There is no bigger event than the World Cup. Spanning three countries, 16 cities, and 39 days, the World Cup will have it all. In just a few short months fans from all over the world will be cheering for their countries on North American soil. It’s shaping up to be the biggest challenge for the nations that are set to compete.
The 2026 World Cup will look quite different from previous tournaments because it expands to 48 teams for the first time. One of the biggest changes is in the group stage: instead of 8 groups of 4 teams, there will now be 12 groups of 4. In past tournaments, only the top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage. Under the new format, the top two teams from each group will still qualify, but they’ll be joined by the eight best third-place teams, creating a round of 32.
The 2026 World Cup has a clear-cut contender, readers, and for any United States fans here, you’re not in this category. Christian Pulisic, you very much can prove me wrong, but I’d bet my left kidney that the US doesn’t even make it to the quarterfinals. Anyways, Argentina, the defending champions, are a clear favorite. Argentina also won the Copa America in 2024; with this being Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina is sure to push for the cup one last time. Along with them, the finalists in the last World Cup, France, are heavy favorites, with a star-studded lineup. France will be looking to win it not only for redemption but also for Didier Deschamps’s (France’s current manager) last time coaching at a World Cup. Other contenders included 2024 Euro winners Spain, led by 18-year-old Lamine Yamal; he and Spain are sure to show the world how they run. These three countries are the current favorites, yet there are still countries that could win it if they fix some holes.
Some countries at the 2026 World Cup are a few holes away from winning the entire tournament. England, this comes deep down from my heart as an English lad. We’re so screwed; England is a perennial threat in every competition, yet they always manage to “bottle” it. England’s pressure to win a World Cup 60 years since they last won it will cause the players to be anxious. This, along with England’s quite weak defense compared to other nations, will lead them to most likely and sadly not win the coveted trophy.
Germany, a strong and great team, however, in the past two World Cups hasn’t made it out of the group stage. Paired with this, Germany has one of the weakest attacks among the nations looking to win. Despite having Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, both are coming off poor seasons, whether it’s from playing horribly or injuries. Germany’s current striker is Nicholas Fulkrugg, a striker who didn’t start in a West Ham squad that’s in a relegation battle.
Brazil, one of the best attacks, with the likes of Neymar, Endrick, Antony, Raphinha, Vini Jr., and Gabriel Martinelli. But Brazil’s huge weakness isn’t talked about enough, and it’s their fullbacks. Their current fullbacks are Danilo and Alex Sandro, two players who are on the back end of their careers and have long been gone from their primes.
Portugal’s issue will be the pressure. Portugal has one of the best squads in the world. But their issue will be how they deal with the pressure and the media. This being Cristiano Ronaldo’s last chance at the World Cup trophy, there’s a lot of pressure for Portugal to win it so Ronaldo can reclaim his spot in the G.O.A.T. debate. Portugal in the last World Cup couldn’t handle the pressure with the decision of benching Ronaldo in the round of 16, which led to them being upset by Morocco. These countries have huge gaping issues that’ll need to be acknowledged and fixed before the World Cup begins if they want to have a serious shot at winning.
The World Cup itself is a team trophy, but there are also many individuals that go above and beyond to help their teams, and they are rightfully given the ability to earn awards. The Golden Ball goes to the best player in the World Cup in its entirety. In 2018 it was Luka Modric, and in 2022 it was Lionel Messi; both players went on to win the Ballon d’Or in that year. Both of these players made it to the final and were crucial to their team. My prediction is that Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe puts France on his back and wins the Golden Ball. With that being said, I believe Kylian Mbappe would win the Golden Boot, which is the award for the most goals scored in the tournament.
Despite all these big players, youngsters also have a chance to showcase their talents across the globe. The Young Player Award gives them the opportunity to win an award for their achievements at such a young age, and I believe Türkiye’s Arda Güler will win it. Türkiye is in a prime position to be a huge dark horse in the tournament, similar to Morocco in 2022, and leading that will be Arda Güler.
Finally, the Golden Glove award, which goes to the best goalkeeper in the entire tournament, Emi Martinez won it in 2022, and using the award, he dragged himself into best keeper conversations for three years. This year I think England’s Jordan Pickford will win the award. No bias or anything, but Jordan Pickford shows heart for his country, and due to England’s poor defense, I’m expecting he’ll have to make many crucial saves to keep England alive.
In the end, the 2026 World Cup promises to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable tournaments the sport has ever seen. With the new expanded format, more teams, and matches spread across North America, the stakes have never been higher. While clear favorites like Argentina, France, and Spain enter the tournament with expectations to win, the competition remains wide open, especially with the very talented but flawed teams like England, Germany, and Portugal. In the end, the 2026 World Cup will not just be about who’s the champion but about showing the passion, the pressure, and the unpredictability that makes football the world’s best game.
