[Board unhappy about not spending transfer budget even though the entire budget was spent.]

Just like the title says, the board is unhappy about my transfer expenditure, even though I spent all of it.

[(FM17) World Cup 2038!]

Turns out I had a lot to say about England, so they get their own entry! Decided to try something a bit different for this one.

Group G - Cameroon, Costa Rica, England, Italy
CT Sport World Cup Preview - England

Adam Ashton: Good Evening, I'm Adam Ashton, and in tonight's edition of CT Sport's World Cup preview, I'm joined by
legendary England goalkeeper Michael Hart and former England and Chelsea winger Brett Webster.

Michael Hart: Hey Brett, it's great to be here, thanks for having me.

Brett Webster: Happy to be here.

AA: Anyway, let's get down to it. Tonight we're talking about a topic close to our hearts: England's chances to win the whole thing. Is it finally coming home?

MH: Well, as much as I'd like to say yes, we've got to be realistic about these things.

BW: This team has some great quality, but there are a lot of well known issues that I think makes getting to the quarter finals a more realistic achievement.

AA: That's true, many have said that your generation was the most talented that England have had in recent history, but you failed to achieve much of anything.

MH: Well, I think that a lot of the players and pundits agree that it's been a management problem, which continues to this day.

BW: That's true. The revolving door of unqualified managers continues to this day, but that's a discussion for another day.

AA: Thanks for your insights guys, now let's get down to the team. What do you think about Hooper's boys?

Predicted Line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Gary Ricketts, 26, Tottenham
DR: Joe Hartmann, 27, Southampton
DC: Neil Smith, 22, Southampton
DC: Joe Canham, 29, Man Utd
DL: Ollie Smith, 25, Reading
MR: Carl Townsend, 30, PSG
MC: Scott McKenna, 23, Reading
MC: Mitayn, 29, West Ham
ML: Harold Miles, 22, West Ham
ST: Thomas Dixon, 23, FC Bayern
ST: Frankie Smalley, 25, Reading

MH: Well, first of all, I've got to say that the Goalkeeper situation isn't very convincing. Ricketts has been the goalkeeper for Spurs for 4 years now, and he's conceded 50+ goals in each of those seasons. He's just not good enough.

AA: The options on the bench aren't particularly exciting either, are they?

MH: There's West Ham's Anthony Brady. He's only 21, but his future is bright. I'd rather take a chance on him than the known liability that is Ricketts

AA: There's also been some controversy about the inclusion of David Armstrong as the third choice keeper.

MH: Of course. I mean, including Leicester's keeper, who finished dead last in the Premier League last season, is an insult to others. Especially when you've got young talents like Rob Lloyd at Man Utd and Seb Broccoli at Reading getting a few games in this season.

AA: One area where you can't criticize the team is at right back though, is it?

BW: Of course not. Joe Hartmann has got to be the best defensive full back in all of world football.  I remember going up against him for the first time when he was only 21 and in his debut season, and he completely marked me out of the game! Then he spent a season on loan at Chelsea during the last year of my career and I could see how hard he worked and how determined he was in training. He's truly one of the greats.

AA: Do you agree with him starting over Carl Townsend?

MH: Well, I played with Townsend in my time at Southampton, and I've gotta say he's more concerned with scoring goals than preventing them from going in. I know that Hooper has faced a lot of criticism for playing him as a right winger instead of his preferred position at the back, but I think that this way you get two of England's more talented players on the pitch at the same time.

BW: I have to disagree with you, Michael. As an attacking full back, he's used to making runs from deep catching defenses off guard. As the winger and the main source of attack, all focus will be on him and he won't have as much space to make an impact. I believe that Hooper should be playing a natural winger.

AA: So, who? Thomas Cross or Wayne Hayes? There's really not much to choose from for England on the right wing.

BW: I played with both of them at Man Utd, and I think Thomas' situation is a bid of a "what if". Cross had a lot of potential before the horrific leg break he suffered, and he's never been the same since. He's been at Milan for a couple of years now, but he's never managed more than 10 assists despite the much slower pace of Serie A. I just feel like he could've been so much more if he hadn't suffered that injury.

MH: Wayne Hayes should have never been included in the squad. There was a lot of hype around him when he was coming through at Man Utd, but he's never reached his potential. He actually assisted and scored 0 times in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season! It's a mystery how RB Leipzig let him be on the pitch when he's been so ineffective.

AA: We've gotten a little sidetracked here, let's go back to the defense. What do you think about Ollie Smith at left back?

MH: Well, you can't really talk about Ollie Smith without talking about the controversy regarding Gary Hooper.

BW: I agree, while Smith is a solid defender, he's not first choice at Reading, and we SHOULD be playing John Turley there. The man has been the best left wing back in the world for 10 years, and the fact that he isn't here is a glaring indictment of the management.

AA: Okay, well. Let's talk about it. England have been severely underperforming for years, and none of the last 6 managers have managed to make it to the two year mark. Gary Hooper famously got the job after getting Bournemouth relegated from the Premier League, which caused a lot of England players to say they wouldn't play for the team again until they had a quality manager. Among those, we've got Southampton's John Turley and Matthew Taylor. Also we've got Doncaster's defensive midfielder Denis Brady, who was at Southampton as well when Hooper was appointed. Man City's Josh de la Mare was another defensive midfielder who opted out, as well as Man Utd right back Roy Hartridge. So basically, the experienced spine of the team has refused to play under Hooper. What are your takes on this?

MH: Well, I completely agree with this. The FA cannot keep appointing unqualified managers to the position and expect the players to go out there and risk injury when the manager will play unsuitable formations or make poor tactical choices. This has hurt a lot, as Turley and Taylor are guaranteed starters in the defense, and Hartridge would definitely be a good back up for Hartmann at right back.

BW: That's true. De La Mare and Brady would also be guaranteed spots in this midfield. The options that we have currently, like McKenna and Hughes of Reading, aren't experienced enough. Then you've got people like Mitayn, the nationalized Brazilian. I don't think he'd ever have been called up if Brady and De La Mare hadn't chosen to retire. However, I disagree with their decisions. I think they need to do the best to represent their country, despite any disagreements with the management that they may have.

MH: Well, let's agree to disagree. But, back to the defense, it's in shambles. Sure, Hartmann is fantastic and Ollie Smith, while not the best of the best like Turley, is a good player on the left. However, Neil Smith and Joe Canham in the middle are a disaster. Neil Smith is a great defensive midfielder who's come through at Southampton, but he's never played at center back for his club. The fact that he's being asked to for his nation is an indictment of the quality of England. And his partner, Canham, has always been a backup option at Man Utd. As a goalkeeper, I'd never feel comfortable with that center back pairing in front of me.

AA: Well, the backup options aren't any better. Deportivo's Josep Talavera can't even get games in at the bottom of the table in La Liga, and Tottenham's Alexis Fernandez may only be 30, but his best days are behind him after an injury-stricken career.

BW: Steve Hughes is also there. I played with him when I was at Man Utd, then against him when I went to Chelsea. He was always a rock at the back, but at 34, I feel like better options are available.

AA: That's right. Many have called for the inclusion of West Ham pair Tom Burgess and Will Moss. They're 31 and 29 respectively, but they've been partners at their club for 8 years now, and they've been solid in the Champions League. They're definitely a much more solid offering than Smith, an out of position youngster, and Canham, a perennial backup option for his club.

MH: I agree with that. I'd much rather have a pair of defenders in front of me that are used to playing together than whatever Hooper's thrown together.

AA: Anyway, now the midfield. We already talked about the right wing, where we'll probably get Townsend to start, but what about the left? What are your opinions of Harold Miles?

BW: Well, I've got to say I'm impressed. The lad is unstoppable. At 194 cm tall, he possesses unnatural pace and strength. He's a physical powerhouse who never stops running. And he's surprisingly skilled with the ball at his feet! I can't believe he's only 22.

MH: Well, I may be biased because I spent so long at Southampton, but I think Bob Connor has to be considered.

AA: Of course, who can forget the most exciting player we've seen from England in 20 years?

MH: Connor is only 18, but he got a chance at Southampton after an injury crisis saw them have to dip into the reserves and u18 squad to find a left winger. Despite his age, he managed to score 9 goals and 11 assists in 21 league appearances. Say what you want about Harold Miles, but he only had 6 assists and 1 goal in 31 appearances.

BW: That's true, but Connor is a teenager and he's only had half a season of top-flight experience. He might wilt under the pressure.

AA: You also have to consider that the kid lacks the physical presence of Miles. He's nowhere near as quick, and defenders can brush his small frame aside.

MH: You guys make good points, but his technical ability cannot be denied. At 18, he's probably the most technically gifted player in this England squad, but I have to concede that he needs to work on the physical aspect of his game.

AA: Now, let's talk about the midfielders. The four natural midfielders in the squad are Mitayn, Neil Smith, Paul Hughes, and Scott McKenna, with Wayne Hayes able to cover in the middle if necessary. Hooper has been favoring Mitayn and McKenna lately. What are your thoughts?

BW: I've said it before and I'll say it again: Mitayn is NOT GOOD ENOUGH. He's the only midfielder that we've got because all the talented ones refuse to play under Hooper. Hes strong and quick, but his tackling and marking is average at best. He shouldn't be in this squad.

MH: I mean, the best defensive midfielder that England have at the moment is Neil Smith, but he's being forced to play at center back. All of these problems are of Hooper's own creation.

AA: What about Hughes and McKenna? Who do you think should start next to Mitayn?

BW: Well, I think they should both start. They've got a good understanding together at Reading, which I think is more valuable than anything Mitayn brings to the table.

MH: it's important to have a defensive presence in the midfield, so I believe Mitayn, though preferably Smith, needs to start. However, my chosen partner would be Hughes, not McKenna. They're very similar players; both are quick and good passers of the ball, though their dribbling lets them down sometimes. However, Hughes made 24 league appearances for Reading last season, and McKenna only 11. I think that it's obvious who Roman, Reading's manager, thinks is the superior player, and he sees them every day. I think it's ridiculous that Hooper is choosing the player who is a backup at his own team to start over the person keeping him on the bench.

AA: Finally, let's talk about the strikers. So, Hooper has favored Thomas Dixon and Frankie Smalley up front, with Richard Black and Sam Preston as backups. What are your thoughts?

BW: Not good enough, except for Smalley. The striker position is probably the weakest in England, so it's a surprise for me that he's chosen a two striker formation.

MH: These are probably the types of decisions that saw him relegate Bournemouth and apparently be qualified to manage the national team.

AA: So, you guys clearly aren't happy with this. What are your thoughts on Dixon? He joined Bayern in an 80m pound move 3 years ago and scored 26 goals in 31 games his first season!

BW: That he did, but he's gotten progressively worse every year. 2 years ago he scored 17, and last season only 10. He's lost his starting place at Bayern due to his poor form, though I admit that 20 goals in 30 caps is a great record for England.

MH: Dixon's woefully out of form. 10 goals in 30 games is alright, but if you consider his replacement, Johannes Gabler, scored 17 in 20 in the same exact team, you start to realize how badly he's playing.

AA: What about Smalley?

BW: Well, he's just come off the best season of his career. He scored 26 league goals for Reading last year, and 35 total in all competitions. He was the one shining light for them as Rajkovic was injured and Charlie Butcher, the Welsh marksman, had his worst season in recent memory.

MH: He has also scored 72 goals in 67 caps for England, which is an extraordinary record.

AA: It's important to keep in mind that before this year, he had never scored more than 12 goals despite playing in more than 30 matches each season during the previous 5 years. So, while he may be a bully against weaker international teams, it's important to remember that this is the first time he's had success at club level. Lets hope he can replicate it in this tournament. But, regarding the rest of the strikers, what can you tell me about them?

BW: Well, Sam Preston is fast. That's all about he's got going on for him. The Man Utd man spent last year on loan at Bordeaux, where he scored 12 times. He's fast enough to break free from his markers, but he lacks the finishing or dribbling ability to be a true threat.

MH: I think Richard Black is a strange case. He looks to be fantastic on paper, but he never delivers. He's got a fantastic first touch and he's a great finisher, too, but he never scores. He left Reading in search for more first team opportunities, which he's gotten, but the goals haven't come.

BW: He has 28 league goals to his name despite making over 100 league appearances for Reading and Man City combined, which are two very strong teams. I agree that he's definitely underperforming. Last season, he only scored 7 in 28 matches!

AA: That's true, and we have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find more options. I'd say Burnley's Jermaine West is probably England's fifth-best striker, and he scored 13 goals as Burnley were relegated.

BW: that kind of record is more valuable than Black's. West scored 13 in a team struggling to create anything, showing how deadly he is when presented chances, while Black barely put 7 in despite being in a star-studded side at the top of the table.

MH: It's a matter of reputation. Hooper has called up some of these players based on reputation rather than performance, and it shows.

AA: Anyway, what's your verdict? We have a tough group against Costa Rica, Cameroon, and Italy. How do you rate England's chances?

MH: Well, I think Italy will be tough. They've got some strong players and I think they'll be able to take advantage of the obvious weaknesses of this team. I'm not really sure what the plan is against Emiliano Incerpi, who's the best right winger in the world.

BW: I agree. You also have to consider that their striker, Anthony Diallo, scored 28 league goals for Tottenham last season. He'll be relishing going up against our weak center. However, we should easily finish second. Despite how much we've criticized this England side, the players we've got on the bench are much better than the options available to Costa Rica or Cameroon.

MH: Well, Costa Rica had some world class players at one point, but they've retired or are towards the end of their careers now, so I don't think they pose much of a threat. Wilbert Alvarado is probably Costa Rica's best player, but the 32-year-old Aston Villa striker announced his international retirement 2 years ago. Cameroon are a physical side captained by Chelsea Enforcer Eric Mbarga, but they lack the quality necessary to trouble us.We'll easily make it out of the group stage, though anything further depends on the strength of the opposition we face.

BW: I don't think Hooper will pull any tricks out of his bag, so we're basically going to brute force our way through weaker opponents until we face a team with better players or a manager with a better tactical plan.

AA: Well, thank you for your opinions, That was legendary Southampton and Liverpool goalkeeper Michael Hart and former Man Utd and Chelsea winger Brett Webster. I'm Adam Ashton, and this was your CT Sport World Cup Preview for England!

 

[(FM17) World Cup 2038!]

Football24/7's Guide to the World Cup: 2038 Edition
Group E - Chile, France, Jamaica, Switzerland

Chile

Who are they?

Chile has returned to the World Cup after squeaking by Honduras in penalties in the playoffs. They missed out on the 2034 edition and were eliminated in the group stage in the 2030 edition of the competition. Also, they were eliminated in the quarter final stage of the 2031 and 2035 editions of the Copa America. The team has been average during the past decade, but the emergence of Jorge Araya as a world-class striker at West Ham during the last two years has propelled them to new heights. They have a group of solid players, but apart from Araya, no one is particularly exciting. They are a very disciplined defensive side looking to catch teams out on the counter. Luckily, they don't have strong opposition in this group apart from France, so they'll be looking to progress to the second stage of this competition for the first time since 2026.

The Manager - Miguel Pinto

Pinto has been in charge of Chile for 7 years, taking over after the team's defeat to Venezuela in the Copa America. Before that, he had an 8 year spell as the manager of Union Española in the Chilean First Division. He preferred a 3-4-1-2 during his time at Union Española, but he's chosen a very defensive 4-4-2 for the national side, even going as far as playing defensive midfielders on the wing. There simply hasn't been much talent available to him, which makes it more immpressive that he managed to turn the team around by building completely around Jorge Araya.

Biggest Strength - The strikers

Jorge Araya gets all the headlines, but there are other threats apart from the 24-year-old. Araya has blinding pace and is also extremely strong, which combined with his fantastic finishing, movement off the ball, and ability to remain calm under pressure, makes him a deadly striker. They've also got Daniel Diaz, Luis Gallardo, and Francisco Sandoval. Diaz plays for Club Brugge and is like the "light" version of Araya. He is a great finisher with a lot of pace, but he lacks the strength or off the ball movement of his compatriot. Gallardo plays for Cruzeiro and is very similar to Diaz. The final player is Atletico's Sandoval. He brings a differet dimension to the team. He is tall, strong, good in the air, and has great control of the ball. Many believe that he should partner Araya up front, but Pinto has preferred Diaz alongside him.

Biggest Weakness - The goalkeepers

While the majority of Chile's players are decent, their goalkeepers are probably some of the worst in the tournament. The three goalkeepers are probably the 3 worst players on the team. They've got O'Higgins' Marcelo Cisternas, Deportes Iquique's Rene Fuentes, and Huachipato's Guillermo Bizana. They all play in the Chilean First Division and all of them are underwhelming. They've got 10 caps between the 3 of them as the manager can't choose between them. They're all equally unsuited for the position. The previous goalkeeper, Victor Arredondo, retired after amassing 44 caps, but he wasn't very impressive either.

Notable Absences - Jose Poblete

Monaco's 31-year-old playmaker will miss out on the tournament due to a knee ligament injury. He's one of Chile's best players and the team will be much weaker without him.

Projected line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Marcelo Cisternas, 28, O'Higgins
DR: Kevin Parra, 29, Al-Wahda (UAE)
DC: Luciano Rios, 24, Velez
DC: Gregory Lillo, 28, Gremio
DL: Cristian Reyes, 28, Juventus
DM: Santiago Lara, 27, Middlesbrough
DM: Walter Paves, 28, Internacional
MR: Jose Luis Perez, 28, Atletico Mineiro
ML: Diego Farias, 29, Ipswich
ST: Jorge Araya, 24, West Ham
ST: Daniel Diaz, 28, Club Brugge

------------------------------------------

France

Who are they?

The French side are considered among the favorites to win this tournament alongside Spain and Germany. Taking into consideration the fact that they have world class players in almost every position, as well as sitting on the bench, it's easy to see why many fancy them to win it. They're the current holders of the Nations League, having beat Spain 2-0 in the Final. However, they struggled a bit in qualifying. They finished first in their group, but they only had 1 more point than second-placed Russia and three more than third-placed Hungary. In the 2036 European Championship, they also struggled against Russia and were eliminated in the round of 16 by them. However, since then, Thomas Le Meur has emerged as one of the best strikers in the world. In the 2036/2037 season, he scored 27 goals for Real Madrid in Serie A. This earned him a 150 million pound move to Napoli, where he scored 37 goals in 38 games and became the top marksman in Europe. The 24 year old is extremely dangerous in the box, but the rest of the team behind him is also equally talented. The squad contains some extremely talented youngsters. Monaco's Aurelien Ettori is the man who plays behind Le Meur. The 21 year old is extremely quick and createive. He has been the subject of bids from Real Madrid, PSG, Man City, FC Bayern, Reading, and many other clubs since he was 18, but Monaco's extremely high asking price has deterred them all. On the right wing, Schalke's 19-year-old Mohamed Amrani has shown to be an extreme threat. The youngster is only used as a rotation option by the Gelsenkirchen side, but his talent cannot be denied. On the other wing, PSG's 22-year-old Gaspar Lebrun has established himself as the best left winger in Ligue Un, as well as one of the best in the world. The sky is the limit for this group.

The Manager - Hugo Lloris

The legendary goalkeeper has been in charge of the French national team for 8 years. He took over after the disastrous 2030 World Cup, in which France was eliminated in the group stage by Italy and Ivory Coast. They failed to win a single game, even against lowly Jamaica. Since Lloris took over, things have improved, but France is still underperforming. They managed to reach the Euro 2032 final, where they were eliminated by Germany in a close-fought match. In 2034, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Germany, though that time it was with a humiliating 3-0 scoreline. In Euro 2036 they were infamously eliminated by Russia in the round of 16 as well, and many were surprised that Lloris kept his job afterwards. However, this time around, a lot of young stars have come through and the team looks much more solid than before. While the squad is strong, some question marks remain about Lloris' qualifications.

Biggest strength - Almost everything

So, where to begin? With a squad so strong, it's difficult to choose a single strength. Also, there is a great balance between youth and experience.

Apart from the starting front four of Amrani, Ettori, Lebrun, and Le Meur, there are a lot of stars in this side. The central midfield behind the attacking quartet is likely to be composed of Rafik Benamara and Mehdi Garcia. Benamara is a 20-year-old playmaker who moved to VfB Oldenburg 2 years ago after making his debut at 18 in Bordeaux. Benamara is one of the most exciting prospects in world football and his incisive passes can carve up any defense. On the other hand Garcia is a 23-year-old ball playing center back from Southampton. He is an excellent defender, but he's also extremely creative and has got a great eye for a pass. He's adapted quickly to the central midfield position.

Their options off the bench are also fantastic. Up front, they've got Man Utd's Jeremy Vandenabeele and Man City's Abdel Kassambara to replace Thomas Le Meur if needed. Both of these strikers are 30 years old and part of the old guard, and they can both cover for Gaspar Lebrun on the left wing as well. To cover for Amrani on the right wing, they've got Liverpool's 32-year-old Mickael Simon. Simon is a former VfB Oldenburg legend, and is comfortable playing on either wing. At Oldenburg, he collected 2 Champions League medals and 2 Bundesliga titles. While he's lost a fair bit of pace since those days, he is still an extremely technical player with a good read of the game. To replace Ettori, Barcelona's 22-year-old star Robin Diatta will be on the bench. Diatta has been a key part of Barcelona's plans since he was 18, so it's a testament to the quality of this France team that he can't even get a starting spot. In the central midfield, Stuttgart's 23-year-old deep lying playmaker Cyril Barthelemy will be ready to come off the bench if necessary. Barthelemy joined Stuttgart at the start of last season, and he was the player that transformed them from a team that struggled to finish fourth to title challengers. Again, the quality of this squad cannot be overstated.

Finally, the central defense is stacked. They've got Reading's 22-year-old Marvin Duprat and 30-year-old Mathias Bulgare. Both of them can fill in at left back if needed, too. Barcelona's Kondwani Abdullah is a 22-year-old center back who is also comfortable at right full back. The final option they've got is Stuttgart's 22-year-old George Desbois. All four of these players are world class defenders, and any of them could form the starting partnership. The best central defender is definitely Mehdi Garcia, but he's been chosen to play in a holding midfield role instead.

Biggest weakness - fullbacks and goalkeepers, players out of position.

While weak is probably not the correct word to describe the qualities of this French team, there are definitely areas which can be targeted. The first area are the goalkeepers. Long gone are the days of legendary French goalkeepers. After Lloris managed to amass 143 caps for France, he was replaced by Alban Lafont, who was one of the best. Lafont amassed 178 caps in a 23 year career at Toulouse, West Ham, Real Madrid, and Napoli. Well, now they have Bilal Durand. Durand came through at Real Madrid and was Lafont's protege during his time there. However, he never managed to nail down the spot and was sold. He had stints at Sevilla and Milan before arriving at Monaco in 2034. Durand is now 29, and he's not particularly exciting. He's not a liability, but he won't win you the game either. He's distinctly average. The backup keeper is also from Monaco; 22-year-old Alexandre Garrier. Garrier was labelled as one with great potential, but he's not been progressing as expected. He struggled on loan with Valenciennes in the French second tier last year. But, the French league is filled with foreign imports in the goalkeeper position, and there literally are no better options to be found.

The fullback situation is a bit different. The only natural left back in the squad is VfB Oldenburg's El Mehdi Lahrache. He is a decent player with a lot of potential, but at only 20, he's still raw. It's likely that Bulgare or Duprat, center backs by trade, will start on the left back position. There are two natural right backs in the squad, but they are rather poor. Fenerbahce's 30-year-old Yanis Dietrich is probably the best one, though he's not particularly exciting. He's very fast and a good dribbler, but his defensive abilities are lacking. Newcastle's 31-year-old Landry Matip is the other option, and is the opposite of Dietrich. He's not that quick, but he's extremely strong, a fantastic tackler, and a great marker. However, he offers nothing going forward. Due to their limitations, Kondwani Abdullah is expected to start on the right, which is not his favored position.

France is likely to field a backline compost of 4 center backs, which offers very little going forward, and their positioning on the flanks is something that could be exploited.

Biggest Absences - Oumar Bamba, Soufyane Bouali

Many people were suprised when Oumar Bamba wasn't included in this team. The 31-year-old Southampton winger amassed 99 caps during his career and was France's best player for many years. However, his last two seasons have been plagued by injuries, and he's lost his starting spot. It's a sad situation for the Ivorian-born winger. He was clearly one of the best wingers in the world in his prime, but he never got recognition due to bing in the shadow of Dietmar Zellner. The German legend was probably the best player of the past 10 years, and he kept Bamba out of the team. When Zellner left, many assumed that Bamba would take over, but he's suffered multiple ligament injuries on his right knee that have kept him out. He's still a top tier player, but he's lost a lot of pace and fallen out of favor at Southampton. It cannot be argued that Gaspar Lebrun deserves to start over him for Les Bleus, but he'd definitely be a great option off the bench. He's certainly more talented than Vincent Jobello, PAOK's 23-year-old left winger, who was inexplicably included in this squad.

Another huge uproar was caused when longstanding captain Soufyan Bouali was culled from the preliminary roster. The 34-year-old Chelsea defender is still in top physical condition despite his advanced age, and many expected him to start as left back. It's strange that Lloris'd choose to play center backs out of position rather than a natural full back who's still performing at the highest level.

Projected line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Bilal Durand, 29, Monaco
DR: Kondwani Abdullah, 22, Barcelona
DC: Marvin Duprat, 22, Reading
DC: George Desbois, 22, Stuttgart
DL: Mathias Bulgare, 30, Reading
MC: Mehdi Garcia, 23, Southampton
MC: Rafik Benamara, 20, VfB Oldenburg
AMR: Mohamed Amrani, 19, Shalke
AMC: Aurelien Ettori, 20, Monaco
AML: Gaspar Lebrun, 22, PSG
ST: Thomas Le Meur, 24, Napoli    

------------------------------------------

Jamaica

Who are they?

The Reggae Boyz once possessed an exciting team full of stars. They had players like right winger Jahleal MacLeod at Schalke, center back Ronaldo Ryman at Barcelona, Ricardo Samuel at PSG, Horace Chambers at Juventus, and many others. However, these players are all retired now or in their mid-to-late thirties and the Jamaican squad is a shadow of it's former self. They managed to make the 2026 World Cup when most of their stars were teenagers, the 2030 world Cup when they were in their 20s, and the 2034 World Cup when they were all at the peak of their careers. However, despite the world class talent in their squad, they never managed to win more than one game or exit the group stage. They also never managed to win any editions of the Gold Cup, only progresssing as far as the semi-finals. Now, instead of having top tier talent sitting on the bench, Jamaica is built around one man: Chelsea's Renaldo Smith. The 31-year-old goalscorer scored 15 goals in 35 EPL matches last year, and some of his pace is definitely gone. His days of scoring 20+ goals a season and winning titles with VfB Oldenburg seem to be a thing of the past. There is a severe lack of talent aside from him, and the small Caribbean nation will struggle not to get humiliated in this group.

The Manager - Jermaine Anderson

Anderson has been in charge for less than a year. Before that, he was the manager of the U20 squad for 9 years. He prefers to play a simple 4-4-2 formation, and his tactical naivety is sure to be found out here. He took over after the team lost in the first knockout round of the 2037 Gold Cup, and he won 3 of his 4 qualifying games in charge. His only loss was against Costa Rica, who finished first. Jamaica was in second place, 8 points behind Costa Rica, but 9 points ahead of the United States in third place. However, it's important to remember that Mexico didn't participate due to their being the hosts of the tournament. Still, while it's impressive to finish second, Jamaica were the first-placed team in the qualifiers for the previous two World Cups. Anderson is in a difficult situation here. His players are definitely much worse than the previous Jamaican generation, and he can't escape the comparison. However, the previous generation also severely underperformed and those feelings still surround the side. It seems to be a lose-lose situation for him.

Biggest Strength - Renaldo Smith

The striker is by far the best player that Jamaica has. He's still a top striker in the Premier League, but he's no longer at the level he once was. Two seasons ago, he only managed 5 goals in 20 league games, which is why he was sold by Oldenburg. At 31, he managed to score 15 for a Chelsea side that underperformed and finished 15th, which is impressive, but he's not the threat he once was. He's a deadly finisher and a good header of the ball, but his speed and ability with the ball at his feet have declined.

Biggest Weakness - the midfield

While Jamaica's midfield contains a lot of well-known names, they're mostly past their peak or not in their preferred role. On the left wing, they've got Jamie Bartlett. The 32-year-old Gladbach man has been at the club for 9 yaers, but he lost his starting spot 3 years ago. He spent a season on loan at Saint Etienne, and last year he didn't even feature once for Gladbach. He used to be a tricky winger with great pace, but the speed is all gone now. On the right wing, Atletico's Toby Edison is the first choice. The 29-year-old defensive midfielder is a key member of the first team for the Madrid side, but he plays primarily as a holding midfielder. His being the starting winger for Jamaica says a lot about their talent pool. He's very strong and his energy is limitless, but he's not particularly pacy. He also lacks any sort of crossing or dribbling ability. He's a good ball-winning midfielder, but he is used in a completely different role in this team.

In the center of the pitch, Tavares Lawrence is likely to feature. He plays for Brentford in the Championship and, being only 22, he has the potential to improve. He's got good vision and accurate with his passing but he lacks any sort of physical presence. Also, his mentality is not the best. He wilts if put under any pressure, lacks determination, and has problems making the best decisions.

The only shining light in the midfield is Aston Villa's Sylvester Barnett. The 30-year-old defensive midfielder is still playing at good level, but he can't do it all alone.

Biggest Absences - Ricardo Samuel, Ronaldo Ryman, Horace Chambers

The three absences are figures from the past. Samuel and Ryman are 35, while Chambers is 36. Samuel is a former PSG left back currently starting for Ajax. He's lost a lot of his physical prowess, but he's still a decent option. Similarly, Ronaldo Ryman is way past his peak. The center back is still at Barcelona, but he hasn't made an appearance in 2 years. He is a shadow of what he once was, but he's still good enough to play a role. Finally, Horace Chambers is a defensive midfielder playing at Alaves. He has also regressed a lot at his age, but he played 30 La Liga matches last year despite being 36. He definitely should've made the squad.

These players' careers are definitely on their last legs, but their still equally capable or slightly better than the options that Jamaica has called up. At least, they're unquestionably superior to the options that the team has on the bench.

Predicted Line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Eldrick Lopez, 27, Fulham
DR: Jean-Luke O'Riordan, 28, PAOK
DC: Romario Powell, 26, Wolfsburg
DC: Anthony Davis, 34, Shakthar
DL: Jermaine Neita, 25, Heracles
MR: Toby Edison, 29, Atletico
MC: Sylvester Barnett, 30, Aston Villa
MC: Tavares Lawrence, 22, Bristol
ML: Jamie Bartlett, 32, Gladbach
ST: Renaldo Smith, 31, Chelsea
ST: Keith Delgado, 31, Tianjin

------------------------------------------

Switzerland

Who are they?

The Swiss team has been uninspiring in recent years, but they have arguably the best attacking midfielder in the world. Man Utd's 28-year-old Jean-Raymond Pierrat has been a key man for the Red Devils since he was 19, and has won two Premier League titles and two Champions League medals. However, he hasn't been as successful in the national team. While they've got a good defensive base with Barcelona's Andre Slongo and Everton's Marco Andracchio, there's not much else to write home about. They exited the 2032 and 2036 European Championships, as well as the 2034 World Cup, in the group stages. It's unclear whether they'll be able to best Chile to claim the second spot in this group.

The Manager - Peter Caraballo

Caraballo, the former Grasshoppers manager, has been in charge for almost two years. At Grasshoppers, he got them promoted to the top tier and they finished 6th in their first season there. He then took over the national team after they exited the 2036 European Championship in the group stage, failing to win a single game in a tough group containing Russia, England, and Croatia. Caraballo favors a high-pressing 4-2-3-1, which produced great performances as they finished first in qualifying. However, their group was particularly weak, with the biggest opposition being Bosnia and Greece. In pre-tournament friendlies, they won 3-1 against a strong Uruguay side and 2-0 against Japan, so they've proved they can perform against some strong teams. However, it remains to be seen if he can get the same results in a competitive environment.

Biggest Strength - The central defense

While Jean-Raymond Pierrat is the highest profile player, the team's strength is their top-tier defensive pairing. Slongo and Andracchio are both 27 and both class. Slongo joined Barcelona for 40 million pounds in 2032 and has been a first team player ever since. Andracchio used to play as a defensive midfielder alongside his compatriot Pierrat at Man Utd, though he later joined Everton and was converted into a combative center back. Both of them are skilled with the ball at their feet, strong in the air, and masters of the defensive arts.

Biggest weakness - the central midfield

There's no two ways about it; the base of the midfield is by far the worst part of this Switzerland squad and why they struggle against top teams. They've got a selection of 4 players who are all unsuited for this role for different reasons.

The highest profile player is Anderlecht's Miguel Henrique. Henrique is a fast striker who excels at finishing and dribbling, but he can also fill in as a central midfielder. He rarely plays this position for his club side, but the national team is desperate and he's likely to feature there. Another option available is Hapoel Tel-Aviv's Paulo Seco. The 27-year-old is a pacy right winger who sometimes trips over himself when dribbling and is notoriously inaccurate with his crosses. He can also fill in as a central midfielder, which is what he'll likely be doing for his country. The other options are Neuchatel Xamax's Andre Damaz and Sion's Rico Marclay. Marclay is 21 and has been getting a lot of chances in friendlies recently, but he's very raw. He's got a fantastic first touch and is very accurate with his passes, but that's about it. He's terrible with the ball at his feet and offers nothing defensively. Damaz is 25 and a little bit more rounded than Marcaly. Damaz also has great vision and always seems to make the right decision, but he's still awful defensively. Any of the four players who are available to play behind Pierrat offer no protection and are liabilities with the ball at their feet.

Biggest Absences - Gabriel Glatz, Josef Tsawa

Glatz is probably the best winger that Switzerland have available, but he's been frozen out at Sevilla. Last year, the 28-year-old only made 3 substitute appearances for his club. Due to this, he was cut form the side despite having 69 capts to his name. Despite this, many argue that he's a more skilled player than the other wingers included in the squad, which are Young Boys' Mike Amon and Thun's Hans Schonbachler.

The other big absence is Leeds' 30-year-old Josef Tsawa. The former Real Madrid and Stoke midfielder finds himself playing in the English second tier, but compared to the other options in the central midfield for Switzerland, he's essential. Not only is he a natural central midfielder unlike two of the people expected to cover this position, but also he's a very good marker and tackler. These are qualities that the team is lacking, which makes his absence even more inexplicable.

Projected line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Pascal Nguemaleu-Ebah, 30, Nice
DR: Mathis Beal, 25, West Brom
DC: Andre Slongo, 27, Barcelona
DC: Marco Andracchio, 27, Everton
DL: Paul Wegmuller, 28, Sion
MC: Paulo Seco, 27, Hapoel Tel-Aviv
MC: Andre Damaz, 25, Neuchatel Xamax
AMR: Mike Amon, 25, Young Boys
AMC: Jean-Raymond Pierrat, 28, Man Utd
AML: Corrado Berti, 23, Bournemouth
ST: Brice Mayala, 22, Zurich

[(FM17) World Cup 2038!]

Football24/7's Guide to the World Cup: 2038 Edition
Group D - Brazil, China, Senegal, Serbia

Brazil

Who are they?

The Brazilians won 2 World Cups in 2022 and 2026, and they're looking to add another one to their collection. They have a very strong team, but they aren't included in the favorites to win the competition. Most expect one of Spain, Germany, or France to win this tournament. The reason the Brazilian's aren't included in this elite group is due to their lackluster performance in qualifying. They finished 3rd, 10 points behind winners and bitter rivals Argentina, and 8 points behind second placed Uruguay. The team contains star players in almost every position, but they're severly lacking a quality striker. Their inability to score has been what is setting back the latest iteration of this team. They did manage to make the final of the Confederations Cup, but they were brushed aside 2-0 by Germany, who never looked troubled by the Samba Boys. They're hoping Jorge Ferreira will solve all their problems up front. The 20 year old Southampton striker debuted last season as an injury crisis rocked the south coast club, and he managed to score 19 goals in all competitions despite his young age and inexperience. In spite of his promise, the manager has chosen to feature Ferreira on the left wing, which doesn't quite suit his strengths. Everywhere else in the pitch, the team is stacked with superstars and they're expected to go far. However, they face strong competition for first place from Serbia.

The Manager

Eduardo has been in charge for less than a year after Lucio, the former manager and legendary defender, resigned and retired after the Confederations Cup defeat. Before being selected to manage the national team, he had spells as manager of Corinthians, Internacional, Flamengo, Palmeiras, and Benevento. He's won the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Seria A on 2 separate ocassions each, as well as the Copa Sudamericana and the Club World Championship once. Mostly, he prefers to play a 4-2-3-1 with deep defensive midfielders and wide wingers. This formation has been criticized by pundits since Brazil lack skilled wingers but have great central attacking midfielders. He stuck with the wide wingers and only managed to win one of his 4 qualifying games in charge, against bottom placed Paraguay. They have looked extremely good in pre tournament friendlies, beating the Netherlands 3-0 and Denmark 5-1, but doubts still remain around the tactic and the manager. He seems to prefer players from the Brazilian league rather than players who have been successful at mid-tier European teams.

Biggest Strength - the midfielders

There can be no doubting the quality available to Brazil. Carlos Andre, Reading's 23 year old holding midfielder, is one of the best in the world at his role. However, he is more likely to start at right back due to the ability that Brazil have in this position. Jean Carlos, Man Utd's 30 year old midfield general, made his name as a tireless box-to-box midfielder during a 10 year spell at Southampton. At Utd, he has been given a deeper role with more creative responsibilities, and he has stepped up to the challenge. Jean Carlos can do it all: tackle, mark, pass, dribble, etc. He is truly a complete midfielder. Next to him, Real Madrid's Rafael Nunes is likely to start. Nunes is serviceable on defensive duties, but his biggest strengths are his passing range and his ability to unlock defenses with a long range through ball. Nunes' midfield partner at Real Madrid, Ezequiel, is an extremely skilled holding midfielder. However, he has found himself starting as a center back more often than not for this Brazil side. Up front, VfB Oldenburg's Roberto Luiz will start behind the striker. The 23 year old possesses extreme pace and stamina, and he never stops running. At his club side, he plays in a deeper role in the midfield, but being more advanced has allowed him to use his pace to exploit defenses and drive Brazil's attack. Real Madrid's Paulo Henrique and Man Utd's Ricardo are the other players able to play as a central attacking midfielder, so there is a plethora of skilled options.

Biggest Weakness - the attackers

Now, Brazil doesn't have poor attacking players, but many of them are playing outside of their preferred position or not at the extremely high level as the rest of the team. Their inability to score is why they had so much trouble in qualifying, and why they are not considered in the top 3 favorites to win this tournament. The first problem is the striker position. There are two players who identify as strikers in this side; Southampton's 20 year old Jorge Ferreira and Liverpool's 23 year old Antonio Augusto. Neither of these players is a starter for their club, and Ferreira only made his debut midway through this season. Also, both of these players have been selected to play as left wingers in this squad, which isn't their preferred position. So, the starting left winger for Brazil will be one of two players who don't play much for their club and would rather be strikers. A similar situation is taking place on the right. The competition for starting right winger is between 31 year old striker Victor Hugo and 22 year old striker Josimar, both of whom play at Palmeiras. Again, players are being selected out of their preferred position. Finally, any of these 4 players would be completely comfortable starting up front as a striker, but Eduardo has been selecting Paulo Henrique, Real Madrid's central midfielder, as a false 9. The squad that has been selected is very confusing, especially when you consider that there are wingers available that haven't been called up to the squad.

Notable Absences - Ualisson Henrique, Dyeison Souza, Alefe Teram, Allan, Paulo Alexandre, Paulinho, Gustavo

There questionable squad decisions regarding Brazil basically revolve around defensive midfielders and wingers. Ualisson Henrique and Dyeison Souza are two holding midfielders that have played an integral part in FC Bayern's success during the past 3 years, and both have featured in the last 3 Champions League final. Alefe Teram is also a fixture on the Barcelona team sheet, but he has also been omitted. The squad already has 4 defensive midielders: Ezequiel, Carlos Andre, Rafael Nunes, and Jean Carlos. However, Ezequiel and Carlos Andre are primarily starting as defenders. It would make more sense two have included two of Souza, Teram, or Henrique instead of the poor defenders in the squad. The two right backs included in the squad are Internacional's Deidson and Gremio's Jairo, who quite frankly don't deserve to be in this squad and will likely not see any play time. Likewise, Palmeiras' Flavio is the 5th choice center back and is unlikely to feature. The manager needs to accept that Carlos Andre and Ezequiel are the best defenders in the squad and will not feature in the midfield, and should've called up more midfielders instead of lackluster defenders.

Allan's absence is more shocking. West Ham's 23 year old right back has shined during his 4 year spell in the London outfit, participating in many deep runs into the Champions League. He is naturally attacking full-back and a quality player who'd probably do a better job on the right side of defense than Carlos Andre out of position. To not even include him as back up is ridiculous considering how weak the other right bcaks in this squad are.

Finally, Paulo Alexandre, Paulinho, and Gustavo are all natural wingers who have been omitted from the squad. Alexandre is 35 years old and the times when he won the Ballon D'Or and was considered the best right winger in the world are long past. However, he still posesses decent pace and is an extremely technical player. He started 37 league games for Tottenham last year as they finished 6th, notching 11 assists in the process. He is still Brazil's best winger and it boggles the mind that he wasn't included.

Paulinho joined RB Leipzing 4 years ago, though he had a torrid year this time around. However, the 30 year old once terrorized defenses during his 3 year stint at Real Madrid and is a natural left winger. He definitely should've been included as he has been a very solid player, last year nothwithstanding. He is definitely a better option on the left than strikers who haven't featured for their clubs like Jorge Ferreira or Antonio Augusto.

Gustavo is a 26 year old left winger who plays at Fluminense. He is one of the stars of the Brazilian top flight and many European clubs are interested. Considering the manager's preference for Brazilian-based players, many expected him to be guaranteed to make the squad. However, just like Paulinho, he's been omitted while out-of-position strikers fill in on the left wing.

Projected line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Fernando, 28, Man City
DR: Carlos Andre, 23, Reading
DC: Ezequiel, 25, Real Madrid
DC: Jarbas, 23, Chelsea
DL: Steve, 23, Stuttgart
DM: Rafael Nunes, 28, Real Madrid
DM: Jean Carlos, 30, Man Utd
AMR: Victor Hugo, 31, Palmeiras
AMC: Roberto Luiz, 23, VfB Oldenburg
AML: Jorge Ferreira, 20, Southampton
ST: Paulo Henrique, 28, Real Madrid

------------------------------------------

China

Who are they?

The third-place finishers from the previous World Cup and Asian Cup, the Chinese have a decent squad. Their last World Cup run was due to being underestimated by their opposition, but they come into this tournament as known quantities. The biggest threat they've got is the pace of Newcastle striker Wu Liangliang. However, you can't put a value on the understanding that their midfield players have between them. Chen Yousheng, Zhang Wei, and Niu Hai, the left winger and two central midfielders respectively, also happen to play the exact same positions at Doncaster. They're basically bringing a club side midfield into an international tournament. However, you do have to consider that Doncaster were relegated and finished 18th.  Their defence is also equally solid. VfB Oldenburg's Hu Shuai is a top tier defender and China's best player and a rock at the back. Still, they're not particularly dangerous if you plan accordingly, and they'll struggle to get out of the group, much less replicate their exploits from 2034.

The Manager - Hu Zhe

Part of the reason China aren't expected to do so well is the manager. Legenary manager Li Bing retired in 2036 after an 8 year spell. He masterminded the team's fantastic finishes and received critical acclaim for getting the best out of his players with his tactics. Hu Zhe, his replacement, plays an uninspiring 4-4-2. Hu didn't have a particularly amazing career before getting this role. He was the manager of Xiangtao during the time they were a yo-yo club. Before that, he was sacked from Wuhan after almost getting them relegated from the Chinese top tier. He's an alright manager, but a spark of genius is necessary to get this group of players to repeat their feats from the last time. He plays a very simple 4-4-2 with a focus on counterattacking to take advantage of his team's pace. However, he struggles against deep defences and doesn't seem to have a plan B.

Biggest Strength - pace

The biggest threat that the Chinese team possesses is loads of pace upfront. Newcastle's Wu Liangliang is one of the quickest players in the Premier League, though his fininishing sometimes lets him down. He is likely to play a supporting role behind Levski's Yang Xixing. Yang was the hero of China during the last World Cup, though he's not as quick as he used to be. He is a deadly finisher though, and with 53 international goals to his name, other defences will have to respect him. On the wings, Doncaster's Chen Yousheng and Werder Bremen's Li Zhiyu will also use their speed to feed their strikers. Again, these guys possess blinding pace, even though some of their technical skill may be lacking. This team poses a great threat on the counter against any opposition.

Biggest weakness - right back

To say that the right back options in this team are poor would be an understatement. There are 3 players capable of playing this position and they are by far the 3 worst players in the squad. The starter is likely to be Shanghai SIPG's Xu Zhongxin. The 19 year old defender shows a lot of potential and could be a top tier defender if he develops, but right now, he'd struggle to get game time in the second tier of any top European League. Moreover, he is primarily a central defender, not a full back. The other options are Guangzhou's 21-year-old Wu Hao and Shandong's 22 year old Guo Xiaodong. While these two players are also young, they haven't shown the flashes of pottential that Xu has, and they don't even start in their own teams. This right back area is what most teams will look to target, and it's questionable whether it will hold under pressure.

Biggest Absences - Mauricio Li

Shandong's midfielder Mauricio Li has missed out on the tournament due to injury. The Argentinian-born playmaker is only 22, but many say he is destined to go to the very top. He wouldn't have started over the Doncaster duo in central midfield, but he would've been a good option off the bench.

Projected line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Yuan Haoyang, 28, Nottm Forest
DR: Xu Zhongxin, 19, Shanghai SIPG
DC: Hu Shuai, 29, VfB Oldenburg
DC: Zhang Zhi, 26, Marseille
DL: Liu Shihao, 27, Bournemouth
MR: Li Zhiyu, 29, Werder Bremen
MC: Niu Hai, 23, Doncaster
MC: Zhang Wei, 24, Doncaster
ML: Chen Yousheng, 26, Doncaster
ST: Wu Liangliang, 24, Newcastle
ST: Yang Xicing, 31, Levski

------------------------------------------

Senegal

Who are they?

The darlings of the 2002 World Cup have managed to return to the world's biggest stage after being absent for 36 years. The Sengalese team has a number of star players, but unluckily for them, many of them play in the same position. Moreover, the manager plays a very narrow tactic without wingers, which leaves Mamadou Gueye and Mamadou Fall without a clear spot on the team. Gueye and Fall are both left wingers and among the most talented players in this team. They've been included in the squad, but there's no place for them in the tactic. They are placing all their hopes on Man City's Moussa Sagna. the 27-year-old came through Southampton's academny before making a big-money move to the blue side of Manchester. With 20 Premier League goals to his name last season, he's certainly a threat against any and all teams. Despite that, on paper, this Senegal team is probably weaker than China and will struggle to get any points in this group.

The Manager - Ameth Dieme

Dieme was promoted to be the manager in 2030 after being in charge of the u-21s for three years. Under his tutelage, their best result was a 3rd place finish in the 2033 African Cup of Nations, and of course returning to the World Cup. He's come under criticism for his negative tactics and overreliance on Moussa Sagna, but you can't argue with the results. He's gotten a subpar Senegalese squad to the World Cup, but it's unlikely he'll be able to take them past the group after being faced with such difficult opposition. The manager opts to play a narrow 4-1-3-1-1 shape in order to pack the middle of the pitch. It's an ultra defensive tactic that relies on Sagna making something out of nothing.

Biggest Strength - Moussa Sagna and the central defence.

In Moussa Sagna, Senegal have a World Class striker. He can make something out of nothing and is always a goal threat. However, the solidity in the central defense is also very important. Some of Senegal's best players are Getafe's Oumar Niang and Saint-Ettiene Mamadou Diatta. They are solid players who are the base of their teams. Diatta can play as a right back and Niang can play as a central midfielder. The options in both of these positions are so poor that it's difficult to say how the manager will choose to deploy his best players.

Biggest weakness - the fullbacks, the midfielders

There are only two people capable of playing left back: Nice's 33-year-old Sidy Badiane and Panthiraikos' 23-year-old Abdoulaye Sagna. Badiane is more comfortable as a centerback and, at his age, completely lacks any sort of pace. Sagna is the backup left back of the team who finished dead last in the Greek Superleague last year and seems completely unable to position himself correctly or remain calm under pressure.

At right back, it isn't any better. Apart from Mamadou Diatta, who would rather play as a center back, there are slim pickings. The second best right back is Lens' Latyr Diouf. Diouf is extremely strong and a good tackler, but he is extremely slow and prone to losing his composure. The manager has chosen him to play as a holding midfielder to try to cover his lack of pace, and also because he is the best option in that position. The other option, who has been playing the majority of Senegal's games as right back, is Sadio Gueye. The 28 year old plays at Heist in the Belgian third tier. Not much more can be said about that. The fact that Gueye has accrued 23 caps and is the most likely starter on the right of the defence is an indictment of the state of this Senegal team.

The midfield doesn't fare much better. The starting defensive midfielder is a lackluster right back out of position. Their best central midfielder is Oumar Niang, who is a central midfielder by trade. It remains to be seen whether he will start in the midfield though. The other options are Rizespor's Alassane Samb, Standard's Mouhamadou Mendy, and N.E.C.'s Ibrahim Toure. Samb is a good passer but a terrible dribbler, and he lacks the vision to be incisive. Mendy is similar with his passing ability and lack of dribbling skills, but he's actually worse creatively and has terrible movement off the ball. Toure actually has actually shown flashes of good creative vision and seems to get himself into good positions, but he makes the wrong decision most of the time. This isn't helped by his complete lack of mobility. Finally, behind the striker, FC Vitorul's Alassane Ba is likely to feature. Ba is a poor dribble, disastrous finisher, and poor off the ball. However, he is quick and has good passing range. Still , it's inexplicable why a team with such poor midfielders would opt to field a formation featuring 6 of them.

Biggest Absences - Mamadou Gueye, Mamadou Fall, Bacary Pouye

Gueye and Fall are in the squad, but both being left wingers, they don't feature in the side. Both of them are probably the best players in this team after Sagna, but the tactic doesn't have a spot for them. Fall and Gueye are generally introduced as substitutes in a central attacking midfield position, but it seems like a complete waste considering their talent.

The absence of Bacary Pouye is inexplicable. the 31-year-old featured 27 times for Marseille last year and has 78 caps for the Senegalese squad. If present in the team. the manager could deploy Diatta at right back or Niang in the central midfield and cover some of the weaknesses of the team. It seems irresponsible that one of Senegal's best players wasn't included.

Predicted line-up: 4-1-3-1-1
(name, age, team)

GK: Adama Sall, 25, Basaksehir
DR: Sadio Gueye, 28, Heist
DC: Oumar Niang, 26, Getafe
DC: Mamadou Diatta, 21, Saint-Ettiene
DL: Abdoulaye Sagna, 23, Panthiraikos
DM: Latyr Diouf, 25, Lens
MC: Alassane Samb, 29, Rizespor
MC: Ibrahim Toure, 24, N.E.C.
MC: Mouhamadou Mendy, 26, Standard
AMC: Alassane Ba, 24, FC Vitorul
ST: Moussa Sagna, 27, Man City

------------------------------------------

Serbia

Who are they?

The dark horses of the tournament, who have the best two strikers in the world, are expected to fight with Brazil for the top spot of the group. While the Brazilians have a star-studded midfield and defence coupled with a weak attack, Serbia is packed with world-class attacking players and a less than ideal defence. Serbia finished first in their qualifying group, winning all 10 games and finishing 9 points ahead of Italy in second place. Their talisman is Southampton legend Milos Savic. The 29-year-old striker had 39 goals and 14 assits to his name last year in 42 appearances, and he's also got an extraordinary 106 goals in 89 caps. They also have Igor Rajkovic. Rajkovic is also 29, but he plays for Southampton's rivals Reading. Unlike Savic, he thrives on providing assists. He won the Ballon D'Or in 2037, and last season he managed 28 goals and 19 assists in 37 appeareances despite suffering multiple injuries. 2 years ago, he manage 40 goals and 30 assists in 52 games. They've got unarguably the best goal-scoring forward and the best best supporting forward in the entire world, with a great supporting cast backing them up. The question is how far their attack can carry a weak defence.

The Manager - Nedeljko Sarenac

Sarenac has been in charge since 2033 after a 5-year spell with OFK Beograd. He took over after Serbia failed to qualify to the 2034 World Cup after finishing behind Spain in their group. They were eliminated in the 2036 European Championship by Romania in the quarter finals. It was a big upset, but the Romanian's managed to make it all the way to the final and Sarenac, who many believed would be fired after that defeat, remained in his job. Serbia play a 4-2-3-1 which is very similar in nature to Brazil's formation. However, Sarenac chooses to do this to pack players in front of his defense and protect his weak center. At first, he received a lot of criticism for playing a 4-2-3-1 formation when he has the world's two best strikers at his disposal, but upon further inspection, it's clear that it's an elegant solution. Two striker formations are not suitable for Serbia because a 4-4-2 or wide diamond would play with wingers deep in the pitch, which fails to take advantage of Zoran Milenkovic cutting inside as a forward on the right. The diamond would protect the defence but leave a gap in the central midfield, while a straightforward 4-4-2 would leave the defense unprotected. A narrow diamond would allow a strong midfield plus protection for the defence, but then you lose out on Milenkovic's ability. This 4-2-3-1 has Rajkovic slotted as a creative player on the left wing, setting up Savic as the main goalscorer and allowing Milenkovic to cut inside from the right. It also provides a lot of cover for the defenders.

Biggest Strength - Their 4 stars

Milos Savic and Igor Rajkovic are two of the sport's biggest stars. No introduction is required for the best two strikers in world football right now. But, apart from Rajkovic and Savic, Zoran Milenkovic and Stefan Kljajic are also top-tier players. Klajic is a 26-year-old deep-lying playmaker who's spent his entire career at Schalke. While he is being asked to play deeper here than he does at his club side, he is still a big threat. He's a natural-born leader who inspires his entire side, possesses a fantastic first touch and passing range, and his reading of the game is impeccable. On the right wing, Zoran Milenkovic has a never-ending supply of energy and is not only extremely quick, but strong enough to resist the challenge of most defenders. Milenkovic is a master with the ball at his feet, able to pass, dribble, cross, and finish with impeccable quality. The fact that the manager has managed to find a tactic that fits these 4 players into roles in which they can shine and combine with each other makes them even more dangerous.

Biggest Weakness - the defense

The central defenders at Serbia's disposal are serviceable, though not top tier. The starting center-back pairing is likely to be Porto's Dejan Obrenovic and Rapid Wien's Marko Nesovic. Obrenovic is a very strong defender who has consistency issues and lacks a bit of pace. Nesovic is extremely quick and good in the air, but he has problems positioning and remaining concentrated. The real problems begin when we get to the fullbakcs. Caen's Goran Dzaric is the starting left back, and he is just not good enough for a team with ambitions of a deep run into the tournament. He's just distinctly average. He's alright going forward and defending, but he doesn't have any particular strengths. Moreover, he is prone to lapses of concentration and composure. On the right, Dinamo's Vojislav Brankov is the first-choice option. Brankov is extremely quick and strong, and always seems to position well and make good decisions. However, he is very limited technically and offers nothing going forward.

Biggest Absences - None

There is a clean bill of health for Serbia, and with many players in their prime, this is their best chance to achieve World Cup glory.

Predicted line-up
(name, age, club)

GK: Milovan Mladenovic, 28, Rio Ave
DR: Vojislav Brankov, 26, Dinamo
DC: Dejan Obrenovic, 26, Porto
DC: Marko Nesovic, 26, Rapid Wien
DL: Goran Dzaric, 27, Caen
DM: Stefan Kljajic, 26, Schalke
DM: Amir Bukvic, 29, Liverpool
AMR: Zoran Milenkovic, 26, West Ham
AMC: Slobodan Tanaskovic, 23, Real Sociedad
AML: Igor Rajkovic, 29, Reading
ST: Milos Savic, 29, Southampton

 

[(FM17) World Cup 2038!]

Football24/7's Guide to the World Cup: 2038 Edition
Group C - Czech Republic, Spain, United States, South Africa

The Czech Republic

Who are they?

The Czechs narrowly qualified for this competition after finishing the qualifier tied on 15 points with Scotland and Austria. They managed to squeak by on goal difference. In 2034, they finished 4th in the World Cup after losing to eventual winners Germany in the semi final and losing the third place match to China. In Euro 2036, they reached the quarter final, where they lost to Norway. They're hoping they can do the same or better than their performance in 2034, but many of the key players of that squad have retired or are past their prime. For example, 34 year old Jan Richter now plays for Marseille. He is a shadow of the midfield general that many remember from his time at FC Bayern, but he is still good enough to do the job. Another example is Sevilla's 33 year old center back Daniel Borovicka. He has lost significant pace since his time as a key player in Barcelona, but he is still serviceable. However, a player who is certainly in his prime is Martin Divis. The 28 year old Man Utd striker is definitely one of the best five players in his position in the world, and he has scored more than 20 league goals in each campaign at United for the last 9 years. The team plays a 4-3-3 centered around getting the best out of Divis and maximizing his impact on games. They're in a tough group though. They beat Spain in both the 2036 European Championships and the 2034 World Cup, but it's going to be a tough ask to do it again. In addition, the US and South Africa have solid squads and will be looking to challenge the Czechs for second plance

The Manager

Ondrej Kolar has been at the the helm since 2032 and is responsible for the recent glory that the Czechs have accomplished. The 43 year old has been optimistic in recent interviews and believes that the team can progress deep into the tournament, despite the difficulties in getting through the qualifiers.

    
Biggest Strength - Strike Force

While not much needs to be said about the phenomenom that is Martin Divis, his supporting cast is also impressive. 29 year old Stanislav Janek managed to score 16 goals in 22 games for Napoli last season, despite only starting 3 of those games. He was a terror coming off the bench, and his clinical finishing will certainly be on show in this tournament. The final member of this 3 man strike team is Stoke's Pavel Duda. He scored 20 goals in the English second tier last season. He is known for being extremely fast, though lacking in aerial presence, movement off the ball, and passing in general. Well, his weaknesses are covered by Janek and Divis, and he has been very prolific for his national team.

Biggest Weakness - No width, inexperienced goalkeeper

The extremely narrow 4-3-3 played by the Czech team means that they are very exposed on the flanks. This isn't helped by the fact that their fullbacks are some ofthe most inexperienced members of this team. Wigan's 23 year old Ludek Blazek and Westerlo's 24 year old Karel Nosek are probably the weakest members of the starting line up, and they will be asked to man the flanks alone. To add to this problem, starting goalkeeper Frantisek Pokorny has only played 1 season as a starter for Zagreb in the Prva Liga. He is their best goalkeeper at the moment, with the other options not inspiring much confidence.

Notable absences - Stepan Prochazka

The 22 year old winger is one of the brightest prospects that the Czech Republic has produced in recent times, but there is no room for him in a tactic that doesn't play wide midfielders. Surely, he will play key role in future iterations of the team, but now is not his time.

Predicted line-up: 4-3-3
(name, age, club)

GK: Frantisek Pokorny, 22, Zagreb
DR: Ludek Blazek, 23, Wigan
DC: Daniel Borovicka, 33, Sevilla
DC: Lukas Hora, 30, Valladolid
DL: Karel Nosek, 24, Westerlo
CM: Petr Novotny, 28, Benfica
CM: Lukas Hoffman, 23, Benfica
CM: Jan Richter, 34, Marseille
ST: Martin Divis, 28, Man Utd
ST: Stanislav Janek, 29, Napoli
ST: Pavel Duda, 30, Stoke

South Africa

Who are they?

This is the first World Cup that they've appeared in since they hosted the 2010 edition of the tournament. They also haven't had much success in recent editions of the African Cup of Nations, but they managed to qualify to the World Cup after eliminatig strong steams such as Ivory Coast and DR Congo in the third group stage. They are a dangerous team going forward, with their physical strikers posing a lot of questions to opposing defenses. Their best player is Las Palmas striker Kamva Zondo. The 23 year old scored 15 goals in La Liga after joining at the start of the season. He was the main reason why his team finished 16th and wasn't relegated. He is supported by the service of Siyabonga Ngcobo down the right wing. The winger spent last season on loan at Gladbach, managing 4 goals and 4 assists in 15 starts. The squad is solid all around, though the backup defenders leave a lot to be desired. The main issue is that this is a solid team without obvious weaknesses or incredible strengths in a group where all their opponents have world class players. They could finish anywhere from 4th to 2nd in this group. However, they've got a relatively young team and if they don't find success in this tournament, they could come back stronger for the next edition.

The Manager

Julius Dube has been in charge for 9 years and has developed a lot of these players into the succesful side they are today. He's actually managed to win 65% of all the games he has played during this period, despite not having the strongest team in his region. Before being in charge of the national team, the 60 year old had a long career in the top two divisions of South Africa. He favors a counter attacking 4-4-2 formation which gets the best out of the star players in his team.

Biggest strength - the strikers

So Kamva Zondo is a name known to most football fans around the world. He came through Barcelona's academy and was labeled as the next big thing when he was 16. He had a few appearances where he looked fantastic for Los Cules, but his negative attitude caused him to fall out with the manager. He had loan spells at Braga and Villarreal where he didn't look bothered and was again cited for having a negative attitude by the managers. However, he's looked completely differed since joining Las Palmas for 450k at the beginning of last season. He single handedly kept the team up and has shown why people thought he could go to the very top all those years ago. Zondo is a very strong player and good in the air, so he is likely to play as a target man with another player looking to play off the shoulder of the last man. During qualifying, this player has been Siyabonga Ndwandwe. The 26 year old has great pace and scored 11 goals in Ligue Un last year. However, in the last couple of months, 22 year old Paulos Moloi has come into the picture. The Watford striker spent last season on loan at Mainz, where he scored 17 goals and looked extremely threatening with his pace. It remains to be seen whether Dube will choose the safe option in Ndwandwe or trust in the inexperienced but flashy Moloi.

Biggest Weakness - lack of world class talent

The problem with South Africa is that their team is distinctly average. They lack players who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and carry their team on their shoulders. While Zondo is definitely their best player, he wouldn't start for any of the other teams in their group. They are overly reliant on him pulling something out of a hat, but his known attitude and motivation problems make him unreliable. However, if we can see the best version of Zondo in the tournament, they are likely to exit the group.

Notable absences - Rodney Mavasa, Tebogo Hlatshwayo

Everyone was surprised when Dube didn't call up Hlatshwayo. the 20 year old Watford midfielder showed a lot of promise last season, scoring 4 goals and getting 8 assists in 30 Championship games. He never stops running, and would give Ngcobo a fight for his starting spot on the right wing. The fact that he isn't even in the squad is inexplicable. Another big absence is Aston Villa's Mavasa. While the 31 year old only started 8 Premier League games last season, he still has a lot of experience. Maybe he wouldn't start in the current iteration of the squad, but he is definitely a better player than Siyanda Ndovlu, the 4th choice striker included in the squad.

Predicted line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Mduduzi Halele, 28, Sundowns
DR: Wendelle Mdluli, 23, Dinamo Bucuresti
DC: Lindokuhle Motaung, 29, Al-Ahly (KSA)
DC: Joel Nzelani, 23, Dinamo Bucuresti
DL: Sifiso Mbele, 22, Westerlo
MR: Siyabongo Ngcobo, 24, Benfica
MC: Mondli Themeli, 26, Sevilla
MC: Tumelo Nkosi, 30, Al-Ahly (KSA)
ML: Patrick Mokgatle, 24, Sundowns
ST: Kamva Zondo, 23, Las Palmas
ST: Paulos Moloi, 22, Watford

Spain

Who are they?

Spain is one of the heavy favorites to win this tournaments. They've won 3 of the last 4 European Championships, only failing to win the 2032 edition after a disastrous round of 16 exit at the hands of Denmark. They haven't been as successful in the World Cup. Their best run came 8 years ago in 2030, where they lost in the final against suprise winners Peru. Only 3 members of that squad are present in the current iteration, but they still contain a plethora of experience and talent. In VfB Oldeburg's Jorge Galan and Schalke's Juan Carlos, they've got 2 of the best 3 left wingers in the world. However, Galan has been featuring as a supporting striker rather than as a winger for the national team. On the other side, Southampton's Gorka Martinez is definitely one of the top 5 right wingers in the world, if not better. Reading's Ruben Sanchez is arguably the best deep lying playmaker in the world. With such talent in the midfield, it is difficult to think of many teams who could withstand their offense. However, their weakness lies in the fullbacks. Both starting full-backs, Man Utd's Paulino Pulido and Real Madrid's Chema Fajardo, are wingers by nature who can fill it at full-back. This makes them a huge attacking threat but a liability at the back against stronger team. In the 2034 World Cup they were eliminated by the Czech Republic in the quarter finals, who are in their group. The Spaniards will certainly be looking for revenge.

The Manager

Jesus Sanchez took charge after the 2034 World Cup and led the team to the Euro 2036 title. They also had a perfect record in during qualifying and conceded 0 goals. However, Sanchez has faced criticism regarding his tactics. Critics say that his simplistic 4-4-2 doesn't take advantage of the players at his disposal and leaves the side exposed at the back. However, it's hard to agree with that assessment considering the results they've had. The team has looked shaky at times, losing against Scotland and the Czech Republic in the group stage of Euro 2036. They still managed to qualify as a third placed team and win the entire tournament though. In the Confederations Cup, they were humiliated 3-0 by Brazil in the groups before losing to eventual winners Germany in the semi finals. So the team has looked vulnerable at times, but dominating in other ocassions.

Biggest strength - the midfield

While Ruben Sanchez, Gorka Martinez, Jorge Galan, and Juan Carlos are some of the best, if not the best, in the world at their role, the rest of the midfield contains a lot of quality as well. Real Madrid's Ekaitz Uriarte is an amazingly creative attacking midfielder who can play on the right, left, or center, and he is likely to start alongside Sanchez in the middle. They've got VfB Oldenburgs Emilio Vargas and Real Madrid's experienced playmaker Pepe Carchenilla on the bench, so depth isn't an issue. On the right, they've got Napoli's Ismael Quesada on the bench. The 29 year old scored 16 goals and had 19 assists in Serie A as Napoli strolled to the title. It speaks to the strength of this team that Quesada only has 21 caps in his entire career. Real Madrid's Gorka Martinez, the starting right back for this Spain team, was also considered one of the best wingers in the world before he moved to right back 2 years ago. He can still be a threat on the right wing if they need him to play further forward. The same can be said about the left-full back, Paulino Pulido. The Man Utd man started his career as a left winger, but moved further down to play as an attacking full-back when the team switched to playing a narrow diamond 4-4-2. However, he can still fill in as left winger if needed. No other team can boast three world class players on either wing.

Biggest weakness - the defense

It's tough to look for weaknesses in such a stacked team, but the area which is likely to bear the most scrutiny are the fullbacks. 29 year old Chema Fajardo on the right and 28 year old Paulino Pulido on the left were considered world class wingers a few years ago, but have switched to full-back due to managerial changes in their respective teams that opted to play without wingers. They still are an extreme attacking threat, but they've never been known for their defensive solidity. While Fajardo has been working on the defensive side of his game and become a decent tackler and marker, he still isn't a top tier defender. On the other hand, Pulido is atrocious at tackling and tracking back. This is definitely the most exploitable area of the team. The central defense also leaves a lot to be desired. Man Utd's world class holding midfielder Kepa Alonso is the first choiice center back for Spain. He does a good job as a central defender, but he's not the most comfortable in that role. Real Madrid's Samuel Appiah is the other center back expected to start. The 22 year old is a solid player with a bright future, but he's probably the weakest player in the entire starting line up. Still, he is likely to be the only member of the back line starting in his preferred position.

Biggest Absences - Robert Rodriguez, Antonio David

It's crazy to think that Sanchez has decied to omit legendary striker Robert Rodriguez. The 36 year old has managed to score 178 goals in 159 caps for Spain, and despite not being first choice at Southampton anymore, he managed 14 goals in 23 games last season, of which only 6 were starts. It's crazy to think that he wasn't included when Spain have got Jorge Galan starting out of position as a striker nest to Albert Carillo up front. It's worse when you consider that the two backup strikers, Real Madrid's Carlos Amat and Roma's Roque Araujo, have scored less goals than Rodriguez last season despite being regular starters for their clubs. Another huge absence is FC Bayern's Antonio David. The 34 year old defensive midfielder has been instrumental in getting his team to the last three Champions League finals, though they haven't managed to win any of them. He has earned himself a move to PSG because he's still at the top of his game despite his age. He is also very comfortabe playing as a central defender, which makes his omission strange considering that they're playing a different midfielder, Kepa Alonso, as a starting center back. While there will always be high profile omissions in a squad with the options that Spain have available, there is no excuse not to have included these two players.

Predicted line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Antonio Molina, 33, Man Utd
DR: Chema Fajardo, 29, Real Madrid
DC: Kepa Alonso, 23, Man Utd
DC: Samuel Appiah, 22, Real Madrid
DL: Paulino Pulido, 28, Man Utd
MR: Gorka Martinez, 22, Southampton
MC: Ruben Sanches, 26, Reading
MC: Ekaitz Uriarte, 26, Real Madrid
ML: Juan Carlos, 28, Schalke
ST: Albert Carrillo, 23, Barcelona
ST: Jorge Galan, 23, VfB Oldenburg

The United States

Who are they?

The United States have returned to the world's biggest stage after missing out on the 2034 tournament. However, they've probably only qualified due to the fact that Mexico is the host. This is a squad that possesses a couple of very good players, some average players, and a lot of players who leave a lot to be desired. This particular iteration of their team is particularly weak, having lost last years edition of the Gold Cup to Mexico's B squad while the main Mexican squad was competing in the Confederations Cup. They finished a distant third in CONCACAF qualifying. They had 13 points; 9 fewer than second placed Jamaica and 17 fewer than first placed Costa Rica. This is particularly egregious considering that Mexico, the regions best team, is hosting the tournament and didn't participate in the qualifying. Despite their limitations, the team plays a tactic that's been designed to highlight their star players. On a good day, they can pose a threat to anyone. Celtic's 29 year old winger Nick Sandoval may never have reached the heights he promised during his early career at VfB Oldenburg, but he is still skillful with the ball at his feet and an accurate crosser of the ball. In the center of the pitch, Ipswich's young 22 year old creative midfielder Charlie Coates has shown himself to be a Premier League caliber player. He is surely destined to go to the top of the game. We can add this to a solid defense composed of players in European leagues. However, most expect them to duke it out with South Africa for the third spot in the group. The team has potential, but many say that they are being held back by questionable managerial decisions.

The Manager - James Rudd

Rudd took over after the team was defeated in the 2033 Gold Cup quarter finals by Honduras. However, he didn't have the desired effect on the team. He managed not to win any of the remaining 4 games that team had in World Cup qualifiers and finished fourth, making the playoffs. In this match they were trounced 6-0 by the then world cup holders Peru. Times have been tough for Rudd ever since the shock of failing to qualify, and most assume he kept his job because no better candidates were willing to replace him. They bowed out of the 2035 Gold Cup in the semi final stage after losing to Canada, and in the 2037 edition they were embarrasingly defeated by Mexico's B team. The US clearly lacks the quality of players that they had a decade ago, while competition in their region have certainly stepped up their game. However, their are a lot of notable absences in this squad. He seems to favor players in MLS and once he cuts someone from the squad, they rarely seem to get back in. This is certainly a problem considering how many good players have missed out on his team for arguably substandard choices. His current tactical setup seems to rely on Nick Sandoval to create something out of nothing on the right wing, which doesn't inspire much confidence. There are better options available to him, but he just seems to fall out with players time and time again.

Biggest Strength - The defense.

The squad certainly has a strong foundation to build on. Their captain, 31 year old Mohamed Hussain, has played the entirety of his career in the Bundesliga. He currently is the starting centerback of Gladbach, having spent 4 years at Dortmund and 5 years and Wolfsburg before that. He is known for his great pace and strength, though he is a bit of a liability in the air. For this reason, he has been playing effectively as a right full back for his country. In the middle, Lyon's Francisco Robles is likely to feature. The 20 year old has been a fixture on the team sheet for his club side, and he also started his career in Germany. Originally from Schalke's academy, he'd go on to feature for Hamburg for 5 years before moving to Lyon in 2036. Robles' partner in the center is Michael Arriola. The 29 year old centerback currently is one of Atletico Madrid's starting centerbacks, though he played at Leicester and Wolfsburg before that. This is definitely an extremly solid foundation for the team. Left back is a little bit less reliable, with the starter being Toronto's Phil Cooper. the 24 year old has a very solid read of the game and possesses great pace. However, he is a liability with the ball at his feet. He can tackle and mark, but dribbling and passing seem out of his comfort zone. However, he is a reliable defensive full back.

Biggest Weakness - Striker

Gone are the days of fearing the US's front line. How they yearn for a player of Ric Evert's skill again. While Evert had a storied career at the likes of Tottenham, Reading, and PSG and collected multiple league medals and 2 Champions League victories, now the US is stuck with Luis Cisneros. Originally touted as a star for the future and signed by VfB Oldenburg as a teenager, he never really delivered on his potential. He had a four year spell at 1860 Munchen were he never managed to hit double figures in the German second tier, and now he plies his trade at Columbus in the MLS. He isn't particularly fast, strong, or good in the air. He doesn't really excel at anything really, which makes him an extremely bland option up front. However, he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. The same cannot be said for the other two striking options in the team. His backup is New York's Josh Santiago. The 23 year old is very quick and a deadly finisher, but he seems to trip over himself when dribbling, seems to always make the wrong decision, and has non existent work rate. Emmanuel Alvarez Calvo, the third choice striker, is also a good finisher, though he lacks speed. He's good with the ball at his feet as well and keeps calm under pressure, but his nonexistent physical presence means he rarely impacts games. The worst part is that the US clearly had some better strikers available, but they chose not to call them up.

Biggest Absences - John Cartwright, Bill Robinson, Bryan Watson, Nathan Wilson, Richard Bacon, Michael Seth, Jordan Hart Matthew Crespo, Brian Waters-Kinnersley

Okay, where to begin. There are so many good players that would walk into this US team that have not made the squad. They can be put into 3 categories.

First are former stars who lost trust in the manager. These would be Chelsea's 33 year old right back John Cartwright and Arsenal's 34 year old midfielder Bill Robinson. Despite their age, both of these players are still playing at a high level and both have won league titles and Champions League titles during their times at VfB Oldenburg and Reading respectively. However, both stated they would never play under Rudd again after the humiliation of not qualifying to the 2034 World Cup. This is extremly damaging, considering that Cartwright is probably the best American player by far at this moment, and probably the most skilled right back out of all the players that are in Group C.

The second group are young players who couldn't be convinced to pledge their allegiance to the United States team. Bryan Watson and Michael Seth have opted to wait to be called up by England rather than commit to the US, while Nathan Wilson and Richard bacon are hoping to be called up by Germany. These are all players who were born in the US and emigrated to Europe, but they don't trust the potential of the current team. 22 year old Watson is a strong defensive midfielder who's earned himself a starting role at Liverpool. Nathan Wilson is a 22 year old creative midfielder who has been a starter for Freiburg for the past 2 years. These two are better than any midfielder in the American squad at the moment. Richard Bacon is a 20 year old center back who has broken into the Hoffenheim team this past year, starting all 34 of the team's league games. While center back is the Americans' strongest position, he's certainly got potential and would be an asset on the bench. Finally, Michael Seth has been a revelation at Brighton this past season after joining from Reading. The 20 year old possesses blinding pace and it's incredible that he hasn't made the squad. He's arguably better than Nick Sandoval, the starting winger.

The final group is the most egregious. These are players who are available for the US and willing to play, but they simply have not been called up. Leicester's 24 year old left winger Jordan Hart has been criminally omitted. Rudd said that he didn't include him because he only started 3 games in the Premier League last season, which seems like a good explanation on the surface. However, the starting left winger of the squad is Rio Ave's Jay Groves, who only started 2 games for his team in a much worse division. Worst of all, there are no other players capable of playing as a left winger on the squad, which makes Hart's omission even more perplexing. The next two players that have been omitted are strikers. Brian Waters-Kinnersley was the American striker after the retirement of Evert, and he was very deadly in his heyday. The 33 year old has spent 12 years at Ingolstadt and still managed to score 13 goals in the Bundesliga last season. While his pace has mostly gone, he is still a better technical player and has a better read of the game than Luis Cisneros, who is the current starting striker. The other omission is Freiburg's 31 year old Matthew Crespo. He has spent his entire 16 year career at Freiburg, and he used to be the backup choice behind Waters-Kinnersley. However, Crespo still is in top physical condition. He is fast and and a good finisher, with great off the ball movement, though is dribbling ability lets him down sometimes. He is unarguably the best American striker at the moment, and there is literally no explanation as to why he has missed this squad.

Predicted line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Marco Amboni, 33, New England
DR: Mohamed Hussain, 31, Gladbach
DC: Michael Arriola, 29, Atletico
DC: Francisco Robles, 29, Lyon
DL: Phil Cooper, 24, Toronto
MC: Charlie Coates, 22, Ipswich
MC: Mark Thomas, 24, PSV
AMR: Nick Sandoval, 29, Celtic
AMC: Craig Ukrop, 28, Sporting Kansas City
AML: Jay Groves, 28, Rio Ave
ST: Luis Cisneros, 27, Columbus

[(FM17) World Cup 2038!]

Football24/7's Guide to the World Cup: 2038 Edition
Group B - No Suprises

The Netherlands

Who are they?

The Netherlands qualified to this tournament easily, only losing a single game to Wales. They finished 3rd in the 2030 edition of the tournament, but failed to qualify in 2034. However, their current crop of players is not as skilled as previous generations and Total Football seems like nothing more than a fever dream. They lost in the quarter finals of Euro 2036 against eventual winners Spain, but they've looked poor in general against top tier teams. The hopes of the nation rest on the shoulders of 32 year old striker Daniel Dzepar, who's entire 16 year career has been spent at Barcelona. While he's lost a few yards of pace, he is still a deadly striker and the best player on this side. They've also got some very skilled creative midfielders, like Juventus' Joey Plezier, Dortmund's Federico Vercauteren, and Man City's Joop Theuns. However, their defense and goalkeeper are extremely suspect and likely to crumble at the slightest pressure. For this reason, the Netherlands is known to press and keep the ball on the other team's side of the pitch, allowing their midfielders to do the work and keep the defense from becoming involved. Still, the opposition in this group is rather tame, and they should have no problems reaching the 2nd round.

The Manager

Benjamin Van Leer took charge of the national team after their exit in Euro 2036. So far, he's managed to get them relegated from Division A of the European Nations League after losing every single game in a group containing Germany and Denmark. While he did top his qualifying group with ease, the opposition wasn't of very high caliber. Before that, he was in charge of AZ Alkmaar for 6 years, consistently finishing between 3rd and 5th and getting into the latter stages of the Europa League. he is known for favoring attacking football

    
Biggest Strength - Daniel Dzepar

The Barcelona striker is the most important player for this team. He's got 78 goals in 91 caps and has scored more than 20 league goals for Barcelona during the last 10 seasons. He is their premier attacking threat and a leader on the pitch. It also helps that he's got Theuns and Vercauteren providing service for him. As long as the midfielders can get the ball to him, he's likely to get his team on the scoresheet.

Biggest Weakness - Reliance on Daniel Dzepar, the defense

Relying on only one player is a huge problemm for Netherlands. When teams are able to shut Dzepar down, the Dutch threat evaporates. This is further compounded by the lack of attacking options on the bench. If Dzepar is having a bad game, there is likely no replacement that can make an impact. 34 year old Mustafa Colak is the second choice striker. He used to be Dzepar's strike partner at Barcelona, but he's been playing at Al-Ahly for the past 4 years. Marseille's 30 year old Nikki van der Ende is another striker in the squad, but he's never managed more than 15 league goals in a season in his 12 years in Ligue Un. Finally, the defense is extremely porous. The starting left back is PSV's 22 year old center back Amin Messaoudi. He's looked extremely out of his depth in the pre-tournament friendlies. The other left back option in the squad is Kobenhavn's 32 year old Yassine Splinter, who hasn't fared much better. Apart from Dortmund's Kees Meijer, the other 3 center halves in this squad have been error prone and consistently caught out by top tier opposition. A team that targets Dzepar and focuses the soft defense will have no problems defeating this side.

Notable absences - Marciano van Staa

The 33 year old former Arsenal striker is currently playing for Basel, but he's been on scintillating form. Many believe he should've been included in the squad over Mustafa Colak. While he may be past his prime, he's certainly got something to offer off the bench.

Predicted line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Timon Nijkamp, 30, Club Brugge
DR: Christy Kunst, 24, Barcelona
DC: Kees Meijer, 29, Dortmund
DC: Bert Verweij, 24, Westerlo
DL: Amin Messaoudi, 22, PSV
MC: Federico Vercauteren, 23, Dortmund
MC: Pieter Langeveld, 25, HSV
AMR: Jan Pol, 26, Arsenal
AMC: Joop Theuns, 25, Man City
AML: Stanley Been, 30, Sevilla
ST: Daniel Dzepar, 32, Barcelona

New Zealand

Who are they?

The Kiwis qualified after defaeting UAE in the playoffs for this tournament. However, they are one of the weakest squads, if not the weakest, in the entire tournament. Honestly, they are just making up the numbers and will hope not to be humiliated in their matches. The majority of their players are employed in the ASB Premiership, with a few of them contracted to teams in the A-League. Their star player, midfielder Rob Pearce, is the captain of MLS side Portland. Pearce is probably the only player in this squad who can cause problems for opposing teams, but the support structure for him just isn't there.

The Manager

Geoff Fraser has been in charge for a little under a year. He took over when Michael Smith, the previous manager, resigned after being shellacked in their 3 Confederations Cup games. Fraser favors a defensive 4-3-3 formation, hoping to catch teams on the counter. Before being appointed as the manager of New Zealand, he served as a coach for the national team for 4 years.

Biggest Strength - Rob Pearce

The 29 year old is the captain of MLS side Portland and has been voted player of the year for the past 7 years. He has a keen eye for a pass and is an extremely creative player.

Biggest Weakness - Goalkeeper

The current starting goalkeeper for New Zealand is 19 year old Shane Fleming. He has had good showings for Hamilton Wanderers in the ASB Premiership, but he is simply too raw to be playing at this level. Unfortunately, the other options aren't better.

Notable Absences - None

There is a clean bill of health for the Kiwis. Unfortunately, even with all their players healthy, they are likely to suffer heavy defeats in this tournament.

Predicted line-up: 4-3-3
(name, age, club)

GK: Shane Fleming, 19, Hamilton Wanderers
DR: Daniel Adams, 30, Hawke's Bay
DC: Tim Bruin, 25, Wellington Pheonix
DC: Peter Baker, 26, Wellington Phoenix
DL: Paul Hogg, 27, Auckland City
DM: Rob Pearce, 29, Portland
MC: Daniel Pearce, 24, Melbourne Victory
MC: Nick Jones, 21, Hawke's Bay
AMR: Aaron Baker, 23, Aris
AML: Andrew Morgan, 27, Auckland City
ST: Paul Greene, 32, Al-Qadisiyah

Tunisia

Who are they?

This is Tunisia's first appearance at the world cup since 2018. They're captained by Chelsea center back Naim Chahed and can count on a plethora of players with experience in European leagues. They finished 3rd in the 2037 edition of the African Cup of Nations and are generally considered a team on the rise. They've got a decent strike force with Burnley's Khemiri, Lyon's Harbaou, and Watford's Ben Sassi. The multitude of options they have up front should trouble any teams they face. However, they severyly lack depth in all the other positions. They are predicted to finish third, though sneaking into second place could be possible if results go their way.

The Manager

Naim Sliti retired from his playing career in 2027, got his coaching badges, and promptly became the Tunisia u20s manager in 2028. He had this post for 5 years and was promoted to manager of the senior squad in 2033 after the team failed to get out of the groups in the African Cup of Nations. He is responsible for getting many of these players started in international football during his stint in the u20s, but he is considered to be tactically naive.

Biggest strength - The spine of the team

While Naim Chahed might be by far the best player, this side is very strong through the center of the pitch. In midfield, Ipswich's Walid Darraji is the enforcer in charge of stopping all attacks. And finally, up front, any of the three strikers they select will cause problems for any team. Hamdi Harbaou is a strong, lumbering player who will hold the ball and play in his teammates, while both Rami Khemiri and Amir Ben Sassi like to play off the shoulder of the last defender and run onto through balls.

Biggest weakness - the left flank

The weakest part of this side is the wide players. While the center may be strong, the flanks leave a lot to be desired, in particular the left side. Their starting left back is Toulouse's 32 year old Rami Mejri, who only recorded 1 appearance in the league last season. However, they've got no one better than him. The other option is 29 year old Amine Trabelsi, who only played 12 games for AS Marsa in Tunisia's top tier last season. The left wing situation is a little better. Their first choice is FCSB's Aymen Gaaloui, who only managed 4 assists in 28 Romanian first division games. His backup is Mhoez Mhirsi, who played a bit part role for ES Tunis in the Tunisian first tier. Overall, the left side of the pitch is a huge problem for this team.

Notable Absences - None

There is a clean bill of health and no one is missing for Tunisia.

Predicted line-up: 4-5-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Hamdi Ben Belgacem, 33, Trabzonspor
DR: Hammouda Bedoui, 21, Genk
DC: Naim Chahed, 24, Chelsea
DC: Ali Derbali, 28, Basel
DL: Rami Mejri, 31, Toulouse
MR: Raouf Jaziri, 29, Besiktas
MC: Walid Darraji, 28, Ipswich
MC: Haythem Mechergui, 23, Nice
MC: Youssef Ben Belgacem, 29, Celta
ML: Aymen Gaaloui, 23, FCSB
ST: Hamdi Harbaoui, 28, Lyon

Uruguay

Who are they?

Uruguay finished 2nd in the South American qualifiers, only 1 point behind Argentina and 10 points ahead of distant 3rd Brazil. However, previous to that, they didn't do so well. In the 2035 Copa America, they were eliminated in the quarter final by Venezuela, and in the 2034 World Cup, they lost in the round of 16 to China. Still, this is a team that contains a handful of superstars and is one of the most exciting attacking teams in the tournament. They are captaind by Cristian Ipata, who is arguably the best right back in the entire world, and have a lot of top tier attacking talent. They will definitely qualify out of this group, and many are making them favorites to win the group.

The Manager

59 year old Ivan Alonso has been in charge of the senior squad since 2031, after Uruguay failed qualify out of the Copa America group stages. He favors an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation with attacking full-backs, which was a complete change of philosophy from Uruguay's traditional defense first mentality. Before that, he managed Nacional in the Uruguayan top tier, where he was able to win 2 titles in 3 years.

Biggest Strength - The right wing

With arguably the best right back in the world, and one of the top 5 as back up, the right flank of Uruguay is one to be feared. Cristian Ipata is most likely to be deployed on the left of the defense, but the player expected to start on the right is no slouch. Rodrigo Mendez earned a big money move to Stuttgart after spending 2 years and West ham, and the 23 year old made a huge impact. His marauding runs down the right helped Stuttgart finish second in the Bundesliga against all expectations. Nicolas Aguirre of FC Bayern will be starting ahead of him. The 27 year old winger has been a fixture on the Bayern team sheet, and has played in the last 3 Champion's League finals. Bayern managed to lose all three of those, but surely that will only make him more hungry for success.

Biggest Weakness - central defense

For a country with such a long history and tradition of producing world class center backs, currently it is slim pickings for Uruguay. Rapid Wien's Jorge Duarte and Basel's Alejandro Castellini are likely to be the starting partnership, and this pairing wouldn't inspire confidence in anyone. This is particularly exacerbated when you consider that both of their starting full backs are known for their attacking qualities, which means the center backs are likely to be exposed time and time again.

Notable Absences - None

Clean bill of health for Uruguay.

Predicted line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Federico Preza, 31, Roma
DR: Rodrigo Mendez, 23, Stuttgart
DC: Jorge Duarte, 32, Rapid Wien
DC: Alejandro Castellini, 27, Basel
DL: Cristian Ipata, 29, Reading
MC: Mauricio Alonso, 30, Middlesbrough
MC: German Cauteruccio, 27, Newcastle
AMR: Nicolas Aguirre, 27, FC Bayern
AMC: Lucas Rodriguez, 22, Everton
AML: Sebastian Da Silva, 27, Sevilla
ST: Claudio Paiva, 27, Sao Paulo

Who do you guys think tops the group, Uruguay or the Netherlands?

[(FM17) World Cup 2038!]

Hey guys, how are you. I've been playing my old FM2017 save for about 4 years now, with 8 player managers in the year 2038. I always like to keep track of the World Cup, and decided to write some coverage of it as if it were the real competition. This is from a journalist's perspective, as I don't control any of the teams in this competition. I am merely an observer. Let's see if you can guess which teams I control from the reports

This is done with the default database with no changes, though I don't think it matters by 2038. All leagues from all countries are playable. Let me know if you have any questions!!

 

Football24/7's Guide to the World Cup: 2038 Edition
Group A

Mexico

Who are they?

The hosts head into this competition in one of the worst states in recent history. They're ranked 35th in the Fifa standings and lost the latest edition of the Gold Cup to the United States. Their recent friendly performances have been nothing to write home about, with draws against Costa Rica and China. El Tri has some strong players, with the pick of the lot being Reading's Gerardo Saavedra, a 26 year old enganche, and Roma's Roberto Uribe, a 23 year old Wide Forward. However, the manager has opted to play a very simple flat 4-4-2, which doesn't take advantage of the skillset of their superstars. Also, 12 of the players in this squad ply their trade in the Mexican league, and it remains to be seen how they fare against opposition with European experience. However, they do have a solid team with decent depth, so a deep run into the tournament is not out of the question. However, the biggest hurdle will be to get out of a group with very strong opposition.

The Manager

Rodolfo Pizarro amassed 100 caps for the Mexican national team in a storied career that had him play at the likes of Sevilla. He was handed the job at the national team after the loss to the United States in the 2035 Gold Cup final. His previous experience is his 6 years as the Mexican u20s manager, during which he managed to win the u20 World Cup in 2033 and the CONCACAF u20 championship in 3 separate occassions. Many of the players he brought through the u20 squad now form the spine of the senior team, and they all swear by him. However, many pundits believe that he is tactically naive and that his 4-4-2 formation will be exposed on the world's biggest stage.

Biggest Strength - The right wing and central midfield

With Roma's Roberto Uribe as a right winger and Man Utd's Jesus Nava playing behind him at right back, Mexico pose an extreme threat down the right side of the pitch. With Saavedra playing as a right central midfielder and spreading the ball to Uribe, most teams will struggle to defend. Next to Saavedra, 21 year old Alberto Garza is expected to start. He's an extremely fast, extremly tough tackler known for his defensive work.     

Biggest Weakness - Players out of their favored position

Despite having a group of extremely talented players, the 4-4-2 formation presented by the manager does not get the best out of them. Saavedra prefers playing behind the strikers and getting into the box, not further back. Uribe enjoys playing wide on the right and cutting inside, not next to the central midfielders. Garza prefers to play right in front of the center backs, not further forward. El Tri's performance has been unimpressive during the friendlies leading up to the competition, and they haven't played any qualifiers since they are the hosts. Many suspect that the tactic will be exposed by other managers.

Notable absences - Brian Lopez

The 32 year old PSG striker scored 20 goals in 32 appearances this season, but he was overlooked for the final squad. Lopez has been critical of Pizarro's tactics in the past, but no one expected him to be omitted from the squad. While he may no longer be PSG's starting striker or Mexico's best player, he is certainly their most experienced striker. Their next best forward is Liverpool's Zaplain, but the 23 year old only started 9 games last season. The rest of the forwards are all plying their trade in Mexico, which begs the question: Where will the goals come from?

Predicted line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Jose Rodriguez, 29, Sao Paulo
DR: Jesus Nava, 24, Man Utd
DC: Luis Teja, 25, Chivas
DC: Paulo de la Vega, 25, Chivas
DL: Alain Villalva, 26, America (MEX)
MR: Roberto Uribe, 23, Roma
MC: Gerardo Saavedra, 25, Reading
MC: Alberto Garza, 21, Guimaraes
ML: Valentin Escobedo, 24, Leon
ST: Hector Zaplain, 23, Liverpool
ST: Tomas Escobar, 25, America (MEX)

Japan

Who are they?

Japan are one of the dark horses for this tournament. In 2034, they reached the quarter finals before being knocked out by eventual winners Germany. 4 years later, many of the young players who formed part of that team are now in their prime. The current squad boasts multiple players holding starting roles in the top teams in Europe, so expecations are high this time around. They've got two top-tier right backs in VfB Oldenburg's Tomohiro Shimizu and FC Bayern's Kazuhito Nakayama. Either of these players would start on the majority of the teams in this tournament. In addition, they've got Oldenburg's captain Ryota Ikeda on the right wing, Reading's Kazunari Kagoduchi in central defence, Stuttgart's Kohei Shimizu at right back, etc. All of these players have key roles in their respective teams, with multiple years of experience in the Champion's League. This squad is primed to go far in the tournament. Many expect the Japanese to qualify out of this group, and finishing first is not out of the question.

The Manager
Yoshihiko Shimura has been Japan's manager since 2032. Their amazing run into the latter stages in the World Cup of 2034 only helped cement his position as a Japanese Icon. He prefers a simple 4-4-2 formation, which seems to suit the players that he has at his disposal. He is well liked by all the players and respected by all sides in Japan. People are just waiting to see him work his magic again.

Biggest Strength - The fullbacks
Japan has superstar players on both sides of their midfield and defence. Oldenburg's Tomohiro Shimizu is one of the best attacking fullbacks in the Bundesliga, and his teammate Ryota Ikeda is probably the second best right winger playing in Germany today. They've won 2 Bundesliga titles and 1 Champion's league title during their time together at Oldenburg, and they're likely to continue terrorizing defences on the international stage. On the bench, Kazuhito Nakayama sits waiting. The 24 year old has been Bayern's starting right back for the past 3 years, and PSG are said to be interested in signing him. Very few teams boast such depth in this position. On the other side, we've got Stuttgart's Kohei Shimizu at left back. He was one of the rocks of the team as they were able to subvert all expectations and finish in 2nd place last season. His backup is Werder Bremen's 24 year old Shuhei Kawano, who showed great defensive nous as his team finished 5th in the Bundesliga.

Biggest Weakness - Height, depth at central defense
As always seems to be the case, the height of the Japanese players works against them. As one of the shortest teams in the competition, they will struggle to deal with aerial threats. Their tallest center back, Kazunari Kagoduchi, stands at 182 cm tall. The rest of the central defenders stand at 176 cm, 170 cm, and 172 cm respectively. This could be easily exploited by most teams. While 24 year old Kagoduchi is a starter at reading and has a Premier League winner's medal and 2 Champion's league titles to his name, the rest of his central defence partners lack such accolades. His starting partner is likely to be 30 year old Katsuya Otsuka, who spent last season with Stoke City in the second tier. Their third choice centre back, who also doubles as a midfield player, is Mitsinuri Otsuka. He is currently without a club after a torrid season at Celtic last year. And finally, the fourth choice center back is 35 year old Masahiro Noda, who's best days are well behind him. It remains to be seen if the rest of this star studded team can cover for this glaring weakness.

Notable absences - Daiki Oda
Dinamo Moscow's 28 year old left winger will miss the tournament with a muscle injury. He is Japan's #1 choice at left wing and his understudy, Mun Yong-Chol, leaves a lot to be desired.

Predicted line-up: 4-4-2
(name, age, club)

GK: Shimon Niwa, 26, Montpellier
DR: Tomohiro Shimizu, 27, VfB Oldenburg
DC: Kazunari Kagoduchi 24, Reading
DC: Katsuya Otzuka, 30, Stoke
DL: Kohei Shimizu, 27, Stuttgart
MR: Ryota Ikeda, 28, VfB Oldenburg
MC: Tetsuya Sato, 29, Chelsea
MC: Kazueki Ueki, 29, Benfica
ML: Mun Yong-Chol, 23, Jeju
ST: Yutaka Wakasugi, 30, Sporting
ST: Hideaki Honda, 28, Norwich

Portugal

Who are they?
Portugal is considered one of the strongest European sides, and they reached the Semi Final of Euro 2036, where they suffered elimination at the hands of suprise package Romania. The Portuguese side has one of the deepest talent pools at midfield in the tournament, though their defense leaves something to be desired. Still, they are one of the most fun attacking sides to watch in the tournament. When they play, it's a guarantee that goals will be scored at both ends. They are the favorites to win group A, though it remains to be seen if they can meet expectations. Many are hoping to see what 23 year old Fernando Nogueira will bring to the table. The deep-lying playmaker has been one of the stars of Southampton in recent years, and played an integral part in the squad winning both the Premier League and Champion's League this past season.

The Manager
Filipe Coelho has been in charge since 2033. He was the mastermind behind the semi final run to Euro 2034 and favors attacking football. Before being hired by Portugal, he was constantly punching above his weight during stints at Braga and Nacional da Madeira. He's definitely brought a change of ideology to Portugal, who tended to play very defensive football and focused on counter attacks. He enjoys pushing forward and takes advantage of Portugals talent pool in his 4-2-3-1 formaton.

Biggest strength - Midfield
While Fernando Nogueira is clearly the superstar of this squad, the rest of the midfield also shines bright. PSG's Enrique Peseiro is likely to play in front of Nogueira, right behind the striker. He is a player with a fantastic eye for a pass and managed to rack up 14 assists last season. Next to Nogueira, 34 year old Rui Arraiolos is likely to start. He's had a long career at the likes of Southampton, VfB Oldenburg, and PSG. Two days ago, he signed a contract to move from PSG to Minnesota United in the MLS, but he was still a dominant force last year in Ligue Un. He is also a deep lying playmaker with great creativity. While he may have lost a lot of his pace, if the rest of his team is able to protect him, he's sure to cause problems for any team. On the right wing is Real Sociedad's Rodrigo Batista. The 22 year old managed 10 goals and 10 assists from the right wing last season, and there are rumors that Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested in his services. On the other side, we've got Liverpool's Francisco Goncalvez. Due to injuries, he didn't feature much the last year, but he is extremely fast and very skilled with the ball at his feet. The passing ability, vision, and dribbling of this group of players is extremly high. Much is expected of this group.

Biggest Weakness - Left back and striker.
To say that the left backs of Portugal are lacking is high praise. Their starting left back is likely to be Manuel Vieira, who plays his football at Anderlecht. He would struggle to shine in the English second-tier, much less on the international stage. The back up option, who has seen some games in the pre tournament friendlies, is promising full back Ivo Djalo of Real Madrid. The 20 year old has shown flashes of brilliance in his limited appearances this season. The problem is that he prefets to play on the right, not the left, and his reading of the game still needs a lot of work. This is the area to target in this Portugal team, particulary since the full backs are exposed in the 4-2-3-1 formation. The other issue is a lack of goals. The first choice striker is 31 year old Samuel Moreira, who scored 26 goals in 37 appearances at Juventus last year. The only problem is that he hasn't been able to translate this to goals on the international stage. He has a measly 9 goals in 68 international appearances. The second option is Bordeaux's Marco Serrano, who scored 22 goals in Ligue Un last year. However, he is known for having attitude problems and amassed 4 red cards last year. This type of hotheadedness cannot be risked in a short tournament like the World Cup. Finally, the third choice is Club Brugge's Cristiano Simoes. The 31 year old has had 6 caps, all in the last 12 months, without managing to score a single time. This speaks of the desperation by the manager to find someone to put the ball in the back of the net.

Notable absences - None
Luckily for the Portuguese fans, all players have had a clean bill of health. The only potential absence is Sevilla's 36 year old center back Igor Nunes, but he would be fourth choice at best.

Predicted line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Diogo Cruz, 28, Deportivo
DR: Carles Jacob, 22, FC Bayern
DC: Andre Pontes, 25, VfB Oldenburg
DC: Dinarte Rosa, 28, PSG
DL: Manuel Vieira, 24, Anderlecht
DM: Fernando Nogueira, 23, Southampton
DM: Rui Arraiolos, 34, Minnesota
AMR: Rodrigo Batista, 22, Real Sociedad
AMC: Henrique Peseiro, 26, PSG
AML: Francisco Goncalvez, 24, Liverpool
ST: Manuel Moreira, 31, Juventus

Wales

Who are they?
Wales are predicted to be the whipping boys of this group. Looking at the lineups on paper, it's hard to argue. The Welsh made the tournament after finishing second in their qualifying group behind the Netherlands and narrowly beating out Slovakia due to goal difference. They were unable to qualify for Euro 2036 or the 2034 edition of the World Cup, so it's an achievement for them to be here. Most of the stars who allowed them to qualify to tournaments in the latter half of the 2020s have long since retired, and the quality is simply no longer there anymore. It doesn't help that their star player, Reading striker Charlie Butcher, has been in awful form this season and has fallen to 4th in the pecking order at his team. Apart from him, there are very few things to get excited about in this side, and most fans expect elimination in the groups. To even manage a win against the opposition they've been drawn against would be an achievement.

The Manager
Andrew Crofts is a legend in Wales and considered a tactical genius. He's been at the helm since 2025, making it 13 years in charge now. He masterminded runs to the Euro 2028 quarter final, the World Cup 2030 quarter final, and the Euro 2032 quarter final. However, those days are long gone. The players from the golden generation have retired, and few new ones have emerged. To reach this tournament with what he has available is miraculous.

Biggest strength - Attack
The Welsh are strongest when going forward, though that isn't saying much. Their star player is 29 year old striker Charlie Butcher, who has scored 85 goals in 95 caps. However, his best years seem to be behind him. He's always alternated between 2nd and 3rd choice in a reading side that is stacked in the forward position, but last year he only managed to score 1 goal in 14 league appearances. His total overall was 7 goals in 35 appearances, and he seems to have fallen completely out of favor at his team. The only reason he notched so many starts is that the two of the 4 Reading strikers were out with long term injuries. Towards the end of the season, he was even overlooked in favor of members of the reserves and youth teams. It doesn't help that he has looked to have lost a yard of pace too. However, let's remember that this is a man who scored 40 goals in 46 games 2 years ago. Hopefully, he can rediscover this form. His understudy is Man Utd's Luke Morgan, who scored 18 goals on loan at Sochaux last year. The 21 year old has shown ability well past his years in this stint, and many believe he should start ahead of Butcher. On the right wing, you have Taylor Evans. The 29 year old Chelsea winger spent last year on loan at Sochaux as well, but unlike his compatriot, he had a terrible time. He managed 2 assists and 3 goals in 32 games and generally looked lost on the pitch. This is another player whose best days seem to be behind him. However, only 3 years ago, he was able to notch 14 assists in the Premier League. This is another man who many hope will rediscover his best qualities.

Biggest weakness - Everything Else
The rest of the Welsh squad is made from players plying their trade in the second tier or the lower echelons of the Premier League. Their starting goalkeeper, Jordan Robinson, conceded 67 goals in the Premier League last season, though his team, Aston Villa, did manage to finish 8th. Their entire backline consists of players who either finished in midtable in the Championship or struggled to get game time in lower half teams in the Premier League. Aaprt from Manchester City's Tom Umbers, the rest of the central midfielders play in the second tier. Overall, this is a team that has to hope to be a LOT more than the sum of its parts.

Notable Absences - Craig Bowen, Matthew Sullivan, Sean Walsh
Craig Bowen is one of Man Utd's hottest prospects. The 22 year old is comfortable playing as a left winger or attacking midfielder. He is Welsh by birth, though he has chosen to reject a call-up. He said he would rather wait for interest from England. On the other hand, we've got Southamptons 20 year old left winger Matthew Sullivan. He's been highly rated for a while, and he finally made his debut this year as Southampton was scrambling to find someone to play the position after the retirement of club legend Dietmar Zellner and the injuries of French winger Oumar Bamba. While he only made 3 league appearances, he scored 2 goals and 2 assists in them. This is higher than Matthew Morgan, the starting left winger for Wales, who only scored 1 goal and 1 assist in 19 Premier League matches while on loan at Doncaster. Sullivan is more than willing to play for the national team, which makes it inexplicable that he wasn't called up. The final player is Norwich's 27 year old striker Sean Walsh, who scored 10 goals in 25 games in the Premier League last season. He has never been favored by manager Andrew Crofts, having amassed only 8 caps for the national team. Still, based on form, he's played much better the past year than Charlie Butcher. Many fans are angry that Butcher is being called up due to past glories rather than Walsh, who has been more impressive based on last year's form.

Predicted line-up: 4-2-3-1
(name, age, club)

GK: Jordan Robinson, 29, Aston Villa
DR: Simon Lloyd, 27, Brentford
DC: Neil Pughe, 23, West Brom
DC: Nick Graham, 26, Wigan
DL: David Pritchard, 20, Doncaster
MC: Tom Umbers, 31, Man City
MC: Oliver Hayes, 26, Sunderland
AMR: Taylor Evans, 29, Chelsea
AMC: Geraint Llewellyn-Hughes, 27, Wolves
AML: Matthew Morgan, 22, Man City
ST: Charlie Butcher, 29, Reading

 

So, what do you guys think? Who qualifies from this group?