With the FIFA World Cup starting on Thursday, it feels like a good time to map out which national teams best mirror the Green Bay Packers under Matt LaFleur. The idea is to look at each season or phase through a different lens, blending style, identity, and perception rather than just results on the field.
Without further delay, let’s get into the comparisons.
2019 Packers = Brazil
The more I think about it, the more the comparison just makes sense. Both Brazil and the 2019 Packers represent highly respected “shirts” in their sport, the most decorated and historically accomplished organizations in their respective competitions. Both also enter a new cycle with new head coaches, Matt LaFleur in Green Bay and Carlo Ancelotti taking over Brazil for his first World Cup.
Furthermore, both feature a long-established star who defined their peak years. Neymar is facing increasing questions about his decline, as Aaron Rodgers did in 2019. Neither side is viewed as a true contender at that specific moment, but they still carry respect across the sport because of their history, reputation, and the weight of what they have already accomplished.
That season also had a bigger historical backdrop, with the Super Bowl being decided in Miami, where Green Bay won Super Bowl II. On the other hand, the 2026 World Cup adds its own layer of history, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico set to host the tournament.
The United States will host the World Cup final, and the last time it hosted the tournament’s showpiece match was in 1994, when Brazil beat Italy on penalties at the Rose Bowl. The question now is whether Brazil can fare better than Green Bay did that year.
2020 Packers = Portugal
The 2020 Packers roster was arguably the most complete and talented group LaFleur has had in Green Bay to date. You had Aaron Rodgers playing at an MVP level, Davante Adams as the league’s most dominant receiver, a strong offensive line, and key defensive pieces like the Smith brothers, Adrian Amos, and Jaire Alexander all contributing at a high level.
It really was a balanced team with elite top-end talent on both sides of the ball. That’s why David Bakhtiari’s torn ACL on New Year’s Eve felt so devastating, because if he stays healthy, that team likely has everything needed to win the Super Bowl.
Portugal goes into the World Cup with one of the strongest starting XIs in the tournament. Diogo Costa is a solid presence in goal; Matheus Nunes and João Cancelo are good options at right-back; Nuno Mendes is the best left-back in the world; and in midfield, they have the best unit in the tournament with Vitinha, João Neves, and Bruno Fernandes.
Vitinha is the best soccer player in the world right now. Bernardo Silva adds even more quality and flexibility in that area. In attack, they still have dangerous options like Rafael Leão and Pedro Neto, plus Cristiano Ronaldo, who is no longer at his prime but still has to be respected.
Both teams have everything to win in their respective contexts, but nothing is guaranteed. The 2020 Packers showed how fine the margins can be, even with a stacked roster and championship-level talent. That leads to the bigger question with Portugal: with a squad this complete on paper, can they finally turn that quality into a first World Cup title, or will it be another case of coming close without finishing the job?
2021 Packers = England
Both the 2021 Packers and England entered their respective campaigns as legitimate contenders. Still, the question around both was whether they could finally get over the hump after a string of recent disappointments. England had already come up short in consecutive Euro finals in 2021 and 2024, while Green Bay arrived off back-to-back NFC Championship Game losses.
Green Bay finished the season with the No. 1 seed. Still, they lost in their first playoff game, another example of a strong regular season not carrying over into the postseason for the 2021 Packers.
England have followed a similar pattern at the international level, reaching the quarterfinal stage but going beyond it only twice since 1990. In both cases, the issue is not talent or expectation, but consistently getting over the line when it matters most, which is why their trajectories feel so comparable.
2022 Packers = Argentina
The 2022 Green Bay Packers and Argentina both arrived at the end of their respective cycles, with Aaron Rodgers nearing the end of his time with the Packers and Lionel Messi playing in his last World Cup. It also felt like the end of an era for Argentina as a group, with many of the key players from that 2022 squad still carrying over into the current cycle.
In both cases, there is a clear sense of transition: the foundations of past success remain, but the direction is already shifting toward a new generation expected to fully take over by 2030.
2023 Packers = Germany
The 2023 Packers and Germany both feel like teams undergoing a generational shift, with long-standing leaders being replaced by a younger core still finding its identity. In German football, the post-2014 group that featured players like Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller is gradually making way for the next wave, with talents such as Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala now shaping the future.
In Green Bay, the same kind of transition occurred with the switch from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, which altered both the timeline and the identity of the offense. It’s a familiar pattern for Germany in particular. They have often rebuilt successfully between cycles, most famously starting in 2010 when a young core developed into the team that won the 2014 World Cup, capped off by the historic 7-1 win over Brazil on Brazilian soil.
2024 Packers – Morocco
Morocco and the 2024 Packers both entered a different kind of spotlight after breakthrough runs that raised expectations in a way nobody really saw coming. Morocco’s 2022 World Cup semi-final run completely reset how the world viewed them.
Green Bay had a similar shift after becoming the youngest team in the league, sneaking into the playoffs as a seven seed and then knocking off the two-seed Dallas Cowboys on the road. In both cases, the challenge is no longer surprising success, but dealing with the pressure that comes when people start expecting it to happen again.
2025 Packers = Spain
The 2025 Packers and Spain both feel like teams that have fully entered a new era, with younger cores now defining their identities. Spain has its next generation led by Pedri, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal, while still relying on the experience of former Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. Green Bay has a similar dynamic with its young offensive nucleus built around Jordan Love, Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed.
There is respect around both teams again after a reset cycle, not just hype, and they are now expected to compete for titles rather than simply develop. The 2025 Packers even showed that level in stretches. They were one of the best teams in the NFL when they were up two scores against the Denver Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the AFC, in Denver, before Micah Parsons‘s injury shifted everything and the season unraveled.
In that sense, Lamine Yamal can be seen as Spain’s equivalent of Parsons, with both representing generational talents whose presence can swing a team’s entire trajectory.
2026 Packers = France
This was probably the hardest comparison to make because it’s more of a projection of what the Packers could become in 2026 rather than what they already are. Still, the more I thought about it, the more the France comparison started to fit.
I like this comparison because of the discrepancy between the attacking units and defensive units. France has an absolutely stacked attack with Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé. However, defensively, outside of William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, there isn’t quite the same level of consistency or confidence, and both full-back positions aren’t exactly strong.
Green Bay has some interesting pieces on offense, but there are still questions on the defensive side, especially at cornerback, off-ball linebacker, and in the pass rush once Micah Parsons is out of the picture. The idea is similar in France’s case, where the attack is strong enough to carry games, but the defensive balance is still in question. The key difference is whether Green Bay’s offense can do the same, especially after they went 0–5 to finish the season once Parsons went down.
