As the countdown to the World Cup begins, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made a daring forecast that has caught the attention of soccer fans. Despite limited time to analyze the tournament’s contenders, he confidently selected Morocco as his pick to seize victory in the 2026 World Cup.
Engaging with the Guardian’s World Cup Bracketology game, Mamdani believes the Atlas Lions will triumph over France in the final match. He candidly revealed that his choice stemmed from a blend of passion and analysis, stating, “I ultimately decided to go with my heart.”
Should this prediction materialize, Morocco would achieve a historic milestone as the first African nation to win the World Cup title.
Mamdani’s prediction resonates with his deep-rooted connection to soccer and the vibrant North African communities in New York City. He was actively involved in the celebrations along Steinway Street in Astoria when Morocco made history by becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final during the 2022 Qatar tournament.
In addition to Morocco’s success, Mamdani’s bracket includes Haiti advancing to the knockout stage, Japan pulling off a surprise against Brazil, and the United States making it to the quarter-finals before facing defeat against England.
The anticipation is palpable as the World Cup approaches. With just six days until the tournament kicks off, the United States will face Germany in a crucial warm-up match at Soldier Field, the soon-to-be-former home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, where a full house is expected.
The USMNT enters this match with a boost of confidence following an exhilarating 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte, highlighted by goals from Sergiño Dest, Christian Pulisic, and Folarin Balogun, who managed to hold off a spirited comeback from Sadio Mané and his teammates. Today’s challenge, however, will be significantly tougher, as Germany, a four-time World Cup champion currently ranked 10th by FIFA, presents a formidable test for the Americans.
These two teams have met three times in World Cup history, with the most infamous encounter being the Americans’ controversial 1-0 loss in the quarter-finals back in 2002. (Mentioning Torsten Frings is still a sore spot for many US fans of that era.)
In terms of lineup changes, Pochettino has made five adjustments from the Senegal match, bringing in Matt Freese as the starting goalkeeper, alongside Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Miles Robinson, and Balogun. Tim Ream will captain the team, while Pulisic is set to earn his 86th cap, just one goal shy of Eric Wynalda, who holds the fourth spot on the USMNT’s all-time scoring list.
The lineups are confirmed and we are set to kick off in approximately thirty minutes.
Germany’s Squad
Germany’s lineup features Baumann; Kimmich (C), Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sané, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz.
Stay tuned as Bryan will provide updates shortly. Meanwhile, here’s the latest on the Chris Richards situation.
