The FIFA World Cup is underway in North America, with 48 nations competing across venues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in a tournament that runs from June 11 through to the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19. The expanded format - up from 32 teams - means more matches, more nations, and a broader, more unpredictable path to the trophy than at any previous edition. Defending champions Argentina arrive as contenders rather than prohibitive favorites, with France, Spain, England, Brazil, and Portugal all carrying genuine title credentials.
The sheer scale of this tournament sets it apart from almost every other sporting event on the calendar. With 48 teams, the group stage alone produces a volume of football that keeps fans engaged across weeks of action - not unlike the way racing fans track every card across a busy week, from the biggest meetings to regional fixtures like the armidale races today, where the accumulation of contests is itself part of the appeal. The 2026 edition stretches that principle to its maximum, delivering daily football across multiple time zones and confederations, from CONMEBOL heavyweights to first-time qualifiers making their debuts on the grandest stage in world sport.
The Contenders: A Crowded Field at the Top
France enter as the narrow favorites in the eyes of the market, and the case for Les Bleus is straightforward: Kylian Mbappé, the best player in the world at his peak, is the engine of a squad with remarkable attacking depth. Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doué all compete for places in Didier Deschamps' forward line. France won the 2018 tournament and reached the final in 2022. The only credible concern is the defensive unit, a question that applies to several of the top contenders.
Spain arrive as the world's top-ranked side and reigning European champions, and the emergence of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal has given their technically disciplined system a decisive edge in one-on-one situations. Yamal produced 14 goals and nine assists across 25 La Liga appearances for Barcelona this season, and while Rodri and Martín Zubimendi provide the structural backbone through midfield, it is Yamal who gives opponents a problem they cannot entirely plan for. Their back line remains the soft underbelly of an otherwise exceptional team.
England, under new manager Thomas Tuchel, bring arguably the deepest squad in the tournament. Harry Kane - 78 goals in 112 international appearances - anchors the attack, supported by Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers. The Three Lions have not lifted the trophy since 1966 and suffered defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Tuchel's primary challenge is not talent identification but selection and tactical clarity from a pool that is almost too well-stocked.
Portugal's case rests on a genuinely complete squad that won the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League - beating Germany in the semifinals and Spain on penalties in the final - and a familiar question mark over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 41-year-old is making a record sixth World Cup appearance and carries 960 career goals, but a thigh injury ahead of the tournament has raised doubts about his condition. Roberto Martínez has the luxury of Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, and Bruno Fernandes through midfield and Rúben Dias anchoring the defense, meaning Portugal can function at the highest level whether or not their all-time leading scorer is at full capacity.
Argentina, Brazil, and the South American Stakes
For Lionel Messi, this is the final chapter. Argentina's 38-year-old captain won the Golden Ball in 2022 and now seeks something no nation has achieved in the modern era: back-to-back World Cup titles. Brazil last managed the feat in 1958 and 1962. With Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez providing the cutting edge and Lionel Scaloni integrating a new generation that includes Franco Mastantuono and Nico Paz, Argentina remain capable of beating anyone. The defense, however, conceded in qualifying against Ecuador and Colombia - a vulnerability that elite opposition will target.
Brazil's route to this tournament was bumpier than the nation's supporters would have accepted in past decades. Carlo Ancelotti, appointed last summer, is still in the process of stabilizing a side that lost in CONMEBOL qualifying to both Argentina and Bolivia. Vinicius Júnior leads the attack, with Raphinha and teenage prodigy Estêvão providing width and directness, while Bruno Guimarães and Casemiro form one of the most balanced midfield pairings in international football. The question of whether Neymar makes a final World Cup appearance adds an undeniable subplot, but Brazil's fate will be determined by collective function, not nostalgia. For the Seleção's vast global following - and nowhere more intensely than across Brazil itself - this tournament carries the weight of a nation's identity.
Dark Horses, Emerging Stories, and the African Dimension
Norway represent the tournament's most compelling outsider narrative. Erling Haaland, 25, is making his World Cup debut after Norway failed to qualify for Qatar 2022, and he arrives with 55 goals in 48 international appearances - a ratio that belongs in a different category from almost every other striker in the world. Martin Ødegaard provides the creative link, and Norway won all eight of their qualifying matches, including against Italy. They are not a team built to go deep in the tournament without help, but with Haaland in form, any single match is winnable.
From the African continent, Senegal carry the strongest credentials and the longest pedigree. Led by Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Nicolas Jackson, and Ismaila Sarr, the Lions of Teranga are experienced, organized, and difficult to break down. They won the Africa Cup of Nations in January - a title later forfeited following a post-match dispute - and their only defeat in 17 matches across 2025 was a 2-0 friendly loss to Brazil in London. Jackson, developing into one of the Bundesliga's most dangerous forwards at Bayern Munich, gives them a potent option beyond Mané. For African football fans following this tournament, Senegal's campaign will be the focus of genuine expectation rather than hopeful projection.
Colombia are similarly dangerous and similarly underrated by the market. Luis Díaz, who delivered 15 goals and 10 assists across 25 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich this season, is among the most in-form wide forwards in world football. James Rodríguez - the 2014 Golden Boot winner - remains in the squad, and Néstor Lorenzo has constructed a side that concedes sparingly and is difficult to outwork. The USA, meanwhile, enter as co-hosts with Mauricio Pochettino's most attacking American team in a generation, anchored by Christian Pulisic and supported by a generation of European-based players who have grown up in elite club environments.
Format, History, and What the Expanded Tournament Means
The 48-team format changes the competitive arithmetic in meaningful ways. Sixteen groups of three teams each play a round-robin, with the top two from each group advancing alongside the eight best third-place finishers, expanding the knockout phase to 32 teams. The extra round increases the chances of upsets compounding and genuine shocks reaching the latter stages. Tiebreakers - goal difference, goals scored, fair play points, and FIFA ranking - will matter in tight groups.
Historically, eight nations have won the World Cup. Brazil leads with five titles, Germany has four, Italy and Argentina have three each, and France and Uruguay have two apiece. England and Spain each won it once. Germany has appeared in the most finals with eight, Brazil in seven. The Netherlands, despite reaching three finals, have never won it. Several of the teams in this tournament - France, Brazil, Argentina, Spain - have a realistic chance of adding to their tally. Others, like England and Germany, are well aware that they carry the burden of history as much as the weight of expectation. Somewhere across 48 nations and 104 matches, a champion will emerge. For now, the football speaks for itself.
