The biggest tournament in the world. The most important of the most important. You know what the score is.

The favourites. The Underdogs. Players you might want to keep an eye on. No messing. Let’s get straight into it.

The Favourites

Spain

Spain look like they might be on their way to take over from Brazil as the premier footballing nation of the next few decades. At youth level or across the pond towards the women’s game, they typically find themselves in finals, semi-finals and winners of whatever tournament they play in.

Their Euros win, though it came at the expense of our hearts, was emphatic and undeniable. They were the best team in the tournament from the first ball they kicked and nobody was going to stop their romp towards silverware.

Gone are the days of slow, boring and futile tiki-taki football which Spain became synonymous with after their early 2010s triumphs. This iteration, showed in the Euros, are fast, powerful and direct without completely letting go of that technical flawlessness which made them so remarkable over 10 years ago.

16 points from a possible 18 in World Cup qualifiers in easily the hardest group out of any of the European favourites. They scored 21 goals and conceded just 2 in 6 games of football and haven’t lost a match since their 1-0 loss in a friendly against Colombia over two years ago.

Spain have quality oozing from back to front, underpinned by an extremely high squad chemistry which no doubt is helped by the 6-man Barcelona core fresh off another La Liga win. Headlines spurred as it was revealed weeks ago that Real Madrid would have no players in this squad for this World Cup. It is a damning indictment on where Los Blancos currently are, but doesn’t actually hinder the Spanish national team. There’s no notable emission other than perhaps Dean Huijsen and even he endured a relatively topsy-turvy debut campaign. The morale in the Spain camp will be much higher without the underground tensions from El Clasico.

*Spain’s predicted lineup - All predicted lineups via* *FotMob lineup builder*

Typically operating a fluid 4-2-3-1 with a number 10 and striker who are able to drop, rotate with each other and help in build-up, Spain’s firepower combined with their midfield strength and depth will be far too much for a pretty easy World Cup group. If by the end of the group stage, the three-time Euros winners haven’t accumulated the maximum amount of points possible, something will have gone wrong.

Luis De la Fuente has risen from Spain’s u18s to their u21s to spearhead their first-team to a Euros title only 2 years on from the bleakness of the 2022 World Cup. He’s become immortalised in Spain’s football history but even his biggest stans must be wondering why he’s starting Unai Simon in goal over potentially the two best goalkeepers in world football right now. Both Joan Garcia and David Raya had monumental seasons both winning their domestic titles and proving immovable and impenetrable at various different parts of the season - constantly producing show-stopping saves even replays can’t do justice. They can stop shots better than any keeper at the tournament. They are also more than dependable with the ball at their feet.

Unai Simon however, is fresh off a campaign where his Athletic Bilbao side have finished 12th and his form has been absolutely nothing to write home about. You can see the argument, “why shouldn’t he start when he’s done absolutely nothing wrong in a Spain shirt?” That’s a fair argument if you have James Trafford and Dean Henderson as your number 2 and 3 optionsl, not two of the best keepers in the world who can win you games on their own.

There are also slight concerns about Spain’s defence. Cubarsi, for all the talent he has, still is privy to moments of clumsiness in high-stakes environments. With it likely to be 32 year old Aymeric Laporte partnering him at the back, it’s most certainly not the most confidence-inducing partnership. To add to this, they’ll be protected by a Rodri who, yet still brilliant, has lost a yard since his ACL injury - and a Pedri who looks completely run into the ground.

Luckily Spain have a plethora of midfield options to call on if the two seem to be floundering. Gavi, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian and Mikel Merino can all more than do a job and will have their lives made easier for them by one of the most frightening attacks at the tournament.

Mikel Oyarzabal is wonderfully talented and has the intelligence and technical quality to operate in different positions. 22 g/a in 40 games this season for Real Sociedad accompanied by 8 goals and 4 assists in 7 games for Spain this calendar year. There’s your dark horse for the golden boot.

Spain’s chances hinge on one player, one teenager who is arguably (probably) the best player in the world. It’s a scary prospect that Lamine Yamal has had 6 weeks to rest whilst everyone else has been slugging away and is likely half burnt out by now, but if the 18 year old comes back and plays like he was playing this season - there’s little anyone can do to stop them.

The main worries for Spain are if they get overworked in midfield or if a defensive calamity from a CB or goalkeeper completely ruins everything. The attack is frightening and more importantly, almost all their forwards are coming into the tournament in frightening form.

Also, they are the only team in the world that has Lamine Yamal.

Outcome: Spain make it to the semi-final but they meet their match in midfield where Rodri and Pedri’s lack of legs ultimately cost them.

England

Let’s get this out the way now, shall we? Do England have a squad good enough to win the World Cup?

During the Southgate era, there were two things which plagued us in the biggest games. We didn’t have an elite manager who could outdo his opposing number tactically and we didn’t have a midfield good enough to dictate and control games. With Elliot Anderson and Thomas Tuchel, both of these qualms have been answered.

For all the uproar that came after Tuchel’s 26 man squad was released, when the dust settles and you actually observe the group of players travelling to the US - it’s still a fantastic bunch littered with talent from head to toe. These 26 guys are good enough to bring it home and with an elite proven winner at the helm, there’s every chance we can do it.

But there are questions. Boy there are some questions.

My first question is directed to Harry Kane. I am looking at you my friend. Who exactly are you? This, for me, is your legacy as our nation’s greatest number 9 on the line. Time after time in the most important games for England - in the finals and semi-finals when we needed you most, you were nowhere to be found. The last Euros was a travesty but injuries did hamper you physically, so there’s some grace. But now there’s no excuses. You come into this tournament in the form of your life. For someone who’s been England’s best player for the near part of a decade now, there are very few memorable moments you have in major international tournaments with. I’m not bothered if you’re scoring hat-tricks against Panama or dropping into centre-mid and playing lovely through balls to Marcus Rashford in the group stages. I need, we need more. You need more. This can be the tournament to propel you from the greatest striker of our generation debates, to maybe the greatest striker we’ve ever seen. You have the club CV, you have all the domestic records you could ever wish for, now it’s time for you to take us home.

Kane is also the only forward who will arrive at the World Cup in good form other than Ollie Watkins who was a man possessed in the last 5 games of the 25/26 campaign. At these major tournaments, with so little preparation time, you need your best attackers to be feeling confident, not having to reach far down to find the best of them. Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke have had poor seasons no matter how you try dress it up. Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham and Ebere Eze have been good at times but they have also been pretty non-existent at times. Compare that to how Spain and France’s attackers are coming into this tournament and it’s night and day.

*Anthony Gordon his 10 goals in the UCL this season but only 6 in the Premier League - Image via The Indpendent*

The weather at this tournament will also play it’s part in our overall chances. It will be hot and sticky and history shows we don’t like hot and sticky weather at World Cups. After such a gruelling season where a lot of 26 went extremely deep into various competitions, fatigue will be rife in the camp. Combined with the immense heat, this means you need a strong impact off the bench when your starters inevitably get tired. Unfortunately for us, we left the player able to create something out of nothing more often than anyone else in the squad, back at home and now without Cole Palmer, we’re relying on very few ‘give me the ball and get out of my way’ mavericks who can rescue something for us when all feels lost.

Maverick talk brings me nicely on to our Number 10, Jude Bellingham. Few players in the world rise to the occasion like Jude can, he’s a calming presence on the field because you know that he’s going to hustle, tackle, run and stamp his mark on the game when it is being stretched and the tempo quickens. What he isn’t going to do though, is suddenly be able to receive the ball in the pockets on the half turn and weave magical passes into the forwards like a number 10 is meant to. Tuchel’s stubbornness and refusal to not play with an attacking midfielder is baffling because we don’t actually have a number 10 in the squad. With Jude and Rice next to Anderson, you have a complete midfield that will run and duel for days. By forcing Bellingham into that 10 spot, you’re asking him to do things that he isn’t that good at doing. Rogers isn’t creative enough to be a 10, he’s in the weird LW/SS/10 mould Foden found himself in and he too has struggled a lot for England when playing there.

*England’s predicted lineup - All predicted lineups via* *FotMob lineup builder*

One thing for certain is that we will be defensively top throughout the tournament. That’s a result of both Tuchel’s solidarity and the likes of Guehi, Pickford and Konsa at the back.All are all extremely reliable in an England shirt. Reece James and Nico O’Reilly are two of the best in their position in the world so there’s no point dwelling on our defence too much.

In the 8 rounds of World Cup qualifying, England won all 8 games and didn’t concede a goal in the process. That means we have easily the best qualifying record out of any team in the competition and should go into the tournament feeling very confident. But for some reason, we don’t.

It’s also interesting that Tuchel has left our two best passers out of the squad because the moment may come when we’re chasing a goal and need a moment of brilliance and ingenuity which Trent Alexander-Arnold and Adam Wharton so regularly provide for their clubs, it seems very risky to not take at least one of them.

We’ll sail out of our group. 9 points from 9. The real test starts in the round of 32 where our potential run to the final and all its hazards have been well documented. There’s no point dwelling on that however. We’ll take every game as it comes and go from there.

There’s much more I would’ve liked to write about England, our squad and our chances but I’m aware this is a fairly long article and don’t want this to be too detailed so I’ll leave it at this: There’s no blatant reason why we can’t win it. Tuchel was brought in for this moment right here and all we can do is put our trust and belief into the squad and players. Whilst I personally believe our lack of creativity and spark might be our downfall in the latter stages, our robustness and the strength of our spine tells me anything is possible.

Outcome: Semi-finals. Combination of the heat, lack of game-changing options on the bench and out-of-form attackers mean I seee us bowing out in the final four.

France

If football was played on paper, France would already have walked away with the most coveted sports trophy in the world.

Everywhere you look, it’s world-class player after world-class player after world-class player. Defence, midfield, definitely attack - a lot of the best footballers in the world in their position play for Les Blues.

But football isn’t played on paper. And usually whenever France find themselves as the overarching tournament favourite, they fall flat on their face. It doesn’t matter if you have all the stars in the world if you can’t make a cohesive unit out of them and Didier Deschamps knows this better than nearly everyone. For the last 6 years he’s been turning a team filled with extravagant talents into a well-drilled, multi-functional, boring football team.

In France, debates rage on about the side’s inability to play attractive, dominant, fast and free-flowing football despite the depth of players at their disposal. Deschamps has been criticised heavily as France fall short with seemingly the best squad in every tournament they’ve played since the 2018 World Cup. Many have called for his sacking and most assumed that after 2022 he’d part ways with the national team.

Nope. 2024? Try again. After the 2026 World Cup it’s confirmed Deschamps will be leaving with Zinedine Zidane all but confirmed to take his place. And it seems that knowing his fate no matter what happens in this tournament has made the Frenchman release the shackles a little. 5 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses in a pretty straightforward qualifying group meant France sailed through without any real adversity. They scored 5 less goals than Spain and conceded 2 more but they never looked vulnerable throughout the campaign with only a 2-2 draw against Iceland ruining a perfect record.

This France team is stacked, obviously. Their B team could likely make a deep run into the tournament. However, they no longer have Antonie Griezmann and you can’t underestimate the difference that makes. On the pitch he was the calming presence, the conductor whose intelligence and awareness allowed for him to be at the centre of almost anything good that France did in both 2022 and 2024. Off the pitch he was a leader and one of the most experienced players in the dressing room. There’s a big hole in that squad now he’s gone.

But France are one of the only teams who can actually fill a whole so big with a player that might be even greater. Michael Olise is likely to be France’s new Griezmann - the creative hub who knits attacks together and goes wherever the space is, causing trouble in the same areas for the next decade. In France’s recent friendly against Brazil, it was him and Dembele who Deschamps gave a wonderful amount of freedom to do basically whatever they pleased. Olise was everywhere and Dembele was playing as a CDM just as much as he was playing striker. Whether they get this freedom again when the stakes are 10 times higher is another thing, but either way there will be fireworks.

Whoever ends up starting or ends up coming off the bench for this French side shouldn't matter. When your attacking depth is this good, we’re talking one of the best national team attacks ever assembled, you can’t really go wrong. Olise, Mbappe and Dembele are 100% starters and so the question is do you fill that 4th spot with another attacker or another midfielder? Deschamps has been a fan of having four attackers starting games recently. We may see him chop and change depending on the team France play but it’s easy to envision a world where Barcola is the only providing width on that left hand-side with all the others rotating and interchanging.

France’s predicted lineup - *All predicted lineups via* *FotMob lineup builder*

People may look at the midfield for France and be uninspired. It probably is the weakest part of their squad. However, it is still phenomenal. Tchouameni, Rabiot, Zaire-Emery, Kante and Kone. What do they all have in common? They cover ground like their lives depend on it. They are all fast, strong, play smartly and without ego. They’re the pillars of this France team. They provide all the balance and discipline and so France’s chances of winning this thing depend on them as much as it does the attacking superstars.

Serie A fans will tell you that Rabiot is one of the best players in Italy and whilst Tchouameni hasn’t been at his all-encompassing best this year, it’s very rare that he’ll have a bad game. N’golo Kante will also have something to say at this World Cup because he is still every bit the N’golo Kante we all dearly remember from the Chelsea days. He is still covering every blade of grass, stopping attacks and launching his own ones. People will be surprised at the level he’s still at.

But you can definitely get at France. We’ll probably have a very strong idea about how far they can go in this tournament after their first game is done. They play one of the reigning AFCON winners in Senegal and also have Norway in what is most definitely the group of depth.

That’s two of the dark horses right there who will be eyeing up France’s full-back options and licking their lips. Theo Herndanez has awful positional discipline and vacates his post far too much, leaving acres of space behind him. Kounde on the other flank is fairly dependable but does have an error/moment of clumsiness in him. If you’re going to outscore this France team, looking out wide is certainly a good idea.

But it’s going to be hard to outscore them because on top of a collection on at least 5 of the best 15 attackers in the world, they have a man who is 4 goals away from equalling the all-time World Cup scoring record and will be playing with a fire in his belly.

There’s been an unbelievable amount of talk on Kylian Mbappe’s name this season that you forget he’s grabbed 48 goal contributions in 47 games for Real Madrid. But whatever burdens he’s carrying around his club have been left back there because now it’s not the time to be worrying about Los Blancos. Now’s the time for Mbappe to remind everyone exactly who he is and what he does. He’s one of the best players to ever play the game and he turns up at World Cups like nobody else.

He’ll be playing with a vengeance, aiming to shut anyone up who dared speak ill of him during the tumultuous 25/26 campaign. No matter the amount of talent in this squad, the burden will fall on him to carry France home. If he does have a strong World Cup, just like Spain with Yamal, you can only hope you have luck on your side when you play them. The only thing pinning France back for me, when the margins are so fine, is the egos they have in attack. Too many players who are used to being the guy for their club and although they know Mbappe is number 1, it’s not in their nature to subside. Too many cooks.

Outcome: Winners. Too many geniuses in their arsenal. The squad is deep and balanced, there’s just so many ways they can beat you.

Argentina

With no other reason than the pure adulation for the greatest footballer ever powering this Argentina squad on to be true contenders, they’re aiming to win two World Cups in a row. Which nobody has done in over 60 years.

Argentina sailed through qualifying, finishing top of the South America group by 8 points and making it known they were comfortably the best the continent will have to offer this summer. Lionel Scaloni has picked a squad packed with experience but with a slight undertone of youth and unknowing which could create a huge splash.

The introduction of the young sensation Nico Paz into the fold is extremely exciting. One of the only players in the squad capable of creating spontaneous moments of magic other than the great one himself. He’s tall, powerful and yet ever so graceful. He can dribble, pass and shoot from range and has all the markings of an attacking midfielder who can really introduce himself to the world this summer if given the chance.

I say if given the chance because Scaloni is a manager who picks by trust before anything else. He wants players he knows he can rely on in the heat of the moment, who will run tackle and be extremely annoying to play against for the whole ninety minutes. For this reason, expect to see Argentina’s first starting lineup be very similar to the one which immortalised itself in history 4 years ago.

Their group on the face of it looks relatively easy, but Algeria and Austria (3 A’s in a World Cup group for the first time ever) can be potential banana skins if Argentina don’t buck their ideas up quickly. Nevertheless, it would be very surprising to not see them finish at the top of group J in a relatively comfortable fashion.

There are questions about how solid this Argentina team still are defensively with none of their centre-backs or full-backs arriving at the tournament in good form. The onus will be on the very unreliable Christian Romero to not do anything stupid and to be the anchor for the likes of Nahuel Molina, Facundo Medina, Lisandro Martinez and Leonardo Balerdi. These aren’t names that will strike fear into any top attackers.

The Argentina midfield presents quite a conundrum for Scaloni too and echoes shades of the 2022 World Cup when the head coach elected for old-heads such as Guido Rodriguez, Alejandro Gomez and Leanardo Paredes to start in the first two games against Saudi Arabia and Mexico. After losing to one and scraping by the other, Scaloni realised that the youthfulness, spontaneity and energy provided by Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister is what his side desperately needed. And the rest is history.

This time, the oldheads find themselves to be Rodrigo De Paul and Lo Celso who have high chances of starting the first game next to Enzo Fernandez. This isn’t just for the sake of it though. Scaloni needs 10 players who can do the work off the ball of 11 in order to preserve the energy for a certain someone to weave his magic for the millionth time.

Argentina’s predicted lineup - *All predicted lineups via* *FotMob lineup builder*

The question is, can Lionel Messi do it… again? And my answer is, who are we to say no. In 2025, the Argentine clocked in 68 goal contributions in 49 games. At the beginning of this campaign he’s totalled 20 in his first 13 games. Well aware that these stats are inflated by the lack of quality in the MLS, but you have to remember that there have been a lot of players who have starred in Europe after reaching numbers that weren’t half as impressive. I’m sad to inform you that Lionel Messi is still one of the best footballers in the world and if he’s on song this tournament, Argentina will be a team that can beat anyone.

Backed up by the likes of Julian Alvarez and Nico Paz who are stars in their own right, Argentina have enough firepower to outscore any team. But all successful sides need a strong defence. Can a 38 year old Otamendi and co. ensure they’ll be able to keep the ball out of their net? That’s where Argentina will fall short and why they likely won’t be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup trophy.

Outcome: Final. There will be no surprises with Argentina. A reliable, well-oiled machine with the power of friendship leading them to a repeat of the legendary 2022 final in Qatar. This time though, Argentina’s defence is no match for what France will bring to the party and Deschamps’ men get their revenge

Portugal

Portugal are the only European team featured here to have lost a game in qualifying. This game, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Republic of Ireland meant that they finished the campaign having scored 20 goals, conceding 7 and finishing on 13 points out of 18.

Their hopes of winning the World Cup hinges entirely on the midfield of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes. They are all world-class footballers and the old adage of ‘great footballers just make it work’ sticks out when writing this but, how sure are we that this setup actually can work? Joao Neves is the only one who can defend to an elite level. Vitinha, not for the lack of effort, is too lightweight to ever really imprint himself on a game physically.

The word ‘balance’ rings in my ears when thinking about how this Portugal team potentially lineup. The midfield trio can outplay you when they have the ball but without it, you’re looking at an already exhausted Joao Neves doing the work of three players to keep the opposition at bay. There’s also a question over whether Vitinha and Neves can be just as effective for their country as they are for PSG where they’re able to dominate the ball in one of the most complex and thought-out tactical systems there is.

There’s also the matter of Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has defied the odds once again to play at his 5th World Cup even when everyone thought he was done after Qatar. His ambition is admirable and inspiring but it's also a potential hindrance for this Portugal team. Even if he’s prepared to take on the role of a side-character in this tournament, which is highly unlikely, his mere presence will make it hard for Bruno and others to feel like this is their World Cup, their time. You can’t outrun CR7’s shadow and unfortunately for Portugal, his shadow now moves at a snail's pace. Ronaldo was evidently past it in Qatar and even more evidently so in Germany. If he’s able to put his ego aside and let those who are better than him take control of this side, then there’s hope. Get yourself in the box, stay there. Use your elite movement to get on the end of crosses and rebounds and don’t take free-kicks from 35 yards out anymore.

Roberto Martinez’ seeming lack of enthusiasm for Raphael Leao means Portugal will be lacking a natural left winger who can beat their full-back on the outside and whip in crosses for Ronaldo to feed on. This means it wouldn’t be very surprising to see Nuno Mendes end up as an out-and-out left-winger instead and Cancelo taking up his position at full-back. And because Nuno Mendes is an extremely good footballer, he’ll be able to do so at a very high level.

Portugal’s attack should be better than it probably will be. An out-of-position Neto and 30 year old Bernardo Silva who is no longer a tricky winger flanking an ancient CR7. I wouldn’t be surprised if things start slowly on the goal-scoring front for Portugal and Martinez’s hand becomes forced to make change.

Portugal’s predicted lineup - *All predicted lineups via* *FotMob lineup builder*

Whilst their midfield might just be the best at the entire tournament, Portugal’s attack and defence leave concerns. 22 year old Abdukhodir Khusanov was preferred to Ruben Dias during Man City’s run-in at the end of the season and it looks like he perhaps isn’t the player he was 3 to 4 years ago. His likely partner, Samuele Inacio - a good centre-back but another one who lacks agility and top-end speed which is potentially why we haven’t seen him take the leap from Sporting CP to the top 5 leagues. Not the ideal partner for Dias. The full-backs also all have much more time for attacking than defending and so you can now see why they shipped the most goals per game out of all the major contenders in qualifying.

Is there a world in which people see Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, Pedro Netom, Goncalo Guedes and a 41 year old Cristiano Ronaldo firing Portugal to their first ever World Cup? Even the most imaginative people out there will have a hard time trying to picture it. Where are the goals coming from? You’re relying heavily on Bruno Fernandes to pick up where he left off at Manchester United - an environment where he has a say on almost everything that happens on the pitch. Is the case going to be the same with No.7 on the pitch?

Unless the PSG contingent and Bruno Fernandes can muster up something other-wordly for the eight games that may lie ahead, there’s hard to see a future in which Portugal are lifting the World Cup trophy. The attack and defence have too many holes in them to be considered up there with the likes of France, Spain and England.

Outcome: Quarter-final. Not enough in attack to get past the more resolute defences and Portugal bow out without making a proper dent in the World Cup once again.

Dark Horses

(I chose not to choose any African teams such as Morocco, Senegal or the Ivory Coast because I’ve covered them quite heavily in various articles)

Ecuador

Ecuador finishing 2nd in their World Cup qualifying group, ahead of South American giants Colombia, Uruguay and Brazil has nothing to do with luck or coincidence. Their rise to the top of the food chain has been methodical and calculated. It started with the injection of cash into what is now one of the best academies in the world in Independiente De Valle.

Ecuador are a team to fear because they have one of the best defensive cores in world football. Pedro Hincapie, Joel Ordonez and William Pacho are high level Champions League level players and are protected by one of the best in his position in Moises Caicedo. In a very intriguing group with Germany and Ivory Coast, don’t be surprised if it’s Sebastiane Beccacece’s men who come out of it alive and on top.

This is only the start for Ecuador. This is the worst they will be for a long time. Now with wonderkids seemingly coming out of their eyeballs, (the 16 year old Quintero twins are off to Arsenal and their agemate Deinner Ordonez is on his way to Chelsea) you better get used to seeing those yellow and blue colours in the latter stages of these major competitions.

The only thing stopping them from going truly far in the competition is their lack of attacking firepower. There’s no real name that jumps out which could go and win a game on his own, but perhaps someone announces themselves(although look out for Sunderland Winger Nilson Angulo who’s electric). This iteration of the World Cup might be one step too far in terms of getting to the semi-finals and further, but there’s no reason why they can’t cause at least one upset on their way.

Norway

If you go onto Fotmob, and you have a look at the team stats from this World Cup’s qualification round, you’ll be very surprised at what you see. Because above Spain, France, England, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands and every other ‘big’ country, in nearly all of the attacking stats - lies Norway.

The Scandinavian side lead the way for goals per patch (by a mile), expected goals, expected goal difference, big chances created and are second and third place for a fair few as well. And with an attack featuring young and dynamic wide players Antonio Nusa, Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup feeding two top level strikers in Alexander Sorloth and Jorgen Strand Larsen, it’s pretty easy to see why.

Any three of the young forwards I mentioned are capable of making a real name for themselves, but keep a special eye out for RB Leipzig’s left-winger Antonio Nusa who relishes every opportunity he has to play for his country - turning into a wing wizard capable of the extraordinary every time he dawns that red and blue shirt. Already on the radar of big clubs around Europe, this might be where Nusa takes that leap and becomes a name on the tongue of football fans all over the world.

And part of it might be because he’s going to be feeding maybe the best goalscorer to ever play the sport. Erling Haaland is finally playing in a World Cup and he isn’t going to let this potentially once in a lifetime chance pass by him without inflicting a lot of damage on his opponents. Norway are in the group of death, battling it out with Senegal and France for a place in the last 32 - but with a player who’s fresh off a season of scoring 40+ goals and has netted 55 times in 49 games for his country, anything is possible.

They are going to be a must-watch this summer because of the sheer amount of chances they’ll create. They are fast, direct and exciting. All you have to do is watch how they dismantled an albeit pretty rubbish Italy team to see just what they can offer this tournament.

Japan

6 games, 24 goals and 0 conceded for Japan as they eased to automatic World Cup qualification in a group so weak they barely needed to break a sweat.

It’s a shame Japan are only on the world’s radar every four years because whenever they are, they’re a delight for the neutral. They are disciplined, hard-working and have an infectious team-spirit which makes anyone want to see them do well.

A team which is much more than the sum of their parts, Japan is filled with technicians who try to keep the ball on the ground, play quickly and with intent and are very solid defensively as we saw in their 1-0 friendly win over England where they were comfortably the better team.

The midfield core of Wataru Endo, Kaishu Sano and Ao Tanaka is the backbone of this Japanese outfit. All possess wonderful engines and the ability to cover ground and whilst Endo’s ability on the ball is fairly limited, both Sano and Tanaka more than make up for it. Attackers Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan will look to provide the creative magic for Japan. Both are electric, wriggly forwards with nice agility and an eye for a pass.

Don’t be surprised if Japan top a group containing Netherlands and Sweden because they can really do a number on anybody. They’re a team nobody will want to face because they run like the wind and can kill you 1v1. It’s always a pleasure to have Japan on your screen.

Curacao

Curacao's population of 156,000 makes them the country with the smallest population ever to make the World Cup.

Spearheaded by manager Dick Advocaat, (yes, you read that right) Curacao finished top of a CONCACAF World Cup qualifying group featuring the likes of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. Because they were once a part of the kingdom of the Netherlands, they were able to recruit many players who were born and bred in Dutch football into taking their talents to the southern Caribbean.

Coventry fans may remember Gervane Kastaneer who played 18 times for them from 2018 to 2021 and finished as Curacao's top scorer in the qualifying round. Fans of English football in general may also recollect the name Juninho who made over 100 appearances for Huddersfield and Birmingham, playing in the Premier League for the former who also played over 12 times for Birmingham.

Together these two players face the almost impossible task of taking Curacao out of a group stage which features the previously mentioned Ecuador, Germany and the Ivory Coast. Truth be told, they probably won’t make it out their group. But a country which has accomplished such a staggering feat deserves their moment of praise.

Players To Watch

Nico Williams - Spain

Does anyone actually know how good Nico Williams is?

It seems that every time he’s on the precipice of becoming a true stardom, he fades into obscurity until we hear about how well he’s playing again and the cycle continues.

In the 2023/24 season, the 23 year old from Bilbao tallied 24 goal involvements in 37 games as well as an emphatic Euros showing with 3 g/a in twice the games. Notably the same season, he also led Bilbao to their first Copa Del Rey win in two decades with 8g/a in 6 games to boot.

Rumours inevitably circled. Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona all supposedly had a keen eye on the dynamite left-winger with feet that didn’t touch the ground. However he stayed another season and this time put up a respectable 18 g/a in 45 games. The reason for the slight decline? Apparently his head was turning. Barcelona had apparently been whispering sweet nothings in his ear, no doubt Lamine Yamal, Pedri and co. were all trying their best to turn his attention to the Camp Nou.

By the time the season was done, most thought it was almost a formality that he’d end up in the blue and red. But Barcelona embarrassed themselves, as they love to do off the pitch. The Spaniard wasn’t sure whether the Catalan club would actually be able to register him in time for the season and so instead he chose to stick with his boyhood club - signing a new blockbuster contract until 2035.

So now we arrive at the 2025/26 campaign. Now his head is 100% screwed on and there’s no rumours or anything that could possibly unsettle him. Surely we were going to see a 23/24-like season from the Basque superstar in waiting? This was now undoubtedly his team and many were eagerly anticipating what he had in store .

But Williams, like the rest of Athletic Bilbao, fell flat. 10 g/a in 32 games - his worst return since the 21/22 season as Bilbao finished in a woeful 12th place, their lowest in 8 years. It was a season so drastically bad that the club saw no other option than to do what was once thought only a fairytale, and employ from outside the Basque region with Edin Terzic set to see out the beginning of the 26/27 season in their dugout.

So where does this leave Nico Williams? It leaves him with a point to prove. Anyone who pays attention to Spanish football will know just how special Williams was in that 23/24 season. They’ll know about the directness, quick changes of direction, fast feet and powerful right foot. They’ll know that when he’s at his best, there’s hardly anyone who can stop him.

So now Williams faces the task of reminding everyone exactly who he is at this World Cup. Across the last season, we’ve seen flashes but they haven’t been consistent enough. His wing-partner who he formed such a deadly partnership with at the Euros, Yamal - is reportedly out with injury for the first two games and so the onus is on Williams to bring the flair, trickery and power to the Spanish attack.

It’s time for him to stand up and become the player we all suspected him of being only two years ago.

Bilal El Khannouss - Morocco

If you were paying attention in the 2024/25 Premier League season, you may have noticed a Moroccan attacking midfielder head and shoulders above his Leicester temmates in a side which would go on to get relegated.

In 2024/25, El Khannouss arrived in the Premier League from Genk and immediately looked at the level. Three goals and five assists in 36 games doesn’t look like anything to write home about, but with El Khannouss you have to watch him to understand his brilliance.

The Moroccan is able to play as a 10, 8 or even out on the left hand-side. He’s a classy act with a velvet touch that never looks rushed. Plays with his head up, has wonderful technique and deceit and seems to play better when the stakes are higher.

He’s not just grace and poise though, already showing that he can deal with the Premier League physicality, the twenty two year old stands at 5’11 making him above average height for an attacker. He’s swift with his actions and doesn’t mind getting stuck in.

This season, El Khannouss grabbed 9 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga for VFB Stuttgart showing he’s now adding output to his repertoire. As far as on the eye, there’s not many around who are as pleasing to watch. He’ll dazzle with the ball and put in the hard yards out of possession. El Khannouss’s skillset is a rare one and it’s time he showed it to the world.

For Morocco, he’ll likely start on the left of a midfield three, which is probably where he’s best. In a team with the talent to go very far in this tournament, if El Khannouss does what he’s been doing for the past 24 months, there’s a big possibility he gets a move to one of Europe’s elite.

Gilberto Mora - Mexico

Who are we to put the entire hopes of a nation as fervent as Mexico on a 17 year old’s shoulders?

Unfortunately for Gilberto Mora, he doesn’t help himself by being inexplicably good at football at such a young age and perhaps already his country’s best player. Mora, a midfielder currently playing for Mexican side Tijuana has been causing hysteria in Mexico ever since he made his debut in 2024/25 aged 15. That season, he went on to play 30 more games.

With the ability to play in a variety of positions, Mora’s small frame (Fotmob says 5’3’’ but probably closer to 5’6’’ now) makes him slippery and unpredictable for defenders. He’s already accustomed to not shying away from responsibility in buildup and will drop slightly deeper from the attacking midfield position he usually occupies to carry the creative burden.

At the World Cup, he’ll likely be playing as the furthest forward player in a midfield three, picking up the ball between the lines and aiming to cause havoc. His technical ability and low centre of gravity make him easy on the eye and there’s no doubting how adored he already is by Mexican fans.

Is it erroneous of us to expect anything from a 17 year old who will be the smallest player on any pitch he plays on? Should there be any pressure on the young Mexican to go and deliver for one of the home nations or does he have a free ride to make mistakes and be invisible?

Sometimes, if you’re good enough - you’re good enough. Mora’s talent has propelled him to the unfortunate position of being one of the players that fans, analysts and scouts will be feverishly watching just to see how good this boy really is.

Mora is very good and has the ability to make a dent in this World Cup. In a story with potential to be beautifully romantic, a 17 year old has the chance to write himself in Mexican history in his own back garden

If the other Mexican players step up and shoulder some of the responsibility that Mora may feel he is carrying, (I’m looking at you Luis Chavez, Johan Vasquez, Raul Jimenez and Santiago Gimenez) then this has the potential to be an extremely exciting breakout tournament for the young man.

Dayot Upamecano

There’s two types of people in the world. Those who think that Upamecano is one of the best centre-backs in the world and those who think he’s absolutely rubbish.

Sadly for the former group, though they will swear to you that in every Bundesliga game they watch, he’s easily one of the best players on the pitch. All it takes is one small blip in a high stakes Champions League game to erode away all the hard-work he’s done. And poor old Dayot has had plenty of blips

Let’s not beat around the bush. Dayot Upamecano is certainly one of the best defenders in world football, and he has been for the last 18 months. His problem is that when the lights shine brightest, he sometimes chooses to do something stupid. Whether it’s a clumsy foul in the penalty box, an own goal, an open goal miss or just a red card - these are the things which stick in the majority of most football fans’ minds. They won’t care about how he’s carried the ball 30 yards through the eye of a needle, taking 4 players out the game or how he stopped an ominous looking counter-attack all on his lonesome. It’s that millisecond late he is or that brief moment his concentration lapses which does all the damage to his reputation it needs to.

This isn’t to make excuses for the twenty-seven year old Frenchman, but sometimes it’s actually not his fault.

The reason Upamecano always plays no matter what coach he’s under is because there’s very few centre-backs who can do what he does. With the size and strength he possesses, he can out-duel most physical strikers. With the intensity of his passing and front-footed carrying, he can cut open a team’s pressing structure like he’s wearing blue latex gloves and is asking his colleague for more anesthetic. But what separates him from almost all other centre-backs is his pace and agility which makes him able to go 1v1 with some of the most dangerous dribblers in the world in an island of space, and come out on top more often than not.

Instead of trying to harness the aggressiveness Upamecano possess both on the ball and off the ball, coaches see the wonderful benefits that may blossom from it. It means you can push more players forward and leave him exposed or you can give him the freedom to venture forward and take those risks because he might actually be able to carry them out.

Unfortunately though, this freedom can lead to moments of weakness which have been well-coveted throughout the Frenchman’s various UCL campaigns. But now, for France, with William Saliba potentially out for the whole tournament - there’s no room for error.

Upemacano will be the leader of the French backline hoping to anchor their team to another World Cup and he has to perform accordingly. He doesn’t have one of the other best centre-backs in the world to now fall back on and will now have the eyes of a nation firmly on him. Can he go through this tournament without having a moment?

If the answer is yes and Dayot has a tournament befitting of his ability, then the whole world will finally see what some have been banging on about for years now. If the answers no, and there is that pivotal slip-up which potentially costs France, there may be no escaping the criticism which finally looks to have subsided this season.

Yan Diomande

There’s not much to say about Yan Diomande which hasn’t already been said. Ivory Coast in general have a wonderfully talented squad stacked with a nice balance of youth and experience in there.

Ivory Coast is one of a handful of African teams who could go far in this tournament and if they do, rest assured that Diomande will have a very large part to play in that.

When some people analyse games of football, whether it be scouts, tacticians, coaches or whatever - they are able to turn off any emotion which may hinder their judgement. That’s why I can never occupy these professions. I romanticise the game far too much. I see a player dribbling, going past players, carving through defenders and jut having fun nd all of a sudden I’m a kid again.

Yan Diomande gives me that feeling.

Hardly anybody had heard of him this time last year. He had arrived at Alaves in January 2025 after playing in the 4th tier of Ivory Coast football and since then, everything’s been a blur.

6 months in Alaves and RB Leipzig came calling. A player who can play on the right or left hand side of a front-free, Diomande’s ability to shift gears from a standstill and explode past his fullback or to just change direction so smoothly when he’s running at pace makes him a nightmare for defenders and a dream for spectators. He’s also a nightmare because he can use both feet when dribbling or shooting which is why he’s frequented the right-hand side more often than not for his club this season.

Diomande is a natural left-winger. He played there for Ivory Coast during AFCON and was sensational. Everytime he plays there for Leipzig, his performances are also usually better but because he’s so good on the right and his teammate Antonio Nusa is so good on the left, he’s usually stuck there.

In open space, Diomande excels but he’s also more than fine when up against a deep-block. His inventiveness and imagination means he can find solutions quickly and can wriggle through small gaps due to that sheer agility and athleticism. A pass first winger rather than one to always be looking to hit the back of the net, don’t rule out Diomande’s ball striking from tough angles through a ton of bodies. Either foot remember.

Diomande is one of the best dribblers in Europe. It doesn’t matter if he finds himself on the touchline, in central positions or in his own half - he can beat his opponents in so many different ways it’s hard to sit down when he ever has the ball.

Ivory Coast have a squad and a half but Diomande is undeniably the crown jewel. 13 goals and 9 assists in his first season in Europe’s top 5 leagues along with winning Bundesliga’s rookie of the year.

Leipzig have already slapped a 100 million euro fee on his head which immediately casts doubts among even the most optimistic of fans who’ve seen other triple digit players fail to live up to the hype. To pay that money, you have to be something truly special.

I’m not saying he’s worth the sum, because frankly almost nobody is, but if you love football, you’ll love watching Diomande at full flight.

Bara Sapoko Ndiaye

At only 18 years old and with 5 top-flight games under his belt, Bara Sapoko Nidaye wasn’t meant to be in Senegal’s World Cup squad. It’s the same way he wasn’t meant to be starting for Bayern Munich at home to Mainz as their Bundesliga campaign slowly climbed to a halt

But when you impress so much in training, when you show all the attributes that elite coaches demand from their players and you’re doing it at such a young age, all the odds of things you should and shouldn’t be able to do, go out the window.

Ndiaye is a Senegalese midfielder who found himself 149km away from his home country at the age of 16 in pursuit of a career at the top. Gambinos Stars Africa Football Academy is one the most highly regarded football academies in Gambia. Their collaboration with Red&Gold Football, an MLS footballing project - and Bayern Munich’s joint venture with Los Angeles FC allowed for the then 17 year old to complete a two week training camp in Munich.

After many other scrutinous trials in Bavaria, Ndiaye impressed enough to be brought in from Gambinos Star Academy on a 6 month loan earlier this January. And since then, the Senegalese man's rise has known no bounds.

Ndiaye when training with the first team must’ve performed to such an admirable level that he was awarded with a spot on Bayern’s bench during their 5-0 drubbing of St.Pauli where he came off said bench with 6 minutes to go. Vincent Kompany must’ve liked what he saw in the teenager to give him a start vs Mainz only two weeks later. Bayern were 3-0 down at half-time and the Belgian boss hooked Luis Diaz, Alexsander Pavlovic and Alphonso Davies before he took off the player making his full debut in the heart of midfield. What do you have to do to gander so much trust from a footballing man who’s seen it all?

Well, being really good at football is a start. Ndiaye is a fairly tall midfielder and though has played mainly in a more defensive role, his future likely lies further forward. He’s explosive and has these fast-twitches which make him tough to read and strip the ball from. He loves to take players on and get a lot of touches on the ball. Able to receive with both feet and take the ball well on the half turn, the 18 year old’s security press-resistance and ability in tight spaces are rare for any player yet alone someone who’s still a child. He’s a nimble and front-footed midfielder eager to leave an imprint on the game and the personality he plays with is likely why Kompany has taken such a liking to him.

Senegalese Pape Thiaw must’ve been similarly impressed because Ndiaye was originally brought to their World Cup training camp with the intention of being cut from the final squad. But here we are, where Ndiaye has been chosen as part of the 26 Senegalese players ready to write their names in history.

Still evidently raw but with too much talent to not take a gamble on, Ndiaye shouldn’t really be getting significant minutes for the 2026 AFCON winners at the World Cup. Just like wasn’t meant to be starting games for Bayern or in Senegal’s World Cup squad. He’s a player who can’t stop rising to the top and so who am I to say he won’t make an impression at this tournament.

If he does get on the pitch, get ready for a thunderstorm.

That’s all folks. If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

World Cup 2026: A Preview

The Favourites

Dark Horses

Players To Watch

Eli Junior Kroupi - Real People