The Cranes are not in North America this summer. But come June 11, that will be the last thing on any Ugandan football fan’s mind.
The FIFA World Cup, the greatest sporting spectacle on earth, does not require an invitation to enjoy.
And with a record 48 teams, more football than ever before, and Africa sending a historic 10 nations for the first time, this is a World Cup that belongs to everyone. Including us.
Here is everything you need to know.
The Biggest World Cup Ever
This edition is unlike anything the tournament has seen before. For the first time, 48 teams are competing across three host nations, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The teams are split into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-place finishers advancing to a brand new Round of 32.
That means more games, more upsets, and more football to argue about. The final will be played on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Who Should You Support?
This is the most Ugandan question of the entire tournament. Uganda is Premier League country. Walk into any trading centre, campus common room or barbershop and you will find supporters of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.
The World Cup is where those loyalties cross international lines.
Arsenal fans can follow Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli. Liverpool supporters have Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson. Manchester City fans can watch Rodri, and Omar Marmoush, while Manchester United followers have Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Amad Diallo. Chelsea supporters can cheer on Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo and Reece James, while Tottenham fans have Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur.
Wherever your club loyalties lie, chances are one of your favourite players will be taking centre stage this summer.
Is it Africa’s Finest Hour?
This is the section every East African will read twice. For the first time in history, Africa has 10 teams at a World Cup. The nations are Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, South Africa, and DR Congo.
Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar 2022, the first by any African nation, changed the conversation about what African football can achieve. The continent enters this tournament not as grateful participants but as genuine believers.
Morocco (Group C: Brazil, Haiti, Scotland) are the continent’s best hope. Captain Achraf Hakimi leads a squad that includes Noussair Mazraoui (Man United), Brahim Díaz, and the dangerous Ayoub El Kaabi. Their opening game is against Brazil on June 13. If they get out of that group, anything is possible.
Senegal (Group I: France, Iraq, Norway) are the disputed AFCON champions and they have the squad to show it. They face France in their opener, a rematch of the 2002 shock that still lives in football memory. Sadio Mané leads the attack. This is a banana skin group for France.
Egypt (Group G: Belgium, Iran, New Zealand) have Mo Salah captaining alongside Omar Marmoush of Manchester City. Their group is winnable. If Salah is fit and firing, Egypt can progress for the first time since 1990.
Ghana (Group L: England, Croatia, Panama) face England and Croatia in a group that will not be easy. Thomas Partey anchors the midfield from Villarreal, Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City leads the attack, and Iñaki Williams provides pace and power up front. The England vs Ghana game on June 23 will split households across Kampala. Pick your side.
Algeria (Group J: Argentina, Austria, Jordan) face defending champions Argentina in their opener on June 16. Riyad Mahrez captains a squad that also includes Ramy Bensebaini, Mohamed Amine Amoura of Wolves, and Ibrahim Maza of Bayer Leverkusen. A tough draw but nothing is impossible.
Côte d’Ivoire (Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ecuador) are reigning AFCON champions and have a squad full of European talent. Amad Diallo (Man United), Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest), and Franck Kessié lead a team that genuinely could reach the knockout stage.
South Africa (Group A: Mexico, South Korea, Czechia) open the tournament against hosts Mexico in Mexico City on June 11. Lyle Foster leads the attack. Qualifying from a group with South Korea and Mexico will be a tough ask but Bafana Bafana have quality.
Tunisia (Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden) face a tough group but their squad is organised and hard to beat. A point from any of those three games would be a foundation.
Cape Verde (Group H: Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay) make their World Cup debut. Facing Spain first is brutal. But simply being here is a story worth celebrating.
DR Congo (Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia) return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when they played as Zaire. Aaron Wan-Bissaka anchors the defence, Yoane Wissa leads the attack. A historic return for the Leopards.
The Favourites
Spain lead the betting markets as reigning European champions, followed closely by France and England, with Argentina and Brazil as genuine contenders.
Spain (Group H: Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay) have Lamine Yamal, the most electrifying teenager in world football right now, alongside Rodri, Pedri, and a squad of extraordinary depth. They are the team to beat.
France (Group I: Senegal, Iraq, Norway) have Kylian Mbappé as captain, backed by William Saliba (Arsenal), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Marcus Thuram. Didier Deschamps names this squad as his final act as France manager before stepping down after the tournament. France vs Senegal is the group stage game to watch.
England (Group L: Croatia, Ghana, Panama) have Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice as their creative spine. Captain Harry Kane leads the line at his third World Cup. Thomas Tuchel controversially left out Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, so all eyes are on whether the team is better or worse for those decisions. England have not won a major tournament since 1966. The pressure is enormous.
Argentina are defending champions. Lionel Messi at 38 plays his sixth and almost certainly final World Cup, joined by Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), and Lisandro Martínez (Man United). Nobody writes them off.
Brazil (Group C: Morocco, Haiti, Scotland) are managed by Carlo Ancelotti and led by Vinícius Júnior, with a dramatic return for Neymar at 34 after years of injury struggles. Alisson is in goal, Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli represent Arsenal, Casemiro and Matheus Cunha represent United, and Bruno Guimarães anchors the midfield. If Vini Jr stays fit, Brazil are a force.
The Timing Reality
Here is the honest truth. Most of the games are happening in the middle of the night in Uganda. North America is between 8 and 11 hours behind East African Time. A 3pm kickoff in New York is 11pm in Kampala. Late evening games in the USA kick off at 2am or 4am here.
The big games worth the sleepless night are the African nations’ matches, England vs Ghana on June 23, any game involving Messi or Salah, and the knockout rounds beginning in late June. Set the alarm for those.
For everything else, NBS Sport has dedicated daily World Cup programming every evening. Highlights, analysis, and all the goals condensed into your evening schedule. You will not miss a thing.
How to Watch
MultiChoice — DStv and GOtv — will broadcast every single game of the tournament live. Make sure your subscription is active and covers the SuperSport sports bouquet. This is the most reliable way to watch every match, whether live at 3am or on replay the following morning.
