Sports
For Kansas State and Iowa State, Farmageddon is a treasure — and the stakes have never been higher
America’s breadbasket straddles the Missouri River, with Iowa on the eastern slope and Kansas burying a knee in its back from the southwest. The river’s thick, muddy waters and countless tributaries irrigate the world’s most fertile farmland. In Iowa, that means corn, hogs and even turkeys. In Kansas, that’s winter wheat, sorghum and cattle.
Agriculture dictates business in both states, and their land-grant institutions are among the nation’s best at cultivating the next crop of farmers. It has led Iowa State and Kansas State to forge close ties, and that cooperation spills over to competition in athletics. It also helped launch one of the greatest rivalry nicknames in sports.
Once considered a derisive moniker, “Farmageddon” has nudged its way into the lexicon of modern college football in a way that belies its threadbare roots. In a new-look Big 12 scuttled and reformed through realignment, Farmageddon is a relic and a treasure. With expansion, teams change conferences and rivalries disintegrate. Yet Iowa State and Kansas State have found in each other an organic partner and competitor.
“There’s that sense of a rivalry between the two schools, and it’s always a battle,” said Kansas State defensive end Brendan Mott, who grew up in Iowa City, Iowa. “It’s super physical up front. The conditions are always tough. It’s definitely a rivalry. I know us as players look forward to it every year. And I’m sure Iowa State does as well.”
#CyclONEnation fans voted overwhelmingly to start a trophy with one longtime foe, who ISU has played every year since 1917. Iowa state players agree.
Should Iowa State and K-State meet for ‘The Reaper,’ as the Paul Bunyan’s Axe of the Plains?
Our story:https://t.co/cJl9LJM2Kd pic.twitter.com/fXo07uOXUs— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) August 16, 2022
Farmageddon has never meant more to the contestants, fans or college football, and the series has soared in importance. For just the second time in their century-plus competition, the programs meet as ranked opponents. Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium, No. 18 Iowa State (9-2, 6-2 Big 12) could win a 10th game for the first time in school history and qualify for the Big 12 Championship Game. No. 24 Kansas State (8-3, 5-3) could ruin the party in Ames and perhaps sneak into the title game itself.
“We’ve had the game circled,” Kansas State tight end Will Swanson told reporters.
Humble beginnings
For generations, the Kansas State and Iowa State football teams sat like loose nails on a wooden fence waiting for the hammer to pound them into place. From the start of the Big Six Conference in 1928 through the completion of the Big Eight in 1995, either the Cyclones or the Wildcats finished in last place 54 times in 68 seasons. In 1989 and 1991, Kansas State moved its home games with Oklahoma to Norman so both squads could generate more revenue.
Then came the Manhattan Miracle led by Bill Snyder. In perhaps the greatest turnaround in college football history, Snyder took a program teetering toward shifting to a lower division and won multiple Big 12 championships. Snyder, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, was 215-117-1 in 27 seasons with five top-10 finishes. The Wildcats had participated in one bowl game in their first 93 years. Snyder took them to 20.
“When you look at both programs, their histories are very similar,” said Jeff Woody, a running back at Iowa State from 2009-13. “Kansas State just came out of it sooner. Kansas State, before Bill Snyder got there, was awful, and Iowa State was awful until (Dan) McCarney got there.”
Iowa State had a few peaks under McCarney, but the Cyclones were well behind their foes 350 miles to the southwest. For 90 years, it was less a rivalry than just a series between two similar institutions that simply played every year.
“They had a great run under coach Snyder, and in some ways, they were the gold standard of what maybe Iowa State kind of aspired to do,” said Iowa State’s Jamie Pollard, who ranks third in longevity among Power 4 athletic directors. “Their institutional composition, their makeup, their history, is more like us than not.
“You look at K-State as a program. They won Big 12 championships. They played in the Cotton Bowl. They did some things that Iowa State would like to do. Quite frankly, with coach (Chris) Klieman there right now, in some ways the path to where we want to go kind of goes through them.”
Farmageddon
In 2007, Kansas and Missouri played a top-five matchup at Arrowhead Stadium. The stands were full and feisty, the game a rousing success. Kansas City Chiefs brass then reached out to multiple schools to gauge interest in staging future games.
“K-State was willing, as we were willing, to each give up a home game, so we did the two-year deal,” Pollard said. “It was a good one-off opportunity that allowed us to go to the Kansas City market, which is a big market for us.”
Before the first game in 2009, a Kansas State fan site coined the phrase “Farmageddom.” It caught on quickly and appeared in newspapers and other media outlets. At first, many fans and supporters considered the term cringeworthy and cliche. The nickname, however, gathered momentum and stuck despite the series moving back to campuses in 2011.
Concurrently, the Big 12 was amid a radical realignment. In multiple years, there were heavy discussions about six schools — including Texas and Oklahoma — joining the Pac-10. After the 2010 season, Nebraska and Colorado left for the Big Ten and Pac-10, respectively. The next year, Missouri and Texas A&M bolted for the SEC. Each time, Iowa State and Kansas State were left twisting at the whims of their higher-profile colleagues. Amid the chaos, a bond formed.
“I was in college for the first round of realignment, and Kansas State was also one of those afterthought schools,” Woody said. “And you go, ‘Well, where do we go?’ Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Texas Tech were the land-grant schools. No one expects as much from us. It’s sort of a sibling rivalry that I can fight you and you can fight me, and we can hate each other, but no one else is allowed to hate us.”
New era
Saturday marks the 108th consecutive season the Wildcats and Cyclones face off, but the stakes never have been higher. When both schools were ranked in 2002, it was midseason, and K-State rolled past Iowa State 58-7. Now, it’s the season finale and both teams still harbor Big 12 title hopes.
Should the Cyclones win, they’re almost certain to appear in the title game for the second time, barring a three-way tie and a complicated tiebreaker. But the percentages are low, and coach Matt Campbell said Tuesday it’s not something that concerns him.
Kansas State, which won the Big 12 title two seasons ago, must win and get help to make another title appearance. The long odds don’t detract from the game’s importance, however.
Last year, 6 inches of snow fell during the Cyclones’ 42-35 win in Manhattan. In a game dubbed “Snowmageddon,” Iowa State running back Abu Sama III rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns. For Saturday’s prime-time kickoff, temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits.
“It always seems like it’s a cold game or snowy game or something like that,” Mott said. “It’s always a good brawl and battle. Last year, they came down to Manhattan. It was a snowy game, and it was our senior night, and we didn’t really have the game that we wanted to have. So, we’re a real hungry team.”
Since the term Farmageddon was applied to this series, unusual situations and surroundings have determined the outcome. In the first Arrowhead game, Iowa State missed an extra point in a 24-23 Kansas State win. From 2014 through 2017, the Wildcats won four straight by 5 points or fewer. In 2015, Iowa State led by a touchdown with the ball and 1:31 left. All the Cyclones needed to do was kneel for the victory because Kansas State had just one timeout remaining.
Instead, Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads chose to run the ball on first down. The back fumbled, and Kansas State tied the score with a touchdown four plays later. A strip-sack with 10 seconds left led to Kansas State’s game-winning field goal. Rhoads was fired the next day.
I’m intrigued by what @ChrisMWilliams thinks about this. Since Mizzou left for the SEC a decade ago, Iowa State is down to a single traveling trophy. Is it time to add another? If so, which school?
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) August 14, 2022
Campbell’s arrival in 2016 has escalated the stakes. He’s 4-4 against Kansas State, which matches the number of Cyclone wins against Kansas State from 1999 through 2007. Klieman replaced Snyder in 2019 and is 2-3 against the Cyclones. The programs are built with the same principles with development at their core. Iowa State leads the series all-time, 53-50-4.
“Both football teams play a style that their fan bases really embrace,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “They’re similar in a lot of ways, just hard-nosed kids from small-town Iowa, small-town Kansas. They just go out and really play good, hard, solid football.”
Future
There’s little chance of snow or below-zero temperatures for next year’s Farmageddon. Kansas State shifted the game to Ireland, and it will take place in Week 0. Aer Lingus, which operates an annual game in Dublin, met with Iowa State and Kansas State to consider playing a game there. Iowa State will host only four Big 12 games in 2025, so it declined. Taylor thought Klieman would do the same but asked his coach to research the proposal.
“I said, ‘There’s no way Klieman is moving the Iowa State game to a neutral site in Ireland,’” Taylor said. “Chris came down to my office and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I was shocked, literally, because of the importance of the game.”
Another change is on the horizon, one that has agitated the fan bases. In the 16-team Big 12, in which eight new members have joined in the last two seasons, only four rivalries (all in-state) are protected annually. Farmageddon is slated to cycle off the schedule in 2027. There are no plans for the schools to meet in a nonconference game.
“There have been a lot of changes,” Taylor said. “We probably haven’t had a chance to really slow down and take a look at an option like that. But I think it’s worthy of discussion in the future. And say maybe we do rotate — not just one team a year that you play every year, maybe it is two or three teams. How do we keep Iowa State for us and Kansas and rotate everybody else?”
Reminder: Farmageddon is not officially recognized as a rivalry by @CycloneATH @kstatesports or the @Big12Conference
Seems like as good of time as ever seeing as the next two matchups include:
-Championship and Playoff implications
-International stand-alone game
— Jack Trice Mafia (@JackTriceMafia) November 24, 2024
Once an afterthought, Farmageddon now resonates as an authentic rivalry shaped by similarity and substance. Mott, Woody and both athletic directors acknowledge the other has become their school’s No. 2 rival, just behind their in-state foes. It matters emotionally and competitively.
“Ohio State–Michigan have played each other for forever, and that’s like a true hatred,” Woody said. “But the existence of those programs has never been threatened, like what happened to Iowa State and Kansas State. So, recognizing that it almost fell apart, and there’s this good thing between two similar programs that because it almost fell apart, you appreciate it for what it is. It’s impossible not to see the similarities between the programs.”
“It is kind of that battle of the farmers,” Mott said. “I think it’s cool it’s got this nickname. It just adds to the rivalry.”
(Photo: Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sports
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.”
BLOCKBUSTER GAME 7 SHOWDOWN: FOUR BEST BETS FOR SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
“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.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
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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