Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 World Cup field features several debut nations that could deliver major upsets on North American soil.
- This tournament's expanded 48-team format has brought in fresh contenders from Africa and Asia, many making their first appearance.
- With only 11 teams ranked outside the Top 50, this could be one of the most competitive and unpredictable World Cups in recent memory.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup could very well see a first time winner as the tournament returns to North American soil for the first time since 1994. Of the Top 10 countries in FIFA's world rankings, there are four who have never climbed to the top of the international footballing mountain (Portugal, Morocco, Netherlands, Belgium).
FIFA World Rankings - Pre-World Cup Top 10 |
|---|
1. Argentina |
2. Spain |
3. France |
4. England |
5. Brazil |
6. Portugal |
7. Morocco |
8. Netherlands |
9. Belgium |
10. Germany |
Typically you can look to this upper echelon of competitors for an indication as to who will come out on top at the end of the quadrennial competition but that doesn't mean fans shouldn't be paying attention to those ranked lower. Every tournament there's a Cinderella or a little-known country that bursts onto the scene with a major upset or two. In 2022, just to name a pair, that was Saudi Arabia over Argentina and Morocco reaching the semifinal.
Debut nations are no joke and don't sleep on Africa
For those looking to learn more about the beautiful game, look no further than the performances of nations who have never appeared in the FIFA World Cup before. Thanks to the expansion of the tournament from 34 to 48 teams this cycle, Uzbekistan (No. 50), Jordan (No. 63), Cape Verde (No. 67) and Curacao (No. 87) will debut on the World Cup stage.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (No. 46) and Haiti (No. 83) are snapping 50-plus-year-long appearance droughts at the tournament. The DRC was called Zaire when it last participated in 1974. Additionally, Iraq is back for the first time since 1986 while more well-known nations like Norway, Scotland, Austria and Czechia are returning for the first time in over 20 years.
That's the handful of competitors fans should be looking to for the most entertainment value, intriguing storylines and the occasional long-shot upset payout. There's a reason these little-known countries are here and you'd be brushing them off as easy outs at your own peril.
Last year at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Curacao drew with Canada 1-1 and advanced out of its group that included Haiti (a 5-1 victory) and El Salvador. The Blue Wave could be trouble for the likes of Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Germany in Group E.
African nations are also very difficult to vanquish at the World Cup. Morocco is just the latest example of the continent's unexpected success but this century has really belonged to countries like Ghana (No. 73) and Senegal (No. 15), both participating this summer. Perhaps DRC and Cape Verde will join the contingency along with Algeria (No. 28), Tunisia (No. 45), Ivory Coast (No. 33) and South Africa (No. 60).
This is arguably one of the strongest World Cup fields in recent memory. Despite the expansion, which many thought would invite too many poor-quality nations into the competition, only 11 participants out of the 48 are ranked outside the Top 50 by FIFA. And of that bunch only three are outside the Top 75.
This World Cup will be a major test for the viability of the expanded tournament but it looks poised to entertain like no other. Sit back and enjoy 39 days of this summer of soccer.
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