World Cup 2026 Preview – Copybet
World Cup 2026 is edging ever closer and following Friday's draw, teams can start plotting their route through the tournament and dreaming of a run to the final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey on 19 July.
Reigning champions Argentina, five-time winners Brazil and European powerhouses Spain, France and England are among the favourites to go on and lift the trophy, and we have picked out three teams that could go all the way.
World Cup
European champions Spain appear to be the team to beat heading into the World Cup, with Luis de la Fuente's side currently on a 26-match unbeaten run (excluding penalty shootouts), with their last defeat in regulation time coming in a Friendly with Colombia in March 2024.
La Roja breezed through qualifying, dropping only two points across six matches, and the draw has been kind to them, as they will face tournament debutants Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in their opening two games in Group H, meaning their final match in the section, against Uruguay, may have little riding on it.
Spain beat England, France and Germany en route to winning Euro 2024, proving their abilities against the very best, and young talents such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Gavi are only going to get better.
They may have only been crowned world champions once before, lifting the trophy in 2010, but Spain will take some stopping in North America.
World Cup
Norway may be playing at their first World Cup finals since 1998, but they have to be considered as genuine dark horses to go all the way.
Stale Solbakken's side enjoyed a remarkable qualifying campaign, winning all eight of their matches, including resounding home and away successes over Italy, and they also finished as the top scorers in the European section, scoring an eye-watering 37 goals.
Unsurprisingly Erling Haaland was involved in a large proportion of those goals (16) and he has scored a magnificent 55 goals in just 48 international appearances.
It is not just Haaland, however, with top-quality players such as captain Martin Odegaard also in their ranks.
Norway have been drawn in a tough group alongside 2022 finalists France, African heavyweights Senegal and one of the inter-confederation play-off winners, but the new format means they should get through and from there, anything is possible.
World Cup
The United States are co-hosts alongside Mexico and Canada and the Stars and Stripes will feel they have a great chance of going far in their home tournament after being handed a favourable draw.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have been pitted with Paraguay, Australia and one of Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey or Romania in Group D, all teams that sit well below them in the current FIFA rankings.
Should the USA win the group, as they will expect to do, then they will face a third-placed team in the round of 32 and then, potentially, Group G favourites Belgium, who are arguably passed their best, in the last 16.
A date with the Belgians should offer nothing to fear for the USA, who could be heading for the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 2002.