The USA, Canada, and Mexico will host what will be the biggest World Cup in history due to the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams. With more nations involved than ever before, it means there’s a greater chance of an upset along the way, and teams will have to work harder to win the competition. Here’s the pick of the teams and who will be key for them.
Argentina
Argentina come into this year’s World Cup as the reigning and defending champions, and that counts for a lot. They have the know-how, the experience, and they still have Lionel Messi. While there is a litter of strong nations heading to North America, how many have that recent World Cup-winning blueprint? And how many have a genius like Messi in their ranks? He may be well into his thirties, but he’s still a game-changer and game-winner.
France
France are multiple time winners of the World Cup, and that, combined with the talent they possess, has seen World Cup betting online advance them as one of the favourites to win the tournament. Kylian Mbappe will once again be the talisman for Didier Deschamps’ side, and the France manager would love to bow out by guiding his nation to success. France’s defeat in the 2022 final to Argentina will also be extra motivation to go all the way this time around.
Brazil
Brazil remain one of the most feared nations in international football, but it’s fair to say they’ve not hit the heights expected of them for a number of years. While they can call on world-class players such as Vinicius Junior, there’s always been the feeling that something is missing. It’s the reason they hired Carlo Ancelotti as manager, and if there’s a man who can find the solution, it’s him. He has the players; it’s getting everything working in sync that will be the key.
Spain
After Spain’s previous era of success, they underwent somewhat of a transition, hoping to rise again with new energy and a fresh batch of stars. And that’s precisely what’s happened over time. Spain won the Euros in 2024, defeating England in the final, and the likes of Lamine Yamal are only just getting started. The fact that Spain have a lot of young world-level talent at their disposal should be a warning to other nations that they’re ready to take over once again.
England
During Gareth Southgate’s reign as England manager, the Three Lions made significant progress. They started to consistently reach the latter stages of tournaments, culminating in successive European Championship final appearances. However, they were defeated on both occasions. They’ve since hired Thomas Tuchel, hoping he can find that extra five per cent to get them over the line. He has a plethora of stars, with Harry Kane one of the most feared strikers on the planet.
Conclusion
For many, the upcoming World Cup will be the best yet, arguably because it’s the biggest. But, while there are going to be 48 nations competing, it’s still very much expected that the top nations of old will remain the strongest teams in the competition. These teams will also face similar challenges, with the heat likely to be a factor throughout. It’s probably the nations that cope with and overcome the tests that arise that will still be there when the latter stages of the tournament begin.
