The 2026 World Cup is fast-approaching, and the full line-up of nations is getting closer and closer to being completed.
The Three Lions punched their ticket for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States with a 5-0 thrashing of Latvia.
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Thomas Tuchel’s side won all eight of their matches in Group K and did so without conceding a single goal.
As a result, England have booked their place at an eighth successive World Cup – with their last absence ironically being on American soil in 1994.
As one of the three host nations next summer, the United States, alongside Canada and Mexico, are guaranteed their spot as well.
Japan became the first non-host team to qualify for the expanded FIFA showpiece, and other nations have quickly followed them.
Defending champions Argentina and five-time winners Brazil will be there, while Jordan and Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debuts.
Who has qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
Hosts
- Canada
- Mexico
- United States of America
AFC
- Australia
- Iran
- Japan
- Jordan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Uzbekistan
CAF
- Algeria
- Cape Verde
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Morocco
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tunisia
CONCACAF
CONMEBOL
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
OFC
UEFA
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Scotland
- France
- Spain
- Portugal
- Netherlands
- Austria
- Norway
- Belgium
- England
- Croatia
Play-offs
- UEFA play-off Path A winner (Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy or Northern Ireland)
- UEFA play-off Path B winner (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania)
- UEFA play-off Path C winner (Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey or Romania)
- UEFA play-off Path D winner (Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia)
- IC play-off Pathway 1 winner (New Caledonia, Jamaica or DR Congo)
- IC play-off Pathway 2 winner (Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq)
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World Cup 2026 winner odds
Via eSPORTY Bet, correct as of time of writing
So, who are among the main contenders to win the 2026 World Cup?
Here, eSPORTY.com keeps an eye on England and Tuchel’s chief rivals for the trophy via our power rankings.
The rankings are collated based on a team’s outright winner odds, provided by eSPORTY Bet, for the 2026 World Cup.
5th – Argentina
eSPORTY BET Odds: 8/1
The reigning champions being so lowly may seem a surprise – until fans are reminded how rare it is for a country to go back-to-back.
Only Italy (1934/1938) and a Pele-inspired Brazil (1958-1962) have successfully defended the World Cup.
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Ironically, Argentina’s triumph in Qatar denied 2018 winners France the opportunity to join the elite club.
La Albiceleste, themselves, also reached the final during their last World Cup as the holders but finished runners-up at Italy 1990.
Lionel Messi will now hope to do what Diego Maradona never could in what will be his last ever appearance in FIFA’s elite tournament.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has the added benefit of playing his club football at Inter Miami in the USA.
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4th – Brazil
eSPORTY BET Odds: 8/1
The World Cup’s most successful side can never be counted out – but Carlo Ancelotti has his work cut out to restore Selecao to the top.
The former Real Madrid manager is the first foreign boss to take charge of Brazil’s national team in competitive games since 1925.
The Italian has overseen a mixed record of four wins, two draws and two defeats thus far as he gets to grips with the international game.
No country has ever won the World Cup with a foreign head coach, but Ancelotti’s unrivalled CV gives Brazil as good a chance as any.
The 66-year-old has won the Champions League a record five times as a manager, with knockout tournament football his speciality.
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3rd – France
eSPORTY BET Odds: 7/1
Les Bleus have reached the final in four of the last seven World Cups, and were a penalty shootout away from going back-to-back in Qatar.
Kylian Mbappe – who scored a hat-trick in that epic clash – is now France captain and at the peak of his powers with Real Madrid.
An all-star supporting cast of Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele means Didier Deschamps has arguably the best team on paper.
However, it is yet to be seen what effect Deschamps’ impending exit will have on the squad, having been in the post since 2012.
The Frenchman has already confirmed that he will leave after the World Cup, with defensive concerns also an issue for his side.
France conceded five goals against Spain in the Nations League in June, and were recently held to a 2-2 draw with Iceland.
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2nd – England
eSPORTY BET Odds: 5/1
Like Brazil, the Three Lions have turned to a foreign manager with the clear and simple remit – win the World Cup.
If it’s anything like qualifying, Tuchel will have no problem – with England guaranteeing a place in North America with utter ease.
Unfortunately, fans are all too familiar with the fact that it’s the business end of tournaments where Harry Kane and co falter.
England head into the 2026 World Cup having reached two finals, one semi-final and a quarter-final in the last four major tournaments.
Such experience is one factor that fans have cause for optimism that a first major men’s trophy since 1966 is finally within reach.
Another is Tuchel’s record in knockout competitions, with the German winning over 70 per cent of such matches en route to guiding two teams to the Champions League final, lifting the trophy once with Chelsea in 2021.
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1st – Spain
eSPORTY BET Odds: 4/1
The team that beat England in the Euro 2024 final currently hold the title of World Cup favourites to repeat their success from 2008-2010.
Even before downing the Three Lions, Spain had already beaten Italy, hosts Germany, and France en route to glory in Berlin.
The European champions then reached the final of the Nations League this year, albeit before losing on penalties to Portugal.
A scarier prospect for Spain’s rivals is that so much of their recent success is based on young stars such as Pedri and Lamine Yamal, who will have only matured and developed further by next summer.
Luis de la Fuente also has an incredible squad depth at his disposal, with none of Yamal, Rodri, Nico Williams, David Raya, Marc Cucurella, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, Dani Carvajal, Dani Olmo, Marcos Llorente, or Fabián Ruiz even playing a single minute of the 4-0 win over Bulgaria in October through either injury or selection.
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World Cup 2026: How many teams, and how does qualification work?
The 2026 World Cup will be the first in FIFA history to see 48 teams be part of the tournament next summer.
Three of those are the hosts, Canada, Mexico and the USA, with a further 39 qualifying directly.
The final six spots will come from the respective play-off winners.
- AFC: eight direct slots and one play-off slot
- CAF: nine direct slots and one play-off slot
- CONCACAF: three direct slots, three host slots and two play-off slots
- CONMEBOL: six direct slots and one play-off slot
- OFC: one direct slot and one play-off slot
- UEFA: 12 direct slots and four play-off slots
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World Cup 2026: Dates
The 2025/26 Premier League season will finish on Sunday, May 24, while the Champions League final will be held on Saturday, May 30.
The 2026 World Cup will then get underway on Thursday, June 11, and run until the final on Sunday, July 19.
FIFA is eager to keep the tournament’s ‘footprint’ to 57 days, meaning there would be 16 days of preparation and then 39 days of competition.
There will be 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams progressing to the Round of 32.
There will be games every day from June 11 to July 7, with a rest day on July 8 prior to the quarter-finals.
June 24 to June 27 will see six games held each day.
The semi-finals will be held on July 14 and July 15, and there will be a bronze medal match on July 18, the day before the final.
