Which team will be the 2026 World Cup's biggest disappointment? GOAL writers have their say

Mark Doyle: Brazil couldn’t have a better coach in Carlo Ancelotti, a man renowned for making successful teams out of egotistical individuals. It also helps that he’s previously worked - and won - with several key members of the Selecao. However, Brazil still haven’t quite clicked under Ancelotti, who only took over a year ago, and, as he’s admitted himself, the squad is short on cover in several areas. When you also consider that Brazil are also in a tricky group that they’re not certain to top, I think you could be looking at a potentially early exit, maybe even in the last 32.

Krishan Davis: Germany haven’t performed at a major tournament since reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, and there’s not really anything about the current squad that convinces me things are going to be any different this time around. They have plenty of solid players, but they have weak points across the pitch that I expect to be exploited by better sides. They should get out of the group on this occasion, but I don’t expect them to go far beyond that.

Stephen Darwin: Spain have been tipped by many to go all the way this year - and with some justification, given how they lit up Euro 2024. That group of players is largely the same, minus one or two experienced heads, but it feels like there’s a massive over-reliance on Lamine Yamal. The world’s best player goes into the tournament injured and overworked after a gruelling campaign with Barcelona and, should a knockout opponent figure out how to lock him down, I see major red flags as to their chances of winning the whole thing.

Amee Ruszkai: There’s a great chance of a very tasty round-of-32 clash between the Netherlands, as winners of Group F, and Morocco, if they finish second in Group C behind Brazil. It’ll mean a brutally early exit for one star-studded side, likely the Oranje. There are questions about the form of several of the Netherlands’ key starters, the left-back position is a problem and there have been some concerning results and performances as of late. There is still some real quality in this side, but a tough knockout draw could send them home very early.

Chris Burton: Within Brazil's 26-man squad, 16 players are aged 28 or older. And while experience is a useful quality to possess, are the Selecao in danger of passing their sell-by date? They could be troubled by pace at the back, while someone other than injury-ravaged Neymar may be required to provide an attacking spark. Is Vinicius Jr capable of that? Carlo Ancelotti’s side should ease through their group, but a sixth World Cup triumph may be well beyond them.

Alex Labidou: Germany just don't have the fear factor that some of their predecessors had, and manager Julian Nagelsmann has been getting ripped to shreds in local media for his tactics. Their attack is dynamic but very inconsistent. This could be a team that gets shocked by Curacao or Ecuador in the goup stages.

Peter McVitie: Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has a wealth of talent at his disposal, collecting a group of Dutch stars who are spread across Europe’s top leagues. The fact such a large contingent - 15 players - ply their trade in the Premier League should have them in good shape for a gruelling month in North America, but the Oranje boss still fails to get the best out of his team. A frustrating 1-0 loss to Algeria in the first of their pre-tournament friendlies exposed tremendous flaws that still haunt Koeman’s team as they paid the price for a bamboozling inability to find the net.

Ryan Tolmich: There's usually always at least one group-stage slip-up, but with the expanded field, that's a little less likely than it used to be. The best of the best should be fine and, with most third-placed teams also progressing, there's an extra layer of protection. That said, there are teams in that second tier with flop potential: Croatia are old, Uruguay have been chaotic and Senegal are dealing with some federation nonsense. All three are teams that can give teams headaches, but all three can run into some headaches of their own, too.

Tom Hindle: Argentina, as painful as it is to say. Yes, it’s criminal to bet against Lionel Messi, especially with this iteration of the Albiceleste, but they haven’t refreshed the squad as they should have, and are basically the same team as in 2022, albeit without some valuable veteran experience, while those remaining are four years older. Underperformance from key players such as Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul will be a concern, and they haven’t been convincing enough in the build-up to quell any of those worries. A quarter-final exit is feasible.

Tom Maston: I'd happily be proven wrong, but I am not convinced by England at all. Their qualification campaign might have been historic, but results in friendlies against nations who will be at the World Cup have been dismal, while Thomas Tuchel has rarely, if ever, been able to play his preferred team from back to front. The Three Lions are one Harry Kane injury away from disaster while their defence is reliant on John Stones remaining fit if it is to hold up against the best attacks. Factor in an alien climate and potentially tough knockout draw, and there's a chance England don't even make the quarters.