Colin Cowherd & Landon Donovan react to World Cup Draw: Expectations For Spain Star Lamine Yamal? Group I Is The “Group Of Death”

Colin is joined by U.S. Men's soccer legend Landon Donovan and host of the “Unfiltered Soccer” podcast with Tim Howard to preview the 2026 World Cup.

They preview Group F led by the Netherlands and Landon explains that while he doesn’t think the Dutch can win it all… they definitely have the talent to do so (:30). 

Landon explains why Egypt won’t be able to beat Belgium in Group G despite having international superstar Mo Salah (2:00).

They move to Spain’s Group H and Landon explains just how prodigal of a talent Spanish star Lamine Yamal is relative to the greatest players in the world (3:15). 

Finally, they preview Group I, the “group of death” featuring France, Senegal and Norway and break down how talented the current French team is compared to their World Cup winning teams of the past (4:45). 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume. Today's World Cup draw reaction is presented by Haleion,
the maker of Advil, Centrum, Toms, Censedine, and Voltaian. They've
teamed up with US Soccer for the Assist the campaign,
celebrating all the moments of support that make the big
goals possible, because every goal starts with an assist. In

(00:24):
the history of the United States men's national team, the
man you're looking at has the most goals and most
assists in the history of our country. And we have
ourselves a World Cup group f is Netherlands, who of
course knocked us out, dominating performer Japan, Tunisia and a
European playoff winner which could be Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, Albania.

(00:51):
Give me your thoughts on Netherlands going into this. They
were an old World Cup team, an experienced team last
World Cup, which tells me they're probably in a bit
of a transition stage.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
A little bit, but they have some young stars. This
is a team that's sneaky that no one's talking about.
I don't think Colin they can. I don't think they
can win it, but they certainly have the ability to.
They have the quality. They have a still probably the
best center back and best defender in the world and
Virgil Van Dejk. They have Javi Simons, who's a really

(01:22):
talented attacking midfielder, and then they just have good quality
all over the field. But they're a little bit one
of these teams that sort of if things go poorly,
it can go poorly and unraveled really really fast. And
France is a bit like that too, just off the
field and emotionally and with the press and the pressure,
it can go bad pretty fast. But they have a
pretty talented team. They have a relatively easy group I think,

(01:45):
although Japan, Japan are really hard to play against. And
then depending who gets in from maybe if it's Poland,
that's a tricky matchup. But Netherlands are a much better team.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Group G is Belgium, Egypt, of course, Mosla, Belgium, Egypt, Iran,
New Zealand. Belgium does everything right, from their chocolates to
their soccer to their beer everything, you know, it's funny.
I've always seen Brazil as sort of an emotional, sometimes temperamental,

(02:16):
highly skilled country. Argentina falls a little bit into that,
but Brazil feels like their own ecosystem. And then I
when I think about Germany. It's kind of powerful, tactical,
robotic at times at times, yeah, right, almost like the

(02:37):
German personality. No it is.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
I was just gonna say, every culture has the same
Brazil with the flair and you know.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Right, and so can Egypt beat Belgium?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
No, they won't. They won't beat Belgium. Mosala is a
global superstar, he really is. He's right at the end
of his his career. Last year was really a terrific
year for him for club and country. But he's right
at the end. But they just don't have enough talent
around them. But I expect, I fully expect that Egypt qualify,

(03:12):
but I don't think they win this group.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Okay, so group age is fascinating because you have Spain
favored to win it. They won the euro last summer
and they have an eighteen year old star. I think
sixty Minutes just did a piece on Jamal who at eighteen,
by even our team standards, is I mean, the idea

(03:36):
of going to a World Cup at eighteen. It's just
let me ask you, how talented is he in your life?
Where does he where? In Bope's a young Ronaldo Messi?
Where does he rank?

Speaker 2 (03:52):
A little bit different in where he plays, but calling
it eighteen. To play in a World Cup at eighteen
is a remarkable feat. He might be the best player
in the tournament at eighteen. Think about that. He might
be between Mbope Messi's now at the end. So you
and Messi's going to do messy things because he's amazing.

(04:12):
Mbope and Jamal I think he would say would be
the favorites to win the Golden Ball, which would be
the best player and he what he has brought to
Spain is Spain historically over the last two decades, has
been a team that loves to have the ball, loves
to have possession, kind of death by a thousand cuts.
What he's done now is he's made them much more.
Oh my life just went on, much more vertical, much

(04:35):
more dynamic, much more direct. And he can get the
ball and make a play by himself. And it used
to be pass past pass past pass, walking into the goal.
Now they can give it to him, run by people, bang,
score a goal.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Okay, group I frant Senegal Norway here we go. So yeah,
this is all time stuff. So you're talking to Bope,
is it? Halland h A A l Holland. This this,
this could be the most spectacular group in If you're

(05:10):
a not a soccer devote but you love excitement, goals, highlights,
this is your YouTube group. This is a very exciting group.
The France, the French history is very interesting so and
again very willing to embrace the star, high expectations in

(05:34):
a way a little bit of a Yankee feel, where
very harsh, very demanding, embraces the star. How does this
French team compare to others who have won the Cup?

Speaker 2 (05:50):
I mean as good talent wise they are, the problem
is that their system, why well, they just they develop high, high,
high quality players and athletes. And you have to remember
many many French have African descent, right, so also athletically
and physically, I mean Embappe is a great example. And

(06:11):
there are some just elite, elite athletes in this French
team and they grow up in the French system and
they produce top, top, top class players. The challenge with
France always is it's a bit of sink or swim
with them. So we saw the swim four years ago
in Katar where they get to the final and have
really an opportunity to win the World Cup. But we've

(06:34):
also seen this team fall apart at times in a
World Cup. Off the field, they'll have issues and if
one result doesn't go their way, or they lose to Senegal,
or they tie Senegal, or maybe Norway sneaks by and
wins a game, you'll see this whole thing unravel and
it's fun to watch, it's entertaining to watch. But if
they get it going right, you know Usman, Dambele and Bape.

(06:57):
The quality of talent they have on this team is
probably second to none. Maybe only Spain is more talented
through and through.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Big thanks to Haleion and for the assist, reminding us
that no one scores alone. To learn more of visit
halianassist dot com and follow at for the assist. Every
goal starts with an assist.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
The volume