The 15

As a public service, over the next few days this site will be providing some information about the nations and teams competing in this year’s FIFA World Cup. We hope you find it diverting and droll.

Group I

France

France’s national football team, known as Les Bleus, is one of the most successful football teams globally, having won 2 FIFA World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, and multiple other prestigious international titles. Its symbol is a Gallic rooster smoking a Gauloise. The team is training at Bentley College, and twice a day flights of escargots are being flown into Logan and Hanscom.

HC: Didier Deschamps

Captain: Kylian Mbappé

Nickname: Les Bleus (The Blues)

Team Motto: Les cimetières sont pleins d’hommes indispensables. (The cemeteries are full of indispensable men.)

Fun Fact: All their set-piece plays are named after cheese.

Senegal

The Senegal national football team is one of Africa’s most prominent teams, with notable achievements including a World Cup quarter-final in 2002 and their first Africa Cup of Nations title in 2021.

HC: Pape Thiaw

Captain: Kalidou Koulibaly

Nickname: Lions de la Téranga (Lions of Teranga)

Guilty pleasure: steamed broccoli

Iraq

Known for a resilient and technical disciplined playing style, the Iraq national football team has frequently been viewed as a symbol of national unity within Iraqi society. During periods of war, sanctions and political instability, matches involving the national team often carried social and cultural significance beyond sport itself. Iraq’s victory at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in the country’s sporting history.

HC: Graham Arnold

Captain: Jalal Hassan

Nickames: Usood al-Rafidayn (Lions of Mesopotamia)

Team Motto: “We are very happy Uday remains dead.”

Norway

Norway’s National Team, Proud historical legacy, modern squad of elite talents, high profile players, tactical guidance, and things of that nature.

HC: Ståle Solbakken

Captain: Martin Ødegaard

Scoring Threat: Erling Haaland

Nicknames: Gresshingstene (Grass Stallions) Røde, Hvite, Blå (Red, White and Blue) Landslaget (National Team) Drillos (?)

Strange letters: Ja

Team motto: “There is only one way, the Norway.”

Adorable Mascot: Pøkey, the Norway Narwhal

Group J

Argentina

The defending World Cup Champions. They know what from soccer.

HC: Lionel Scaloni

Captain: Lionel Messi

Nicknames: La Selección (The Selection) La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) Los Gauchos Gigantes (The Giant Cowboys)

Fun Fact: Tries unsuccessfully every World Cup to turn any match against a British Isles squad into a ‘Winner Keeps the Falkland Islands’ competition.

Algeria

Algeria continues to be a formidable force in African and international football, blending experienced leaders like Riyad Mahrez with emerging talents to maintain competitive performances on the world stage. They are traditionally known for their attacking flair, balanced midfield, and quick wingers.

HC: Vladimir Petkovic

Captain: Rihad Mahrez

Nicknames: The Greens, The Fennecs (Desert Foxes), The Desert Warriors

Fun Fact. Algeria is the largest country in Africa. Go check. We will wait.

Austria

Austria approaches the 2026 World Cup with a combination of historical pride, tactical innovation, and the ambition to reestablish itself as a competitive force on the global stage. Recent friendly wins against Ghana, South Korea, and Tunisia demonstrate form and squad cohesion.

HC: Ralf Rangnick

Captain: David Alaba

Nickname(s): Das Team (The Team) Burschen (The Boys) Unsere Burschen (Our Boys)

Controversial Opinion: Thinks Rolf did nothing wrong in “The Sound of Music.”

Jordan

The Jordan national football team has steadily emerged as a competitive force in Middle Eastern and Asian football, combining historic milestones with recent international success, including their landmark qualification for the FIFA World Cup. But yes, they are just happy to be here. Their WC base camp will be the University of Partland, the one in Oregon.

HC: Jemal Sellami

Captain: Ihsan Haddad

Nicknames: Al-Nashama (The Chivalrous Ones)

Team rallying cry: Sayidati (M’lady!)