As anticipation builds for the World Cup, New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has created a stir with a bold forecast regarding the tournament’s outcome.
In a lively session playing the Guardian’s World Cup Bracketology, Mamdani boldly declared Morocco as the eventual champions, predicting they will defeat France in the final match. He acknowledged that his decision was fueled by passion as much as by analytical reasoning, stating that he chose to “follow my heart” in this instance.
If his prediction comes to fruition, Morocco would achieve a historic milestone as the first African nation to claim the World Cup title.
This prediction showcases Mamdani’s deep ties to soccer and the North African community in New York City. After Morocco made history by reaching the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022, Mamdani celebrated alongside the community in Astoria following their quarter-final win over Portugal.
In addition to his Morocco prediction, his bracket includes Haiti making it to the knockout stage, Japan pulling off an upset against Brazil, and the United States reaching the quarter-finals before bowing out to England.
The countdown to the tournament is almost over. With just six days remaining until the World Cup kicks off, the United States will face Germany in a final test against top-tier competition. Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is preparing to meet Germany at Soldier Field, which will soon no longer be the home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
The American team enters this match riding high after an exciting 3-2 victory over Senegal last week in Charlotte. Goals from Sergiño Dest, Christian Pulisic, and Folarin Balogun secured the win, overcoming a spirited comeback from Sadio Mané and his teammates. Today’s challenge promises to be significantly stiffer, as Germany, currently ranked 10th in FIFA standings and a four-time world champion, offers a formidable test for the United States. Their previous World Cup encounters include the notable and contentious 1-0 defeat in the quarter-finals back in 2002, a match still remembered for the debates around Torsten Frings.
Pochettino has made five adjustments to the lineup from the Senegal match, with Matt Freese taking the goalkeeper position alongside Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman, Miles Robinson, and Balogun. Tim Ream will lead the squad as captain, while Pulisic is set to earn his 86th cap, needing just one more goal to surpass Eric Wynalda for fourth on the all-time scoring list for the USMNT.
The teams are ready, and kickoff is expected to happen in about thirty minutes.
Freese; A Robinson, Ream (C), M Robinson, Freeman; Adams, McKennie; Pulisic, Tillman, Dest; Balogun
Germany
Baumann; Kimmich (C), Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sané, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz
Bryan will be arriving shortly. Meanwhile, here’s the latest update on Chris Richards’ situation.
