Top Storylines to Watch as the 2026 FIFA World Cup Kicks Off

Forty-eight teams (a record). One hundred-four games (likewise).

Venues in 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which boasts eleven.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup commences on Thursday with a Group A match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca) and continues through July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife).

That’s the bones upon which arguably the world’s most ravenously revered tournament is built this time around. The real gist of the event will be defined by performance, legacy, and as usual, politics. And not just FIFA politics this time. The world’s aversion to U.S. travel and international policies since the re-election of Donald Trump as president presents this event at a peculiar. Whether FIFA concocting and awarding Trump a peace prize has led to massive gluts of unsold aftermarket tickets – after fan outrage over prices on official marketplaces – and empty hotels is debatable. But such is the backdrop as Argentina defends its 2022 World Cup title, and France, England and Spain attempt to challenge as favorites.

Here are the storylines for the 2026 World Cup:

Was the USMNT performance against Germany a cruel tantalizer?

American fans have endured an emotional ride to the home Cup, with a Mauricio Pochettino-coached team suffering demoralizing setbacks in the Concacaf Nations League and morose losses to Belgium and Portugal in European friendlies in March. “American Outlaws” members certainly know this team by rote, but even with mercurial midfield Christian Pulisic center stage, it seems to have captured less mainstream fancy than previous squads manned by Clint Dempsey or Landon Donovan.

That might have changed somewhat last week when the Americans, in their final tuneup, put up a spirited fight in a 2-1 loss to Germany in Chicago that included a scintillating goal from Antonee Robinson. Will this ignite patriotic fervor broadly? Create unrealistic expectations beyond a winnable Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo likely curtain calls

Messi, 38, enters the Argentinian defense with 13 World Cup goals, fourth on the all-time list and four behind leader Miroslav Klose (Germany). He’s lifted the trophy once.

Ronaldo, 41, has scored eight goals in what will be his sixth World Cup, but never won. This would appear to be his last chance, also.

The final bows of these contemporaries and giants will be a constant storyline even with them both past their glory days, as both Argentina – which is ranked No. 1 in the latest FIFA data – and Portugal (fifth) are considered among the top handful of favorites to win the tournament.

Can Kylian Mbappe and therefore France be stopped?

It’s not so much that the center-forward has been waiting in the wings to become an international superstar. His exploits with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid (despite an uneven most recent season) and Les Bleus (56 international goals, 12 in his 14 World Cup) took care of that. Oh, and he pushed France to the 2018 title, and a runner-up result in 2022 in which he became just the second player to score a hat trick in a final.

But with Messi and Ronaldo ascending to football valhalla, the 27-year-old could become the modern, prime-of-career icon of this tournament. After criticism of the club play this season, the World Cup presents the perfect venue to silence the noise for FIFA’s No. 3-ranked club.

At the host stand; Will US, Mexico or Canada go further?

Fourteenth-ranked Mexico is not the global threat of old, but under coach Javier Aguirre it won the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup in 2025 and will go as far as striker Raul Jimenez can take them. Playing two of three Group A matches at the unbranded Azteca with its 7,200 feet of elevation and rabid fanbase helps. So does the fact that Group A features South Africa (60), South Korea (25th-ranked) and Czechia (39). Mexico is 14th.

Does Lamine Yamal become a global megstar?

Maybe at 18 he already is. If not, the left hamstring will decide. The Barcelona winger hasn’t played since suffering a pull on April 22, but is expected to return at some point in the group stage for one of the tournament’s co-favorites. The depth of the Spanish roster should not only allow the club to nurse him along, but not force him to carry the load once he finally reaches the field. He helped Spain win the 2024 Euros at 16 and possesses overworldly offensive instincts.

How far can Erling Haaland take Norway?

The hulking forward pretty much has his way as a member of Manchester City in the English Premier League, but the Norwegians can’t put Manchester City talent around him on the world stage. Haaland figures to get targeted schematically and harassed en masse throughout the tournament, but it will never be easy to disrupt him completely considering his skills and 6-foot-4, 195-pound superstructure. A team that won all eight Cup qualifiers – with 16 goals from Haaland – could unnerve opponents if Jorgen Strand Larsen and Alexander Sorloth continue to provide complementary scoring.