Another international break means more qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, though three nations—hosts United States, Mexico, and Canada—already hold guaranteed spots. Japan became the first team to secure qualification on the pitch in March 2025, quickly joined by Iran, South Korea, Australia, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. In South America, traditional powerhouses Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador booked their tickets with little trouble, while New Zealand once again emerged as Oceania’s lone representative on the world stage.
That brings the tally to 14 nations already confirmed, leaving 34 coveted places still up for grabs. Asia will contribute eight teams in total, with three berths still undecided. Africa’s nine slots remain wide open, while North & Central America plus the Caribbean have three to fill beyond the automatic host entries. South America has three more places to hand out, and Europe—where the fiercest battle lies—must squeeze 16 representatives from a crowded field of 55 national teams.
It may be early to predict the ultimate champion, but anticipation is already building. Next year’s tournament promises to be among the most thrilling in memory: some nations will lean on their superstar talent, while others rely on collective spirit and discipline. From dark horses with nothing to lose to underdogs dreaming of glory, here are our early picks to shake up the world in 2026.
Dark horses
Morocco: Possibly one of the most overlooked nations in 2022, they ended up finishing top of a very tough group with Croatia, Belgium, and Canada, and beat Spain in the last 16, Portugal in the quarter finals, before losing against France, playing some really good football in the semi-finals. Achraf Hakimi, one of the leaders in the locker rooms, is one of the best players in the world and could very well lead his nation to another semi-final. Although the competition will be fiercer this time around, with more countries taking part in the 2026 edition. Morocco has a solid squad with head manager Walid Regragui trusting his group of players, who constantly show real hunger to prevail: Sofyan Amrabat was the standout player three years ago, and Regragui is a young manager capable of uplifting his squad, with new players coming through the ranks, with the likes of Brahim Diaz and Eliesse Ben Seghir showing real quality. Morocco is a country to look out for once more.
Croatia: There may be an argument for Croatia to be somewhere between underdogs and dark horses for next year’s World Cup, as the nation has overperformed over the past two editions. Leader Luka Modric will most likely be playing his final tournament next year, so Croatia may want to go out on a high: Croatia reached the final in 2018. Croatia, much like France, England, Spain, Germany, and CO, have had strong runs over the past couple of World Cups, but many football fans might still be underestimating what Croatia is capable of achieving. The football isn’t flamboyant, nor does Croatia have superstars in every position on the field, but their experience in recent years may be an important factor. Gvardiol, Kovacic and Modric are Croatia’s most important players, and they have lost a lot of important players over the past couple of years (Mario Mandzukic, Subasic, Lovren, Vrsaljko, and, most importantly Ivan Rakitic, who announced his retirement from professional football last season), so they will definitely be underestimated, but do not rule out this important footballing nation.
Ghana: It’s hard to pinpoint a favorite when it comes to African nations, who have perhaps underperformed when it comes to retracing the entire history of the World Cup, even though Morocco surprised everyone by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. The last two teams to have qualified for the quarter-finals before seeing elimination were both Senegal and Ghana, Senegal doing so in 2002 and Ghana most recently in 2010. Unfortunately for the Ghanaians, the 2010 World Cup is one they will never forget. They still feel today that they were hard done by by Uruguay, when Luis Suarez got himself sent off for a handball offence on the goal line, before Asamoah Gyan missed his penalty. Although no African nations have yet to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Ghana has some real talent in their squad: both Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo could prove to be a lethal partnership next year, with both players playing at the highest level in England. Other reliable players include Inaki Williams, Thomas Partey, Tariq Lamptey, and Mohammed Salisu. Perhaps Ghana will be dark horses, perhaps they will underperform, but what is certain is that they will need their strongest two players in Semenyo and Kudus, if they want to stand a chance. It is all dependent on the front two.
Japan: Much like Croatia, Japan has been consistent in recent years, reaching the round of 16 in the previous two World Cups, only this time, they have a more talented squad, with real potential. Those too raw in 2022 have now cemented themselves in Europe, and others just decided to take the sport by its horns. Wataru Endo, Ao Tanaka, Daizen Maeda, Takefusa Kubo, Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino, Hiroki Ito, Daichi Kamada, Junya Ito, Keito Nakamura. These are all names of Japanese footballers who have performed amongst the best players in the world, on a consistent basis in Europe. Endo is a player Arne Slot can count on, Ao Tanaka cemented himself in the Leeds squad last year, whilst players like Kubo, Maeda, and Mitoma all continue to pave the way for Japanese football. Those who paid close
attention to Japan in recent World Cups will remember the remarkable tenacity that they possess. Now, if you add to that a strong squad to compete alongside the best, then Japan may just creep up as the strongest dark horse of the competition. There’s no surprise they were the first country to qualify for the World Cup.
United States of America: We spoke about the chances that the USA will hold on home soil next year, and we believe at Sports-Hop that if the support behind the national team is strong, then there are many chances that the USA could go far in the competition. With this new format, especially, more countries will feel like they have a chance and will play with much more freedom. Much like Japan, the US national team has improved in recent years, developing some top players. Christian Pulisic is considered to be one of AC Milan’s most important players today, whilst players such as Timothy Weah, Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, and Weston McKennie have all become reliable starters and leaders in their respective leagues. The USA finished 3rd (semi-finals) in 1930 when only 13 teams were playing, and have only ever since reached the quarter-finals in 2002 and the last 16 three years ago now. But with the way football changes, and is becoming a much more tactical sport than it has ever been. With Mauricio Pochettino in charge, there have been a lot of negative talks surrounding the performances displayed but it can all change in the blink of an eye, especially as the World Cup will be played on home soil.
Other dark horses may include Norway, Ecuador, Turkey, and Mexico.
Underdogs:
Uzbekistan: Perhaps the biggest underdogs of them all. When Uzbekistan qualified for the World Cup a couple of months ago, it had already surprised everyone, which is without counting the new format allowing for more spots to be played for. The truth is, Uzbekistan has a talented pool of players who have come under the light in recent years, whereas they had previously never qualified for a World Cup in their existence. By definition, they are the biggest underdogs in the tournament already, and people will expect Uzbekistan to struggle, and rightly so. The experience on the biggest of stages plays a massive role, most countries will know what it’s like to play in a World Cup, but Uzbekistan doesn’t, and this is where they come in. Perhaps the most talented footballer Uzbekistan has ever produced is Abdukodir Khusanov, who plays for one of the biggest clubs in the World in Manchester City. Other players include Eldor Shomurodov, who plays for Süper Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir in Turkey, and is currently on loan from Serie A club Roma.
Against all odds, Uzbekistan will most likely go out in the group stages, but, just but, they might surprise one or two people.
Gabon: As qualifying matches are still underway in the AFC, Gabon might just get over the line and qualify for the 2026 World Cup, having won 5 out of their 6 matches so far, with the national squad only needing a few points left to secure a play-off spot, and they could even surpass Ivory Coast as the sole leader of Group F to qualify directly. As of today, the 9/3/2025, Gabon plays the Seychelles, with the latter not having won a single match of the qualifiers, Gabon could be in pole position before the Ivory Coast plays Burundi on Friday. If Gabon ends up finishing top of their group and participates in the World Cup next year, they will be massive underdogs. It would be the same situation as Uzbekistan, as this would be their first World Cup. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nearing the end of his career, this would be a wonderful sight to see him play and represent his country next year. With Mario Lemina also having been a competitive player over the course of his career, Gabon will, too, rely on Denis Bouanga, LAFC’s very own. Gabon could be a big underdog next year. One to watch over the next couple of days.
Paraguay: Paraguay are just inches away from qualifying to the World Cup. With two games to go, they simply must not lose their composure now, because their spot is still not guaranteed, but they are edging closer to the top 6 places, six spots available for qualification, with seventh having to go through play-offs. Paraguay would be a real underdog if they qualify. The nation hasn’t participated in a World Cup since 2010 and lacks any real quality in the squad. Players such as Miguel Almiron and Juan Iturbe are not at the peak of their careers, and whilst they are perhaps overperforming in the CONMEBOL qualifying matches, their odds of surprising the world next year are extremely small, but still there. By definition, much like Uzbekistan, Paraguay would also be an underdog, as they risk facing better opposition across their entire fixtures.
Canada: Having previously written about Canada, the feeling here at Sports Hop is that Canada sure aren’t favorites, and they’re not dark horses either. Football fans will actually feel that Canada will be underdogs, even when they’re playing in front of their home supporters in Vancouver and Toronto. Previous results have been poor, and perhaps this Canadian side will go under the radar a bit, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for Jesse Marsch and his men. We previously mentioned Canada having a good pool of players who play in Europe, but because of their previous records in World Cups, most football fans will underestimate Canada and expect the side to get beaten by stronger opposition. We mentioned before that, should Canada advance to the knockout stages of the competition, it would be a huge result for the home fans and perhaps would give Canada some momentum going forward. Canada has always struggled on the big stage, but this time around, it is their turn to prove that they can be more than just underdogs; they need to prove that they belong.
Scotland: Since 1998, Scotland has not participated in the World Cup, and that’s exactly why they should be considered underdogs. Ask most English fans, and they won’t take Scotland seriously, and yet here we are talking about how Scotland could be one of the most important nations if they manage to qualify for the World Cup next year. Scotland is currently in Group C in the FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, alongside Belarus, Denmark, and Greece. Scottish fans will feel like they have a serious chance of making it past those three nations if they put their head down and play some outstanding football. With European qualifiers taking place soon, this is the time for Scotland to show that they belong with the best. Scotland has produced some incredibly talented footballers, with the likes of Scott McTominay, Andrew Robertson, and John McGinn carrying the reins. The argument though, is, Scotland haven’t got enough talent in every position, which is the perfect reason that they would be underdogs if they make it past qualifying matches. Scotland will be overlooked, and people will expect them to face some heavy defeats against bigger nations, but they could also shock the world.
Other underdogs may include DR Congo, Cape Verde, Jamaica, Algeria, Iran, Jordan, and Greece