Every World Cup delivers its share of jaw-dropping surprises, whether it’s Cinderella stories like Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010, or unheralded players launching themselves into superstardom. Look no further than Fabio Grosso in 2006, or James Rodríguez using the 2014 tournament to punch his ticket to Real Madrid.
The (potential) game-changes at the World Cup
As the next tournament approaches, here are four potential game-changers to keep your eyes on.
Morocco
Calling a team that reached the semifinals at the last World Cup and the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations a “surprise” might feel like a stretch. But in a tournament that marks the final international ride for Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar, and features a powerhouse France alongside reigning European champions Spain, Morocco isn’t exactly the first name that jumps to mind when predicting who will make a deep run.
The Atlas Lions face a brutal crash test right out of the gate with an opening match against Brazil. The hype is unprecedented: a month ago, ticket requests for this fixture eclipsed a staggering 12 million for a game hosted at MetLife Stadium—the official venue for the World Cup Final. Morocco’s football federation has done an incredible job building up its infrastructure over the last few years, and they are now reaping the rewards.
The only massive question mark lies on the sidelines. Morocco recently parted ways with Walid Regragui, the mastermind behind their historic fourth-place finish at Qatar 2022—the greatest World Cup run by an African nation in history. However, the federation opted for internal continuity. Tasked with leading Achraf Hakimi and company is Mohamed Ouahbi, who steps up after coaching the U-20 squad to an Africa Cup of Nations final and a U-20 World Cup title, where they notably blanked Argentina 2-0.
Lennart Karl
I’m willing to go out on a limb with this prediction. Karl is a generational talent whose momentum slowed down a bit toward the end of the season, but he still absolutely left his mark. In his first full year with the first team, he bagged 9 total goals, which is actually one more than Lionel Messi managed during his breakout season with Barcelona’s senior squad.
Nobody is making a direct comparison between the two, obviously. But this World Cup could do for Karl what 2006 did for a young Messi, especially since they are entering the tournament at roughly the same age. Plus, in his first two international caps (granted, they were friendlies) Karl proved he can make an immediate, definitive impact on the pitch.
Ecuador
Ecuador is flying completely under the radar right now, but they quietly finished second in South American qualifying, trailing only Argentina. They even spoiled Carlo Ancelotti’s debut on the Brazil bench by holding the Seleção to a 0-0 draw.
Anchoring their squad is a player who makes a strong case for being the absolute best defensive midfielder in the English Premier League: Moisés Caicedo. With him pulling the strings, Ecuador is well-positioned to match or even eclipse their best-ever World Cup performance, a Round of 16 run at Germany 2006.
Gilberto Mora
For the final spotlight, let’s look at a rising star from one of the tournament’s host nations. Born in 2008, Mora is an attacking midfielder who loves to drift in from the left wing to create chaos. He represents the bright future of Mexican soccer, having made his Liga MX debut at just 15 years old.
Fun fact: in Mexico, academy players making their top-flight debut are often assigned three-digit squad numbers. Mora did exactly that, officially introducing himself to the soccer world wearing number 251.
Which of these underdogs do you think has the best shot at shaking up the bracket?
