Sports
A tour through Travis Kelce’s baseball era
In the folkloric story of Travis Kelce’s life and career, one time period stands out. It was the summer of 2010. Kelce had lost his scholarship at Cincinnati after smoking marijuana and failing a drug test. He was living with his older brother, Jason, working for a call center, tasked with asking random people about Obamacare, often enduring scorn from the other end of the phone. At 20 years old, Kelce wondered if his football career was over.
That’s when Kelce, his future hanging in the balance, joined a summer collegiate baseball league. It was a way to stay busy and also a potential Plan B.
As Taylor Swift fans would discover years later while scouring Kelce’s old tweets, there was a time when people in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, viewed baseball as Kelce’s best sport. His father, Ed, loved the game and coached Travis from T-ball on up. And Kelce’s affection for baseball never really faded. Over the years, he has thrown an ill-fated first pitch at a Guardians’ game, played in a celebrity softball contest, stepped in the Chicago Cubs’ batting cages, filmed a video taking hacks with Aaron Judge and attended Game 1 of this year’s World Series.
I can’t wait for this baseball to get started up!!! A lot of people don’t know, but baseball just might be my best sport!
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) May 28, 2010
During that transformative summer of 2010, Kelce joined coach Michael Bricker’s team at Champions Academy in Cincinnati. One evening, former Cincinnati Bearcats baseball coach Brian Cleary ventured to see Kelce — a player he already knew plenty about — in person.
“He was playing right field. As they take in-and-out (warmups) and as he’s playing pregame, it’s the best thrower of a baseball I’ve ever seen, to this day, in my life,” said Cleary, now a scout for the Washington Nationals.
The lost stories of Kelce’s baseball career, resurrected largely thanks to his girlfriend’s most fervent fans, are worthy of a Swiftian refrain:
If one thing had been different
Would everything be different today?
In 2006, Michael Dillon had just taken over as the head baseball coach at Cleveland Heights High School. It was the summer before Kelce’s junior year, and Dillon’s athletic director had given him a list of the school’s baseball players. After conferring with a few folks in the local baseball scene, Dillon learned of a notable omission: Travis Kelce.
Dillon heard about this kid who moved with the violent grace of a full-on rainstorm, who could hit the ball a mile and who had been throwing 90 mph since the eighth grade. Dillon tracked down the schedule for Kelce’s summer team. He ventured to a game, and one of the first things he saw was Kelce blasting a line-drive to the base of a wall 400 feet from home plate.
“I’m like, ‘What the f—?” Dillon said. “I’m pissed at this AD. How and why was he not telling me about Travis Kelce?”
Kelce was a three-sport star, a quarterback on the football team and a rim-rattling post in basketball. He was also a dominant youth hockey player and even had a stint playing lacrosse in middle school. Although he didn’t play baseball during his sophomore season for Cleveland Heights, Kelce was still spending his summers on a diamond, and his father had been trying to convince his youngest son to go all-in on baseball. Ed had at one point contacted Reggie Sanders, a Cleveland Heights alum turned Braves scout who ran tryout camps in the area. Sanders (not the former major-league player with the same name) answered the phone and almost immediately began rolling his eyes.
Papa Kelce was telling him how talented his youngest son was, how he was always trying to follow in his older brother’s footsteps. (Jason Kelce was already playing football at Cincinnati.) Ed thought his younger son was an even better athlete.
“I was probably putting the phone down,” Sanders said, “grabbing a cup of coffee and then coming back. Like, ‘Whatever bro. I hear this all the time.’”
Sanders, despite his skepticism, went to watch Travis play.
“He looked like Josh Hamilton,” Sanders said, referencing the 2010 American League MVP. “I saw him get a base hit. He got on first, stole second and then stole third way before the catcher could even get it out of his glove. It was something surreal.”
Sanders evolved into a sort of mentor to Kelce, and kept in close touch with Ed.
“I think that was his father’s dream, to see him in a major-league baseball uniform playing in the World Series,” Sanders said.
The ensuing winter, Dillon stopped Kelce following a basketball practice and made a sales pitch that amounted to a guilt trip.
“You’re the best football player in the school,” Dillon told him. “You’re the best basketball player in the school. You’re out there playing with your teammates and your friends, helping them be successful. Now you don’t play baseball? What is it? Some of your best friends are on the baseball team. You’re gonna be letting them down. You’re gonna be letting the school down. You’re gonna be letting yourself down.”
Kelce always had an undying loyalty to his hometown, a diverse suburb east of downtown Cleveland.
“I’ll be there, Coach,” Kelce told him.
Kelce, who had been academically ineligible for football as a sophomore, first had to raise his grades and ACT score. But midway through his junior season, he was finally able to join the baseball team.
Early in Kelce’s first game, teammate Evan Knoblauch was playing center. A batter from the opposing team smashed a ball over Kelce’s head in left. Knoblauch recalls Kelce yelling out: Oh s—!
Then Kelce turned and started sprinting. He atoned for his bad jump, turned his back to home plate and snagged the ball with a spectacular basket catch. In center field, Knoblauch clapped.
“Man,” he remembers thinking. “Good to have him back.”
A lifelong Cleveland sports fan, Kelce appeared with his mom, Donna, before a Guardians game in April. (Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images)
By May of Kelce’s senior year, he made The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer as a player of the week. He went 14-for-22 with 12 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs, four steals and 12 RBIs.
The “About Travis” section below his statistics noted Kelce was a fan of the Cleveland Indians and Cavaliers. His favorite movie was “Talladega Nights.” His favorite actor was Will Ferrell. He enjoyed eating at Outback Steakhouse and watching “SportsCenter.” He was a typical teenager.
By his senior season at Cleveland Heights, Kelce had also become the best hitter in the area. Playing mostly outfield and third base, he led the area with a .588 batting average and belted six home runs. Dillon was an early adopter of swinging with a slight uppercut and viewed unlocking even more of Kelce’s monstrous power as a work in progress.
“He would have been an Aaron Judge-type player,” Dillon said.
Kelce even made a few appearances as a closer and was an imposing flamethrower. But his pitching appearances were limited, and teammates tried to avoid facing him in practice for a reason. Years later, no one was totally surprised when he spiked his ceremonial first pitch at the Cleveland Guardians’ home opener.
“He didn’t really always know where it was going to go,” Dillon said.
Kelce also had a reputation for being, well, a goofball.
Some of the stories verge on the apocryphal, and Kelce himself doesn’t mind playfully amplifying them. Sure, Kelce texted his old friend Knoblauch when he was contacted for this story: “Tell him about the legend of 6-6.”
Travis Kelce is a large man. But at a certain point, his outsized reputation exceeded even his actual stature, culminating in the so-called “Legend of 6-6,” a catchphrase for Kelce deeds both good and bad. It would come up when he did something amazing. It could even be a fallback when Kelce did something idiotic. Teammates might shrug and joke: He’s 6-6. Someone that size can get away with anything.
Perhaps, however, his deeds only made him seem that big. As Kelce recently told Knoblauch: “I’m 6-4 7/8.”
On at least one occasion, after the team finished in and out, Kelce would grab the ball, and instead of bringing it into the dugout, he hurled it over the right-field fence.
“He wants a laugh. You tell Trav to do something, Trav would f—— do it,” Knoblauch said.
But he was a goof who was intensively competitive. In a game against rival Beachwood, Kelce came in as the closer. Cleveland Heights was up by two runs. But Kelce was especially wild that day. He issued three walks and gave up a double. The bases were loaded in a tie game when Kelce plunked the opposing batter, hard.
“Right in the neck,” Knoblauch said.
The winning run scored. Kelce walked off the field, took off his glove and hurled it over the fence above the third-base dugout. The glove sailed into the stands on the nearby football field. (“Travis Kelce is the poorest and sorest loser I’ve ever been around,” Cleveland Heights basketball coach Barry Egan once told The Athletic).
Kelce then stomped into the dugout, where a 50-gallon metal drum was serving as the trash can. He grabbed the barrel and tried to hurl it in frustration.
“I’m running in from left field, and I have an obscured view,” Knoblauch said. “All I see is two legs sticking out of the dugout.” Kelce had tried to throw the trash can, flipped, fell over and bruised his ribs.
Later, on the bus ride home, Kelce told his teammates he was sorry and that he had let them down. Too bad no one could contain their laughter.
The summer before they departed for college, Kelce ended up pulling Knoblauch onto a summer team called the East Side Thunder.
“He vouched for me,” said Knoblauch, who went on to play baseball at Denison University in Ohio. “The cool thing about Trav is he still does this now. He introduces people to people.”
It was the spring of 2010 at the University of Cincinnati, and Ed Kelce called Brian Cleary.
Travis had just finished his redshirt freshman season on the Bearcats football team. Now he was suspended for that failed drug test.
As Kelce recounted to Vanity Fair this past summer, Kelce hit Bourbon Street when the Bearcats were playing in the Sugar Bowl. He was listening to Lil Wayne. “And I wanted to smoke what he was smoking,” Kelce told the magazine. After a few days of partying, Kelce and his teammates were called in for an NCAA drug test.
Kelce knew he was screwed.
A few months earlier, Cleary was walking down an athletic department hallway when he bumped into football coach Brian Kelly and asked him: What if Travis Kelce played baseball in the spring?
“I could not get the sentence out of my mouth,” Cleary said, “before he said ‘Absolutely not.’”
But Kelly had left for Notre Dame. Kelce was suspended for a year; new football coach Butch Jones kicked Kelce off the team and revoked his scholarship.
“It was like my life was over,” Kelce told the Wall Street Journal this fall.
Ed was trying to help his exiled son.
“Is there any way,” Ed asked Cleary, “you can set him up with a way to play baseball?”
Ed had a similar conversation with Dillon, and a few connections led them to Michael Bricker and Champions Academy. The local baseball facility had a collegiate summer league that played most of its games around the area, meaning Kelce could still work out and take summer classes.
Dillon called Bricker and convinced him to set up a workout. “I finally got him to understand that this guy, he’s worth a look at,” Dillon said.
Not long after, he was starting in right field against other college players.
Reviews vary on the caliber of competition. But Ed was soon calling Dillon during games, excited at how well his son was playing. The closest thing to a historical record comes from Kelce’s hilarious tweets in the summer of 2010.
June 5, 2010: Aftger game game 1 I’m batting .1000 gotta keep it going through the double header tomorrow
July 3: 3 for 3 with a double, triple, a sacrifice fly and 3 rbi’s, glad I could put on a show for my mom and pops! Feeling good!
July 14: 2 for 4 with a pair of singles and 2 RBI’s which is solid but not what I want, gotta do better on saterday! Now its time to grab some food!
Kelce left an impression in more ways than one. “One of the two or three funniest guys I’ve coached in 20 years,” Bricker said.
Bricker had worked as a scout for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. He had even evaluated Michael Jordan, another athlete whose father loved baseball.
“Had pro tools,” Bricker said of Kelce. “He had a major-league arm, major-league speed. He fielded the ball well and hit for power. The only tool that would remain to be seen would be hitting for average. He could really square up a fastball and hit it a long way.”
Bricker notes that Kelce struggled against breaking balls. He had another flaw, too.
“He didn’t like the bunt sign,” Bricker said. “He liked to shake that one off.”
Travis Kelce hitting dingers with Aaron Judge @tkelce @TheJudge44 pic.twitter.com/Va8g8kn29s
— BBQ Dom (@RealBBQDom) April 12, 2023
Kelce knew his game needed work, so he again reached out to Sanders, who was based in Arizona. Kelce was interested in coming down to work out.
“He never wanted me to forget about him. He always stayed in touch. He wanted a Plan B,” Sanders said. “He was like, ‘Bro, I don’t know about this football thing.’ He was not really thinking the football thing was going to work out.”
Cleary is unsure how Kelce would have fared against high-level pitching, but knows he could have played at Cincinnati. Sanders believes Kelce could have been a second- or third-round pick, and perhaps a top prospect had he grown up in a warm-weather state and played consistently.
Bricker ended that summer with an even stronger review: “Kelce could have been another Kirk Gibson had he stayed at baseball. Kirk Gibson could have been a good receiver, tight-end type guy. I think they both chose good career paths.”
Kelce, who declined to talk for this story, never played baseball at UC. His suspension didn’t end until Jan. 1, 2011. By then he was geared up for a return to football. And — after spending a year attaining a 3.2 GPA — a position switch from quarterback to full-time tight end became the invisible string tying him to his destiny.
“I think from that point on the writing was on the wall for him as a football player,” Cleary said. “He never made it on the field for us, but it wasn’t for lack of trying on his part or our part.”
The closest Kelce came to the majors was throwing out two ceremonial first pitches. The first was this past April at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, a ball that went straight into the turf. In June, the Royals gave him a shot at redemption.
That is when Kelce toed the rubber, went into a brief windup and threw a ball that caught the inner edge of the plate. As the ball hit Bobby Witt Jr.’s mitt, Kelce held a pose on the mound. Then he pointed and motioned as if it were a called strike.
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Thunder lose star Jalen Williams for Western Conference Finals Game 7 as hamstring injury lingers
Spurs force Game 7 vs. Thunder, SGA struggles, Will Wemby carry this momentum? | The Herd
Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points and 10 rebounds in the San Antonio Spurs’ 118-91 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the WCF. Jason McIntyre says that Wemby showed up in the biggest moments, and asks if he can carry this momentum into Game 7. Plus, he discusses Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s struggles and asks if he will cost the Thunder the series.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder will be shorthanded in Saturday’s pivotal Game 7, as one of Oklahoma’s key contributors has been sidelined with an injury.
OKC guard Jalen Williams has been ruled out for Game 7 with a hamstring issue, ESPN reported on Friday. Williams appeared to aggravate his left hamstring during the Thunder’s 122-113 victory in Game 2. He missed the next three games before returning for Game 6, but logged just 10 minutes off the bench in Oklahoma City’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, which forced a winner-take-all Game 7.
“He’s obviously not 100%,” Mark Daigneault, the head coach of the Thunder, said.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams watches during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Daigneault applauded Williams for fighting through the injury and doing everything he could to help Oklahoma City.
“He didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to expect. So, it was a matter of getting him out there in kind of an insulated role and see what he can bring to the team. He’s an All-Star player, he’s an All-NBA player. He hasn’t done a full return to play [protocol] like he would if this was the regular season, and yet, he just wants to do whatever he can to try to contribute whatever he can to the team.”
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“I give him a lot of credit to get himself out there. He did the best he could. He’s certainly not the reason we lost.”
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams reacts to a shot by forward Luguentz Dort in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the Western Conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 18, 2026. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)
Williams did not talk to reporters after Thursday’s game in San Antonio.
Williams underwent surgery last offseason to repair a wrist injury but still played a key role in the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals last season. He appeared in just 33 regular-season games before this year’s playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams drives into the paint during the first quarter of Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on May 20, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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The winner of Saturday’s Game 7 will advance to the NBA Finals to face the New York Knicks. New York snapped a nearly three-decade Finals drought by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
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CLOVIS — Cool conditions produced a bunch of fast times Friday at the CIF state track and field championships.
Rosary Academy sprint coach Jon Gilmer was worried 4×100-meter relayers Tra’via Flournoy, Justine Wilson, Pfeiffer Lee and Maliyah Collins might get complacent at prelims, but the Royals were the top qualifiers in 45.13 seconds — nearly a full second faster than Canyon Country Canyon (46.07) — at Buchanan High School.
“It’s different not having Calabasas here,” Gilmer said. “Now we’ve got to push ourselves.”
Rosary set a state record (44.23) at the Arcadia Invitational on April 11, but lost to the Coyotes one week later at the Mt. SAC Relays. However, the anticipated state finals clash was not to be as Calabasas dropped the baton in the Southern Section finals and failed to advance.
Collins had a huge lead by the time she received the stick for the anchor leg Friday.
“This is maybe our fourth- or fifth-fastest time but we just wanted to make finals,” said Wilson, who ran the second leg before handing off to Lee. “We want to run faster tomorrow when we go for a PR, the meet and the state record.”
Calabasas might be out of the relay, but three Coyotes remain in contention in the 100, led by Malia Rainey (the top qualifier in 11.54), Marley Scoggins (11.63) and Olivia Kirk (11.63).
Calabasas sprinter Marley Scoggins, center, wins her 100-meter heat at the CIF state track and field preliminaries on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Collins won her heat in 11.62, the third-fastest time.
Servite won the first heat in the boys 4×100 relay in 40.29 — two hundredths off its winning time at last year’s state finals — and is primed to defend its title in the event. Concord De La Salle (40.81) was the second-fastest qualifier, followed by the other heat winners, Rancho Cucamonga (40.87) and Loyola (40.93).
“We got the stick around pretty good today,” said Jorden Wells, who ran the first leg Friday instead of his customary second leg, which was run by Jaelen Hunter. “Did it feel different? Not really, I’ve done it before.”
Wells said his twin brother Jace will run the first leg Saturday, he will run the second while Kamil Pelovello and Benjamin Harris will stay in the third and fourth positions.
Harris, the favorite to win the 100 meters, won his heat in a wind-legal 10.36, but three others were fractions faster in wind-aided times — Elk Grove’s Cy Lugo (10.20), Will Wood’s Deshawn Seymour (10.34) and De La Salle’s Damari Dean (10.34). Newbury Park’s Jaden Griffin won the last heat in 10.37, setting the stage for an exciting finals sprint as all nine qualifiers ran under 10.48.
Harris put himself in position for a Saturday double by winning his 200 heat in 21.10 but as he did in the 100, Lugo (the Sac-Joaquin Section record holder) had the fastest time (20.73), followed by Seymour (20.88), Camren Hughes (20.93) of Palos Verdes and Jace Wells (21.02). Jordan Wells (21.11) also made the cut.
Newbury Park’s Jaden Griffin, center, shouts after winning his heat in the 100 meters at the CIF state track and field preliminaries on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Servite (3:15.43) had the second-fastest qualifying time in the 4×400-meter relay behind only El Cerrito (3:14.96) of the North Coast Section.
Coming off a state-record 3:33.83 at the Masters Meet in Moorpark, Long Beach Wilson’s 4×400 girls relay had the fourth-fastest qualifying time (3:46.73) without two out of its best runners (Clara Adams and Saniah Varnado), taking second in the first heat behind San Luis Obispo (3:45.85) and safely advancing to the finals along with Heat 2 runner-up Rosary (3:45.08) and Heat 3 winner Canyon Country Canyon (3:46.77).
Having broken the Southern Section record in the 400 meters six days earlier in 51.98, Adams put it in cruise control to win her heat in 53.53, the fastest qualifying mark. Joining her in the final will be her three relay teammates Varnado (54.42), Wilson (54.57) and Fowler (54.62). Adams later won her 200 heat in 23.60, a tenth of a second behind fastest qualifier Naiaja Sizemore of Vanden.
San Jacinto Valley Academy’s Kaahliyah Lacy ran a wind-legal 13.59 for the top qualifying spot in the girls 100 hurdles and Varnado (40.85) was the top qualifier in the 300 hurdles.
Another showdown is brewing in the boys 400, where Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes (47.08) and Hunter (47.21) won their heats in the two fastest times Friday. Hunter clocked 46.32 to set a California freshman record last spring, but lost to Yohannes by 11 hundredths of a second at the Masters Meet.
City Section champion Jayden Rendon showed good form in his bid to defend the state 300 hurdles crown, posting the fastest prelims time (36.80). He also advanced to the finals in the 110 hurdles with a 13.83 effort. Moorpark’s Davis Benson (14.03) nabbed the last spot.
Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe, right, wins the first heat of the 800 meters at the CIF state track and field preliminaries on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Corona Santiago senior Braelyn Combe won her 1,600 heat in 4:46.88 and is set for a four-lap battle with San Diego Section champion Chiara Dailey of La Jolla, who won the second heat in 4:46.00. Combe is the defending champion, having edged Hanne Thomsen of Santa Rosa Montgomery by five hundredths of a second in the finals last year.
“I just wanted to advance with as little effort as possible,” Combe said. “It was not as hard as I expected. I don’t want to leave any regrets. I’m taking it one race at a time.”
Combe also had the fastest time (2:08:25) of three heats in the 800 meters.
Venice senior Lawrence Kensinger, who set the City Section shot put record with a state-leading throw of 65 feet 11 inches last week, had the third-best mark at prelims (59-6¾) and easily advanced to the finals. Defending state high jump champion JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame tied nine others for the second-best mark (6-6) heading into the second day.
Aliso Niguel senior Jaslene Massey had the top marks in the girls shot put (51-3¾) and discus (175-6) and transgender athlete AB Hernandez from Jurupa Valley was the leading qualifier in the girls long jump (20-5½) and triple jump (41-8½) and was one of 13 qualifiers in the high jump.
AB Hernandez competes at the CIF state track and field preliminaries at Buchanan High School on Friday.
(Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
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We’re approaching the biggest sporting event North America has ever hosted.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place across the USA, Canada and Mexico in 13 days.
Bettors and fans already have their sights set on the global spectacle, which will kick off on June 11. The World Cup final will be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
After the World Cup groups were announced in December, Spain opened as the favorite at +450, followed by England (+550) and France (+750).
Now, with less than two weeks to go, Spain has slightly drifted to +475, with both France and England making up ground on the oddsboard.
Let’s dive into the odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 29.
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2026 World Cup winner odds
Spain: +475 (bet $10 to win $57.5 total)
France: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
England: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Brazil: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Argentina: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Portugal: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Germany: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Netherlands: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Norway: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Belgium: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Colombia: +4000 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Morocco: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Uruguay: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
United States: +6000 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Switzerland: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Japan: +6500 (bet $10 to win $660 total)
Mexico: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Croatia: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Ecuador: +8000 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Senegal: +9000 (bet $10 to win $910 total)
Sweden: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
HOST NATIONS
United States
The United States is led by Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Chris Richards, with several players competing in Europe’s top leagues. The U.S. has appeared in 11 previous World Cups, with its best finish coming in 1930 when the team reached the semifinals.
Canada
Canada’s key players include Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, giving the squad top-tier pace and goal-scoring ability. Canada has made two previous World Cup appearances, and is still looking for its first win ever in the tournament.
Mexico
Mexico’s top contributors include Raul Giménez and Edson Álvarez, forming a strong mix of attacking talent and midfield stability. Mexico has played in 17 previous World Cups and reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986.
UEFA TEAMS TO KNOW
Spain
Spain’s top talents include Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, forming a core that blends elite playmaking with scoring depth. Spain has appeared in 16 previous World Cups and won the tournament once, lifting the trophy in 2010. The team also won the 2024 Euros.
France
France enters with Kylian Mbappé as the star player, with the 26-year-old just five goals shy of passing Miroslav Klose (16) for the most career goals at the World Cup. France has made 16 previous World Cup appearances and won the title twice, in 1998 and 2018.
England
England’s key players include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, forming one of the nation’s strongest generations in decades. England has reached 16 previous World Cups and won the trophy once, in 1966.
Germany
Germany features Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Joshua Kimmich as central figures in a talented squad. Germany has participated in 20 previous World Cups and won four titles, most recently in 2014.
Portugal
Portugal’s top group includes Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, with Cristiano Ronaldo still involved as the team’s all-time leading scorer and cap leader. Portugal has competed in eight previous World Cups and recorded its best finish in 2006, reaching the semifinals.
Netherlands
The Netherlands features top players such as Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Denzel Dumfries, forming a core built around elite defending and midfield control. Memphis Depay should also be on the team, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. The Netherlands has appeared in 11 previous World Cups and finished as runner-up three times, in 1974, 1978 and 2010.
CONMEBOL TEAMS TO KNOW
Argentina
Argentina is anchored by Lionel Messi, with Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez— headlining one of the most talented rosters in the tournament. Argentina has played in 18 previous World Cups and won three, including the most recent tournament in 2022.
Brazil
Brazil’s roster is led by Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha and Marquinhos, giving the team elite attacking and defensive quality. Brazil has appeared in every World Cup and holds a record five titles, with its most recent one coming in 2002.
Uruguay
Uruguay’s leading players include Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo, forming a core with elite midfield range and speed. Uruguay has appeared in 14 previous World Cups and won the tournament twice, in 1930 and 1950.
Colombia
Colombia is headlined by Luis Díaz and James Rodríguez, with the former playing for Bayern Munich and the latter having a decorated World Cup résumé. Colombia has made six previous World Cupsand recorded its best finish in 2014, reaching the quarterfinals.
CAF TEAMS TO KNOW
Morocco
Morocco’s key contributors include Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazaroui and Brahm Díaz, each with major European club experience. Morocco has appeared in six previous World Cups and achieved its historic best finish in 2022, reaching the semifinals.
Senegal
Senegal’s top players include Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye, forming one of Africa’s most experienced cores. Senegal has appeared in three World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Ghana
Ghana is led by Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo and Inaki Williams, giving the squad strong playmaking and midfield presence. Ghana has competed in four previous World Cups and reached its best result in 2010, making the quarterfinals.
AFC TEAMS TO KNOW
South Korea
South Korea is headlined by Son Heung-min, supported by key players such as Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in. South Korea has played in 11 previous World Cups and reached its best finish in 2002, advancing to the semifinals as co-host.
Japan
Japan features Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma as its leading players, blending top European experience with emerging talent. Japan has appeared in seven previous World Cups and reached the Round of 16 four times, its best result to date.
Australia
Australia’s top players include Jackson Irvine and keeper Mathew Ryan as its most experienced members. Australia has competed in six previous World Cups and reached the round of 16 twice, in 2006 and 2022.
OFC TEAMS TO KNOW
New Zealand
New Zealand is led by all-time leading scorer Chris Wood, with 45 international goals to his name. New Zealand has appeared in two previous World Cups (1982, 2010), and did not advance from the group stage in either appearance.
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