Ghana is one of the World Cup’s true cult favorites: bright colors in the stands, big moments on the pitch, and a history of punching above their weight when it matters most. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass tells the story of the Black Stars—from the game’s arrival with European merchants and the early AFCON glory years, to their late but spectacular World Cup debut in 2006 as the youngest squad at the tournament, beating both Czechia and the United States before falling to Brazil. We relive the heartbreak of 2010 against Uruguay, when Asamoah Gyan—Ghana’s all-time leading scorer and the top African scorer in World Cup history—missed a last-minute penalty that would have made Ghana the first African semifinalist, and how that near-miss still shapes the country’s footballing psyche today.

When you close your eyes and picture the World Cup, chances are you see Argentina—the blue and white shirts, Maradona’s bouncing curls, Messi’s smile with the trophy in his hands. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass dives into La Albiceleste: three-time champions, ever-present contenders, and the emotional heartbeat of the sport. We trace how immigrants and British (especially Scottish) workers helped build Argentina’s game in the late 1800s, from the founding of one of the world’s oldest leagues to the birth of La Nuestra—a style defined by skill, flair, and a little viveza criolla street cunning.

From there, we walk through Argentina’s World Cup story: the first-ever final in 1930, hosting glory in 1978, Maradona’s “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” in 1986, the heartbreaks of 1990 and 2014, and Messi’s long, winding quest that finally ended with immortality in Qatar 2022. We then fast-forward to the road to 2026, where Lionel Scaloni’s balanced, hard-working side cruised through qualifying and now faces a looming handoff to a new generation. With Julián Álvarez stepping into superstardom, Alejandro Garnacho on the rise, and teenage phenomenon Franco Mastantuono already breaking records at River Plate and Real Madrid, we explore what Argentina’s “post-Messi” era might look like. Along the way, we hit Superclásico lore, cult heroes like Riquelme and El Trinche Carlovich, and the way fútbol, tango, politics, and daily life all blur together in one of the world’s most passionate football cultures.

In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass celebrates the return of a nation that helped invent modern football, exported the passing game around the globe, and produced managerial legends from Bill Shankly to Sir Alex Ferguson.

We walk through Scotland’s long, chaotic history: the first ever international match in 1872, early World Cups, and two decades of “glorious failure” where qualification heartbreak became a national art form. Then we land in the present, where Steve Clarke has led Scotland to back-to-back Euros and now a long-awaited World Cup via a wild 4–2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park—complete with a Scott McTominay bicycle kick some are already calling the greatest Scottish goal ever. With Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, and a new wave featuring winger Ben Doak, Scotland arrive as more than just a cult favorite. Add in the Tartan Army, one of football’s great traveling fan bases, and North America is about to learn exactly why “No Scotland, No Party” rings so true.