World Cup 2026 Preview: History, Favorites And Major Questions Ahead

Argentine right back Gonzalo Montiel had the world in the palm of his hand, and the fate of his country in his foot. Billions of soccer fans were on the edge of their seats watching a World Cup final for the ages. His team was tied at 3 after extra time, sending the game into penalties. Kylian Mbappe scored all of France’s goals, while Messi found the back of the net on a penalty kick. Yet here Argentina was, one PK away from their first-ever World Cup trophy. Montiel stepped up and shot a laser to the left side of the net, while the goalie dove the other way. Jubilation for Argentina, devastation for France. A friend claimed this game was the greatest World Cup game he’s ever seen. That’s up for debate.

What’s not up for debate is that one of the most exciting sporting events in the world kicks off this Thursday. Mexico will take the field to face South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with a 1 pm start time. This game will be followed by the Republic of Korea's match against the Czech Republic in Guadalajara.

The next day, the United States takes on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The 2026 World Cup features plenty of headlines and obstacles, but first, let’s highlight the history that will be made.

This is the first World Cup hosted by three countries. North America (Canada, USA, Mexico) will have 16 sites, and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey has the honor of hosting the Finals. There are two venues in Canada (Vancouver, Toronto), three in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey), and across the coasts in the USA, except for Kansas City.

With three hosts, that means more teams as FIFA expanded to 48 countries after having 32 in the past. Four teams will be making their World Cup debut, and the spotlight will be on them. Cape Verde, Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Curacao look to prove they earned the chance to run with the juggernauts on a global stage. Curacao is located in the southern Caribbean and has a population of 158,000 people, making it the smallest country to play in the summer event. To compare that to somewhere in the US, the city of Bellevue, WA, has roughly the same population.

From a country’s debut to two players who have ruled the turf for decades. Lionel Messi has the most appearances with 26, while Cristiano Ronaldo is in fifth at 22. Both will be playing this summer in what could be their last World Cup, since Messi is 38 and Ronaldo is 41. The record across the board goes to former USWNT midfielder Kristine Lilly. She has played in 30 tournament games, and that streak may never be broken.

Meanwhile, Brazilian superstar Neymar had to earn his spot on the team. He made the squad despite dealing with a calf strain. While he had to fight for his spot, Kylian Mbappe was a sure lock for France. The forward scored all three of their goals in the last World Cup final, and he is unbelievable to watch at 27 years old. Harry Kane represents England, while Mohamed Salah will lead Egypt. Saleh was rumored to go to the MLS, specifically FC Cincinnati, but talks fizzled out, and he remains in Liverpool. To round it out, Christian Pulisic continues to be the star for the USA.

The expectations for the United States are very high, but the odds of them reaching the Round of 16 are slim. Gone are the days of Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and Landon Donovan. In their place is a youth movement led by coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is from Argentina and managed Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea.

The squad he selected includes seven players from the MLS, sixteen across Europe, and one playing in Mexico. Defender Tim Ream was assigned captain for this year’s tourney. One notable absence from the team is Lyons midfielder Tanner Tessmann. Fans and analysts alike believed he was a lock to make the team, but it didn’t happen.

The red, white, and blue are in Group D along with Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey. This year is the 250th birthday of the USA, and the pressure is on for this team to give Americans a reason to celebrate.

Canada is in Group B with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, and Qatar. Qatar hosted the last tournament, but unlike then, they had to earn their spot this time around. The third host, Mexico, will have to duel it out with South Africa, South Korea, and the Czech Republic in Group A.

For a complete picture of the World Cup Group stages, here is a link of all the countries and the groups they’re in.

Group C looks the most intriguing of them all. The global juggernaut Brazil is joined by Haiti, Scotland, and Morocco. Remember in 2022, Morocco made headlines by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals. Grab the popcorn and enjoy Morocco vs Brazil on Saturday, June 13th at 5 pm. It’s going to be worth watching. Brazil also holds the honor of World Cup supremacy, having won it five times.

Despite them having won the World Cup the most, Brazil has the sixth-best odds according to Fan Duel. Both Spain and France are favorites to win this summer, while Curacao, Haiti, and Cape Verde have the lowest odds. The United States is listed at +6000 by FanDuel and has the best chances out of the three host countries to win it all.

Now that we’ve covered the teams, key players, and odds, let’s look at some hot topics heading into this summer. Due to the war in Ukraine, Russia will not be participating once again in a global sporting event. FIFA allowed Iran to be stationed in Mexico amidst turmoil with the USA.

The unfortunate reality is that some players will be representing their countries without fans in attendance. Due to a travel ban issued by the Trump administration, both Haiti and Iran’s fans won’t be able to witness their teams play in person. Fans from both India and China were close to being unable to watch any of the World Cup. However, in the last week, they’ve made media rights deals to broadcast the games in their country. Lastly, media members from African countries and Iran will not have Visas given to them for coverage.

Americans also face their fair share of hurdles. The transit tickets are in the triple digits, and less than six percent of those have been sold. Not only that, but parking is also a hefty expense, with fans in LA having to fork over 250 dollars. Even more bizarre, according to the Athletic, FIFA released a statement telling fans they cannot bring a water bottle into any venues. They have since flipped their position on the matter, and now grant fans the freedom to bring their bottles.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received a lot of criticism for ticket prices as well. The United States opener against Paraguay hasn’t sold out yet, and may not be at full capacity when the first pass is initiated in the game. Ticket prices start at 319 for Group Stage Games, but increase to 1360 for the quarterfinals. The World Cup Final in New Jersey will cost even the most enthusiastic soccer fans 20,000 on average. Gianni Infantino has responded by saying what most leaders would. The demand is incredibly high, and the tournament is prestigious.

Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City, wants his citizens to have affordable ways to watch the games in his city. Whether or not his efforts will pay off remains to be seen. President Donald Trump has expressed excitement for this edition of the World Cup, but also acknowledged the soaring ticket prices. Claudia Pardo, the President of Mexico, had to squash the doubts that her country wouldn’t be able to host any games due to internal conflict. Lastly, the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Karney, is thrilled to be a host and got to hoist the trophy alongside the FIFA President in a media presser. With three countries preparing for tourists and outstanding soccer games, let’s hope this World Cup is like no other.

The official World Cup song is called ‘Dai Dai’ by Shakira and Burna Boy. It’s not as memorable as her past songs, but Shakira’s presence continues her reign of dominance under the world’s brightest lights.

We will end this with a prediction by the German economist Joachim Klement. He has predicted the last three winners of the World Cup and was interviewed by CBS. The economist believes the Netherlands will win the WC and lift the trophy in New Jersey. He added that Japan was a dark horse and could surprise many. When it comes to how far the USA goes, he said they can get out of the Group Stage, and the odds get slimmer the further they go.

In the next days leading up to the event, there is bound to be more breaking news around how this World Cup will operate. Anything can happen, and whether or not fans show up due to financial burdens, this will be a tournament where the winner gets bragging rights around the world for the next four years.