For the first time in more than 30 years, the World Cup is coming to the United States (and the first time ever in Canada). It's expected to be one of the most-watched sporting events of the decade. With no clear favorite, this might be one of the most exciting World Cups in recent memory as well.
And because many American fans jump two feet into the World Cup with very little foundational knowledge about soccer and the teams heading to North America. So, as a simple little exercise, we compared the most important teams in the World Cup (plus a few personal favorites) and compared their current teams, expectations, and history to that of the Big 4 North American sports teams.
Argentina: Kansas City Chiefs
Argentina is the traditional winner. Like the Chiefs, they have an interesting history that includes some work to get relevant, but then, in the 1970s and 1980s, they won championships (in the Chiefs' case, it was just the one championship). Then, after a long history of near misses and unmet expectations, they won the World Cup in 2022. However, despite being the defending champions, they have only the fifth-best odds, similar to the Chiefs' position in the NFL right now. They also have the biggest star in the sport with Lionel Messi, and despite his injury, Patrick Mahomes is still the biggest star in the NFL.
Brazil: New York Yankees
Brazil actually has better odds than Argentina to win it all this year, and there are a few reasons for that. Brazil is the traditional powerhouse, winning the World Cup five times. That’s the most of any country in history, and it brings them respect. However, they haven’t won since 2002. Another team that hasn’t won this decade or last yet still sees themselves as favorites every year? The New York Yankees. These teams are always in the conversation before the tournament, but it's been a long time since we’ve seen either team lift the trophy to say they are the champions.
Canada — Houston Texans
Canada has a ton of young soccer stars like Alphonso Davies, but they aren’t truly considered a threat in this tournament. They actually have 200-1 odds, which is pretty extreme since this is basically a home game for the men from the Great White North. This is why this gives real big “Houston Texans” energy. There are exciting young players that make you think you can talk yourself into them to win it all, but they’ve never been close to a championship/Cup win, and this is probably not the year that will change. They will both make it fun to watch (unless C.J. Stroud plays like he did in the playoffs last season).
Czechia: Philadelphia Flyers
Czechia has a long, interesting history at the FIFA World Cup. Did you know they finished second twice in their history? They finished in the quarterfinals as recently as 1990. Then, they have a long history of futility in this tournament. They’ve only qualified for the tournament one time since that 1990 finish. This year, they are back in the World Cup for the first time since 2006. The Flyers aren’t a perfect comparison, but they are a franchise with a rabid fanbase that expects more. Can Czechia finally deliver this year? Like the Flyers this season, it was nice to get to the tournament, but that is about as much as we can expect from them.
England: Dallas Cowboys
David Beckham. Bobby Charlton. Wayne Rooney. England has a long record of stars at the World Cup. This is the home of the biggest soccer league in the world, and the one with the most attention. Even those with limited sports knowledge know about Manchester United. However, one would expect them to have more success on the world’s biggest soccer stage. England has one championship in its history, and that came before most of us were born (1966). Sounds like a certain football team that gets all the stars and hype but never seems to deliver? This has “America’s Team” written all over it. The Dallas Cowboys have the best talent, but they haven’t won a Super Bowl this century. We don’t see England or Dallas ending their drought this year, either.
France: Los Angeles Dodgers
A recent dynasty, France is one of the favorites at this year’s tournament. They’ve been investing a ton of money into the program, and it’s led to superstars at all positions. Now, because of the “country of origin” premise of the World Cup, a team can’t “buy” a championship like the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they can be dynastic and bring villain energy like the Dodgers do. France has finished in first or second place in four of the last seven World Cups. This is a level of dominance we haven’t seen, and France might be the best bet to win it all in 2026, just like the Dodgers in baseball.
Germany: Boston Red Sox
At one point, Germany looked like they were our next soccer dynasty. And they won some titles during that time, but something happened in the last few years where they’ve seen multiple teams pass them. Germany doesn’t have the worst odds to win it all, but they are in the conversation with teams like the Netherlands and Belgium. Enter the Boston Red Sox. They dominated baseball for much of this century, winning four World Series after beating the Curse of the Bambino. Now? They stink. Germany doesn’t stink like the Red Sox, but we’d be floored if they went far because of where the roster sits today. There are too many holes with both of these franchises.
Iran: Tampa Bay Rays
Iran, like the Tampa Bay Rays, may not have the investment that other countries in the World Cup have, but they are, like the Rays, doing the best with what they have. Sure, they aren’t going into this tournament as favorites, and the international strife is going to be a distraction, but from a pure sports standpoint, Iran has a decent roster and has been winning on an international scale, to the surprise of many. Could they make a surprise run, similar to the Rays in 2020?
Japan: Minnesota Vikings
The Japanese World Cup team and the Minnesota Vikings are similar both historically and right now. See, Jjapan has a to of stars in Takefusa Kubo, Kaoru Mitoma, and Wataru Endo. The Vikings have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but both teams are missing the pieces to make them true contenders. They often are consistent enough to win games, but neither has a championship under their belt. Japan has qualified for every World Cup since 1998 and is usually one of Asia's strongest teams. The Vikings have been one of the NFL's more consistently competitive franchises over decades. Both fanbases enter seasons thinking, "Maybe this is the year we finally break through." Unfortunately, it never is.
Jordan: Arizona Cardinals
While we had some of the best teams in the tournament, we had to use one of the worst, as well, at least when it comes to the odds. Jordan is tied with Haiti and Curacao with the worst odds in the World Cup at 2,500:1. For those who don’t know, if Jordan were to win, any bettor would receive $2,500 for every one dollar they bet on Jordan. The Arizona Cardinals have the worst odds in the NFL this season at 400:1. Both these teams are happy to be here and receive all the makings of the World Cup/NFL season. Maybe they eventually build something, but for right now, there’s not much to get excited about with these teams.
Mexico: New York Knicks
Okay, so, speaking about the New York Knicks is much different today than it was literally a week ago. The Knicks are now in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. However, we’re looking at everything here. Mexico is a team with a history that many would expect would be better based on the hype and name value that comes with them in soccer. In reality, Mexico has never finished better than sixth, and they haven’t been better than 10th in 40 years. Like the Knicks, we expected more from Mexico on the international stage. This year, Mexico doesn’t have the hype the Knicks have, but they have a lot going for them. They are in a group with South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia. They are playing on their home soil. Who’s to say they can’t make a run this year, similar to the Knicks?
Morocco: Seattle Seahawks
Did you know Morocco is heading into the World Cup ranked eighth in the world? And did you also remember that they finished fourth in the 2022 World Cup? Morocco has sleeper energy, and that’s exactly what the Seattle Seahawks used to win the Super Bowl this season. Going into the year, nobody expected the Seahawks, led by Sam Darnold, to make any noise. Now, they are the defending champs. Morocco has the right mixture of talent and experience to make a similar run this year.
New Zealand: New York Jets
We had to include a Jets comparison here, so why not go with New Zealand? We love that they are here. They are a lovable loser. Both teams try to punch above their weight class and often get knocked down. They are also considered the little brothers of much bigger “franchises.” The Jets share a stadium with the New York Giants, and for decades played in “Giants Stadium.” New Zealand is an island nation off the coast of Australia, and they are often directly compared to Australia. And like the Jets, New Zealand’s odds to do anything this tournament are slim to none. We are having trouble finding a comparison for Geno Smith, however.
Portugal: Los Angeles Lakers
A team that appears to be built to win now, trying to get one more championship for their aging superstar, who many describe as the best of all time. A controversial take in both sports. Lionel Messi is to Cristiano Ronaldo as Steph Curry is to LeBron James. And this is just the start of the 1:1 comparisons for Portugal and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have the pedigree, which Portugal doesn’t, but the current teams have a really similar feel to them. Like the Lakers, Portugal has a rising star in Vitinha, who just helped PSG win their league. He acts as the Luka Doncic in this exercise. All in all, Portugal could make a run if the stars are the stars and take over games, but that’s probably their only chance.
South Africa: Toronto Raptors
Both are teams that have had real peak moments on the world stage (a championship for the Raptors, an Africa Cup of Nations title for South Africa in 1996), but aren’t permanent superpowers. They have superstars in their past that fans will always have fond memories of. Ironically, the best example of this actually played around the same time. South Africa’s all-time leading goalscorer, Benni McCarthy, made his debut for the country in 1997. Vince Carter was drafted in 1998. And they are both kind of in a slow period in terms of success.
Spain: Oklahoma City Thunder
Spain is coming into this tournament as many analysts’ and betting markets’ favorite to win it all. Spain is very young, led by teenage superstar Lamine Yamal. Other stars include Mikel Oyarzabal, Rodri, Pedri, and Marc Cucurella. They are the most stacked roster in this tournament, and they will win because they have so many options. That’s exactly how the Oklahoma City Thunder won their championship. While they have a clear star in SGA, they win on the collective, having one of the deepest talent pools in sports. Yes, they did lose to the Spurs in the Conference Finals, but that could happen to Spain, too.
Sweden: Cincinnati Bengals
Sweden's men's national football team and the Cincinnati Bengals share a surprisingly similar identity: proud history, passionate fans, and a reputation for being dangerous outsiders. Sweden reached the World Cup final in 1958 and finished third in 1994, while the Bengals have made three Super Bowls but are still chasing their first title. Both teams are often overshadowed in their own region, with the Bengals trailing the Steelers and Ravens, while the Swedes are behind fellow Nordic nations Norway and Northern European nations like Switzerland and Germany.
Switzerland: Indiana Pacers
This is more than just “it gets cold there,” the Indiana Pacers and Switzerland’s national team both win in the same way, especially in those heavyweight matchups. The Swiss win by being impossibly hard to play against. That’s how the Pacers took the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team many thought was an inevitability in the playoffs last year, to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Do we expect Switzerland to compete for a title here? No, but we expect them to knock out a big name. The Swiss will play spoiler in this tournament, similar to how the Pacers spoiled the Knicks season in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025.
United States: New York Mets
Is there a more perfect comparison for the United States soccer team than the New York Mets baseball team? Over the years, both teams have held onto every minor success (the U.S. beating Algeria in 2010, the Mets almost beating the Dodgers in 2024). Both teams have put a ton of money into the roster and development, and neither is seeing a particularly valuable return on that investment. The Mets have the most expensive roster in the sport this season (not counting deferred salaries), but they are far out of the playoffs. The U.S. team has a budget of around $300 million this year. Hopefully, that $300 million buys at least one win.
Uruguay: Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are this strangely hapless team looking into the future with wonderment and regret. They had oppporutnities to buid something special around Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle, but they squandered it, and now they are back to square one. Uruguay brought in Marcelo Biesla to transform this team, and it worked at first. They had wins against Brazil and Argentina that put them on the map in 2023. However, by the end of 2024, the honeymoon was over. Biesla started to have disagreements with the players that impacted them on the field. Their midfield talent wasn’t translating to opportunities with the forwards. And the roster seems burned out before the World Cup begins.
Add us as a preferred source on Google