The 2026 World Cup gets underway on 11 June across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and with the expanded 48-team format promising more football than any previous edition, the race for the trophy is as open as it has been in years.
With World Cup 2026 odds placing France and Spain at the top of most markets, here is a look at the five nations with the strongest claims to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July.
France
France enter the tournament as perhaps the most complete squad in the competition. Didier Deschamps, confirmed to be stepping down after the tournament with Zinedine Zidane waiting to succeed him, has a golden generation at his disposal.
Kylian Mbappe leads the attack, supported by a squad with genuine quality in every position, from the defensive solidity of William Saliba to the creative midfield presence of Warren Zaire-Emery and Aurelien Tchouameni.
They reached the 2022 final, losing on penalties to Argentina after one of the great individual tournament performances from Mbappe, and the hunger to go one further is palpable. Drawn in a manageable group alongside Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, they should arrive at the knockout stages in good shape.
Spain
The reigning European champions arrive as one of the tournament favourites and with arguably the most exciting young player in world football in Lamine Yamal, who shone so brilliantly at Euro 2024 despite being just 16.
Rodri anchors the midfield with a composure and intelligence that gives the entire team its foundation, while Pedri and Gavi provide the creative spark that has defined Spain’s recent generation.
Luis de la Fuente has built a team that combines technical excellence with genuine defensive structure, and their path through the draw looks navigable. The one concern is whether Yamal, who suffered a hamstring injury in the spring, will be fully fit and firing from the first game.
England
England head into the tournament with a squad that, on paper, represents one of the deepest in their history. Harry Kane leads the attack at what is likely to be his final World Cup, supported by Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, whose capacity to influence the biggest matches was demonstrated so emphatically at the 2024 Euros.
Thomas Tuchel has steadied the ship since taking over, and the England odds reflect a nation that many believe is overdue a first major trophy since 1966. Their group, featuring Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, should present few problems. The question, as always with England, is whether they can translate that quality into knockout performance when it matters most.
Brazil
Brazil have not won the World Cup since 2002, and the expectation of a sixth title weighs heavily on Carlo Ancelotti. The attacking quality at his disposal is exceptional: Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Endrick, and Rodrygo give Brazil a forward line capable of tearing any defence apart on their day. The concern is consistency.
Brazil’s qualifying form was not always convincing, and their quarter-final exits in 2006, 2010, 2018, and 2022 suggest a structural issue in knockout football that talent alone has not resolved. Alisson in goal gives them a genuine world-class option between the posts. If the team clicks in the knockout rounds, they have the firepower to go all the way.
Argentina
The defending champions arrive without the same aura of invincibility that surrounded them in Qatar, but writing off a squad still containing Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, and Lautaro Martinez would be foolish.
Messi, at 38, will almost certainly be playing in his final World Cup, and the emotional weight of that farewell could prove as motivating as any tactical preparation. Lionel Scaloni has built a team with genuine collective identity beyond individual star power, and the spine of the 2022 winning squad remains largely intact. No team has successfully defended the World Cup since Brazil in 1958 and 1962, but if any squad has the character to attempt it, this one does.
