Kickback '26

Spain has only lifted the World Cup once, but La Roja seem omnipresent in every tournament conversation—and 2026 will be no different. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces the arc from Spain’s 19th-century football origins and Civil War-era politics, through decades of underachievement, to the tiki-taka golden age that produced Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012 in one breathtaking four-year span. We break down what made that generation special, why things dipped from 2014 to 2022, and how a new wave has restored Spain’s status with a Euro 2024 title under Luis de la Fuente. At the center of it all is 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal—a Rocafonda kid turned Ballon d’Or contender—who has already become the creative heartbeat for both Barcelona and Spain. With an embarrassment of midfield and attacking talent, a refreshed tactical identity, and a habit of peaking in tournament play, Spain head to North America looking for their second star.

They shocked the world by toppling Messi’s Argentina in 2022; now Saudi Arabia is trying to prove that was no one-off. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of the Green Falcons—from the early days of English sailors kicking a ball around the Gulf, through Asian Cup dominance and a magical 1994 run in the United States, to years of stop-start progress on the global stage. We break down the seismic 2–1 win over Argentina in Qatar, the national holiday that followed, and how that moment supercharged Saudi ambitions on and off the pitch. With Herve Renard back in charge, a high-pressing, physically demanding 4-2-3-1, and a squad drawn almost entirely from an increasingly star-studded Saudi Pro League, the Falcons head into 2026 as fascinating dark horses. Keep an eye on creative midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr, the league’s young player of the season, as the country builds momentum toward hosting the World Cup in 2034. 

Egypt helped invent African football greatness, but the World Cup has never quite gone their way. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass charts the Pharaohs’ journey from early Olympic pioneers and 1934 World Cup trailblazers to record seven-time AFCON champions. We revisit the Cairo derbies between Al Ahly and Zamalek, the ultras who helped power the Arab Spring, and the tragic stadium disasters that shut the league down—twice. Then we fast-forward to a 2026 qualifying run where Egypt cruised through thanks to a renewed, younger squad under Hossam Hassan, who has built a balanced side around global superstar Mohamed Salah and rising Premier League forward Omar Marmoush. With a refreshed core, real attacking firepower, and a deeper supporting cast than in 2018, Egypt arrives in North America looking less like a one-man show and more like a true tournament threat. 

It’s hard to find a place where politics and football are more tightly intertwined than Iran. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how Team Melli has become a symbol of both state power and public resistance—from the 1998 “game of peace” win over the United States, to the emotionally charged 2022 rematch played amid the Mahsa Amini protests and reports of pressure from the regime. We walk through Iran’s rise as a three-time Asian Cup champion, the disruption of the revolution and Iran–Iraq war, and their modern identity as a defensively solid, hard-to-beat side under Amir Ghalenoei, whose record is among the best in international football. With a strong domestic league, a huge diaspora talent pool, emerging attacking threats like Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, and legends like Ali Daei looming in the background, this feels like Iran’s best chance yet to finally break the World Cup group-stage ceiling—if off-field politics don’t get in the way. 

Once home to the “Wunderteam” and the legendary Matthias Sindelar, Austria’s greatest football tales used to live in black and white. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass connects that glorious past: 1930s brilliance, a 1954 semifinal run, and the “Miracle of Córdoba” win over West Germany, to a modern side finally returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998. We explore how Ralf Rangnick, the godfather of gegenpressing and long-time Red Bull architect, has transformed Das Team into a high-energy, front-foot pressing machine that routinely punches above its weight in Europe. With veteran stars David Alaba and Marko Arnautović still central, a growing supporting cast from top clubs, and midfield engine Nicolas Seiwald embodying Austria’s relentless style, this is a team nobody will enjoy facing in North America. The days of Austrian football being just a historical curiosity are over. 

For many fans, Ivory Coast will always be the land of Drogba, the Touré brothers, and a golden generation that helped pause a civil war and made the Elephants a global cult favorite. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass revisits that era and then shifts to the present, where Côte d’Ivoire enter 2026 as defending African champions and one of the continent’s most exciting teams. We track their evolution from early AFCON contenders to three-time champions, including two epic penalty-shootout wins over Ghana, then relive their improbable AFCON 2024 triumph on home soil. Qualifying for 2026 without conceding a single goal, Ivory Coast now blends stars from Europe’s biggest leagues with a strong domestic pipeline and dual-national pickups, with Amad Diallo and Franck Kessié leading the new wave. After missing the last two World Cups, the Elephants are back—and anything less than the knockout rounds will feel like a disappointment.

Panama’s World Cup history is short and brutal: one appearance, three losses, and a 32nd-place finish in 2018. But that’s only half the story. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass digs into how a baseball country slowly built a football identity. Gary Stempel, who helped launch a generation, to steady growth in the Gold Cup, Nations League, and a spirited 2024 Copa América run. We revisit the night Roman Torres scored in the 87th minute to send Panama to their first World Cup (and the U.S. crashing out), plus Felipe Baloy’s historic goal in Russia. Then we fast-forward to a 2026 qualifying campaign where Thomas Christiansen’s organized, “stubborn” side leaned on structure, defensive grit, and sharp transitions to get back to the big stage. With a veteran core, CONCACAF-hardened experience, and midfield heartbeat Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla now starring in Liga MX, Los Canaleros arrive in a familiar time zone with unfinished business. 

No country is more polarizing in modern football than Qatar. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass examines how a tiny, oil-rich Gulf state went from football afterthought to one of the game’s most influential players—from the creation of Aspire Academy and an aggressive naturalization strategy, to ownership stakes in European clubs and the era-defining takeover of PSG. We revisit the controversies and human-rights questions surrounding the 2022 World Cup on home soil, where the Maroons crashed out with three losses, and then follow their first-ever earned qualification for 2026, complete with shaky results and a “neutral” playoff hosted in Doha. It’s a deep dive into how money, development, and identity collide when a nation tries to buy—not just host—its place at football’s top table. 

For most countries, just qualifying for the World Cup is a dream. For France, it’s World Cup trophy or failure. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into the story of Les Bleus: a global powerhouse with two World Cups, two Euros, and a conveyor belt of stars that runs from Just Fontaine and Michel Platini to Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappé. We trace France’s boom-or-bust history, from the magic of 1998 and Euro 2000 to their shocking 2002 group-stage exit, the chaos and player revolt of 2010, and their return to dominance under Didier Deschamps, capped with the 2018 title and an all-time classic final in 2022. Along the way, we explore Clairefontaine and the academy system that keeps producing world-class talent and why Mbappé’s prime years might make 2026 a “final or bust” for one of the deepest squads on the planet. We wrap with superstition, street football, and the tiny details that make France brilliant.  

No national team on earth has built their modern football project quite like Japan. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass breaks down how the Samurai Blue went from late arrivals on the global stage to qualifying for eight straight World Cups, and becoming the first team to punch their ticket to 2026. We go back to the sport’s arrival in the 19th century, the influence of the manga Captain Tsubasa, the launch of the fully professional J.League in 1993, and the transformative impact of co-hosting the 2002 World Cup. Japan arrives in North America as Asia’s most methodically built powerhouse. Add in King Kazu’s legend, fans who clean the stadium after matches, and food facts ranging from KFC Christmas to polite noodle-slurping, and you’ve got one of the most unique football cultures at this World Cup.

Step into Senegal and you immediately feel teranga: the Wolof concept of warmth, welcome, and generosity and nowhere is that spirit more alive than with the Lions of Teranga. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces Senegal’s journey from a quiet post-independence footballing nation to global darlings after their legendary upset of France in 2002, and on through the heartbreak of the 2018 fair play tiebreaker and their 2021 AFCON triumph. We unpack Sadio Mané’s rise from humble beginnings to Global icon, the legacy of beloved coach Aliou Cissé, the political drama around his departure, and the new era under Pape Thiaw. They are tactics, history, and pure emotion—an inside look at a golden generation trying to turn continental dominance into their deepest World Cup run.  

The tiny island nation at the edge of the world, New Zealand is famous for the All Blacks, the second most dominant team in rugby history. But in 2026, it’s the All Whites chasing history. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass charts how a rugby-mad country with an almost entirely amateur domestic soccer setup keeps punching above its weight, from early tours in the 1900s to gritty World Cup appearances in 1982 and 2010 where they finished as the only unbeaten team in the tournament... We walk through Oceania dominance, years of intercontinental playoff heartbreak, and what changes now that the OFC finally has a direct World Cup slot. Highlighting record goal scorer Chris Wood, rising talent Luke Brooke-Smith, and the underdog mindset that produced iconic results like the 1–1 draw with defending champions Italy and their women’s historic win over Norway in 2023. It’s a love letter to a football to in a rugby state.

For decades, Ecuadorian football has wrestled with belief, from being late to the World Cup party, short on trophies, but always rich in passion. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass explores how "La Tri" have quietly built one of South America’s most intriguing sides, going from perennial outsiders to finishing near the top of a brutal CONMEBOL qualifying, even after starting with a points deduction. We dive into Ecuador’s defensive identity, their fortress-like home form, and Sebastián Beccacece’s tactical vision, built on compact defending and ruthless transitions. Along the way we revisit the heartbreak of 2022’s narrow exit to Senegal, celebrate icons like Enner Valencia and Moisés Caicedo, and spotlight the next wave of stars. With a vibrant domestic scene, fierce rivalries, and a “Yellow Wall” of supporters who reshape the country’s daily rhythm on matchdays, this is the story of a nation on the verge of turning consistent qualification into a '26 knockout-round success.

Once a Soviet republic and Silk Road crossroads, Uzbekistan has become one of world football’s most fascinating late bloomers. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of the White Wolves: a team long haunted by near-misses and bizarre heartbreaks, like a World Cup qualifier that had to be annulled and replayed, a spot in Brazil 2014 lost by a single goal and a marathon penalty shootout. We track how deliberate investment in academies, facilities, and youth projects has transformed Uzbekistan into the “Asian Italy,” a defensively ruthless, hard-to-break side that finally punched its ticket to 2026 with a calm, controlled qualifying campaign. Spotlighting national icon, turned coach, Timur Kapadze and the surprise arrival of World Cup winning Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro. Along with that rising stars like Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov, captain Eldor Shomurodov, and live-wire Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Layered over it all is a deeper history: from Soviet-era greats to the Pakhtakor air disaster that wiped out a generation. Is Uzbekistan one of the tournament’s most compelling underdog stories?

The world is coming to Toronto and Vancouver, and Canada is determined to prove they are a soccer nation, not just a hockey one. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass unpacks how a country with one of the oldest football histories outside the UK went from years of false starts, failed leagues, and an infamous 8–1 loss in Honduras to a genuine golden generation hosting a home World Cup. We follow Alphonso Davies’ remarkable journey from refugee camp to Bayern Munich star and face of the program, then round out the core with Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, Stephen Eustáquio, Cyle Larin and more. We trace Canada’s club landscape from NASL cult teams to MLS success stories and the rise of the Canadian Premier League, and we revisit the highs and lows from a tough 2022 World Cup debut to a statement semifinal run at the 2024 Copa América under Jesse Marsch. With host city tips, cultural flavor, and a realistic look at expectations, this episode captures a country on the cusp of turning home-field energy into a deep tournament run.

Curaçao: beaches, blue water… and the biggest underdog story of the 2026 World Cup. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into how the “Blue Wave” became the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament, from their origins as part of the Netherlands Antilles to a dream qualifying run that went down to a VAR-reviewed penalty in Jamaica. We break down Dick Advocaat’s impact, the Dutch-based diaspora that powers the squad, the rise of young winger Sontje Hansen, and the wild celebrations back on the island. Come for the tactics and history, stay for the culture, language, and vibes that make Curaçao one of the most romantic stories of this World Cup.