Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano mapped 10 NFL franchises to World Cup teams, using the tournament’s closing stage to draw parallels in history, hype and heartbreak.
The piece is framed by the semifinal field: France faces Spain on Tuesday, followed by England against Argentina on Wednesday.
Manzano’s headline comparisons cast the Chiefs as Argentina, the Rams as France, the Bears as Spain and the Seahawks as England, tying each to current contenders or recent powers.
He also links the Bills to Mexico, Cowboys to Brazil, Steelers to Portugal and Panthers to Canada, while using the Lions-U.S. and Vikings-Norway pairings to emphasize fan passion and uneven results.