Fandi, Abbas back Germany for deep World Cup run, hail Japan as Asia’s best hope (opens original article in a new tab)

Former football stars Abbas Saad and Fandi Ahmad expressed their views on the 2026 World Cup, highlighting Germany as a dark horse, praising Japan's potential, and criticizing refereeing issues and political distractions.

• Former football stars Abbas Saad and Fandi Ahmad tipped Germany as a dark horse for the World Cup and praised Japan as Asia's best hope.
• They criticized refereeing controversies, hydration breaks, and political distractions affecting the tournament.
• Abbas and Fandi highlighted the expanded 48-team format as making predictions harder and noted concerns over officiating and political influence.