Believe it or not, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is just six months away from today.
The World Cup is held every four years, but there’s a slight difference between the 2026 edition and the previous one in 2022. Instead of its traditional summer schedule, the action in Qatar played out in November and December due to the country’s extreme heat in the summer months.
In 2022, one of soccer’s legends finally got his hands on the renowned World Cup trophy, as Lionel Messi and Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout to certify La Pulga as the sport’s greatest ever.
A lot has changed in the soccer landscape since then. New global stars have emerged, certain countries have either taken leaps or fell behind and, of course, more teams will take part in 2026.
From teams to watch, the U.S. men’s national team’s chances and more, here’s a six-months-out preview of the biggest tournament in sports:
What happened in the 2022 Qatar World Cup?
To briefly recap the 2022 tournament, Messi and Argentina beat France in the final. Morocco and Croatia both made Cinderella runs to the semifinals but were eventually outclassed. Mexico, Germany, Belgium and Uruguay stunningly didn’t advance into the knockout rounds, with Spain and the USMNT being eliminated in the round of 16.
In a stacked quarterfinals, the Netherlands, Brazil, England and Portugal all fell short, the former two via penalties and the latter two in regulation.
When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will run from Thursday, June 11, until Sunday, July 19.
Where is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The tournament will be co-hosted for the first time by three different nations: the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
What are the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
These are the cities across the three countries that will be hosting World Cup matches:
United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle
Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
Canada: Toronto, Vancouver
What are the 2026 FIFA World Cup groups?
The 48-team World Cup means 12 groups of four, an uptick from the previous eight groups. Group I might have the strongest case for this edition’s “group of death.”
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA playoff D winner (Denmark, Czechia, Republic of Ireland, North Macedonia)
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA playoff A winner (Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland)
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA playoff C winner (Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo, Romania)
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA playoff B winner (Ukraine, Poland, Albania, Sweden)
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Inter-confederation playoff 2 (Iraq, Bolivia, Suriname)
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Inter-confederation playoff 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica, New Caledonia)
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
SEE THE FULL 2026 WORLD CUP SCHEDULE HERE
Who has the 2026 FIFA World Cup media rights?
In the U.S., Fox will have the media rights to World Cup games in English, while Telemundo, a division of NBCUniversal, will own the Spanish rights.
How many teams are in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
For the first time, the men’s World Cup is increasing to 48 nations instead of the previous 32.
Teams and players to watch in 2026 FIFA World Cup
Of course, new players can emerge while current players could fade away by the time the tournament begins. There are also six teams still needing to qualify, with Italy, Denmark, Turkey and Sweden among the nations looking to secure a spot. But if it’s taken them this long to punch a ticket, their World Cup odds are probably on the lower side.
If the action started today, these are the five teams and players that are likely favorites:
Spain
The reigning Euros champions, La Roja have showcased their potential dominance in international soccer. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are one of the best wing pairings one can ask for, while Mikel Merino has become a revolutionary makeshift “false 9.” In midfield, they have Rodri, Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz and Gavi, among others, who all offer something different. Unai Simon and David Raya are the top two options in goal, while Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Dean Huijsen and Vivian are among the top defenders. A pure striker and defensive physicality are weaknesses, but La Roja are seen as top favorites.
Argentina
Messi is heading toward the possibility of going for a repeat World Cup title. Lionel Scaloni’s side has learned to win without Messi in recent years, but he tilts the margins in Argentina’s favor, especially after a recent and historic MLS Cup success. Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone are attackers to watch, with the midfield including Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister (Nico Paz may be involved, as well). Emi Martinez will remain the starting goalie, while Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel and Nico Tagliafico should return in defense. They may not feel like a strong side on paper and depth may be a concern, but Scaloni has a good international setup.
France
Winners in 2018 and 2022 finalists, Les Bleus will be a serious contender yet again with its treasure trove of talent. Superstar forward Kylian Mbappe is entering his prime and Ousmane Dembele just won the Ballon d’Or. Other star options in attack are Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki. The midfield features Real Madrid stars Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, though the rest of the options may be debatable. Mike Maignan is the star goalie, while William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez are among the leading defenders. France is also deep with rising talent should Didier Deschamps give some younger players a chance as he prepares to pass the baton as head coach.
England
After years of not getting over the finish line, the Three Lions brought in German manager Thomas Tuchel, who is known for his knockout-competition brilliance. England has elite forwards in Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Cole Palmer potentially being the midfield trio. Jordan Pickford is the veteran goalie, while Harry Maguire, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold could be key defensively. Quality depth is also in their favor, as Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Elliott Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Nico O’Reilly and Myles Lewis-Skelly are among the talents shining at club level. Their only weakness is themselves.
Portugal
Messi has a World Cup to his name. Can Cristiano Ronaldo add one too before he retires? There are concerns with how manager Roberto Martinez utilizes his players, but Portugal’s depth has increasingly improved. With Ronaldo still the starting striker at age 40, he’s surrounded by the quality of talent his prime years deserved. Alongside Ronaldo in attack are Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, Francisco Conceicao and Goncalo Ramos, among others. The midfield is particularly stacked with two star youngsters in Joao Neves and Vitinha. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Nevers are also pivotal players. Diogo Costa is easily the GK1, with the defense featuring Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva, among others. A right-back and possibly over-relying on Ronaldo are two things Portugal will need to fix.
Honorable mentions
- Brazil: Led by Vinicius Jr., Raphinha, Allison and Gabriel, but somehow lack top-end quality against elite sides and lack a balanced midfield.
- Germany: Led by Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, but they don’t have enough overall quality and experience yet with how Julian Nagelsmann plays.
- Netherlands: Solid defensive depth behind players like Virgil van Dijk and Jurrien Timber while Frenkie De Jong, Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders are versatile midfielders, but are still missing maverick forwards and an elite GK1.
What are the USMNT’s chances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Mauricio Pochettino’s side may not win it, but they have the foundation to potentially make a proud run on home soil. The U.S. ended the year on a five-game unbeaten streak to World Cup-qualified opponents, including two teams in its group: 2-0 vs. Japan; 1-1 vs. Ecuador; 2-1 vs. Australia; 2-1 vs. Paraguay; and 5-1 vs. Uruguay.
Pochettino did so without some of his best players consistently available, including Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams and more. Add them to how the team has played with grit and a better understanding of the system, there’s an outside chance of a memorable upset at some stage. They don’t have the overall quality to do the unthinkable, but there’s renewed hope given how the year ended with Pochettino.
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