We’re now under a year out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a number of team have punched their ticket to next summer’s tournament set for Canada, the United States and Mexico. With the field undergoing a third major expansion since 1982, next summer’s tourney will mark the largest tournament yet.
A look at who has already booked their place in the 48-team event.
Canada
CONFEDERATION: CONCACAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 26
MANAGER: Jesse Marsch
CAPTAIN: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Two (1986 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: FW Jonathan David (Juventus)
For the first time ever, Canada will play in two consecutive World Cups. This time, however, there wasn’t a thrilling qualification process like there was ahead of 2022. The team qualified as one of the three host nations. Manager Jesse Marsch has instilled a new level of confidence in his charges and there’s a real belief that this team can get out of the group stage for the first time. While Marsch has a general idea of who will make up most of his squad, the rest of 2025 and early 2026 will be key for players on the fringes to prove their mettle and earn the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd. Of some concern is the status of wingback Alphonso Davies. The Canada captain and Bayern Munich star is currently rehabbing an ACL tear with some time in the fall penciled in as a likely return. There is a chance that Davies won’t suit up in a red and white kit until Canada’s first World Cup match on June 12, 2026 at Toronto’s BMO Field. Nice centre-back Moise Bombito (tibia) and Vancouver Whitecaps left-back Sam Adekugbe (knee) are also dealing with long-term absences.
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United States
CONFEDERATION: CONCACAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 16
MANAGER: Mauricio Pochettino
CAPTAIN: Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 11 (1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Third place (1930)
KEY PLAYER: FW Christian Pulisic (Milan)
Hosting the tournament for the second time ever and first since 1994, the 2026 World Cup should be a joyous occasion for the USMNT, but controversy is never far behind when it comes to this squad. This time, it’s both on and off the field (to say nothing of the travel ban that is hanging over this entire tournament). On the field, Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival as manager has not heralded a good run of form. Since the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain manager took helm of the program in the fall of 2024, the team has fallen to the likes of Panama, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland and South Korea. The team’s listless form led to rumours swirling that Pochettino would return to Spurs imminently, but that was shot down by the Argentine and former Brentford manager Thomas Frank took over at Spurs. A run to the Gold Cup final where the USMNT fell to Mexico did little to quell the disappointment.
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Mexico
CONFEDERATION: CONCACAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 14
MANAGER: Javier Aguirre
CAPTAIN: Edson Alvarez (Fenerbahce)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 17 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Quarter-finals (1970 and 1986)
KEY PLAYER: FW Santiago Gimenez (Milan)
The World Cup returns to Mexico for a third time and the first time since 1986. Hosting the tournament has heralded good fortune for El Tri with a trip to the quarters in both previous hosting duties, marking the team’s best ever finishes at a World Cup. At the helm of Mexico is Javier Aguirre for a third stint. His latest tenure will almost certainly end after the World Cup with legendary El Tri centre-back Rafa Marquez, currently serving as an assistant coach, set to take over. Mexico won the CONCACAF Nations League in March and won its record 10th Gold Cup this past summer, but the focus for El Tri is very clearly on 2026. The 2022 World Cup couldn’t have gone much worse, beginning with a lacklustre qualification campaign and followed by Mexico’s first group-stage exit in nine tournaments at Qatar. For a proud and football-mad people, that just won’t cut it. Coupled with the pressure of playing at home, the 2026 World Cup is as important a tournament in Mexico as it is anywhere in the world.
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Argentina
CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 3
MANAGER: Lionel Scaloni
CAPTAIN: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 18 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Winners (1978, 1986 and 2022)
KEY PLAYER: MF Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
The CONMEBOL qualification cycle is always a brutal battle, so for holders Argentina, earning an early World Cup berth was a big weight off of their shoulders and offered manager Lionel Scaloni a chance to experiment with his lineups during their remaining qualifiers. Unfortunately for the Albiceleste, repeat World Cup winners are a rarity. It’s only happened twice and the last time it occurred was in 1962. But if there’s a team with a deep enough talent pool to do it all again next summer, it’s Argentina. The big question mark surrounding the team is the status of talisman Lionel Messi. It appears that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will be in the picture when it comes to selecting a final squad. On the heels of Argentina’s victory in Qatar, Messi was very noncommittal about his international future. After he stuck around following the World Cup triumph, there was some thought that he would follow in the footsteps of veteran winger Angel Di Maria and retire from the national side following the 2024 Copa America in which the Albiceleste was also triumphant. But Messi stuck around and it would be a surprise at this point if he weren’t on the plane to North America next summer. Now 38, next year’s World Cup might very well be the four-time Champions League winner’s international swan song.
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Brazil
CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 6
MANAGER: Carlo Ancelotti
CAPTAIN: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: All 22 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1942, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002)
KEY PLAYER: Vini Jr. (Real Madrid)
Brazil’s World Cup drought will hit 24 years next summer. It’s longest spell without a title since winning their first in 1958. Tasked with returning the Selecao to the summit is Carlo Ancelotti. The legendary Italian has won everything imaginable at a club level, but has never managed an international team before. Still, Ancelotti has made it a career of coaching talented Italians for decades, including Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Kaka. Even with an array of mouth-watering talent to choose from, expect Ancelotti to rely upon the players he knows. Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who hadn’t been called up since 2023, is back in the picture and played in the match that earned the team its berth in a 1-0 win over Paraguay. Don Carlo has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to attacking talent, so it will be interesting to see who is on the plane next summer. It might not be time yet for 18-year-old Estevao Willian (Chelsea), 18-year-old Endrick (Real Madrid) or Savinho (Manchester City). The other big question is who will be the No. 1. Alisson has retained the starter’s role at Liverpool, so what does that mean for Lucas Perri (Leeds), Ederson (Fenerbahce) and John (Nottingham Forest)?
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Ecuador
CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 24
MANAGER: Sebastian Beccacece
CAPTAIN: Enner Valencia (Pachuca)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Four (2002, 2006, 2014 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2006)
KEY PLAYER: MF Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
La Tricolor is emerging as a consistent player in South America, qualifying for the World Cup in consecutive tournaments for just the second time and posting back-to-back quarterfinals appearances at Copa America. In Qatar in 2022, Ecuador was on the precipice of the knockouts with an opening victory over the hosts and a hard-fought draw with perennial contenders, the Netherlands. Needing just a point from its final Group A match, Ecuador was foiled in a 2-1 loss to Senegal, who jumped La Tricolor for second place in the group. For a team full of battle-tested young talent including Piero Hincapie (Arsenal), Pervis Estupinan (Milan) and 18-year-old Chelsea starlet Kendry Paez, currently on loan at Strasbourg, the biggest concern heading into next summer will be goals. All-time leading goal scorer Enner Valencia will likely be in the squad, but the former West Ham man will be 36. After Valencia’s 47 goals, Union SG’s Kevin Rodriguez has the most among active forwards with two.
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Australia
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 25
MANAGER: Tony Popovic
CAPTAIN: Mat Ryan (Levante)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 6 (1974, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2006 and 2022)
KEY PLAYER: DF Aziz Behich (Melbourne City)
Make it six straight World Cups for the Socceroos. Australia qualified for 2026 on the back of a runner-up finish behind Japan in Group C of AFC qualifying, holding off Saudi Arabia for the automatic spot. In Qatar, Australia matched its best-ever result at a World Cup with a trip to the Round of 16. Emerging from Group D as runners-up to eventual finalists France, in a group that also included Denmark and Tunisia, the Socceroos’ tournament came to an end with a loss to eventual winners Argentina. Australia managed just four goals in their four matches in 2022 and will need to rely on unproven scorers next summer if they expect to get out of the group stage. Long gone are the likes of Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka. Currently there isn’t an active player in the Socceroos’ top-10 all-time goal scorers. The team’s current active leader is Melbourne City forward Mathew Leckie, who - at 34 - isn’t guaranteed to be on the plane next summer. The likes of young forward options in Rapid Wien’s Marco Tilio, Nestory Irankunda of Watford and twice-capped Nicolas Milanovic, who notched 12 goals for Western Sydney Wanderers this past season before a May move to Aberdeen, all have the opportunity to become indispensable.
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Iran
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 21
MANAGER: Amir Ghalenoei
CAPTAIN: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Free agent)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Six (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: ST Mehdi Taremi (Olympiacos)
Iran’s best-ever form continues with a fourth consecutive trip to the World Cup. Olympiacos hitman Mehdi Taremi was the star man during qualifying that saw Iran win its first six matches of qualifying, with the former Porto striker notching nine goals. . Iran will be looking to get out of the group stage for the first time ever at World Cup 2026 and to do that, they’re going to need to score goals. In their past three World Cup appearances, Team Melli has six goals in nine matches. That just won’t be enough to advance to the knockouts next June.
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Japan
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 19
MANAGER: Hajime Moriyasu
CAPTAIN: Wataru Endo (Liverpool)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Seven (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022)
KEY PLAYER: MF Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)
The Samurai Blue are on their way to an eighth consecutive World Cup appearance and believe this time they can break through the ceiling of a Round of 16 appearance. While there are still a handful of players part of the national setup who compete in the J League, a vast majority of Hajime Moriyasu’s team plies their trade in Europe with the likes of captain Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Koki Machida (then of Union SG, now of Hoffenheim), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Reo Hetate and Daizen Maeda (both Celtic) all winning league titles this past season. Moriyasu favours a 4-2-3-1 with a lone striker up top (perhaps Kyogo Furuhashi of Birmingham City), but he’s shown himself to be more than adaptable when the situation calls for it, whether that means taking a more defensive shape or rolling more men forward in an all-out attack. With the likes of Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) and Ayese Ueda (Feyenoord) at his disposal, creating offence shouldn’t be a problem.
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Jordan
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 62
MANAGER: Jamal Sellami
CAPTAIN: Ihsan Haddad (Al-Hussein)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: None
BEST FINISH: N/A
KEY PLAYER: FW Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes)
For the first time ever, Jordan is headed to the World Cup. Managed by former Besiktas midfielder Jamal Sellami, the Chivalrous Ones dropped only one match during the third round of AFC qualifying and finished as runners-up to heavy favourites South Korea. Jordan’s most impressive result might have been a 4-0 shellacking of Oman last fall. Sellami’s team is made up almost entirely of players from the Jordanian Pro League. Only HB Koge forward Mohamad Al-Naser, winger Musa Al-Taamari of Rennes and 19-year-old Goztepe striker Ibrahim Sabra are Europe-based right now. Perhaps a long shot, but there could be a Canadian flavour to this Jordan team come next summer. Jordan Under-23 goalkeeper Tony Awad was called into the senior team’s January camp. Awad is a native of Oakville, Ont. and attends Concordia. At only 22, Awad is the youngest ‘keeper on Sellami’s radar, but could yet feature ahead of the World Cup.
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South Korea
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 23
MANAGER: Hong Myung-bo
CAPTAIN: Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 11 (1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Fourth place (2002)
KEY PLAYER: FW Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain)
Hong Myung-bo’s Taegeuk Warriors have lost just twice in their past 32 games. With an undefeated World Cup qualifying campaign, South Korea is headed to an 11th straight World Cup. Next summer’s tournament could be the last hurrah with the national team for a number of stalwarts, namely captain Son Heung-min. The man Spurs fans affectionately called “Sonny” over his decade in North London will be 33 next summer. The likes of Ulsan HD defender Kim Young-gwon (35), who has 112 caps to his name, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae (29), Mainz midfielder Lee Jae-sung (33) and midfielder Hwang Hee-chan (29) of Wolves are all heading into what could possibly be their last World Cups. While South Korea has gotten out of the group stage in two of the past four tournaments, the team has only won a combined four matches in the past five World Cups since a fourth-place finish at home in 2002.
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Uzbekistan
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 54
MANAGER: Fabio Cannavaro
CAPTAIN: Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: None
BEST FINISH: N/A
KEY PLAYER: DF Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City)
Joining Jordan as part of the first-time contingent out of Asia is Uzbekistan. The White Wolves qualified for the 2026 World Cup as the surprise runners-up in AFC Group A behind Iran, finishing ahead of the more experienced United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It wasn’t enough to keep Timur Kapadze’s job, though, with World Cup- and Ballon d’Or-winning Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro now at the helm of the team. While a majority of the White Wolves’ squad plays in the Uzbekistan Football Association, there are players in much bigger leagues including Istanbul Basaksehir duo Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Uzbekistan’s most impressive young talent, though, is 21-year-old centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. After two seasons at Lens, the young defender joined Manchester City in the January 2025 transfer window in a €40 million move. Khusanov got past a rough start in England and was able to show why he was so highly sought after by season’s end.
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New Zealand
CONFEDERATION: OFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 83
MANAGER: Darren Bazeley
CAPTAIN: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Two (1982 and 2010)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: MF Marko Stamenic (Swansea City)
One of the greatest beneficiaries of the expanded World Cup was the Oceania Football Confederation. For the first time, the OFC was awarded a direct place in the World Cup, rather than simply passage into a playoff. In one of the smallest confederations in all of a FIFA, a minnow is king. New Zealand thrashed its way into their third World Cup by outscoring their opponents by a margin of 29-1. The concern, of course, for Darren Bazeley is what happens when the All-Whites take on higher-quality opponents. Well, they’ve shown they can hang with those, as well, earning a draw against the United States last fall and picking up an impressive 1-0 win over Cote d’Ivoire in Toronto as part of the Canadian Shield tournament. The key to New Zealand’s offensive fortunes largely come down to the play of Chris Wood. The Nottingham Forest star reached 20 Premier League goals for the first time in his career this past season, helping lead his club to a surprise seventh-place finish and a return to European football.
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Uruguay
CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 15
MANAGER: Marcelo Bielsa
CAPTAIN: Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 14 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Champions (1930 and 1950)
KEY PLAYER: MF Fede Valverde (Real Madrid)
Make it a fifth straight World Cup for La Celeste who finished in fourth place in CONMEBOL qualifying. After a fourth-place finish at South Africa 2010, a trip to the Round of 16 at Brazil 2014 and a place in the last eight at Russia 2018, Uruguay was knocked out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the group stage thanks to Hwang Hee-chan’s stoppage time to goal that gave South Korea a 2-1 win over Portugal to pip La Celeste to the knockout round on goal difference. Former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, who’s been in charge of the program since 2023, is using the remaining international windows to take a look at some unproven talent ahead of next summer. The likes of midfielders Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United, Rodrigo Betancur (Tottenham Hotspur) and Fede Valverde (Real Madrid), defenders Ronald Araujo (Barcelona) and Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico) and forward Darwin Nunez (Al-Hilal) were not called up for a pair of October friendlies. Outside of Palmeiras winger Facundo Torres, none of Bielsa’s 17-player squad has double-digit caps.
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Colombia
CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 13
MANAGER: Nestor Lorenzo
CAPTAIN: James Rodriguez (Leon)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Six (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014 and 2018)
BEST FINISH: Quarter-finals (2014)
KEY PLAYER: FW Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich)
After missing out on Qatar 2022, Colombia has returned to the World Cup thanks to a third-place finish in CONMEBOL qualifying. It was at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when Los Cafeteros reached the quarters that James Rodriguez broke out on the global stage. His dazzling display of both scoring goals and setting them up earned him a move from Porto to Real Madrid. Yet the kind of potential that form heralded never materialized. Sure, Rodriguez would go on to win La Liga and Champions League titles with Los Blancos and a Bundesliga crown on loan at Bayern Munich, but the all-world talent that was promised in Brazil never came to pass...at the club level. The funny thing about Rodriguez is that even as he drifted from league to league, James remained a force for Colombia. At the 2024 Copa America, Rodriguez set a tournament record with six assists. Colombia’s talisman, Rodriguez now leads a team featuring the likes of Luis Diaz (Bayern), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace) and terrific central midfielder Richard Rios (Benfica). No matter the group they end up in, Los Cafeteros will be a difficult out next summer.
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Morocco
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 11
MANAGER: Walid Regragui
CAPTAIN: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Six (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Fourth place (2022)
KEY PLAYER: FW Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)
Morocco aren’t going to surprise anybody next summer. After taking world football by storm at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Atlas Lions are now a true power in the sport. That’s reflected in their hosting of December’s Africa Cup of Nations and co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal. Helmed by former Morocco defender Walid Regragui, the Atlas Lions pulled off their first shocker in Qatar when they topped Group F ahead of Croatia and Belgium. Then in the knockouts, they single-handedly took out the Iberian Peninsula, beating Spain on penalties in the Round of 16 and Portugal in the quarters. Their run came to end in the semis against France, but Qatar was very much Morocco’s arrival. The Atlas Stars were a buzzsaw in qualifying, winning their first seven matches to cruise to the top of their group. Heading into next summer, an attack that already features Amine Adli (Bournemouth) and veteran Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce) will be boosted by the arrival of Brahim Diaz. The Real Madrid winger switched allegiances from his native Spain to Morocco, eligible through his father, last year and already has eight goals in 11 appearances.
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Paraguay
CONFEDERATION: CONMEBOL
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 37
MANAGER: Gustavo Alfaro
CAPTAIN: Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: One (2010)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: FW Julio Enciso (Strasbourg)
Finishing among a group of four teams on 28 points, Paraguay claimed the final automatic spot in CONMEBOL qualifying and will play in a World Cup for just the second time ever next summer. That Los Guaranies will be in the tournament at all comes as somewhat of a minor miracle when you consider that they had a single win to their name from their first seven matches in qualifying. The turning point in the campaign was a 1-0 win over Brazil in September of 2024 in Asuncion on a goal from Diego Gomez. Paraguay would go on to drop only one more match, the return fixture against the Selecao, en route to qualifying with wins over Argentina and Uruguay. Veteran manager Gustavo Alfaro, who previously had stints with Ecuador, Costa Rica and Boca Juniors among many stops in his career, must be credited for coming in and steady the ship in 2024. For years, the name most associated with Paraguayan football was Roque Santa Cruz, but the current crop of young talent in the program currently hopes to eclipse the Los Guaranies legend. Along with Brighton star Gomez, the likes of Julio Enciso (Strasbourg) and Hugo Cuenca (Genoa) will complement veteran midfielder Miguel Amiron (Atalanta United) with uncapped youngsters like Diego Leon (Manchester United), Ruben Lezcano (Fluminense) and Diego Gonzalez (Atlas) knocking at the door. There could also be some Canadian flavour on the squad with Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas a good bet to feature next summer.
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Tunisia
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 46
MANAGER: Sami Trabelsi
CAPTAIN: Ferjani Sassi (Al-Gharafa)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Six (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: MF Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)
The Eagles of Carthage will play in a third-straight World Cup for the second time thanks to an undefeated qualifying campaign. The return of manager Sami Trabelsi has hopefully stabilized the coaching situation heading into next summer. Trabelsi, a former national team central defender who played in the 1998 World Cup in France, previously managed the side from 2011 to 2013 and led them to an Africa Cup of Nations title. With his reappointment this past Feburary, Trabelsi became the fifth Tunisia manager since January 2024. While Tunisia has developed the consistent ability to qualify for World Cups, getting out of the group stage will be the next step. In Qatar, the Eagles of Carthage earned a famous victory over France in the final game of the group stage, but it wasn’t enough to advance. The good news is that Tunisia will be battle-tested by the time next summer rolls around with participation in both the FIFA Arab Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations set for December.
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Egypt
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 35
MANAGER: Hossam Hassan
CAPTAIN: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Three (1934, 1990 and 2018)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: FW Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)
Who else but Mo Salah? The Liverpool icon notched a brace in the Pharaohs’ decisive 3-0 win over Djibouti to put Egypt back in the World Cup for just the fourth time. It capped off an undefeated qualification campaign that saw the Pharaohs’ top CAF Group A by five points over runners-up Burkina Faso. With the two goals against Djibouti, Salah pulled within six of Egypt’s all-time leader, who just happens to be the Pharaohs’ manager, Hossam Hassan. Hassan, who scored 69 goals in 177 appearances, suited up for the Pharaohs at the 1990 World Cup and won three Africa Cup of Nations, including as a 40-year-old in 2006. As a man who knows a thing or two about scoring, it must be a pleasure for Hassan to manage Salah, but the former Chelsea and Fiorentina man will have some help up front next summer in the form of Omar Marmoush. The 26-year-old Cairo native joined Manchester City from Eintracht last January and scored seven goals in his first half-season in England. Playing as a complementary piece to Erling Haaland at the Etihad might be the exact kind of role Hassan calls on him to play alongside Salah next summer. Before then, though, will be the Africa Cup of Nations. After a string of three straight titles from 2006 to 2010, Egypt has not won in any of the last seven tournaments, despite runners-up finishes in 2017 and 2021.
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Algeria
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 38
MANAGER: Vladimir Petkovic
CAPTAIN: Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Four (1982, 1986, 2010 and 2014)
BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2014)
KEY PLAYER: DF Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City)
For the first time in 12 years, the Fennecs are back at the World Cup. Algeria qualified for its fifth World Cup by topping CAF Group G. In the penultimate qualifier, Algeria defeating Somalia 3-0 on the back of a brace from Wolfsburg’s Mohamed Amoura, ensuring they couldn’t be caught by second-place Uganda. At the helm of the Fennecs is well-travelled manager Vladimir Petkovic, who was named manager in February of 2024. The 62-year-old Sarajevo native has extensive experience at both the national and club level, having previously had spells with Young Boys, Lazio and Bordeaux, as well as taking Switzerland to a World Cup and two Euros. This version of the Fennecs has a mix of experience and youth, led by Premier League- and Champions League-winning captain Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli), midfielder Nabil Bentaleb (Lille) and forward Said Benrahma (Neom), as well as midfielder Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad), forward Amine Gouri (Marseille) and left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City). Mahrez needs just three more caps to become the Fennecs’ all-time appearance maker at 108. After an Africa Cup of Nations title in 2019, Algeria has failed to make it out of the group stage in the last two and will use December’s tournament to get into form for next summer.
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Ghana
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 73
MANAGER: Otto Addo
CAPTAIN: Jordan Ayew (Leicester City)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Four (2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Quarter-finals (2010)
KEY PLAYER: FW Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)
The Black Stars are once again headed to world football’s biggest stage. Ghana qualified for its fifth World Cup by virtue of finishing atop CAF’s Group I with a tougher than expected 1-0 win over Comoros on the final matchday. Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus scored the game’s lone goal. Manager Otto Addo, a former Black Stars winger and a Bundesliga winner with Borussia Dortmund, will look to have his team bounce back from a disappointing tournament in Qatar in 2022. Ghana finished at the bottom of Group H, winning one match and losing its other two. At his disposal is a mix of savvy veterans and emerging talent. Up front, Ghana is led by Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo. After a breakout campaign last season for the Cherries, the London-born forward is on pace to shatter last year’s record goals haul of 11. The Ghana attack is further bolstered by veterans, captain Jordan Ayew (Leicester) and Inaki Williams (Athletic Club) and exciting youngster Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), who is coming off of an ACL injury.
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Cape Verde
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 71
MANAGER: Bubista
CAPTAIN: Ryan Mendes (Kocaelispor)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: None
BEST FINISH: N/A
KEY PLAYER: DF Logan Costa (Villarreal)
The third nation set for their FIFA World Cup debuts next summer following the earlier qualifications of Jordan and Uzbekistan, Cape Verde became the second-smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament after their shocking CAF Group G triumph. Representing the island nation of under 600,000, Bubista’s Blue Sharks topped confederation giants Cameroon for the automatic spot, including a famous victory over the Indomitable Lions in September. Much of the Cape Verde roster is unheralded with the likes of infamous Manchester United flop Bebe having been capped as recently as last fall at the age of 35. Rotterdam-born Hellas Verona forward Dailon Livramento, currently on loan with Primeira Liga side Casa Pia, was the team’s leading scorer in qualifying with four goals, including in the win over Cameroon and the World Cup berth-clinching match against Eswatini. Among the other intriguing prospects available for selection include Trabzonspor’s 22-year-old right-back Wagner Pina, Villarreal centre-back Logan Costa and forward Benchimol of Russian Premier League club Akron Tolyatti, who has five goals in 15 senior appearances. With Cape Verde failing to qualify for December’s African Cup of Nations, 2026 friendlies leading into next summer will be key for the Blue Sharks to round into form before their World Cup bow.
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South Africa
CONFEDERATION: CAF
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 59
MANAGER: Hugo Broos
CAPTAIN: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: Three (1998, 2002 and 2010)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: DF Siyabonga Ngezana (FCSB)
When South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, becoming the first African nation to do so, it felt like the Bafana Bafana were on an upswing. Automatically qualified as hosts, it marked the third World Cup in four that South Africa would appear in and it looked as if they were about to become a mainstay from CAF. But that never came to pass. South Africa has not made a World Cup since 2010 before qualifying as Group C winners. The Bafana Bafana just edged Nigeria to the automatic spot, with 18 points to the Super Eagles’ 17, and wrapped up their berth with an emphatic 3-0 win over Rwanda on the final matchday. Manager Hugo Broos has been at the helm of the program since 2021 and will head into the World Cup as one of the tournament’s longest tenured gaffers. His talent pool is almost entirely based in the South African Premiership. Fourteen members of his 24-man squad for the last set of qualifiers in early October played for either the Orlando Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns. That doesn’t mean South Africa is without some European-based talent with forward Lyle Foster (Burnley), defender Siyabonga Ngezana (FCSB) and 21-year-old defender Ime Okon (Hannover) likely to feature in Broos’s planning. Next up for the Bafana Bafana is the African Cup of Nations in Morocco where they will look to build on a third-place finish at Cote D’Ivoire 2023.
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Qatar
CONFEDERATION: AFC
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 52
MANAGER: Julen Lopetegui
CAPTAIN: Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: One (2022)
BEST FINISH: Group stage
KEY PLAYER: FW Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail)
After hosting the World Cup in 2022, Qatar has reached its first tournament through the qualification track. A nervy 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates in Al Rayyan in early October ensured the Maroons would play in consecutive World Cups for the first time. At the helm of the program is former Spain, Sevilla and Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui. The veteran manager and former Spain international as a player was named manager last spring following a brief reign as West Ham boss. The entirety of Qatar’s player pool plays in the Qatari Stars League, which means that they’re unlikely to encounter any opponents they’ve played regularly at the World Cup. Because of this and beginning ahead of the last World Cup, Qatar has made a concerted effort to arrange quality friendlies and participate in other tournaments, including the Gold Cup in 2021 and 2023. Among the nations played by Qatar over the past five years are Portugal, Canada, Mexico and Serbia. Another test for the team comes in December when Qatar will play host to the 16-team FIFA Arab Cup contested by teams from both the AFC and CAF and featuring regional heavyweights like Algeria, Egypt and Morocco.
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England
CONFEDERATION: UEFA
CURRENT FIFA RANKING: 4
MANAGER: Thomas Tuchel
CAPTAIN: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS: 16 (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022)
BEST FINISH: Winners (1966)
KEY PLAYER: MF Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
That England was the first European team to qualify for the World Cup was met with shrugs by fans tells you all you need to know about the expectations surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions. Of course England qualified for the World Cup. They’re supposed to qualify for the World Cup. That’s less than a bare minimum for a nation with as much quality across the board, but one that can never seem to put it all together. Gareth Southgate’s eight-year reign as manager brought with it England’s most sustained success in decades with back-to-back Euro final appearances and a spot in the 2018 World Cup semis. After his departure following last summer’s Euro, the FA turned to Tuchel, a man who has plenty of experience massaging big egos at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, but none at an international level. While it might be a bit much to say it’s trophy or bust for England next summer, it’s not far from it. Few countries on the planet have the kind of talent at Tuchel’s disposal with captain Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) rampaging for club and country, a resurgent Marcus Rashford starring on loan at Barcelona and Jack Grealish rediscovering the kind of form at Everton that made him undroppable under Southgate only scratching the surface when it comes to potential names on the plane to North America next summer. Big decisions will be ahead for Tuchel and the margin for error is razor-thin.
