The World Cup tournament is a tournament that provides an opportunity for the best teams in the world to showcase their talent. However, in every World Cup tournament, there are always favourites that are tipped to win the competition. Sometimes, those favorites may go ahead to win the trophy or may not win it.
The aim of this post is to highlight the favorites that are likely to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This post would be exposing the four teams that could win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. You’ll read what makes them stand out and why. Let’s get started.
Teams That Could Win the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Below are four top teams around the world that are likely to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy:
1. France
There’s no doubt that France would go into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as strong contenders for the title. The special quality about France is their incredible squad depth. If you recall, when France national team won the 2018, they replaced players. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, there were players such as N’Golo Kanté, Blaise Matuidi, Samuel Umtiti and so on.
Then, in 2022, they also had top players such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Ibrahima Konaté, and Dayot Upamecano. Looking at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the squad is l threatening. Yes, players such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Kingsley Coman, Tchouaméni, Camavinga, William Saliba, Konaté, and Upamecano would be leading the squad into the competition.
With this squad depth, it shows that France would not need to would still continue their counterattack style of play. Recall that at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, France showed they do not need to control possession to win games. Against England in the quarter-final, they absorbed pressure and won through quick transitions from defense to attack.
Along with that, France would be heavily depending on Kylian Mbappé quality to carry them all through the competition. Another player to watch out for is Antoine Griezmann who was arguably France’s most important player in Qatar. You’ll agree that this kind of stability is rare at international level and makes France a logical favourite.
2. England
England also tops the list of heavyweights to perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For England, they would be counting on the experience of the players to carry them through to the end. If you recall, the so-called “golden generation” that reached the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020 will be entering their prime ages.
For instance, Jude Bellingham will be 22 years, Bukayo Saka will be 24 years, Phil Foden will be 26 years and Harry Kane will be 32.
In addition, England have evolved from a reactive team to a more proactive one in recent years. With Jude Bellingham at the center of the England midfield, England will be able to have more freedom when they attack rather than dropping to defend after they score a goal. The big test for England in the FIFA World Cup competition would be their tournament psychology.
Over the years, we’ve seen how penalty shootouts and pressure have caused England to lose matches. Well, with Thomas Tuchel at the helm of affairs, it is certain that this would be worked on. If this is worked on, then England would be a team to beat in the competition.
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3. Spain
In recent competitions, Spain have proven that discipline in the midfield is their greatest asset. Their emphasis on positional play a d possession retention have proven to be a successful in their title hunt. Yes, players such as Pedri, Gavi, Rodri, and Fabián Ruiz have allowed Spain to play with the possession style without panic.
In fact, Rodri is one of the standout player of this style. He mainly acts as a player that slows the tempo when needed and breaks defenses by making through vertical passes.
In this style of play, Spain have made younger players a center of focus. Unlike previous cycles where too many old players are all playing at the same time, Spain now blend experience and youth carefully. If Spain maintain this balance, they will be one of the most dangerous teams in 2026.
4. Brazil
Many experts have said that one of Brazil’s great advantage heading into 2026 lies partly in geography. It seems that familiarity with the climate would give the South American teams an edge in North America when the competition starts.
This is because brazilian players are used to heat and disturbance during the games by fans of opposing teams. This could become a blessing in disguise when starts their World Cup games in 2026.
Looking at the Brazil team tactically, it is clear that they are going through a change of style. The recent tournaments that Brazil have played in have shown a more pragmatic Brazil team. This Brazil team are a team that are willing to defend as a team and hit on the counter. We have seen this through players like Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Éder Militão, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo.
Brazil would be hoping to turn the scars that they have experienced in previous World Cup outings to a motivation. For some of the players, the painful exists in 2014 World Cup and 2022 World Cup still remain fresh in their heads. With the kind of players Brazil boasts of, they should be able to turn their pain into joy in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Would this happen?
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup 2026 would tests the best of the best teams. It is a competition that is decided by small margins and mistakes. The teams aforementioned above looks promising on paper. However, football is not played on paper, it is played on the pitch. Will the teams be able to deliver the successes expected of them at the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico FIFA World Cup?