The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Colin Cowherd Podcast - Colin Cowherd & Landon Donovan react to World Cup Draw: Mexico & Germany Aren’t Scary, Brazil Is Wildly Talented

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

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 A led by Mexico, and Landon explains why Mexico doesn’t feature the top flight talent of past teams and why other teams won’t fear Mexico (00:45).  They move to Group B led by Canada, and discuss the strength of the group relative to the US’s Group D and the potential of soccer power Italy qualifying for the group (2:30).  They start with Brazil’s Group C and discuss the strength of Brazil’s team relative to the past and why they’ve been playing below expectations recently, and Landon warns  that Morocco shouldn’t be counted out (5:00). Finally, they preview Germany’s Group E and they highlight Germany being an older team that doesn’t scare anyone, but should still win the group (6:30). (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) Follow Colin and The Volume on Twitter for the latest content and updates!  #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The volume. Today's World Cup draw reaction is presented by Haleon, the maker of Advil, Centrum, Tums, Sensadine, and Volterran. They've teamed up with U.S. soccer for the assist, a campaign celebrating all the moments of support that make the big goals possible, because every goal starts with an assist. In 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.

Let's go to Group A. Now, I'm less familiar going forward, but it's Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and a European playoff winner. My take on Mexico is, and I noticed this over the last two years, I think they had regressed. I felt like when the Americans played Mexico, I thought they lacked a certain level of skill. I felt from the previous half decade, has Mexico in the last 12 calendar months? Are they back on track or are they still? I don't feel they're quite what they were. Mexico used to scare you, right?

And I'm talking big teams in the world would really hate to play against Mexico. There are not many teams in this tournament who would fear playing against Mexico, even in Mexico. And the reality is, Colin, they just don't. You talked about the U.S. roster and all of the places. They don't have the talent. They don't have the talent. And Christian, like Christian Polisic is the best player in the Italian League, which is a statement that's wild to say.

But he is. Mexico doesn't have anyone near that level. They don't. And so when people are frustrated and in Mexico, I follow it because I revel in this. When they are, when they're below par and they're not playing well, I love it. And I revel in it. But the reality is they just don't have the horses. And you can be good at all the things, whatever.

Soccer is such a unique sport. You don't get 80 possessions a game like you do in the NBA. You don't get 12 possessions a game like you do in NFL. It's back and forth. And one play makes the difference. And they don't have enough players that can make that difference. And so I worry a little bit about them in this World Cup because they're lucky they got a pretty easy group. But I don't expect them to be very successful.

successful. Okay, group B to me is pretty thick. Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, and a European playoff winner, which could be Northern Ireland, could be Italy. That feels fairly formidable to me. It's sometimes it's hard. I said this to a friend this weekend. It's hard for me to get my arms around the Indiana Hoosiers being a college football power because I had a workable TV the last 50 years. Like, I don't get it. I don't think unless you follow it, you. You're a lot. You know this, but Canada is really formidable. They're very good. They're well managed.

Group B to me on its face, is it stronger than our group D? Oh, yeah, it is. Switzerland are a very good team, very good team. And the kicker is if Italy get out of this intercontinental playoff that they have, which most people expect them to, they're not in a great way right now, and they haven't been for probably a decade, but they're still Italy. It's not a novel team coming to their first World Cup.

These players are savvy. They play big clubs all around the world. They know how to win soccer games. The best part about the draw calling being in the room there is the storylines that develop quickly. It's just like when the NFL schedule comes out. It's, oh, it's Mahomes and Allen. And you love the storylines. Canada has their first match in Toronto.

If Italy get through this playoff, it'll be Canada. Italy in Toronto, where there are a gazillion Italians. What's the most international city in North America? Correct. And there's Italians, I mean everywhere. It would be so electric, so electric to have Canada, Italy in the first match for Canada and a World Cup at home playing the Italians. I'm very much hoping for it. To me, Italian soccer has always been more defensive, can be physical, kind of a pragmatic style, a patient style. So even really, talented Italian teams.

Tell me if I'm wrong here. A little chippy, physical, want to be on body. So, I mean, I look at a, that's how I interpret Italian soccer. Yeah, but even a bad, like, so Mexico is not talented right now. This generation is,

which takes away basically what they like to do. Italy can have the least talented players on the field, but they're so smart and they're so clever and they're so savvy that they can win a game. Right. They can win a game that they have no business winning, and they've done it over and over through history, and that's what makes them really interesting. Let's go to Group C. That's Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. Brazil's going to be your favorite. Morocco probably lodged second. By Brazilian standards, where are they? They're a really interesting team also because they're not in a good way. They finished fifth in their qualifying, which is really hard to believe.

They're always one or two or at worst third in their qualifying. For the first time in their history, Colin, they are being coached by a foreign manager in Brazil, which is, it's really bizarre for Brazil to be coached by a foreign manager. Carlo Ancelotti, who was the manager for Al Madrid for a long time. Very good manager. But this is the first time. Never in the history of the World Cup has the team that won the World Cup been coached by a foreign manager. So if Brazil were to do it, that would be the first time.

So they will be a really interesting team to follow. You talk about talent, though, oozing talent all over the field. Now, Namar will Namar play? I doubt it. He's old. He's at the end. It's hard to know for sure. But Vinny Jr., they've got a ton of talented players, but it's going to be really

interesting to see. Do not count out or sleep on Morocco. Morocco got to the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar four years ago, and it was not a one and done. their youth teams are consistently getting to semifinals and finals. They've done a really good job creating a program and a conveyor belt that keeps producing good team. So they are a very good team. Okay. Group E is Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Caracow. Ecuador's a, Ecuador's got generally pretty decent. Germany, I believe in the last World Cup, Landon, Germany was going through a transition.

They'd gotten old. if I recall, I think I'm right on that. We can edit it out if I'm wrong, but I believe the criticism was they just hadn't transitioned. And this is the way it works in World Cups. Every four years, sometimes it's like this is just we got old. Where's Germany at now? Yeah, sometimes you get old at the wrong time, right? And so ideally the Federation plans these things out.

But the problem is, is then you have a coach who's trying to win this weekend. And so I'd rather play the 30-year-old than if you've been a year old, even if it's better three years from now have played the 18-year-old. Germany, they don't scare anyone, but they're still Germany, and they have good players, solid players. I expect them to win this group, but I would not be surprised if Ecuador finds a way to maybe get a point against Germany and then win their other games by a better margin and sneak through us first. But Germany will advance. I expect them to be the group winners, too. Big thanks to Haley-on. And for the assist, reminding us that no one scores alum. To learn more, visit hailingassist.com and follow at for the assist. Every goal

starts with an assist.