The Football ‘Kat: The 2026 World Cup Preview

Let’s look ahead to one of the sporting world’s most anticipated and exhilerating events: the World Cup. From the 11th of June to the 19th of July, 48 countries will contest football’s showpiece event, playing a total of 104 games, held across three host nations: The USA, Canada, and Mexico. Much could be made of the controversies surrounding the USA at this moment in time, and concerns have already been raised about the enormous costs to fans, to say nothing of the carbon footprint of the tournament, but there’s not a lot that be changed about any aspect of this, so instead let’s focus on the football itself. In particular, let’s profile the countries this meerkat believes are most likely to emerge as world champions.

Spain

As the reigning European champions, 2010 World Cup winners Spain have to be considered one of the likely favourites to take the crown. With some experienced players of high regarded, combined with some of the brightest young talent in the game, it is hard to see past them as eventual winners. In midfield they have the skilful and strong Rodri, who’s influence cannot be overstated when it comes to marshalling the team. Alongside him are the likes of Pedri and Gavi, two youthful-yet-already-experienced players who can also dictate the course of a game. They are joined by the likes of Mikel Merino and Fabian Ruiz, whilst up front, dazzling forward Lamine Yamal is one of the brightest rising stars in football.

Yamal is only 19, yet already has a European Championship winner’s medal, and he has the mentality to go much, much further. Spain have goal-scoring options in the form of captain Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres, and Mikel Oyarzabal, and no obvious weaknesses.

Their blend of sparkling young players and seasoned pros is likely to carry them far, and I for one think it will take them all the way to glory.

France

Winners in 1998 and more recently in 2018, France also reached the Final of the 2022 World Cup, where superstar Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick, yet still emerged on the losing side in a dramatic penalty shootout against Argentina. Four years later, Mbappe is still scoring for fun, and continues to be one of the most dangerous forwards in the game. The question for France is what to do if he is unavailable, because no one else is as fluid in front of goal.

In fact, no one else even has double-figures for France within their most recent squads, so injury or suspension to Mbappe would prove potentially crippling to their efforts. The team is built around what he can do, and rightly so.

The French are not lacking for experience in other arenas. The Hernandez brothers both have more than 40 caps in defence for their country. The likes of Jules Kunde and Lucas Digne form an assured presence. Solid midfielders like Eduardo Camavinga and captain N’Golo Kante will ensure France are hard to break down. This could end up being their philosophy: a team that is hard to beat, with the means to strike like lightening via Mbappe’s fearsome pace. They should certainly be among the contenders.

Argentina

If you want to note a team brimming with experience and quality, look no further than the reigning world champions. Led by the evergreen and sublime Lionel Messi (in what could possibly be his final World Cup, assuming he goes), Argentina can point to a number of players who have seen it all.

Of course, it is impossible not to discuss Messi in depth, considering his influence and accolades, and Argentina may still funnel much of their creative efforts through his genius. His pace may not be as potent, but his deft touch, beautifully weighted passes and his vision can still force opposing players to take him very seriously. Nor is he alone. Lautaro Martinez is a proven scorer of goals at international level. Midfield marshals Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes and Giovani Lo Celso know a thing or two about how to win. In Emiliano Martinez they have a slightly eccentric yet proven quality between the posts. Nicolas Otamendi is one of football’s most seasoned defenders.

In short, it would be a mistake to write them off, though my personal view is both Spain and France are overall that little bit stronger. Still, it’s not a flight of fancy to think Messi could be a two-time world champion by the end of the tournament.

England

I am loathe to suggest England have a serious chance of winning the World Cup, and my trepidation is built on decades of mediocre performances and false dawns. Still, looking at it from a detached point of view, and considering the record of England under Thomas Tuchel, England have emerged as a contender in the eyes of many.

The bulk of the optimism, as misplaced as it may feel to this cynical meerkat, is centred around a midfield and attack that has seen a lot of options emerge, spoiling Tuchel for choice. Captain and forward Harry Kane is critical to England’s chances, as he scores goals for fun, but beyond him, there are signs of promise with Ollie Watkins, and a resurgent Marcus Rashford. Credit must also go to the creative efforts of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eke, and Morgan Rogers. Waiting in the wings is the immense talent of Jude Bellingham, who could yet easily force his way back into contention, as could Cole Palmer.

There is an assured presence in goal in the form of Jordan Pickford, and in defence there is the experienced and versatile John Stones, alongside the confident Marc Guehi and the skill of Kyle Walker, among others. This is a strong England side, marshalled cleverly and effectively by Tuchel. The Semi-Finals should be a minimum expectation, but still, it’s England, so we will inevitably fall short of those expectations.

Brazil

No country has enjoyed as much success at the World Cup as Brazil. Five times the winners of the most prestigious prize in football, there is often talk of their potential going into every tournament, yet since last winning it in 2002, Brazil have only reached the Semi-Finals once, which ended in that notorious 7-1 defeat on home soil to Germany.

Their performances in qualification won’t have shored up expectations of glory. Brazil wound up 5th in the standings, enough to make it to the World Cup, but hardly enough to inspire belief. Nor is theirs a squad to conjure fear. Playmaker Neymar is no longer in his prime, and he arguably never lived up to the admittedly insanely high expectations placed upon him. The likes of Raphinha and Vinicius Junior have shown potential at club level but haven’t hit the same heights with their country. There is wisdom in the likes of midfielder Casemiro and defender Marquinhos, but there is no one who looks like they could grab this Brazilian side by the scruff and drag them to victory.

The fear for Brazil will be another anonymous tournament, with another Quarter-Final exit.

Germany

Never rule out the Germans, except it seems, in recent years. Since winning their fourth World Cup in 2014, Germany have not been beyond the group stages of the tournament, unfathomable for a nation that prides itself on footballing excellence.

Is it likely to be their fate for a third consecutive World Cup? It seems less likely, though nothing is guaranteed in football. There’s a fair bit of experience, and some younger players who are building momentum. That said, the Germans don’t have a Yamal or Mbappe to rally around. Jamal Musiala was once heralded as the German Messi, but whilst he is a good player, is he among the titans of the game? Florian Wirtz has endured a difficult start to live in England’s Premier League, perhaps not living up to his potential.

This is not to say they should be counted out. Serge Gnabry is an accomplished scorer at international level. Leroy Sane has not been as prolific but serves his purpose reasonably well. There is considerable wisdom in the form of midfielder and captain Joshua Kimmich, and ‘keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is among one of the best in the game. However, there are several teams that on paper, overcome German resilience.

Italy

At the time of first publishing this, Italy have not secured their place at the World Cup. They are facing the lottery of the playoffs, and whilst their path does not, on paper, put serious roadblocks in their way, in a one-off game anything came happen. Failure to qualify would mark the third consecutive no-show at a World Cup, something surely not possible for the four-time champions.

Then again, since last winning it in 2006, Italy’s World Cup fortunes have been woeful. They failed to go beyond the group stages in 2010 and 2014, and then had their two aforementioned no-shows. They’ve interspersed this awful record with victory at the 2020 Euros, but that is scant return when weighed against consistent failure.

Who might inspire them to not only qualify but to achieve greatness? Where are the Maldinis, the Pirlos and Del Pieros? Where are the generals, such as Gattuso? Whilst Italy are not necessarily lacking for experience, do the likes of Giacomo Raspadori, Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean strike fear into defender’s hearts? Italy’s most noteworthy player is their ‘keeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no one else is standing out, least of all as a source of worry. If Italy qualify, they should have enough about them to go beyond the group stage, but they won’t light up the tournament.

Portugal

Back in 2006 a youthful, rapidly emerging star in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo was influential as Portugal reached the Semi-Finals of the World Cup. Twenty years later, talisman and legend Ronaldo has declared this shall be his last World Cup. He will be 41 when the tournament starts, and despite all his efforts to keep himself in prime physical trim, the march of time is something no one can resist forever.

He may reflect on his World Cup legacy with some disappointment. He has scored at five World Cups, a remarkable achievement, but never in a knockout game. At the last World Cup, there was the suggestion Portugal fared better without him, and questions over whether his ego and desire for personal accomplishments were overshadowing the needs of the team. Nonetheless, he will be looked to as a source of huge inspiration.

Ronaldo is not the only player who will carry a lot of expectation. Bruno Fernandes and Bernando Silva are vastly experienced players, for both club and country, and so too is Ruben Neves. Ruben Dias and Nelson Semedo will provide wisdom at the back. Could they be something of a dark horse? Outside of these players, is there enough going on to make a sustained charge deep into the tournament? I fear not.

The Netherlands

When it comes to World Cups, no nation has gone as close without winning it as the Netherlands. Runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010, they were also beaten Semi-Finalists in 1998 and 2014. Might they be able to finally overcome this unwanted legacy of being nearly men?

They don’t lack for a wealth of experience in defence. Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt all have upwards of 50 caps for their country. In midfield they can turn to veteran midfielder Frenkie de Jong to govern the pitch, alongside the youthful Xavi Simons. Memphis Depay is a forward of both wisdom and goals. It would not be wise to underestimate the Dutch, who can also look to rising stars Jurriën Timber, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.

Their biggest issue will be whether they can overcome decades of underachievement, in the wake of teams that are arguably stronger. The Semi-Finals are not out of the question here, but going further? It may come down to luck.

So, these are the teams I think should be among the contenders, but what of our trio of hosts? Do any of them look capable of conjuring a surprise?

The USA

The USA is something of a curious outlier in the global game. Football (true football, not this hand-egg stuff Americans refer to as football) has grown in popularity across the Pond, but for all the investment and development of the sport, it still feels like it’s on the edge of popular culture, as opposed to embedding itself. Consequently, the US national men’s side is lagging behind the successful women’s team, and there’s little to suggest this World Cup will be a revolutionary moment.

American footballers hail from a variety of clubs across Europe and in the USA itself, and scores of players have been called up to recent US squads, suggesting a lot of experimentation and a certain measure of impatience to find a winning formula. They do have experienced players to turn to, but it seems manager Mauricio Pochettino has not settled on his best team, and time is rapidly running out to do just that.

Despite this, the USA should make it out of their group, subject to which European side ends up joins them, Paraguay, and Australia. I would not expect them to go much further.

Canada

Canada are a little bit like the USA, in terms of having called up a lot of players in recent times, but they arguably have more of a core of experience. Of particular note will be Alphonso Davies, a skillful left-back, with plenty of experience playing for European giants Bayern Munich. However, they are realistically only at the World Cup by virtue of being hosts, having only qualified for 13 of the 16 World Cups they have contested. That said, they did qualify for the 2022 World Cup… where they lost every game.

Expectations will likely be muted, with a measure of optimism by virture of being hosts. They will face the previous hosts Qatar, but also an easily-underestimated Switzerland, and one other European nation, most of which would provide Canada with a challenge.

Reaching the knockout rounds by virtue of being one of the best third-placed sides is possible, but it will be hard.

Mexico

Mexico might just have one of the most experienced squads of any World Cup side. Jesús Gallardo, Raúl Jiménez, and Guillermo Ochoa are all centurions for their country. Plenty of players have either breached the 50-cap mark, or will do so very soon. However, experience is only one half of what a successful team needs. Do Mexico have the quality to go deep into the tournament?

It’s difficult to say, though on home soil under a beating sun, Mexico might hold an edge over teams less used to the conditions. They will also be hoping that they might progress further than the second round this time, having never played more than four matches at a World Cup.

With South Korea, South Africa, and an as-yet still to qualify European side in their group, they will fancy their chances of making it out of the group, but how much further can they go?

So, that’s my initial, hastily cobbled preview of the 2026 World Cup. I may yet add some more thoughts to this at a later date, but for now, enjoy!

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