World Cup 2026 Power Rankings: AFCON champions Senegal surge up the standings and send shell-shocked Morocco spiralling

Haiti qualifying for their second World Cup, 52 years after their inaugural appearance at the finals, is nothing short of miraculous. The absence of the three strongest sides from the CONCACAF qualifiers (World Cup co-hosts the U.S., Mexico and Canada) obviously helped, but nobody believed Les Grenadiers could top a group containing Costa Rica and Honduras - particularly as Sebastien Migne's side were forced to play all of their home games in Curacao because of the conflict that has plagued Haiti since being devastated by an earthquake in 2010.

Migne, who has still not been able to visit the Caribbean island and had to rely on Haitian football federation officials for information on local players, does not have an especially strong squad at his disposal. However, having already convinced Wolves' France-born midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde to declare for Haiti, the hope is that Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor might soon follow suit - which would definitely boost the team's hopes of springing a surprise in a daunting group that contains Brazil, Morocco and Scotland.

After winning hearts at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Panama's fantastic fans will make a most welcome return to the finals next summer after their side snuck into an automatic qualification spot on the final matchday in CONCACAF qualifying. The Red Tide swept the already-eliminated El Salvador aside in a 3-0 win in Panama City and that result, coupled with Suriname's 3-1 loss in Guatemala, saw Thomas Christiansen's team finish first in Group A.

Looking at the strength of their squad, reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup already seemed beyond Los Canaleros, and after drawing England, Croatia and Ghana, their chances of repeating their three defeats from Russia eight years ago seem likely.

Curacao have improved enormously over the past 10 years, rising from 150th to 82nd in the world rankings, but their qualification for the finals is nonetheless astonishing. Indeed, it still looked unlikely during their decisive group game against a heavily-fancied Jamaica side, who hit the woodwork three times in November's clash in Kingston and also had an injury-time penalty overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

However, despite also being shorn of the services of coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the game for personal reasons, Curacao held firm to claim the point they needed to become the smallest nation - both in terms of size and population - to ever qualify for the World Cup. So, while The Blue Wave is unlikely to make a big impact in North America with a low-profile group of players (Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong will be the most familiar face to Premier League followers), it doesn't really matter. Curacao have already made history, and their reward - if you can call it that - is an opening game against powerhouses Germany.

Jordan made history on June 5 by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, sparking wild scenes of celebration all across the country. A 3-0 win over Oman, which came courtesy of a hat-trick from Ali Olwan, left Al Nashama on the verge of clinching a spot at the finals, and a top-two finish in AFC Group B was ensured thanks to South Korea's 2-0 win over third-placed Iraq later in the day.

Obviously, not much will be expected of Jordan at the finals. The majority of Jamal Sellami's side ply their trade in their homeland, though star winger Mousa Tamari has spent the majority of his career in Europe, and left Montpellier for Rennes earlier this year.

Jordan, who are ranked 66th in the world, have also been steadily improving over the past few years and even upset South Korea on their way to a runners-up finish at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but recent friendly defeats to Bolivia, Albania and Tunisia underline that their World Cup campaign is likely to be a hard slog. That they’ll get to face Lionel Messi when they take on Argentina in their third group match is, however, a nice consolation.

After underwhelming everyone on their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, Qatar will be aiming to leave a much more positive impression on the tournament four years on. However, their qualification was shrouded in controversy, with the two-time Asian champions inexplicably allowed to play both of their fourth-round matches on home soil and, after holding Oman to a scoreless draw in Al Rayyan, they beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 at the same venue to clinch top spot in their three-team group.

Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui oversaw the conclusion of Qatar's campaign after taking the manager's job in May, and did a good job shoring up a defence that conceded 24 times in 10 matches during the third round of qualification. In striker Almoez Ali, Lopetegui is also in possession of a prolific striker who scored more goals (12) than anyone else in the AFC section.

Still, making the knockouts in North America is likely to be a tall order for Qatar, even though they avoided any of the big boys after being placed into Canada and Switzerland’s group.

FIFA's decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed spot at the 2026 World Cup made New Zealand's qualification for the finals for the first time since 2010 a formality, as they have nothing remotely resembling worthy rivals in OFC. As defender Michael Boxall said after the All Whites progressed with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, "We've gone through heartbreak in [previous campaigns] but once the tournament expanded, we expected this of ourselves."

The question now is whether they can make any kind of impact in North America next year. A recent draw with Norway offered some grounds for optimism - but it's hard to be confident about the prospects of a team that has now slipped to 86th in the world rankings after a run of seven games without a win.

Indeed, they've still only won 11 games against non-OFC opposition in the past 15 years, and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood is the only truly top-class player in New Zealand's squad. A win over Iran in their opening game feels essential to their chances of getting out the group.

Back at the World Cup for the eighth time since they made their tournament debut in the United States back in 1994, Saudi Arabia were forced to take the scenic route towards qualification before finally earning their spot in October.

Roberto Mancini resigned as coach after just over a year in charge following a poor Asian Cup campaign and a disappointing start to World Cup qualifying in October 2024, leading to the reappointment of his predecessor, Herve Renard. And while performances under the French manager haven't been consistent, the Saudis managed to edge out Iraq on goals scored in the fourth round of Asian qualifying to book their place in the draw - although they were significantly aided by being able to play both of their games in Jeddah.

It would appear that the influx of foreign superstars into the Saudi Pro League has had a detrimental effect on the national team as a number of players have been forced out of their club line-ups, and a repeat of their shock win over Argentina in 2022 presently feels a long shot for a team beaten 2-0 at home by Algeria last month.

Cape Verde will become the third-smallest World Cup participant by population after holding their nerve to book their place at next summer's showpiece. The Blue Sharks ensured they will make their tournament debut courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Eswatini in October that secured top spot in their qualifying group, as they remarkably finished four points clear of traditional African powerhouse Cameroon.

They are certainly not a team made up of big names or backed by a wealthy football association. Shamrock Rovers' Pico Lopes was recruited via the professional social networking platform LinkedIn, while they have benefited from eligible players coming forward to represent them since their run to the quarter-finals of AFCON in 2023. They'll be rank outsiders next summer, especially when they face Spain in their opening game, but they shouldn't fear Saudi Arabia nor Uruguay thereafter.

Australia confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup in emphatic fashion by winning away to Saudi Arabia on June 10 (when merely avoiding a five-goal defeat would have sufficed) - but it was the 1-0 win over Japan five days before that effectively secured qualification. Had Tony Popovic's side failed to defeat the Blue Samurai, their task in Jeddah would have been so much tougher, and they struggled to get a hold of the ball in Perth. However, Aziz Behich's stunning 90th-minute strike proved decisive in every sense.

The Socceroos are now looking forward to a sixth consecutive appearance at the finals but, as it stands, this star-less squad doesn't look capable of matching the last-16 finishes achieved in 2006 and 2022. Performances have, however, definitely improved since Popovic succeeded Graham Arnold as coach last September, and the emergence of exciting youngsters such as Mohamed Toure, Nestory Irankunda and Alessandro Circati certainly points to a brighter future for the game 'Down Under'. They they avoided any of the big guns in the group stage gives them a chance of making the round of 32, at least.

Iran clinched their spot at the 2026 World Cup by twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 with second-placed Uzbekistan in Tehran in March - a result that guaranteed the home side a top-two finish in AFC Group A. Mehdi Taremi proved predictably decisive, with the Olympiacos striker scoring both of his country's goals, though he was once again ably supported by Sardar Azmoun.

Iran do not have a particularly deep pool of players - as underlined by their poor showing in the disappointing loss to Uzbekistan in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup - but they certainly do not lack experience, and a team currently ranked 20th in the world should not be taken lightly. This will be their fourth consecutive finals and, after receiving a relatively kind draw of Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand, they could make it out of the group stage for the first time at the seventh attempt.

It is worth noting, though, that they might not have any supporters in the U.S, as American president Donald Trump rolled out a travel ban on a number of countries, including Iran. An exemption has been made that should apply to players, staff and associated families, but it is not applicable to the average supporter, which has cast a considerable shadow over Iran's qualification.

After numerous near-misses and no shortage of heartbreak, Uzbekistan will finally make their first appearance at the World Cup finals next summer. Qualification was far from straightforward, with Srecko Katanec forced to step down as coach in January due to illness, and former midfielder Timur Kapadze finished the job that the Slovenian had started by securing a nail-biting 0-0 draw with United Arab Emirates on June 5 that guaranteed a top-two finish in AFC Group A. 

However, Italy legend Fabio Cannavaro will oversee the Asian nation's maiden World Cup campaign, with Kapadze serving as his assistant. The World Cup winner's tenure has got off to a promising start, with the White Wolves winning last month's Al Ain International Cup (a friendly tournament) by beating Egypt in the semis and edging out Iran on penalties in the final. 

What's already clear, though, is that Uzbekistan's undeniably slim hopes of making the knockout stage at the World Cup will hinge upon a strong defence led by Manchester City centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, which will be tasked with keeping the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Diaz quiet when they face Portugal and Colombia, respectively.

There was never really any doubt over Tunisia reaching a third consecutive World Cup finals. However, their campaign is presently shrouded in uncertainty following the dismissal of coach Sami Trabelsi.

The former centre-back had only returned to the role in February of last year and helped The Eagles of Carthage qualify for the 2026 World Cup without conceding a goal. Unfortunately for Trabelsi, though, the Africa Cup of Nations was a disaster for Tunisia, who lost on penalties to Mali in the last 16 despite playing against 10 men for more than 90 minutes of the game in Casablanca.

So, the next coach is going to have a serious job on his hands getting the north Africans out of a group that also contains Netherlands and Japan, especially as the squad is so short on world-class quality.

For the first time since they hosted in 2010, and for just the third time under their own steam, South Africa have earned qualification for the World Cup, though they almost let it slip through their fingers despite a solid campaign in CAF Group C. The fielding of an ineligible player against Lesotho in September cost them three points, and they thus needed a win over Rwanda in their final match - as well as a favour from Nigeria - to book their spot for next summer.

A run to the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations suggested Bafana Bafana were back on track after a decade or so in the relative wilderness, but this year's disappointing last-16 exit illustrated that they still have an awful lot of work to do, both on and off the field. Of course, manager Hugo Broos can do little about the structural issues that have become such a topic of debate in South Africa, so he remains solely focused on "preparing for future objectives, with the World Cup now firmly in our sights."

On the plus side, the draw has been relatively kind to a team that leans heavily on domestic superpower Mamelodi Sundowns. As they did 16 years ago, South Africa will open the tournament against Mexico - before taking on a qualifier from Europe and then concluding their group-stage campaign against South Korea. It's by no means the worst schedule but, going by the AFCON losses to Egypt and Cameroon, it might prove too difficult for Bafana Bafana to successfully negotiate. 

Veterans of four of the previous five World Cups, Ghana have emerged as one of the major forces in African football since the turn of the century. However, the Black Stars reached a low ebb in November 2024 when, after failing to win any of their six qualifying games, they failed to earn a spot at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Manager Otto Addo unsurprisingly came under intense pressure, but he and his side have bounced back in impressive fashion over the past year.

Of the six World Cup qualifiers they played in 2025, Ghana won five of them, recording an aggregate score of 16-1 to top their group, and they unquestionably have the talent to push for a place in the knockouts next summer. If the first half of the season is anything to go by, Antoine Semenyo will head into the finals off the back of impressive Premier League campaign, while Mohammed Kudus is capable of causing all sorts of problems for opponents. It also helps that Jordan Ayew continues to contribute key goals at the age of 34.

Worryingly ineffective displays in November's friendlies against Japan and South Korea have raised doubts over Ghana's true strength, but at least they won't have to deal with the mental and physical strain of playing two major international tournaments in the space of seven months - unlike most of their fellow African nations.

Canada are a team on the rise under Jesse Marsch - as underlined by the fact that they've climbed from 40th to 27th in the world rankings this year. It's not been all plain sailing, of course. June's CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final loss to Guatamela was a major embarrassment - and a friendly defeat to Australia didn't bode well at all. However, recent draws with fellow World Cup qualifiers Colombia and Ecuador proved that the Canucks can compete at the highest level.

Indeed, it shouldn't be forgotten that shortly after taking over in May of last year, Marsch led Canada to a fourth-placed finish at the 2024 Copa America - which arguably ranks as the finest achievement in the nation's soccer history. The challenge now, of course, is to make an even bigger impact at the 2026 World Cup. Canada have only qualified for the finals on two previous occasions (1986 and 2022) and they lost all three of their group games both times.

The fitness of captain Alphonso Davies, who tore his ACL in the Nations League win over the U.S. in March, will obviously be key - but it's arguably even more important that star striker Jonathan David rediscovers his goal-scoring touch, which he's misplaced since joining Juventus during the summer. 

After a 12-year absence, Algeria will return to the World Cup finals in 2026 after securing their place with a game to spare in CAF qualifying. The intervening period has been a mixed bag for the Desert Foxes, who won the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations but crashed out in the group stages of the same tournament without winning a game on three other occasions. Meanwhile, in this year's edition, they beat DR Congo in the last 16, only to suffer a 2-0 loss to Nigeria that the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) felt had been unduly influenced by refereeing decisions that "raised questions and left widespread outrage".

Truth be told, it felt like an attempt at deflection, given the dismal nature of the display, and it was telling that while attacking the officials, the FAF also called on the fans to remain united in their support of Vladimir Petkovic and his players with the World Cup on the horizon. The national team is very clearly "going through a reconstruction phase" and remains worryingly dependent upon the 35-year-old Riyad Mahrez, even though Mohamed Amoura really stepped up in qualifying, with 10 goals.

Still, while Algeria have no chance of topping a World Cup group containing defending champions Argentina, they'll believe themselves more than capable of finishing ahead of not only Jordan but also Austria.

Jaime Lozano led Mexico to Gold Cup glory in 2023, but he was sacked after last year's abysmal Copa America campaign in which El Tri failed dismally to get out of what was expected to be a very straightforward group featuring Jamaica, Venezuela and Ecuador. Consequently, Javier Aguirre is back at the helm and, this time, he's being assisted by the legendary Rafael Marquez, who has been pencilled in to take over as head coach after the World Cup.

It's certainly been an eventful start to Aguirre's third tenure, with Mexico recovering from a shock first-leg loss to Honduras (during which the coach was struck by a beer can thrown by a home fan!) to go on and win the Nations League in March - before then claiming another trophy in June with a 2-1 victory over the U.S. in the final of the Gold Cup in Houston. 

However, El Tri haven't won a game since, with November's 2-1 loss to Paraguay extending their rotten run to six matches and only casting further doubt over Mexico's chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since they hosted the tournament all the way back in 1986.

For a team as successful as Egypt within African football, their record in reaching World Cups is pretty abysmal. The Pharoahs have played in five of the last 11 AFCON finals, winning three of them, but 2026 will mark just the second time they have competed on the global stage since 1990. Their previous campaign left plenty to be desired, too, as they lost all three matches within what looked to be a less-than intimidating group in 2018, so Egypt's veterans will be determined to make a big impact on next summer's tournament in North America - and none more so than Mohamed Salah. 

The prolific winger's starting spot at Liverpool may be a topic of debate in England right now, but Salah remains his country's talisman, netting nine goals on the road to North America, and is joined in a menacing forward line by Manchester City's versatile attacker Omar Marmoush. Manager Hossam Hassan also possesses a well-drilled defence that conceded just twice in 10 qualifiers. 

As this year's run to the semi-finals of the AFCON underlined, an Egyptian squad containing just three players based in Europe is painfully reliant on Salah, but if he's fully fit and firing, he should be able to lead his country out of a group containing Belgium, Iran and New Zealand.

Scotland are heading to their first World Cup in 28 years after qualifying in the most dramatic manner possible, with Steve Clarke's men scoring twice in injury time in their must-win meeting with Denmark at Hampden Park. Truth be told, the Danes were the better side - even with 10 men - but the Scots showcased remarkable fighting spirit and no end of quality. Indeed, the goals scored by Scott McTominay, Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean in an already-famous 4-2 win were all sensational.

Whether Scotland really have sufficient quality to get out of the group stage at a World Cup for the first time is very much up for debate, though. Remember, this side impressed in qualifying for Euro 2024 but were dreadful in Germany, and their task in North America has not been made any easier by a dreadful draw that has placed Clarke's side in the same group as Brazil and Morocco. Still, they should easily beat Haiti and with the support of the Tartan Army, they've got a shot at picking up the other point they'd need to at least claim third place in their pool.

Paraguay have come a long, long way over the past year or so - and coach Gustavo Alfaro is the main reason why. La Albirroja fell at the first hurdle in the 2024 Copa America, losing all three of their group games, which resulted in the dismissal of Daniel Garnero. Alfaro has worked wonders since taking over, with Paraguay clinching qualification for the World Cup thanks primarily to an immediate upturn in form that saw them beat Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay during a 10-game undefeated run.

Their progress was checked by a 1-0 loss to Brazil in Sao Paulo in June, but Paraguay secured a place at the World Cup finals for the first time since 2010 courtesy a scoreless draw with Ecuador in September. So, while Alfaro doesn't have any world-class attackers to call upon, he boasts a brilliant backline led by Palmeiras' veteran centre-half Gustavo Gomez that is very hard to break down - at least in competitive fixtures.

Paraguay have failed to keep a clean sheet in the four friendlies they've played since qualifying for the World Cup, but November's win over Mexico did at least see them return to winning ways after a creditable draw with Japan had been followed by back-to-back losses to South Korea and the U.S. - the latter of whom they'll meet again in Group D.

Cote d'Ivoire are back at the World Cup after missing out on the last two tournaments - and they qualified in impressive fashion. The Elephants didn't concede a single goal in CAF Group F and won eight of their 10 fixtures, drawing the other two, with Gabon and Kenya. Led by Emerse Fae, who memorably took over as manager midway through their triumphant 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, the Ivorian squad contains plenty of experienced players, such as Franck Kessie, Nicolas Pepe, Jean Michael Serie, Sebastien Haller, Wilfried Sangare and Ibrahim Sangare.

However, they are not short on exciting young talent either. Teenage attackers Bazoumana Toure and Yan Diomande both showed during this year's run to the AFCON quarter-finals that they are players of real promise - while the 23-year-old Amad Diallo now looks perfectly placed to realise his full potential, after scoring three times in five outings in Morocco.

So, while The Elephants might not have as many household names as they did when they qualified for three successive World Cups between 2006 and 2014, they boast a mix of unpredictability in attack and organisation in defence that should see them progress to at least the round of 32 in North America.

Marcelo Bielsa is taking Uruguay to the World Cup and that's joyous news for anyone who loves colourful characters and attacking football. 'El Loco' is one of the most iconic coaches in football history and nobody has any idea what he is going to do next!

As well as overcoming Brazil on their path to the semi-finals of the 2024 Copa America, Uruguay also took four points off the Selecao during their World Cup qualification campaign - and even upset Argentina in Buenos Aires. The two-time world champions have struggled for consistency and fluency in 2025, though, and a 5-1 drubbing by the U.S. set alarm bells ringing and prompted Bielsa to reflect on his character and methods in an extraordinary press conference held just a few days later.

For now, it seems like Bielsa is going to continue until the World Cup but, much like star striker Darwin Nunez, then, it's impossible to know exactly what to expect from Uruguay in a group alongside Spain, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.

Anyone who followed Euro 2024 will be thrilled that Austria have qualified for the World Cup, given Ralf Rangnick's side were one of the most exciting teams to watch in Germany thanks to a wonderfully positive and dynamic brand of football that saw them top one of the toughest groups in the tournament. They've had some disappointing results since then - most notably October's 1-0 loss in Romania that ruined their unblemished record in UEFA Group H - but they secured top spot on the final matchday by coming from behind to draw with second-placed Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Austria have some quality players, such as Christoph Baumgartner and Konrad Laimer, but the big concern over Ragnick's side is that the 36-year-old Marko Arnautovic remains the main goal-scoring threat, while Marcel Sabitzer and Michael Gregoritsch are also the wrong side of 30 - which might make it difficult for them to press with their usual intensity in North America next summer.

Still, while they're unlikely to get anything out of their marquee group-stage clash with Argentina, Austria will fancy their chances of beating both Algeria and Jordan to make it safely through to the last 32.

Ecuador proved an absolute nightmare to play against in South American qualifying - which maybe isn't that surprising given their defence is marshalled by Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Willian Pacho and protected by Chelsea's ball-winning machine Moises Caicedo. No team in CONMEBOL conceded fewer goals(just five in 18 games), while they also kept a staggering12 clean sheets, with their only two defeats coming away to Brazil and Argentina, whom Ecuador beat at home in their final qualifier to clinch second spot in the South American standings. 

So, while coach Sebastian Beccacece is not blessed with an abundance of talent up front (the 35-year-old Enner Valencia remains their best source of goals) and Ecuador draw far too many games as a result, they're very well-equipped to frustrate the life out of World Cup Group E rivals Germany and Ivory Coast, knowing that even if they were to take just one point from either of those two games, it would probably be enough for them to make amends for their 2022 group-stage exit, as a win over Curacao should be a given. 

Japan became the first team to actually qualify for the World Cup on March 20 by beating Bahrain. The stated objective now is to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, but whether they can do so is a topic of intense discussion at home. They will be tested in the group phase, having been drawn alongside the Netherlands, Tunisia and the winner of UEFA play-off B (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania).

Coach Hajime Moriyasu certainly has a strong and settled starting 11, which is wonderfully well led by Liverpool's Wataru Endo, but there were nagging doubts over the squad's strength in depth even before an experimental side was beaten by the U.S. in a friendly in September.

Nonetheless, many of the World Cup's traditional superpowers will definitely want to avoid drawing a dynamic and well-balanced team that scored 30 goals in qualifying while only conceding three. Indeed, the historic, come-from-behind win over Brazil in October perfectly illustrated that Japan are capable of beating anyone on their day, and November's wins over Ghana (2-0) and Bolivia (3-0) means that they're going to carry some serious momentum into 2026.

South Korea's participation in next summer's World Cup will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one given the Taeguk Warriors have featured in the past 10 tournaments. This time around, qualification was sealed with an unbeaten campaign, which they completed by routing Kuwait 4-0 in their final fixture.

It wasn't all plain sailing, though, as they were held to three consecutive draws before getting the job done against Iraq, while several key players are getting on a bit, including legendary captain Son Heung-min. Still, manager Hong Myung-bo got the Koreans back on track after their shock semi-final loss to Jordan at the 2023 Asian Cup, which resulted in the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann as coach, and the new boss has already started trying to rejuvenate the squad ahead of next summer's tournament in North America.

However, October's 5-0 friendly loss to Brazil means nobody will be tipping South Korea to even go close to matching their fourth-placed finish at the 2002 World Cup, albeit they bounced back by beating Paraguay, Bolivia and Ghana in subsequent friendlies. An intriguing group-stage draw that has pitted them against Mexico, South Africa and the winner of European play-off D (Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or Ireland) means there will be no guarantees from the off.

We thought we'd seen the last of Luka Modric in the international arena after Croatia's devastating group-stage elimination at the Euros, but the Ballon d'Or winner is now set to captain his country at the World Cup at 40 years of age. Zlatko Dalic's side pretty much cruised through qualifying, sealing their spot with one round remaining thanks to a 3-1 win over Faroe Islands in Rijeka, but, as always seems to be the case with Croatia, we find ourselves wondering whether they can really make a major impact at a tournament while continuing to rely on so many of the same ageing stars. After all, Modric isn't the only veteran defying the rages of time; Ivan Perisic (36) and Andrej Kramaric (34) also made crucial contributions to their qualifying campaign.

However, Petar Sucic and Franjo Ivanovic (both 22) have emerged as exciting prospects while the defence is led by Josko Gvardiol (23), who has gone from strength to strength after proving himself one of the most talented young defenders in the game at the last World Cup.

And as we know, Croatia love making a mockery of pre-tournament predictions. They will start their journey alongside England, Ghana and Panama in Group I and will expect to progress to the knockouts with relative ease.

Mauricio Pochettino's long-awaited appointment as the USMNT's new coach was announced a year ago to great fanfare and, after some seriously uncomfortable trials and tribulations, the Argentine is finally starting to make real progress.

The Americans are now undefeated in their last five friendlies, winning four of them, and November's 5-1 drubbing of Uruguay was the kind of statement victory that the team's long-suffering supporters had been awaiting. The fact that it was achieved without several star players, including Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, has only heightened the sense that Pochettino is building a squad capable of doing the U.S. proud next summer.

The co-hosts will be further buoyed by a favourable group, too, as they gear up to face Paraguay, Australia and the winner of UEFA play-off C (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo).

Aside from Lionel Messi leading Argentina to World Cup glory, Morocco were the story of Qatar 2022, with The Atlas Lions becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals in the tournament's history. Walid Regragui's side certainly have it in them to make another big impact in North America this summer, particularly as their group (Brazil, Scotland and Haiti) is by no means the most intimidating. However, there is now a major question mark over their state of mind, after a devastating defeat by Senegal in the AFCON final.

Despite the strength of the opposition, Morocco were favourites to triumph in Rabat, given they'd not lost a competitive fixture at home since 2009. However, they were beaten in extra-time after the tournament's top scorer, Brahim Diaz, missed a spot-kick in the final seconds of normal time with a horribly ill-advised 'Panenka' penalty. Consequently, the nation's wait for a first continental title since 1976 goes on, and it's very tough to know if the mental scars sustained against Senegal will have fully healed by the time their World Cup campaign kicks off. 

Senegal received a rotten World Cup draw, with Pape Thiaw's team having the misfortune to be placed in the same group as France and Norway (as well as a qualifier from the intercontinental play-offs). However, based on what we've seen from The Lions of Teranga over the past year, they could do some serious damage in North America this summer.

After playing England off the pitch in a friendly at the City Ground in June, Senegal then went and won their second Africa Cup of Nations title by upsetting Morocco in their own backyard. Thiaw and his players rightly received a lot of criticism over their walk-off in Rabat, but Sadio Mane continues to lead by example at 33 years of age and is ably supported by a well-balanced, physically imposing and technically gifted group of players, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye and Paris Saint-Germain's teenage sensation Ibrahim Mbaye.

Make no mistake about it: Senegal will relish the opportunity to emulate their shock 2002 opening-round win over France, and if they go on to get out of their group, they'll take some stopping in conditions that should definitely suit them.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) finally got their man in May, but is a year really enough time for Carlo Ancelotti to turn the Seleccao into World Cup winners? Brazil certainly have the talent to claim a record-extending sixth title, but they finished fifth in CONMEBOL after losing a third of their matches and there's long been a worrying lack of cohesion about the South Americans, who fell at the quarter-final stage at both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

On the plus side, Ancelotti already has an excellent rapport with key attacking duo Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo dating back to his time in charge of Real Madrid, veteran midfielder Casemiro is enjoying a timely resurgence, and Chelsea's Estevao is proving he really is a player worth getting excited about.

However, Ancelotti needs one of his goal-shy No.9s to catch fire in the coming months if they're to stand any real chance. They could have the chance to fill their boots in the group phase, as they face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, but a challenging quarter-final against England is a possibility if they progress.

Nestor Lorenzo has done a fine job since taking charge of Colombia in June 2022, leading Los Cafeteros to the final of last summer's Copa America before securing a spot at the World Cup with one game to spare. James Rodriguez was key to their qualification, with the breakout star of the 2014 World Cup rather fittingly opening the scoring in the 3-0 win over Bolivia that guaranteed his country a top-six finish in CONMEBOL, but Bayern Munich star Luis Diaz was also immense.

As they've proven during their current run of five wins from their past six games, Colombia are unlikely to struggle to score goals at the World Cup: Jhon Arias, Richard Rios and Daniel Munoz are all talented players, while Jhon Duran is a real wildcard. However, punters will be wary of backing a very streaky team that went six matches without a win before finally getting over the finish line against Bolivia. They should escape the group at the very least. Portugal will be tricky but Colombia should cope quite comfortably with Uzbekistan and the winner of the play-off between New Caledonia or Jamaica and DR Congo.

Kevin De Bruyne admitted as far back as 2022 that Belgium's best chance to win a major international trophy with their 'Golden Generation' had already passed them by - and nothing has happened in the interim to change that view. Euro 2024 was a disaster for the Red Devils, with De Bruyne clashing with the nation's travelling fans - and that was before they'd been knocked out in the last 16. They did at least manage to qualify for the World Cup without losing a game, but it was a weak group and even Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku admitted after the 1-1 draw with Kazakhstan in November that Belgium "dropped too many points" and "weren't good enough in a large number of matches". 

So, while Rudi Garcia still has some time to turn things around, and has plenty of players plying their trade in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues, it's hard to make a compelling case for the Belgians finally ending their trophy drought this summer. Still, they should have little trouble topping a group containing Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.

Norway's participation in a first World Cup finals since 1998 was effectively confirmed by a 4-1 win over Estonia that meant they could have lost 8-0 to Italy in their final qualifier and still finished top of their group. However, Norway didn't take their foot off the pedal, and instead went to Milan and made a statement with another three-goal win over the Italians to put the seal on a flawless qualification campaign. 

Unsurprisingly, Erling Haaland was among the goals, scoring twice in a sensational second-half showing at San Siro, but there is more to Stale Solbakken's side than their outstanding No.9, as underlined by the fact that Oscar Bobb and Jorgen Strand Larsen both made big impacts off the bench against the Azzurri.

Their 'reward' is a tough World Cup group alongside France, Senegal and the winner of the play-off between Bolivia or Suriname and Iraq, but if everyone is fully fit (remember, captain Martin Odegaard missed the win over Italy through injury), Norway could enjoy a very deep run in North America.

Switzerland are low-key qualification masters. They've not missed a World Cup since 2002 and can nearly always be relied upon to reach the last 16. On this occasion, they had to wait until the final matchday to officially seal their spot at the 2026 tournament with a 1-1 draw in Kosovo. However, the Swiss had already effectively clinched top spot in UEFA Group B with a stirring 4-1 rout of Sweden in Geneva on Saturday that perfectly illustrated why Murat Yakin's men make for such awkward opponents.

The squad may not be stacked with superstars, but Breel Embolo is a proven goal-scorer at this level, Dan Ndoye is a real livewire on his day, Johan Manzambi is a very exciting prospect and, most importantly of all, veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka is arguably playing the best football of his career.

Basically, the Swiss should not be underestimated, and they will be very confident of reaching the last 32 from a group that contains co-hosts Canada, Qatar and the winner of UEFA play-off A (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia & Herzogovina).

The Netherlands are one of the more curious teams in international football. For example, they never really convinced at Euro 2024, but after finishing third in their group went on to reach the semi-finals, where they lost narrowly to England.

Frustratingly, it remains difficult to know what to make of Ronald Koeman's team. The numbers from their World Cup qualification campaign make for great reading: six wins, two draws, zero defeats, 27 goals scored, four conceded. However, they failed to beat second-placed Poland home or away. Here's what we can say about the Dutch, though: they're dangerous. 

Virgil van Dijk leads a defence that also features Mathijs de Ligt and Jurrien Timber, the midfield is so strong that Ryan Gravenberch isn't a certain starter, and say what you will about Memphis Depay but the man can score goals at international level - particularly when supported by the likes of Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo. Bottom line, then: the Dutch are dark horses, and they should progress from a group that pits them against Japan, Tunisia and the winner of UEFA play-off B (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania).

The common consensus was that Germany were rather unlucky to run into Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, particularly as Julian Nagelsmann's side more than played their part in an epic encounter in Stuttgart that would have made for a fitting final. However, the coach's ability to get the best out of a talented crop of players came into question after back-to-back losses on home soil at the 2025 Nations League finals were followed by an embarrassing 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in their opening World Cup qualifier. 

Nagelsmann has since turned things around, though, with Germany securing top spot in UEFA Group A with a satisfying 6-0 rout of the Slovakians - their fifth win in a row. All of a sudden, then, the four-time champions look like a team to fear in North America - particularly as Jamal Musiala should be back in action long before the tournament kicks off to take his place in an exciting attack that will also likely feature Florian Wirtz, a rejuvenated Leroy Sane and Nick Woltemade, who is looking like the solution to Germany's No.9 problem.

Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador await in what is a pretty straightforward World Cup group, but a potential quarter-final against France threatens to derail the Germans' progress.

Say what you will about Didier Deschamps, but the man is resilient. The painfully pragmatic coach appeared to be a sitting duck after last year's Nations League loss at home to Italy, in what was France's first outing following a mind-numbingly boring run to the semi-finals of Euro 2024. However, there was nothing dull about Les Bleus' run to the last four of the 2025 Nations League, where they were beaten 5-4 by Spain in a cracking contest.

Kylian Mbappe's return to form has obviously been integral to France's mini-revival, but they've also been aided by Michael Olise taking his game to a whole other level since joining Bayern Munich, and Ousmane Dembele finally getting his act together. Consequently, Deschamps actually has an outside chance of ending his tenure on a high next summer, because while the feeling persists that France are not as good as they should be on account of the coach's conservatism, they picked up 16 of a possible 18 points in their World Cup qualifying group while conceding only four goals in six matches. 

However, while it's hard for a so-called 'group of death' to exist in the expanded 48-team tournament, France's initial draw is pretty much as challenging as it gets; they'll face Senegal, Erling Haaland's Norway and the winner of the play-off between Bolivia or Suriname and Iraq in Group I. Still, one could also argue that there'd be no better way for them to build some momentum.

Very few fans attach much importance to the Nations League, but it proved an absolute life-saver for Cristiano Ronaldo and Roberto Martinez. Both men came under an awful lot of pressure to walk away from the Portugal national team after the incredibly embarrassing Euro 2024 campaign. However, victory in the 2025 Nations League strengthened their respective positions as captain and coach, meaning Ronaldo will almost certainly lead Martinez's Portugal into the 2026 World Cup at 41 years of age. Is that necessarily a good thing, though?

Ronaldo has scored 13 times since the Euros but, when the pressure came on Portugal during last month's 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland, the captain cracked, getting himself sent off with a typical display of petulance. Furthermore, with Martinez forced to do without Ronaldo for the Seleccao's final group game, they produced their most cohesive performance of the campaign by some distance, routing Armenia 9-1 to seal their spot at the finals - which only strengthened the argument that Portugal would be an even stronger side with a more mobile attacker playing in a fluid forward line.

At this stage, it really does feel that a Portugal squad stacked with talent no longer needs Ronaldo as much as he needs them. Nonetheless, with the superstar striker having inexplicably but inevitably avoided a three-game ban for his dismissal in Dublin, Martinez remains almost certain to persist with his CR7-centred game plan at the World Cup. However, there will be no fateful final showdown with Lionel Messi in the showpiece in New York, with Portugal and Argentina on the same side of the draw. They could, however, meet in the last eight - assuming they progress from a group containing Uzbekistan, Colombia and the winner of a play-off between New Caledonia or Jamaica and Congo DR.

Statistically speaking, Sir Gareth Southgate was England's most successful manager since Sir Alf Ramsey, but he failed to end the most infamous trophy drought in international football, with the Three Lions once again coming up short at Euro 2024, where they were outclassed in the final by Spain. The Football Association, thus, turned to Thomas Tuchel to lead the country at the 2026 World Cup, so what chance does the German have of finally getting England over the line at a major tournament? A pretty good one, based on what we've seen so far. 

Granted, England toiled at times against deep-lying opponents in a painfully weak qualifying group - the games against Andorra were particularly tough to watch - but Tuchel's team made a statement of intent by becoming the first European nation to ever win all of their matches without conceding a single goal. Their group for the tournament proper is similarly kind, although they will face their 2018 semi-final conquerors Croatia, as well as Ghana and Panama. Brazil could also await in the quarter-finals.

The big question in the media is, of course, how will Jude Bellingham respond to effectively being asked to prove his worth to England? In a way, though, that's a positive in itself, because it shows that Tuchel is focused solely on putting the best team out on the pitch - rather than trying to cram all of the Three Lions' superstars into the one starting line-up. Football really could come home for England fans next summer, because there might not be a stronger squad at the tournament, while captain Harry Kane is arguably the most complete centre-forward in world football right now.

Will he or won't he? Lionel Messi could have retired after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 with his magical, Diego Maradona-like performances in Qatar but, because he was still having so much fun with the Albiceleste, he stuck around to win another Copa America. The question remains, however, whether he will continue until this summer's tournament in North America. 

The good news is that Lionel Scaloni's squad is becoming less dependent upon Messi, as they so thrillingly underlined by routing Brazil in March without their injured skipper, and, no matter what Argentina's talisman decides to do, the team certainly wouldn't lack a goal next summer - not with the likes of Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez to choose from up front. Sealing a World Cup spot in March also allowed Scaloni to bring through the next generation of No.10s, with Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono already looking like potential superstars. 

The fact remains, though, that if Messi plays on, Argentina would be even more confident about retaining their title. He says that he doesn't want to be a "burden", but it looks like his mere presence remains a blessing for a group of players that are willing to run through walls for their inspirational captain, who could be afforded some valuable rest in a group containing Algeria, Austria and Jordan.

Spain were outstanding at Euro 2024 - but they could be even better at the 2026 World Cup. Lamine Yamal continues to go from strength to strength, the same goes for his Barcelona team-mate Pedri, while Dean Huijsen has slotted seamlessly into the back four.

La Roja are by no means unstoppable, of course. Portugal proved that by edging them out on penalties in the Nations League final in June, while there are growing concerns that Yamal could be at risk of burnout. However, doubts over their lack of a proper No.9 are dissipating because they're not having any issues scoring goals, mainly thanks to the two Mikels, Merino and Oyarzabal, both of whom netted six times in qualifying. 

A World Cup group featuring Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay should be straightforward enough, and Luis de la Fuente's men will be supremely confident of adding a world title to their European crown.