The 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North America in June as the United States, Canada and Mexico play host to the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world.
This is the biggest World Cup ever with the field being expanded to 48 teams. The powerhouses like Spain, France, England, Argentina, Brazil and Portugal are present, but there are some new names like Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan competing in the tournament for the first time ever.
History will be made this summer and most of soccer’s biggest names will be on display. The Last Dance implications for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are evident with the two legends likely competing in their final World Cups with Argentina and Portugal respectively.
Kylian Mbappé, who exploded onto the scene during the 2018 World Cup lifting it with France, looks to guide Les Bleus to their third consecutive final. There’s Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage superstar, who has the look of an inevitable World Cup winner after taking the UEFA Euros by storm in 2024.
Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Achraf Hakimi, Luis Diaz, Federico Valverde, the list of talent on display is endless. And that’s without diving deeper into the stacked squads the aforementioned countries have.
Of course, England will be asking if “football’s coming home” once again. Such is tradition. If we don’t hear that song this summer, something will have gone terribly wrong or you didn’t experience the World Cup correctly.
Finally, there’s the three host nations with their own storylines. Will the Mauricio Pochettino gamble pay off for the U.S. men’s national team? Has Javier Aguirre returned Mexico as the true Concacaf power and how far can Jesse Marsch take Canada?
Let’s dive into all the World Cup festivities so you’re prepared for the tournament come June 11 all the way through the final on July 19.
Previewing every group at the World Cup
You can find detailed previews of every World Cup group across multiple SB Nation sites below including full predictions and the best game in every group.
- Group A – Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
- Group B – Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C – Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D – United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
- Group E – Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F – Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G – Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H – Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I – France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J – Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K – Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L – England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Your guide to every World Cup host city
If you’re local, traveling the country or flying in from across the world SB Nation has you covered with travel guides for each World Cup host city in North America.
Spain could be the most consistent team heading into the World Cup. Featuring great talent, strong depth, and true star power with Barcelona’s Yamal, Spain should be one of the top squads in the tournament. Aside from Yamal, though, it is not as if the rest of the team lacks top-end talent. Pedri and Manchester City’s Rodri both figure to play key roles in helping the Spaniards systemically wear down the opposition. Look for Spain to make a deep run.
The 2018 winner and the 2022 runner-up, France might have the strongest squad right now. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, Arsenal’s William Saliba, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Bradley Barcola are just some of the names that make up the roster for the World Cup’s best team… on paper. The Frenchmen have an excellent recent history of success, but is this the tourney where Didier Deschamps and his team just cannot impose their will on everyone? The opposition better hope so.
The country will rally around Inter Miami legend Lionel Messi and more importantly, so will this team. Not lacking in pure talent, Argentina will be a heavy favorite to—at least—make the semifinals. Solid at every position group, but maybe not overly spectacular anywhere, Argentina could be a tough team for opponents to figure out. One name to keep an eye on is Como’s Nico Paz, who could be one of the breakout stars of the tournament.
Is it now or never for England? Head coach Thomas Tuchel excluded some mainstays to create his own team mentality and will attempt to get a full buy-in from those players who made the cut. Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane has been the best striker in the world this season, while Declan Rice is in a small class of elite-level central midfielders. Those are just two of the players on the star-studded roster which includes freshly-minted Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, and a bevy of young, hungry defenders. This is a good mix of experience and grit, mixed with youthful exuberance. Will it be enough?
A true dark horse, Germany could be the boom or bust team of the tournament. Reliant on Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz, Germany will need Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala to find his form in the attack, while also hoping that moving Joshua Kimmich to right back does not ultimately hurt the team. Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović looks ready to make the leap to stardom, but can the squad’s backline, led by Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Bayern’s Jonathan Tah hold it together in front of returning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer? Head coach Julian Nagelsmann might need some tricks up his sleeve to ensure that happens.
The French star, who can change a game in an instant, is someone who both fans and defenders need to be aware of at all times. The Real Madrid attacker tallied 42 goals and seven assists in 44 games across all competitions and looks primed to pick up right where he left off in this World Cup for France. If France makes a deep run, you can bet that Mbappé will be a massive part of it.
Yamal had 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 games across all competitions for FC Barcelona this season and is widely recognized as the most electric young player in the world. During this World Cup tournament for Spain, Yamal will get a chance to introduce himself to the world outside of LaLiga and if past history indicates anything, the 18-year-old will be up to the task. Yamal, though, will have some pressure on him to be the focal point of the attack. Surely, he will accept that responsibility.
Kane turned in his best season as a professional as he helped carry Bayern Munich into the Champions League semifinals. Kane had an amazing 61 goals and seven assists in 51 games across all competitions. Able to help in the buildup and dominate the final third, Kane could be the difference maker for the Three Lions. Simply put, Kane just makes everyone around him better.
Haaland is an absolute monster and has the ability to demoralize a team in a number of different ways. The Manchester City striker is big, strong, fast, and able to score however he wants. Physically, there are few center-backs that can match up with him, which will give Norway a chance in every game it plays. Haaland had 38 goals and nine assists in 52 games across all competitions. With Haaland leading the attack, Norway is truly a dark horse candidate for this tournament.
Wirtz could be the Master of Puppets for Germany with Musiala battling to find his form after a devastating injury suffered at the Club World Cup last summer. Nagelsmann will rely on Wirtz to create scoring chances for himself and the team. If Musiala is still not himself, the focus on Wirtz will become even more important. After a Liverpool campaign that started out as a struggle for the 23-year-old, he could be poised and ready to show the world he is still the superstar he was touted to be just a year ago.
The United States, Mexico and Canada are co-hosting festivities throughout the tournament. As such, all three were qualified for the tournament automatically.
Pochettino leads the U.S. men’s national team into the tournament for the first and likely final time, if reports about a move back to club soccer are to be believed.
If you’re just tuning back into USMNT soccer, the Argentine replaced Gregg Berhalter following a demoralizing 2024 Copa America performance. Pochettino rose through the managerial ranks in Europe during his time with Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Known for his high-pressing system and knack for molding young talent, the fit on paper looked like one that could deliver success. Multiple speed bumps in the road nearly derailed any excitement following crushing losses in the Concacaf Nations League and international friendlies. Though, a tactical shift towards the end of 2025 restored some good feeling. Friendly wins over Australia and Paraguay, two countries the USMNT will play this summer in the group stage, plus a 5-1 thrashing of Uruguay had supporters riding a high.
Though, the mood has simmered a bit after losses to European powerhouses Belgium and Portugal in March. Not to mention, Pochettino leaving out cult-hero-in-the-making Diego Luna for the 26-man squad has rubbed fans the wrong way. Still, the United States has talent that has proven themselves at the European club level and are hoping to inspire generations this summer.
Where would El Tri be if not for Aguirre?
The once dominant Concacaf power had succumbed to the USMNT’s rise in the 2020s and saw their grip on the continent waning. Then, Aguirre returned for a third time in 2024 as head coach with plans of former Barcelona player Rafael Marquez taking over after the tournament. Aguirre had the tough task of getting fans back on side and restoring Mexico to the top of Concacaf. He did just that in 2025 winning the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup.
Raul Jimenez will lead the line as he continues to write his name into Mexico’s history books. Playing in front of their fans will give them a massive boost as they look to forget the disappointment from 2022 in Qatar. They stand a strong chance of advancing from their group and perhaps making the deepest run in the knockout stage among the host nations.
Marsch’s Canada is arguably the most intriguing side from a soccer perspective among the host nations. The American, who many felt was going to be USMNT’s man on the touchline eventually, decided to take his talents north of the border.
While they came up short in the 2024 Copa America, 2025 Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup, Canada showed they were to be taken seriously. A fourth place finish in the former and beating the United States convincingly for third place in the Nations League had fans riding high. Canada looked like a well-drilled unit that pressed high and fought for every inch despite perhaps not having the same talent on paper.
Exiting the Gold Cup on penalties in the quarterfinals to Guatemala was a disappointment, but there is still anticipation to make some noise on the biggest stage this summer. The biggest question mark looming over their heads is what Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies can contribute this summer. His dynamism and star qualities are needed, but he hasn’t featured for his country since March 2025. The main main up top will be Jonathan David.
If you want to read more in-depth content ahead of the World Cup, check out what’s on offer below:
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