World Cup preview: The hosts and the dark horses… like Scotland!
From The Totally Football Show with James Richardson by The Athletic
June 6, 2026 · 1h 1m
About this episode
The episode previews the World Cup, discussing host nations and potential dark horses like Scotland.
World Cup excitement has reached fever pitch with the Totally Team, who this time round sit down to discuss the hosts and those all-important dark horses. Jimbo is alongside JJ Bull, Colin Millar and Felipe Cardenas for our second preview show ahead of the tournament. Only two host nations have ever failed to make it out of the group stages, so how far will the triumvirate of Mexico, USA and Canada go this year? Team USA are hoping to reach a Quarter Final for the first time in 22 years; Mexico haven’t gone that far since 1986. Meanwhile Canada are still looking for their first ever win at the Finals. Morocco were the shock story of 2022, becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals. Maher Mezahi drops in to tell us if there’s likely to be a repeat of that feat this time round. Japan also caused a stir four years ago, beating Spain and Germany in Qatar. Dan Orlowitz joins us to discuss whether they can upset more odds this year. And what about the hipster choices? Will Erling Haaland and Norway continue to score freely after notching up more goals than anyone else in European qualifying? Or will the hotter climate mean a South American country has a better chance of…
People in this episode
Host: Jimbo
Guests: JJ Bull, Colin Millar, Felipe Cardenas, Maher Mezahi, Dan Orlowitz
Topics covered
- World Cup preview
- host nations
- dark horses
- football analysis
- team performances
- tournament history
Keywords
- World Cup
- hosts
- dark horses
- football
- Scotland
- Mexico
- USA
- Canada
- Morocco
- Japan
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Mexico, USA, Canada, Morocco, Japan, Ecuador, Colombia, Scotland
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