<h2>&iexcl;Yo soy Espanol!</h2>
While Spain&rsquo;s golden generation (2008-2012) is behind us, there&rsquo;s still hope, especially after our UEFA Euro 2024 win. Eighteen-year-old star striker Lamine Yamal will be key, if the glamour and glitz of his first World Cup in the USA doesn&rsquo;t overwhelm him.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Lamine-Yamal_e.jpg" alt="Lamine Yamal" width="1280" height="720" /> Lamine Yamal
As fans say, &ldquo;Yamal kamaal hai!&rdquo; Above all, this month is for forgetting your club allegiances and celebrating the beautiful game. I&rsquo;m in China right now for a work meeting, and the streets are buzzing with excitement. That&rsquo;s football for you.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Jitesh-Shahni_e.jpg" alt="JItesh Shahani (right) in the colours of Spain. PICS COURTESY/JITESH SHAHANI" width="1280" height="720" /> Jitesh Shahani (right) in the colours of Spain. PICS COURTESY/JITESH SHAHANI
My top 3: Spain, France, and Brazil&nbsp; Dark horses: Uzbekistan. Fabio Cannavaro, captain of the 2006 World Cup-winning Italy team is their coach.&nbsp; Star performer:&nbsp; Lamine Yamal
Log on to: @madridistano1
Jitesh Shahani, president, The Pena Madridista de Bombay
<h2>Three Lions for the win</h2>
I started following the English football team before I was a Manchester United fan. The 1996 World Cup truly caught my attention, with David Beckham&rsquo;s infamous moment. The last few years have been enjoyable, but England are yet to win a tournament.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Sunil-Thakur_e.jpg" alt="Sunil Thakur (in red) at the Euros 2024. PICS COURTESY/SUNIL THAKUR" width="1280" height="720" /> Sunil Thakur (in red) at the Euros 2024. PICS COURTESY/SUNIL THAKUR
Unfortunately, England is in the same group as Mexico, Brazil, Portugal and Argentina, so it is a tough draw. The good thing is that Thomas Tuchel has stopped catering to England&rsquo;s star names, and picked players to suit the team.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Haaland_e.jpg" alt="Erling Haaland. Pics/AFP" width="1280" height="720" /> Erling Haaland. Pics/AFP
My top 3: &nbsp;France for the strike force, Portugal for its midfield and Ronaldo factor, and England. Dark horses: Norway Star performer: Erling Haaland. He is already among the highest scorers.
Log on to: @englandmumbai
Sunil Thakur, restaurateur, England Fan Club Mumbai
<h2>Germany will march on</h2>
The German and Italian teams of the late 1990s were always strong, and my first memory of them is from the 1998 World Cup. Later on, watching the likes of Michael Ballack and Philip Lahm only reaffirmed that.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Jamal-Musiala_e.jpg" alt="Jamal Musiala" width="1280" height="720" /> Jamal Musiala
I still nurse a heartbreak that Ballack never won a World Cup. It is a signature among German teams to have strong, creative midfield players and a striker that can finish. The team for this edition lacks a devastating striker, but so far Kai Havertz has done well.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Hardik-Rajesh-Shah_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
My top 3: Germany,&nbsp; England, and Argentina Dark horses: Senegal and Norway Star performer: Jamal Musiala
Log on to: @german-mumbaifc
Hardik Rajesh Shah, real estate and financial services professional
<h2>Forca Portugal</h2>
The mood is both emotional and filled with excitement, knowing that this could be Cristiano Ronaldo&rsquo;s last World Cup. We have already ordered a large shipment of jerseys with the iconic &lsquo;Ronaldo 7&rsquo; on the back for more than 50 fans.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Bruno-Celebration_e.jpg" alt="Bruno Fernandes" width="1280" height="720" /> Bruno Fernandes
We have co-ordinated with fans across India for simultaneous watch-along sessions. In Mumbai, we are finalising screening venues across Andheri-Versova and social events, where fans will meet, talk football and socialise in great company.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Ronaldo-Jersey_e.jpg" alt="Fans will sport the Ronaldo 7 jersey to cheer the icon. PIC COURTESY/PUMA" width="1280" height="720" /> Fans will sport the Ronaldo 7 jersey to cheer the icon. PIC COURTESY/PUMA
My top 3: Portugal, Spain, and England Dark horses: Switzerland and Morocco Star performer: Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ruben Dias
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Archil-Jain_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Log on to: @officialbombaypenia (to stay updated)
Archil Jain, chartered accountant
<h2>Footie facts</h2>
If you&rsquo;re new to the game, and want a quick refresher before the football action kicks off, get your hands on Brian D Bunk&rsquo;s new title The Shortest History of Football (Pan Macmillan). Here are five fun facts we found in the book.
<h2>1 Up in arms</h2>
Football wasn&rsquo;t always the tactical masterclass it is today. In the 1860s, folk football in the USA involved dozens of men on the field who fought tooth and nail to get the ball past a line. We wonder how many minutes some of our modern stars would have survived in this fierce format.
<h2>2 Where&rsquo;s my cup?</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/FA-Cup_e.jpg" alt="The second FA Cup trophy that replaced the stolen original. PIC COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS" width="1280" height="720" /> The second FA Cup trophy that replaced the stolen original. PIC COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The original FA Cup went missing in September 1895 from Birmingham, and has never been seen again. In 1966, the World Cup trophy went missing in host country England. It was later sniffed out by a collie dog named Pickles. The trophy was wrapped in newspaper and hidden under a bush in London.
<h2>3 Space for everyone</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Homeless-World-Cup_e.jpg" alt="The Egypt men&rsquo;s team won the 2025 edition of the Homeless World Cup. PIC COURTESY/ANITA MILAS" width="1280" height="720" /> The Egypt men&rsquo;s team won the 2025 edition of the Homeless World Cup. PIC COURTESY/ANITA MILAS
Every year, the Homeless World Cup gives displaced and homeless individuals a shot at football glory. Egypt and Uganda are defending champions in the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s categories, respectively. The next edition is set to open in Mexico in January 2027. &nbsp;
<h2>4 Joga Bonito in the War</h2>
One of the famous moments of the Great War was a game of football played during the informal Christmas truce between German and British forces in 1914. Many professional footballers also enlisted in the War. Among them was Walter Tull, who played for several clubs in England, including Tottenham Hotspur.
<h2>5 Footage from the past</h2>
The oldest surviving footage of a football match dates back to September 24, 1898. It is the recorded footage of less-than-a-minute from a game between Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion in the English Championship.

As FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off today, city fan clubs are setting aside club rivalries in the spirit of the beautiful game’s biggest spectacle

FIFA World Cup 2026: Mumbai football fan clubs predict the winner of this edition

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