A new season is upon us, bringing the race, this time with the potential of Kaizer Chiefs adding their hat to the ring and making it a three-way chase.

That, at least, is what their legion of fans and many impartial observers will be hoping for.

Last season’s contest between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates injected a whole new, and much-needed, lease of life into the league and boosted interest after the drudgery of Sundowns’ past dominance.

Their record-breaking run of eight successive titles was brought to a close as Pirates took advantage of Sundowns’ stumbles at the end of the campaign and held their nerve to take a first title since 2012.

Sundowns are going to want their crown back and now that they have achieved their goal of a second African Champions League title, they will likely have a more balanced approach.

Pirates, in contrast, will now want to turn their attention to winning the continental title.

Not only is it worth US $6 million (approximately R100 million) to the victor but also ensures entry to the 2029 Club World Cup where the payments from FIFA are stratospheric and will take the club up another level in terms of their budget and the players and coaches they
can afford.

It is certainly a top priority now for Pirates to try and make the next Club World Cup, as Sundowns have already done.

Pirates and Sundowns are again the South African representatives in the Champions League field while Chiefs will be competing in the African Confederation Cup on account of their third-place finish last season.

It was a much-improved campaign from AmaKhosi, despite the early- season firing of Nasreddine Nabi and the gamble to stick with his inexperienced assistants as interim coaches for the rest of the season.

Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze have moved on, elsewhere in the league, and a new-look Chiefs are hoping to restore the lustre lost over the last decade.

It is now more than a decade since the country’s most popular club were league champions, and they have been hamstrung by a series of disastrous management decisions on coaches and players.

Chiefs, for all their earning potential and multitude of corporate sponsors, patently do not have the financial resources of Sundowns and Pirates and therefore are third to every purchase.

But they have also not helped themselves with an antiquated approach towards the purchase of players that sees them miss out on all the good deals.

A three-way tussle for the title would allow South African football to continue an upwards trajectory that has come from the national team qualifying for the World Cup and Sundowns taking the top club prize on the continent.

OUTSIDER BET

There have not been many breakout teams in recent seasons. Stellenbosch finished third in successive campaigns before slipping to ninth last year.

Sekhukhune United have recorded finishes of fourth, fourth and fifth over the last three seasons, while Durban City won the Nedbank Cup in their first top-flight campaign. But it is difficult to see any real outside bets for this coming campaign.

NEW BOYS

The Village Boys, as Kruger United are nicknamed, secured promotion after winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Originally from Bushbuckridge, the club has swiftly risen through the ranks after purchasing a status in the third-tier ABC Motsepe Foundation.

They secured promotion to the second tier after one season and needed only two campaigns in the MFC to win a place in the top flight to the delight of co-owners Basil Khoza and Bongani Wait.

The side are coached by Abram Mongoya and have ex-Zimbabwe international Elasto Kapowezha as sporting director.

Kruger built their promotion-winning squad around players with PSL experience, with the likes of Wandisile Letlabika, Ntsako Makhubela, Tercious Malepe and Celimpilo Ngema helping them win a place with the big boys.

BE CAREFUL OF CRASHING
Stellenbosch handed veteran coach Gavin Hunt a fresh contract after he took them from relegation danger to ninth place but then got rid of 13 players in a massive clean-out, which has come to emphasise Hunt’s modus operandi over the years. He warms to a player one day but quickly goes cold on him the next, and his last tenure at SuperSport United saw an extraordinary churn of players.

Consistency is a cornerstone of success, and too many changes can lead to disaster. Stellenbosch will be hoping Hunt finds the right recipe because they are making a fundamental change to the club ethos.

POTENTIAL BEST PLAYER

Sundowns’ Colombian striker Brayan Leon would surely have taken the Golden Boot award had he arrived earlier than last season’s January transfer window.

The 25-year-old Colombian had some horror misses in the first leg of the African Champions League final but 15 goals in 16 starts was a phenomenal return for his first months in the country and he is expected to only get better.

Sundowns have bought some South American duds in recent years so this so this appears to have been another recruitment success.

The post Betway Premiership: Hunt For Glory appeared first on SportsClub.

Orlando Pirates have unearthed Cemran Dansin, and the 2026/27 season could be his breakthrough campaign.

In case you had forgotten about him, the 21-year old introduced himself to the football fraternity with a stunning equaliser when the Buccaneers held then-reigning Betway Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns to a 1-1 draw at Loftus Versfeld in November last year.

A surprise choice in the starting line-up by coach Abdeslam Ouaddou ahead of the in-form Sipho Mbule, the youngster did not look out of place on one of the biggest stages in South African football.

Ouaddou said then that he backed Dansin to become a household name if he stayed grounded, but significant game time did not immediately follow.

The explanation was simple enough – competition in the Pirates midfield was fierce as the Soweto giants pursued a league title they would eventually win by a solitary point ahead of Sundowns.

Yet the coach’s decision to trust Dansin against Masandawana was no spur-of-the-moment gamble.

“Since I’ve come in the country, I discovered there’s so much talent in South Africa, and when you notice and have the eye to see some young talent in the country, they deserved to be encouraged and pushed to build themselves,” Ouaddou said.

The Moroccan tactician has long championed youth development and admitted that too many coaches are reluctant to throw youngsters into high- pressure situations.

“I know sometimes, some coaches are scared to give chances to the young because they are scared of the opposition – if they lose, they can be sacked,” he explained.

“But, as an ex-football player, I got the chance to play at the age of 18 years old, so I have seen fantastic potential in that player since the pre-season. We decided to bring him to Spain with us, and he’s shown us fantastic qualities in those friendly games.”

Still, Ouaddou was careful not to get carried away.

Having spent years working in player development structures in France, he understood the dangers of placing too much pressure on a promising youngster.

“You have to be careful not to burn this kind of potential, so you have to bring them in step by step,” he said.

“It’s why you have seen that I give him sometimes 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes, just to make him comfortable. I thought it was the right moment for him against one of the best teams on the continent, and to throw him into the deep end.”

The coach compared the process to teaching a bird how to fly.

“It’s like a bird, if you don’t give him the opportunity to fly – you have to throw him from the tree to learn, and that’s what we did. We need to put him and give him experience.”

That experience appears set to pay dividends. With Pirates entering a new campaign and fresh opportunities opening up in midfield, Dansin could finally be ready to establish himself as a regular.

Ouaddou certainly believes the talent is there, even if there is still work to be done.

“I think it was a fantastic opportunity for him to show against Mamelodi Sundowns what he’s able to do. Of course, I agree he still needs to work.

“If he was perfect, we would say that he’s a Messi, but he still needs to work and we will improve him to be one of the best players in South Africa.”

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Depending on who you speak to, midfielder Matome Mmolai could soon become a household name at Orlando Pirates – and the timing of his arrival could hardly be better following the departure of talisman Relebohile Mofokeng.

Unlike the Bafana Bafana international, however, Mmolai is not a product of the Pirates academy.

At 23, he arrives at Mayfair via the Motsepe Foundation Championship after impressing for Leicesterford City, making his rise all the more remarkable.

His agent, Basia Michaels of QT Sports, believes Pirates supporters have every reason to be excited.

“He can play at the highest level. No doubt about it. He has guts, he’s ballsy and plays like a man with nothing to lose.

That’s the sign of someone who plays without fear or trepidation. I pray the fans are kind to him because I believe he’ll become a superstar and a fan favourite very quickly,” she tells SoccerClub. Mmolai’s road to Pirates has been anything but conventional.

He returned to Leicesterford City in January 2026 after what he believed would be a move to Betway Premiership side TS Galaxy fell through.

The Rockets attempted to sign him on a free transfer before his club intervened and insisted the player return unless an agreement could be reached between the teams.

What initially looked like a major setback ultimately became the turning point in his career. Michaels watched it all unfold.

“I went to Dobsonville to watch a Leicesterford City game. It’s something I do often, but he’d just returned from TS Galaxy because of the registration issues. I watched him for less than 15 minutes and knew I wanted to manage him,” she explains.

“He was playing against Kruger United and completely bossed the midfield. At first, I didn’t even know who he was. I asked for a team sheet, saw his name and immediately started making calls.”

Those calls led Michaels to Mmolai’s uncle, Masilo, before she met the player’s mother and eventually the midfielder himself.

“After speaking to the family, he signed with QT Sports. From there a number of clubs reached.

I won’t name them all, but there was significant interest.” Michaels admits not everyone agreed with her decision to take Mmolai to Pirates.

“Some club owners told me I’d made a mistake and thrown him into the lions’ den. But that says everything about the player’s ability. As I continued watching him, it became clear he was ready for the next step,” Michaels elaborates.

According to Michaels, the man who now handles most of Pirates’ transfer dealings, Mpumi Khoza, soon made contact and negotiations gathered pace.

“The asking price was met for the new ‘President’,” she said, using the nickname Mofokeng was given while with the Soweto giants prior to his move to Belgium.

It turns out Mmolai also earned the same moniker in the lower divisions, which came because of the supposed authority Mmolai displayed in midfield during his time with Leicesterford City this past season.

Now the midfielder has the opportunity to prove that the faith shown in him was justified as Pirates usher in a new generation following Mofokeng’s departure.

The post Orlando Pirates: New President appeared first on SportsClub.

Bafana Bafana begin their road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania this month as a new post-World Cup era begins for the national side.

They have been drawn in a pool they will expect to qualify from, though it will not be easy with one team having already booked their place at the finals.

Bafana have been drawn with co-hosts Kenya, led by South Africa’s record goalscorer in international football, Benni McCarthy, a difficult Guinea side and minnows Eritrea.

With Kenya assured of a place, it means Bafana, Guinea and Eritrea are in a straight shoot-out for the other spot from the pool.

The qualifiers will take place in three FIFA international windows – 21 September to 6 October, 9 to 17 November and 22 to 30 March 2027.

The 24 teams that qualify will compete in the finals, which are scheduled to take place from 19 June to 17 July next year.

Bafana qualified for the last two editions, earning a bronze medal at the 2023 finals but going out in the round of 16 in Morocco earlier this year.

They have not earned their place at three successive finals since 20042008, such has been the patchy history of the side over the last two decades.

Expanding the competition from 16 to 24 teams has helped the current side. Here is a look at their three qualification group opponents.

KENYA
World ranking (June 2026): 109
Previous AFCON appearances: 6 – last in 2019
Best finish: Group Stage (six times) Kenya are led by former Bafana star McCarthy, which will add spice to the fixtures they play, even if, for the East African side, they are nothing more than preparation games to get them ready for the finals.

There is a South African thread that runs through their technical team, with Vasili Manousakis, who was an assistant coach with McCarthy at Cape Town City and AmaZulu, also involved. Former Bafana gloveman Moeneeb Josephs is also the goalkeeper coach and there are various other South Africans involved on the fitness and analyst side.

Certainly, they will know all about Bafana Bafana. Kenya have often been viewed as a country packed with potential, but they never seem quite able to get it together.

Their highest-ever ranking was 68 in the world in 2008, and the recent retirement of stalwarts like Victor Wanyama will not have helped, though he had been out of the national frame for some time.

They have a few players plying their trade in the lower leagues in England and around Europe, but not really what you would call household names.

They will be a tricky opponent and fired up to do well against Bafana, who they have met four times before. South Africa have won three of those to go with one draw.

GUINEA
World ranking (June 2026): 81
Previous AFCON appearances: 14 – last in 2023
Best finish: Runner-up (1976) Guinea did not qualify for the last finals in Morocco but were at the three prior to that and are a dangerous side.

They will likely be the most serious challengers to Bafana, who do not have a promising record against the West African team.

They have clashed on four previous occasions since their first meeting in 2006, and Guinea have won two of those to go with a draw and a single Bafana victory.

And that single Bafana success was in the African Nations Championship finals last year, a tournament for home-grown players only, so you can question whether it really even counts.

The biggest dangerman for the Guineans is no doubt Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy (below), who is one of the best forwards in the Bundesliga.

They have several players in France and Spain, and even defender Mamady Cissé, who plays for Atlético Mineiro in Brazil. They are coached by the Portuguese Paulo Duarte, who does not have a great record against Bafana, having faced them four times before while with Burkina Faso and Gabon. Bafana have won three of those games and drawn one, scoring 10 goals in the process.

ERITREA
World ranking (June 2026): 184
Previous AFCON appearances: None
Best finish: None Eritrea have never been to the Africa Cup of Nations before and had largely withdrawn from international football until recently.

But they entered the 2027 qualifiers and defeated Eswatini over two legs to book a place in the group stages. They are certainly the minnows in the pool, but will be unknowns for all teams and that gives them a slight edge.

Their talisman is undoubtedly Ali Suleiman, who plays for Kahrabaa Ismailia in the Egyptian league and was actually born in Saudi Arabia.

He scored three goals for the side against Eswatini and is a consummate finisher when given the chance. The team is coached by the Egyptian Hesham Yakan, who was a stalwart defender for Zamalek back in the day and also played 64 times for the Egyptian national team.

Bafana Bafana have never faced Eritrea in international football and, while they will expect to win both matches, neither game will be a given.

The post Bafana Bafana: Road To AFCON appeared first on SportsClub.

The Springboks and All Blacks have combined to win seven of the 10 World Cup titles since the inaugural global tournament was staged in 1987.

The 1995 World Cup in South Africa is still spoken about in reverent tones, due to the impact it had on the home country and the sport as a whole.

The image of Francois Pienaar lifting the trophy after the final and President Nelson Mandela raising his hands in triumph remains iconic.

“We didn’t have 60 000 South Africans,” the Bok skipper famously said, after the final whistle was blown and the jubilant crowd celebrated in the Ellis Park stands.

“We had 43 million South Africans.” Like South Africa, New Zealand lives for its rugby, and the 2011 World Cup tournament captivated the island nation like never before.

Sadly, neither country has hosted a World Cup in recent times – and if World Rugby has its way, the quadrennial tournament will continue to be held in regions where profits will be maximised.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer admitted as much earlier this year, when he was asked at a press conference whether his organisation would bid for the rights to host the 2035 tournament.

Australia will host the 2027 World Cup, while the USA will stage the tournament for the first time in 2031. By the time the 2031 edition of the event is done and dusted, the UK and Europe will have staged five of the 12 global tournaments. Africa, meanwhile, may have to be content with the 1995 showpiece as their one and only opportunity to play host.

“I think we have moved away from the philosophy that everybody must get an equal chance to host a World Cup,” said Oberholzer.

“New Zealand and South Africa will not make the money out of a World Cup that World Rugby needs.

“I don’t think it’s a negative on us. It is more what is more important for the best interest of rugby.”

The Boks have won four World Cups to date. While Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry – a regular series between the Boks and All Blacks, which kicks off in 2026 – will be staged in South Africa every eight years and the British & Irish Lions tour every 12, it’s a shame that the most successful World Cup team in history may not get another chance to compete for the title on home soil.

After several failed attempts to secure the rights, it seems that SA Rugby has accepted World Rugby’s stance on the matter.

“The World Cup is the only revenue stream for World Rugby that must fund the whole ecosystem, and all the members get some funding out of a World Cup,” said Oberholzer.

“So World Rugby must take the World Cup to where they can make the most money, and to go where they will be supported by local and national governments.

“I cannot see that the potential money generated out of South Africa will be the same as what is generated in Europe or maybe somewhere in the Middle East. World Rugby will drive World Cups to where they believe they can make the most money, and we all have to understand that. “You cannot ask for a World Cup in your country, make less money, and then want the biggest slice of the cake when it comes to the annual grant that we get from World Rugby,” he added.

According to World Rugby, every World Cup host is confirmed eight years in advance “to optimise the value, reach and impact of Rugby World Cup”.

This model, delivered through collaboration with governments, World Rugby member unions and key stakeholders, ensures “consistent delivery standards, brand integrity, and maximised revenues”.

The 2023 World Cup in France attracted more than 2.3 million people to grounds around the country and generated 1.33 billion viewing hours, while commercially, it delivered a record surplus of £472 million (approximately R10-billion) for reinvestment back into the game.

According to World Rugby’s figures, the 2023 tournament was the most viewed rugby event of all time, and achieved 30% more viewership than the 2015 World Cup in England, and 19% more than the 2019 tournament in Japan.

Growing viewership was observed in emerging markets such as Germany, Italy and the USA – and again, it’s important to note that the latter country will host the tournament for the first time in 2031.

The bidding process for the 2035 event is already under way. Argentina, Japan and Spain are among the countries to have submitted initial expressions of interest.

In March earlier this year, Saudi Arabia abandoned its plans to host the 2035 World Cup as a result of the Public Investment Fund’s new financial strategy.

The ongoing war in Iran is expected to impact on the PIF’s spending in the coming years, and at this stage, it appears as if other sports such as golf, football and Formula One will be prioritised. The deadline for submitting a formal bid is October 2026.

World Rugby will identify a preferred bidder in May 2027 before an appointment is made by the World Rugby Council. The next host will be unveiled at some point during the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

World Rugby has said the selection process will be structured around four core principles: commercial optimisation, operational control through the ownerorganiser model, contractual certainty prior to appointment, and transparency through a fair, collaborative and fully evaluated host-selection process.

The 2035 selection process will operate independently of the Women’s World Cup 2037, which will have its own standalone process.

More recently, Australia and the USA were awarded the rights to host the men’s as well as the women’s tournaments.

“Rugby World Cups are the sport’s greatest platform, and the men’s edition fuels the growth and sustainability of the sport,” said World Rugby chair, Brett Robinson.

“The process we are launching for 2035 sits at the very heart of our renewed strategy to grow the reach, strength and impact of the global game for our members.

“Following historic tournaments in the USA, we see 2035 as another major opportunity to unlock new audiences and additional value while ensuring Rugby World Cup continues to inspire and unite the world through rugby.”

Will South African stakeholders accept that? Will we never see another World Cup on these shores? Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie is among those who have not lost hope.

“We have the best players, the best teams, the best World Cup team – we’ve won the World Cup multiple times – we have to [host] the World Cup,” he told News24 this May.

“I’m not going to rest until I do that.” The minister confirmed that SA Rugby would need massive backing from the government to get its bid off the ground, and meet World Rugby’s financial and commercial demands.

“President Mark Alexander and CEO Rian Oberholzer have stabilised the finances at SA Rugby, so they can’t go and make a commitment on this, on behalf of government,” explained McKenzie.

“I’m going to work very hard to get that guarantee, but I first want to get sponsors to come on board. Then we’ll go to SA Rugby and say to them, ‘Mark, go get us that World Cup.’”

In response to McKenzie’s comments, Alexander said that SA Rugby as an organisation “hasn’t applied our minds to that yet… we haven’t had a discussion. Previously, we decided that we won’t bid for a World Cup.”

While calls for another Rugby World Cup in South Africa look set to continue, it may be another a decade or two before we see another global tournament in this country, if at all.

The post Missed Opportunity appeared first on SportsClub.

I can agree, World Cup fever hit me real hard this time round.

Besides the friendly rivalry at work and the momentum Bafana Bafana was building, I happened to be travelling to Morocco for a holiday trip.

I booked this almost a year ago, and as luck would have it, I arrived on the same day Morocco was playing against Canada.

Here’s a crazy idea, why not watch the game with the locals? You know, just for the gees and to see how different things really are from our South African family. Boy, was I in for a treat.

We headed to their fan park, which was located in the Medina Square in Marrakesh. Thousands of fans were standing around, glued to the one available screen in front of us.

It was 6pm in the evening and the temperature was around 36 degrees, with no sign of the sun setting anytime soon.

For every near miss and ball protected, the crowd rallied behind their team the whole way through.

You could hear the oohs and aahs and see hands go up in the air, and then suddenly, just after half-time, the first goal by Morocco was scored.

From the sound of vuvuzelas (see, it’s not just us) to cheering, singing and dancing, the crowd went wild.

There were guys walking around selling cold drinks (with the heat like that, it was much needed) as well as homemade baked goods to keep the masses hydrated and fed.

As the game intensified, you could feel the energy of the crowd and how much they wanted their team to progress to the next round.

Closing in on full time, another goal was scored, which felt like the Moroccans were cementing their place – what a time to be in Morocco!

That last goal scored in extra time was literally the cherry on top to watching such a fun match as everyone celebrated with joyful laughs, breaking out into more song and dance.

I won’t even lie, being there felt just like home, proving to me that if there’s one thing that can unite people together, it’s sports – go sports!

The post Go Sports! Experiencing the World Cup like a Moroccan appeared first on SportsClub.

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will finally be played from 26 July to 16 August when a record 16 teams converge in Morocco for continental glory and a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The tournament was originally scheduled for March and April this year, but was postponed by the hosts in the wake of the men’s tournament which concluded in January and appeared to drain the nation’s energy for another continental finals.

There had been talk that South Africa was ready to step in and take over hosting duties earlier in the year, but that would have meant Morocco’s disqualification and, as such, no place at next year’s World Cup.

So instead, Morocco and the Confederation of African Football reached a compromise that allowed them to retain hosting rights wile shifting the tournament to later in the year, despite the fact that many teams were already in camp and had chosen their squads.

Morocco’s financial muscle, and the fact that it routinely assists other African nations with venues for matches when they cannot play at home, as well as CAF with hosting events no one else wants, gives them plenty of boardroom clout.

It is a case of better late than never, and the fact the tournament will now be played in the summer months is a bonus.

Anyone who endured the winter men’s AFCON will attest to how unpleasant conditions can be.

THE GROUPS

A record 16 teams will take part in the finals, with the draw long completed and the groups set. The teams have been placed into four pools of four, with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Morocco headline Group A as the host nation and are joined by bitter rivals Algeria, Senegal and Kenya.

The game against Senegal will no doubt have some added spice. Kenya are inexperienced at this level, having appeared only once before in 2016, when they lost all three games, conceding 10 goals in the process.

Banyana Banyana have, on the face of it, a kind draw with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania in Group B.

Ivory Coast are making their third WAFCON appearance, but their first since 2014, when they finished with the bronze medal, dashing South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Burkina Faso debuted in 2022 and managed a single point from their three games, going out in the pool stages.

Tanzania have appeared twice before, in 2010 and the 2024 edition, managing a draw and two defeats on each occasion.

Defending champions Nigeria are in the ‘Group of Death’ along with Zambia, Egypt and Malawi. Nigeria will still fancy their chances of advancing with their star quality, but who will join them from Group C is open to question.

Zambia’s greater experience, having played at the last two Olympic Games and the 2023 Women’s World Cup, suggests it will be them, especially with star forward Barbra Banda in their side.

Egypt might not have the explosiveness of other teams in the pool but are workmanlike and organised, while Malawi may be on debut but have shown great improvement in recent years and have the deadly Chawinga sisters, who play at the highest level abroad. Group D is tough to call, with Ghana, who beat Banyana to finish third in the previous edition, up against Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde.

You would think Ghana are overwhelming favourites to win the pool, and they should do so, but none of their opponents will be easy.

Cameroon are three-time runners-up but, surprisingly, did not qualify for the 2024 edition, the first time they had missed out.

Mali reached the quarter-finals in the 2024 edition, with their best finish being fourth in 2018. Cape Verde are on debut and will be something of an unknown quantity for the other teams in the pool.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, which is a major carrot for the teams.

But it is not the end of the road for the losing quarter-finalists. They will play an additional play-off round at this competition to determine two teams that will advance to the intercontinental preliminary stage.

Those play-offs will be staged in February 2027 and feature 10 teams drawn from all six of FIFA’s confederations, with one each from Oceania and Europe.

The intercontinental qualifiers are played in a knockout format with semi-finals and a final, and three teams advance to the World Cup finals.

The post WAFCON: Road To Brazil appeared first on SportsClub.

The new European football season is still weeks away and much remains uncertain.

The transfer market has not settled yet, coaching changes continue and clubs will spend the time after the 2026 World Cup trying to reshape squads and assess players whose reputations have risen or fallen in North America.

That makes long-range predictions difficult. Yet while personnel changes are uncertain, we can look to history for some clues.

Across Europe’s five major leagues, title races are often remarkably similar and the same trends repeat themselves over time. So what should we expect this time round?

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

England continues to offer the most competitive title race among Europe’s leading leagues, but recent history suggests there is a clear benchmark for success.

Premier League champions have averaged 89 points over the last decade and eight of the last 10 winners have earned at least 86.

Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the title in 2025/26, but repeating that achievement may prove more difficult.

Back-to-back champions are comparatively rare in England. Since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, only four clubs have defended the title – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

City’s dominance has shaped the modern era. Before Arsenal’s recent success, they won six successive league crowns and eight of the previous nine.

Defending champions generally remain competitive. Since 2010, only three title holders have finished outside the top two the following season.

Manchester City are again likely to challenge despite the departure of Pep Guardiola after a decade in charge.

Liverpool are expected to improve after an underwhelming campaign, while Manchester United’s progress under Michael Carrick suggests they may enter the conversation.

Chelsea remain harder to assess. Their squad depth suggests potential, but instability has undermined them in recent seasons.

They are, for all intents and purposes, a basket case. Another trend concerns promoted clubs. Of the 15 promoted sides over the last five Premier League seasons, 11 were relegated immediately, highlighting the increasing gap between divisions.

Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will all battle to stay up this season.

SPANISH LALIGA

Spain’s title race has been dominated by familiar names over the last two decades.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are the only clubs to have won LaLiga since 2005, with Barca and Real accounting for 18 of the last 21 championships.

Barcelona begin 2026/27 as defending champions, though history suggests Real Madrid rarely stay down for long.

And with the returning José Mourinho at the helm, there is sure to be a shake-up.

Since 2000, Real have failed to reclaim the title within two seasons of losing it only twice.

Their decision to bring Mourinho back to the club reflects that urgency, though questions remain over whether he can rediscover the consistency that defined earlier periods of his career.

Is he ‘yesterday’s man’, rather than a coach for the present? The average LaLiga-winning points total over the last decade stands at 87, underlining the importance of consistency against lower-ranked opposition.

Barca have also tended to respond well to success, defending the title in five of the last eight opportunities when entering a season as champions.

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

No league in Europe has been shaped by one club to the extent of Bayern Munich in Germany.

Bayern have won 18 of the last 22 Bundesliga titles and secured an 11-season streak between 2013 and 2023.

The average Bundesliga champion over the last decade collected around 80 points, though Bayern have frequently moved beyond that mark with ease.

Their advantage is reflected in attack as well. Bundesliga champions have averaged 84 goals a season in the last 10 years, while Bayern regularly surpass 90 and occasionally exceed 100.

Last year they scored a massive 122 in 34 games, just a staggering number.

Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig have mounted challenges at various stages, but sustaining pressure across a full season has proved difficult.

Harry Kane remains central to Bayern’s attack. Despite operating in deeper positions at times last season, he again produced elite scoring numbers.

The broader trend suggests Bayern remain the side others must catch rather than merely compete with.

ITALIAN SERIE A

Along with the Premier League, Italy offers greater competitive variation than many of Europe’s leading leagues.

Four clubs have shared the last 10 Serie A titles – Juventus (four), Inter Milan (three), Napoli (two) and AC Milan (one).

Inter enter the campaign as defending champions, but retaining the Scudetto has historically been difficult.

Juventus are the only side to defend a Serie A crown in the last decade.

Serie A champions have averaged around 85 points over the last 10 seasons, often with tighter margins than elsewhere in Europe.

Napoli face uncertainty after the departure of Antonio Conte, while Juventus and Milan are rebuilding after disappointing campaigns.

Roma and Como appear to be moving in the right direction but may still lack the depth required for a sustained title challenge.

FRENCH LIGUE 1

France presents perhaps the clearest picture of who will be champions because they have serial winners who can dwarf the rest of the league in spending power.

Paris Saint-Germain have won 11 of the last 13 Ligue 1 titles and have not finished outside the top two since 2011.

Only Monaco in 2016/17 and Lille in 2020/21 interrupted Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance during that period.

The average Ligue 1 champion over the last decade earned about 83 points, though Paris Saint-Germain frequently exceed that figure comfortably.

Financial disparity remains decisive. Paris Saint-Germain’s spending power continues to dwarf domestic rivals, leaving challengers reliant on inconsistency from Paris rather than expecting to outperform them over a season. Lens pushed them closely last year but still finished six points adrift.

THE WORLD CUP FACTOR

The season following a World Cup often brings disruption and can mean there are surprises in the title races, not so much the winner but who challenges.

Players return late, injuries increase and clubs reassess recruitment plans after standout performances on the global stage.

Unexpected contenders can emerge, while established sides occasionally struggle for rhythm That uncertainty will shape the opening months of the 2026/27 season.

But while transfers and managerial appointments may alter expectations, historical patterns continue to offer the best clues and the champions in each league will come from those who can hit the average number of points required and go a little beyond it.

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Back in 2016, when the London-born Ayman Ben Mohamed got a surprise call-up to play for Tunisia, his teammate at Dublin club Bohemians, Roberto Lopes, jokingly suggested he too could become an African international.

At the time, he was just kidding, but a decade later, he is about to compete at the World Cup.

Also London-born, Lopes will be helping Cape Verde as they make their World Cup debut after an extraordinary story of discovery.

Lopes qualifies for Cape Verde through his father, Carlos.

“I hope he’s very proud. He’s the reason that I’m playing for the Cape Verde national team, and to represent him and represent my family at the biggest stage in football is just amazing,” Lopes said.

“I can’t put it into words. I know some people would say a ‘boy from Cumlin, playing in the League of Ireland his whole career that played international football when he was 28 to playing at a World Cup’. But I’m 33 now, I’ll be 34 during it.

“It’s been incredible. I’m probably the luckiest person in the world.”

Certainly, the way Cape Verde stumbled upon Lopes makes that statement true. He was playing at Shamrock Rovers, and with the Dublin club competing in both the Champions League and Europa League, Lopes got a message on his LinkedIn profile that set the ball rolling.

“I set up a profile when I was in college but never really looked at it since. I got a message from the then coach Rui Aguas, but he wrote to me in Portuguese. I just thought it was a spam message and I took no notice of it. And then about nine months later, he messaged me back, saying, ‘Hi Roberto, have you had a chance to consider what I said to you?’.

“I felt so rude for not having replied to him months earlier. I copied the message and put it into Google Translate. And it was basically said that, ‘we’re looking at getting new players into the Cape Verde squad and would you be interested in declaring for Cape Verde?’.

“I was absolutely buzzing with that! I was like, ‘yep, 100% I’d love to be a part of the squad’.”
That kicked off a paperwork trail and a first trip to Marseille where the side was playing a friendly in October 2019 and where Lopes could meet his new teammates for the first time.

It was not going to be easy. Lopes knew no Portuguese. They had not spoken it at home growing up.

But it has become a thrilling adventure for the centre back, who has gone on to win 44 caps for his country.

“I wasn’t eligible to play a competitive game for about a year.” Lopes had one substitute appearance for the Republic of Ireland at Under-18 level and had to formally apply to FIFA to declare for Cape Verde.

“I think I played three minutes at Under-19 level, but the paperwork took the longest time.

“Initially when I went over there, I was so nervous as I was going into a place where I didn’t know if anyone spoke English. It’s like ‘how am I going to introduce myself?’ but once I went over, all the doubts and fears just went away because everyone made me feel so welcome,” Lopes recalls.

“A few more players [than I thought] spoke English. Teammates would make the effort to come up to me and say, ‘how are you getting on, doing okay?’ And when you’re on the pitch, football has its own language.”

The island archipelago has a population of just over half a million, but most of the team are, like Lopes, drawn from the diaspora, particularly from Portugal and the Netherlands.

They now look ahead to take on Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia at the finals.

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GROUP A
Teams: Mexico (15), South Africa (60), South Korea (22), Czech Republic (43)
(April World Ranking in brackets.)
Bafana Bafana must navigate a tricky but not insurmountable group if they are to reach the knockout rounds for the first time.

With the eight best third-placed sides advancing from the 12 groups, one win could well be enough for any team, and Bafana may well be targeting their final game against South Korea for that.

That is not to say the Asian side are not very good – they are – but they have also been out of form of late and may be vulnerable.

Mexico in the opener at the Azteca Stadium will be tough, but there is no reason why South Africa cannot get at least a point against a good but limited Czech Republic side.

GROUP B
Teams: Canada (30), Bosnia & Herzegovina (71), Qatar (56), Switzerland (19)
Canada are probably the weakest of the co-hosts at the finals, but they should still get out of their group, as they do not lose many at home.

The efficient Swiss are favourites to finish top of the pool, while Bosnia & Herzegovina will still be basking in the glory of ousting Italy in the intercontinental play-offs.

Qatar are not expected to make much of an impression, but they might prove spoilers somewhere along the line in the group.

Expect Canada and Switzerland to finish in the top two, with the Bosnians perhaps taking third place and also advancing.

GROUP C
Teams: Brazil (7), Morocco (8), Haiti (83), Scotland (40)
There are two stand-out teams in the race for the top two places in this pool, with Brazil and Morocco both ranked in the top eight in the world. No other group has two teams from the top 10, let alone the top eight, so this is something of an anomaly.

Haiti are the second-lowest-ranked side in the competition and are expected to be cannon fodder, while Scotland could spring a surprise but do not have the weaponry to match the top teams.

Their goal will be not to lose too heavily to the big guns and to hope for a big win over Haiti to boost their chances of finishing third with a decent goal difference.

GROUP D
Teams: USA (16), Paraguay (38), Australia (27), Turkey (24)
This is a tough group to call in many ways, with all four teams ranked between 16 and 38, meaning there is not all that much between them.

You get the feeling that in this pool anyone can beat anyone else on their day, so there may not be a clear winner.

It is not helped by the fact that the United States, the top-ranked team with home advantage, have not been in great form in the build-up to the finals.

Australia are probably not quite as good as their position in the FIFA rankings suggests, and Paraguay may be a bit better. It will be highly contested.

GROUP E
Teams: Germany (10), Curaçao (81), Ivory Coast (35), Ecuador (23)
Germany will be delighted with this draw. They face debutants and minnows Curaçao, and will feel they have the beating of both Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

The decisive game in the race for second place will be the fixture between those two, which is their first match in the pool on 15 June.

Curaçao, with all of their Dutch influence, will be a curiosity, but are unlikely to have the quality to trouble the other members of the pool.

GROUP F
Teams: Netherlands (6), Japan (18), Sweden (41), Tunisia (44)
This is another close group and, while the Netherlands are ranked sixth in the world, they have a habit of dropping points when you do not expect them to. All three of the other teams in this pool are capable of taking points off them.

Sweden were, in many ways, surprise qualifiers, having finished bottom of their preliminary group but been gifted a path into the intercontinental play-offs by winning their Nations League pool. There they beat Poland.

Japan are a very structured and organised side, while Tunisia can be equally tough to beat. This is one of the more difficult pools to call.

GROUP G
Teams: Belgium (9), Egypt (29), Iran (21), New Zealand (85)
New Zealand are the lowest-ranked side at the World Cup and are unlikely to feature much, though this will be a great platform for the likes of Orlando Pirates’ Andre de Jong.

Belgium will be desperate to make up for their 2022 failure, while Egypt and Iran have a gritty feel to them, with a few good individuals. Mo Salah will likely be playing in his final World Cup for the Pharaohs.

How Iran handle being in the United States after the political tensions between those two countries in 2026, and before that, remains to be seen. Belgium and Egypt should finish in the top two.

GROUP H
Teams: Spain (3), Cape Verde (67), Saudi Arabia (61), Uruguay (17)
Spain will believe they can repeat their 2010 success with a young team packed with promise, though they are probably not yet the finished article. That said, they are the current European champions.

Uruguay are always difficult opponents and technically very good, and then there is a big drop-off to the next two teams, both of whom are ranked lower than Bafana Bafana.

Saudi Arabia have had a difficult build-up, while Cape Verde are on debut and this will be a huge step up for a side that did not even qualify for the last 24-team Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

GROUP I
Teams: France (2), Iraq (58), Senegal (14), Norway (31)
France will want to make up for their final defeat four years ago and should get out of this group with ease, though their meeting with Senegal is a reminder of the 2002 opener when the African side stunned the then champions.

Norway have Erling Haaland, and that makes them dangerous regardless of who they are playing, while Iraq will appear at the finals for the first time since their debut in 1986 but could struggle to make an impression.

GROUP J
Teams: Argentina (4), Algeria (28), Austria (25), Jordan (64)
Champions Argentina will hope to give Lionel Messi a World Cup swansong – surely he cannot play another? – to remember as they seek to defend their title.

Algeria and Austria are probably quite closely matched, as the world rankings suggest, and then there is a drop-off to Jordan, who are on debut.

The key clash for second place will be between the “A-teams” – Algeria and Austria.

GROUP K
Teams: Portugal (5), DR Congo (47), Uzbekistan (48), Colombia (13)
Portugal and Colombia will be red-hot favourites in this pool, with the Congolese and Uzbekistan looking to do more than just make up the numbers.

Uzbekistan are one of those teams who have benefited from the expanded World Cup; they would have had very little chance of qualifying otherwise.

DR Congo have come close before and appeared in 1974 under the name Zaire.

GROUP L
Teams: England (4), Croatia (11), Ghana (72), Panama (34)
This is a tough pool in which England and Croatia look like the favourites for the top two places, but, as Bafana Bafana know all too well, Ghana and Panama are no easy opponents.

England are hoping to end their tortuous 60-year wait for the title, while Croatia were losing finalists in 2018.

They should have too much technical quality for the Ghanaians and Panama, but you never know…

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