The biggest ever FIFA World Cup is upon us, with 48 teams competing to lift football’s ultimate prize. The USA, Canada and Mexico will play host in a tournament which is bound to produce drama given its scale. The competition not come without controversy, from temperature and pitch concerns, to cost issues and water bottle bans. But, eight years on from when North America was awarded hosts, the footballing side of the 2026 World Cup has finally arrived. It’s time to dive into which team will disappoint, who will become champions of the world, whilst also looking at which players will stand out.
Tournament Flops – Portugal
Portugal come into the tournament with arguably the best midfield in the world, with Joao Neves, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, as well as a plethora of talent elsewhere with players such as Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo and Rafael Leao to name a few. So why will they flop? Firstly, their manager. Roberto Martinez has consistently underachieved, particularly at international level. He inherited a golden generation with Belgium and never achieved even an appearance in a final, with one semi-final being his best finish in three tournaments, despite the talent he had. In fact, at the last World Cup, his side were knocked out in the group stage as the second ranked team in the world. In Euro 2024, this Portugal side underachieved with Martinez as manager, despite winning their first two group games. After that, they failed to score a goal in 330 minutes of football, losing 2-0 to Georgia in the final game of the groups, before beating Slovenia on penalties after a 0-0, before finding themselves on the losing end of a shootout against France, also after a 0-0.
This side also comes into the tournament desperate to win Cristiano Ronaldo his first World Cup, something that will be their downfall. The team would benefit from Ronaldo riding the bench but he will start and therefore players will look to get him the ball, even if he won’t do the same. If Portugal top their group, a quarter-final elimination to Argentina is a best case scenario, but they could even fall earlier to someone such as Switzerland. If they finish 2nd to Colombia then they will struggle in the Round of 32 against Croatia/England. It would not be out of character for Portugal to disappoint at this tournament, either. They have underperformed at every tournament since their Euros triumph in 2016, failing to make it past the quarter-finals in the last four major tournaments, having made the last eight just once.
Golden Boot – Kylian Mbappe
This would mean back to back golden boots for Mbappe after he scored eight goals to win this award in 2022. The fact is when this tournament comes around, Mbappe is at his best, a terrifying proposition for his opponents. In 2018, he netted four times, including a goal in the final, on the way to lifting the trophy. With 56 goals in total for France, he is likely to become France’s all-time top scorer (Giroud 57) at this tournament at just 27, proving how prolific he is for his nation. While he may have fallen out of favour with a lot of fans at Real Madrid, he scored 42 times in 44 games for Los Blancos this season. France come into the competition as one of the favourites, having made the previous two finals, and a deep run in this tournament would almost certainly be led by Mbappe, although they are far from short of attacking talent. With Mbappe just four goals off Miroslav Klose’s record tally of 16 at World Cups, if he is to win the golden boot, he will likely break the record. If the French star adds a second World Cup victory onto that, he may well have a strong case as the greatest player in World Cup history.
Player of the Tournament – Jude Bellingham
With Mbappe as the pick for the golden boot, it would make sense to also select him for the player of the tournament, the ‘Golden Ball’, but where is the fun in that? Jude Bellingham is coming off a difficult season with Real Madrid, where he suffered several injuries. However, Bellingham has always played well for England, and is the man for the big occasion. Some of the best football the 22-year-old has played for his country came in the 2022 World Cup. If not for a quarter-final exit, he had a very strong case for young player of the tournament. In Euro 2024 he may not have had his best tournament given the high standard he sets for himself, but he still scored multiple goals, including a last minute overhead kick against Slovakia that saved the Three Lions from humiliation. Strangely, there still seems to be a debate surrounding whether Bellingham will start. If Thomas Tuchel makes the right call and starts the Real Madrid midfielder, Bellingham will take full advantage. The arrogance he exudes on the pitch causes some to dislike him, but it hasn’t stopped the midfielder’s success. Bellingham has already won multiple domestic trophies, as well as a Champions League and player of the season awards in two different countries, all at just 22. Having someone like Bellingham, who wants the ball and wants to be the main man, but not at the expense of his team, is what England have been crying out for for years. Bellingham has proved his critics wrong time and time again, and this summer he will do it once more with a tournament for the ages.
Runners Up – Spain
Many have said that this tournament will favour teams from outside of Europe given the high temperatures, but it won’t be much of a factor on Spain’s likely side of the tournament. If Spain top their group then each of their knockout matches will be played in indoor stadiums with air-conditioning on their possible route to the final. If the 2010 winners do top their group and make it all the way to the final, they will go from Los Angeles to Dallas, back to Los Angeles and then back to Dallas for their knockout matches. Spain were by far and away the best team at Euro 2024. They defeated Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and England on route to winning the competition, and were the better team in each of those matches. Their ability to keep the ball in midfield will be hard to top given the talent they have in midfield with players such as Pedri, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi just to name a few. Going forward they have arguably the best player in the world in Lamine Yamal, as well as Nico Williams who may have suffered from injury this season, but still poses a huge threat. Under Luis de la Fuente, La Roja have lost just three times, and just twice in 90 minutes. They were defeated by Portugal on penalties in the Nations League Final in June last year, but the last time they lost in normal time was in March 2024 to Colombia, who they could face in the Round of 16. Other than that, de la Fuente’s only loss was to Scotland in his second game in charge back in March 2023. This team has experience of winning tournaments and will be lethal going forward with the pace and ability they have in their front line. If Spain don’t top their group, though, they could have a monster clash with Argentina in the Round of 32.
Winners – England
England come into this competition looking to finally end their trophy drought. ’30 years of hurt’ has turned into 40 then 50 and now 60. However, the closest the Three Lions have come to winning a major tournament has been in the last four editions, making each of the last two European finals, as well as a semi-final and a quarter-final at each of the last two World Cups. Gareth Southgate did an excellent job to reignite the faith in the England national team but now a true winner has been brought in. Thomas Tuchel knows how to manage cup competitions. He won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, having made the final with PSG the previous season. He also made the FA Cup final in 2021 with Chelsea, as well as making it to two finals in 2022, in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. He won the DFB Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2017, having made the final the previous season. Tuchel knows how to win games in cup competitions. Add that to the fact that England have been so close to getting over the line, then take into account the talent this team has with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and, of course, the best striker in the world at this point in time, Harry Kane, and suddenly England’s case for going far seems more than plausible. The heat will be more of a factor for the Three Lions than it is for Spain, with England’s Round of 16 and quarter-final ties, should they top the group, coming in Mexico City and Miami, potentially against Mexico then Brazil. However, England are going to be an incredibly well-coached team this tournament and will be very hard to break down. Add in their tournament experience and the talent they have in midfield and up front, and that will all contribute to a second star on their shirt.