 1974, when they went out without a point in the group stage. I think they’ll fall at the same hurdle again but are definitely capable of beating Uzbekistan. The man tasked with getting The Warriors of the Equator their first positive result in one of these tournaments is Frenchman Sebastien Desabre, who have experience in international management with Uganda.

ENGLAND

RANKED: 4TH

MY PREDICTION: ROUND OF 16

We’ll go out to Mexico in the round of 16, with the home support and heat doing us in. It doesn’t help that manager Thomas Tuchel (a Champions League winner with Chelsea in 2021) has picked a very odd squad. In that squad are former Sunderland players Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson. The captain is Bayern Munich captain Harry Kane, England’s all time top goalscorer (79 goals). Only two others in the team have double digit goals at an international level, Man United forward Marcus Rashford (18) and Arsenal right winger Bukayo Saka (14). The youngest player is Kobbie Mainoo (Man U, midfielder), aged 21. We (should) top our group.

CROATIA

RANKED: 11TH

MY PREDICTION: ROUND OF 16

Runner up and third place in 2018 and 2022 respectively, I don’t think they’ll get that deep into the World Cup this time around but are still capable of making a dent in the knockout rounds. Veteran central midfielder Luka Modric (Milan), who will surpass 200 caps for his country at this tournament, is at this competition for the final time, now aged 40. 37-year-old PSV left winger Ivan Perisic is also likely to be at his last WC. 19-year-old centre back Luka Vuskovic (Spurs) is one of the players in this squad going through this experience for the first time though. The Checkered Ones have two Man City players, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic, and one Hull City representative, Ivor Pandur. The longest serving head coach in Croatia’s history, Zlatko Dalic, continues to lead the team, having been responsible for the overperformances at the last two editions of this tournament and at the Nations League finals in 2025.

PANAMA

RANKED: 34TH

MY PREDICTION: GROUP STAGE

Failed to win a single point at their last World Cup in 2018 and I can see that occurring again this time around. Norwich City defender Jose Cordoba is their only squad member who plays for an English club and 36-year-old San Diego FC defensive midfielder Anibal Godoy takes the armband. It’s a bit of an older squad, with 24-year-old centre back Edgardo Farina (Pari Nizhny Novgorod) taking the crown as the youngest amongst them. Former Leeds United manager and Spain international Thomas Christiansen (he was born in Denmark to a Spanish mother) will lead them into this one, having earned them silver medals at the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League during his now six-year tenure.

GHANA

RANKED: 73RD

MY PREDICTION: ROUND OF 32

They might sneak out of the group in third place but they certainly aren’t the Ghana team of years gone by. One player who does have a lot of talent however is former Sunderland winger (now Man City) Antoine Semenyo. The captain is Leicester City forward/winger Jordan Ayew, with the youngest player being Caleb Yirenkyi, a midfielder/full back who is contracted to Nordsjaelland. Septuagenarian Portuguese manager Carlos Queiroz now finds himself in charge of The Black Stars, with his CV including two stints at Portugal and Iran and one at the UAE, South Africa, Colombia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman. He helped the penultimate of those countries to a silver medal at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021.