World Cup 2026. gathers the largest number of participants in the history of the competition. Seven national teams are considered favorites to win the title of world champion. Spain comes as the current European champion, Argentina as the world champion, Francuska as two consecutive World Cup finalists, while England, Portugal, Germany and Brazil believe they have the quality for the very top.
The differences between the favorites are smaller than in previous championships. No national team has a flawless squad, nor is there a team that significantly outpaces the competition. That's why the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is one of the most balanced in recent times.
Red Fury
Current European champion Spain probably has the most stable game model among all the participants of the tournament. Luis de la Fuente inherited possession as the basis of Spanish football's identity, but made it much more direct than it had been in the Luis Enrique era.
Spain no longer wants to possess the ball just for the sake of possession. The goal is to attract the opponent's pressing through the control of the midfield and then create situations in which Lamin Jamal or Niko Williams remain one on one with the guards. When that mechanism works, Spain looks like the most complete team in the world.
The problem for the Spaniards is that several important players are not in top form. Jamal was plagued by injuries during the season, Niko Williams did not repeat the form of previous years, while Fabian Ruiz is physically more exhausted than during the European Championship. A special problem is the stopwatch line. Youngster Pau Cubarsi has blossomed into one of the world's most promising defenders, but Emerick Laporte has been in a slump for some time. If the opponents manage to bypass the Spanish pressing, it is the central defense that could become a critical point.
Photo: AP Photo/Mike StewartLamin Jamal's health is important for Spain
Tricolors
For years, France has been functioning as a national team that is ready to hand over the initiative to its rival and punish it in transition. Didier Deschamps has built a team that may not be the prettiest to watch, but it almost always makes it to the finals of major competitions.
However, the situation in the French camp seems more complicated than before. Kylian Mbappe is still the central figure of the national team and the man around whom the most important decisions are made. However, the last two years have seen the rise of players who are playing the best football of their careers. Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele is the leader of two-time back-to-back European champions PSG, while Michael Olisse has emerged as one of Bayern's most important players.
Photo: AP Ohoto/Jean-Francois BadiasBallon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele
On paper, France have the most individual quality of all the favourites. However, the question remains whether the hierarchy within the team will be an asset or a problem when the relegation games begin.
Gordy Albion
England is probably the most interesting project of the championship. Thomas Tuchel arrived with a clear idea to adapt the national team to the system and not to the player's reputation. The omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire showed that the German has no intention of compromising.
Photo: AP Photo/Kirtsy WigglesworthAfter 60 years of suffering, England hired a German coach in order not to get the title of world champion
The whole team is tailored to Harry Kane. For years, the England captain has functioned best when dropping between the lines, attracting stoppers and opening up space for his teammates. This is exactly why Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are so important. Both have the speed to attack the space behind the defense the moment Kane leaves the classic attacking position.
In such a system, Jude Bellingham should be the link between Kane and the rest of the team, a player who attacks the space created when opponents come out on the England captain. Tuchel's idea seems simple: give Kane enough runners around him and create a clear hierarchy where each player knows his role. If that plan works, England could go far.
Portuguese
Portugal has the best midfield in the entire championship. Vitinha, João Neves and Bruno Fernandes represent a combination of creativity, control and intensity that rarely any national team can follow.
It is interesting that Portugal is more and more reminiscent of Paris Saint-Germain tactically. It's no accident. Vitinja, Neves and Nuno Mendes carry a huge part of the game both in the club and in the national team. Backs often enter the middle of the field, while attacks develop through short passes and constant changes of positions. However, Portugal does not have the defensive organization that the European champions from Paris have. This is exactly why it seems vulnerable in the transition.
Photo: AP Photo/Francisco SecoHow much Cristiano Ronaldo (41) (left) can contribute to Portugal's game
The biggest problem is Cristiano Ronaldo. The legend of Portuguese football still has the status of an untouchable figure, but at the age of 41, he is no longer a player who can be the center of the entire system. The more Portugal play through the midfield, the better their chances of success will be.
Gauchos
If there is a national team that has learned how to win tournaments, it is Argentina. Lionel Scaloni has hardly changed the basic principles of the game for years. Argentina don't have the most attractive attack, but they have something that is often more important than talent in major competitions - a clearly defined role.
The relationship between Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez is particularly interesting. While Messi is increasingly looking for space between the lines and saves energy, Alvarez by moving to the left opens up space that allows the captain to remain an important factor even at the age of 38.
Photo: Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via APLionel Messi still has an important role in the Argentine team
Argentina is not without problems though. The back positions are not among the strongest in the tournament, while the central defense does not instill the same security as during the campaign for the title in Qatar.
Armored vehicles
Julian Nagelsmann managed to restore the identity of the German national team, but not the quality that graced the generations from previous decades. The decision to use Joshua Kimmich at right-back shows how few options there are in certain positions. The consequence of that is the return of Leon Gorecka to the team to fill the midfield.
Photo: Federico Gambarini/DPA via APReturn of national team identity: Germany coach Julian Nagelsman
The problem does not end there. Germany does not have a stable solution on the right wing either. Leeroy Sane is expected to play that role, while the omission of Karim Adeyemi has caused a lot of controversy.
An additional problem is the form of the two players on whom the creative potential of the team depends the most. Jamal Musiala has spent most of the season struggling with injury, while Florian Wirtz is still adjusting to his new role at Liverpool. Both have the quality to decide a game against any opponent, but neither comes to the championship in an ideal rhythm.
Karaoke
Brazil arrives in the US with the least optimism in the last few decades. Carlo Ancelotti is trying to find a new formula for a national team that has long lived on individual talent, but no longer has the depth of quality that graced previous generations.
The biggest role will be played by Vinicius Junior, who will have freedom in the final third. Rafinha is expected to occupy the position of ten, from where he would coordinate the attacks of Carioca. The problem is that Brazil do not have a midfield that can control games at the level of Spain and Portugal. Because of this, it often happens that there is too much space between defense and attack. They are particularly vulnerable when they lose the ball high in the opposition half.
Photo: AP Photo/Andre PennerExpectations at home are always high, but the Brazilian national team did not arrive in the US with excessive optimism
An additional controversy was caused by the call to Neymar. The former leader of Brazil is far from the best physical condition and is not playing at a level that would justify a place in the squad. Still, Ancelotti clearly believes his experience and authority can count in the dressing room. Paradoxically, while Neymar got a place in the team, Thiago Silva, who is still playing at a high level, remained out of the national team.
Photo: AP Photo/Darko BandicHow much can Neymar do?
The 2026 World Cup will probably not be decided by the best individual, but by the national team that manages to hide its weaknesses. Spain is looking for a healthy Jamal, France a balance between ego and talent, England a confirmation of Tuchel's idea, Portugal an answer to the question of whether Ronaldo can leave his ego at home, Argentina an opportunity to say goodbye to Messi in the best possible way, Germany a compromise between quality and deficit, and Brazil hope to stay at the top of world football.
The differences between the favorites are smaller than in the championships of recent decades. That is why it is not impossible that the champion is not decided by quality, but by one detail, one injury or a well-executed corner.
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