England Secures 2026 World Cup Spot: A Look at the Contenders
England has secured its place in the 2026 World Cup, shifting the focus to their potential performance in North America next summer, as well as the state of their rivals.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel's contract extends through the tournament, reflecting the commitment England has shown to reach this milestone.
However, Tuchel has stated that England will be seen as "underdogs" at the World Cup, citing the long gap since their last victory.
Argentina and Brazil, both of whom have qualified, will be eager to leverage the tournament's location to their advantage.
Historically, seven of the eight World Cups held in the Americas have been won by South American teams, while ten of the eleven tournaments in Europe have been claimed by European nations.
BBC Sport examines how some of the World Cup favorites are currently positioned.
Spain
Spain is currently the bookmakers' favorite to win the World Cup, and for good reason. They were crowned champions at Euro 2024, defeating England in the final. With Barcelona's teenage winger Lamine Yamal among their ranks, they boast one of the world's top talents. Aside from a penalty shootout loss to Portugal in the Nations League final in June, Spain has not lost a competitive match since March 2023. They currently lead Group E with maximum points, although they have yet to secure qualification.
France
France, under the management of Didier Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament, is aiming for their third consecutive World Cup final appearance. They triumphed over Croatia in 2018 and lost to Argentina on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the 2022 final. Kylian Mbappe will be crucial to their success, having scored 17 goals in 13 matches for Real Madrid and the national team this season. France currently leads Group D, three points ahead of Ukraine after a frustrating 2-2 draw with Iceland.
England
There is a palpable sense of optimism that this could be England's year, following several near misses under Gareth Southgate. The Football Association's decision to appoint the highly regarded Tuchel for this tournament underscores their determination to secure victory. Fortunately for Tuchel, he has a fully fit Harry Kane, who has netted 20 goals in 11 matches for Bayern Munich and England. England stands out as the only European team to have won nine of their last ten games and was the first to qualify for the tournament next summer.
Brazil
Historically synonymous with World Cup success, Brazil last lifted the trophy in 2002 but has not reached a final since. In a bold move, they appointed Carlo Ancelotti as their first foreign head coach since 1965 after dismissing Dorival Junior following a 4-1 defeat to Argentina in World Cup qualifying. Brazil qualified in fifth place in the South American group, suffering six defeats in 18 matches, indicating they are not in peak form.
Argentina
As the defending champions, Argentina triumphed over France in the last World Cup final in Qatar. They dominated the South American qualifying group, finishing nine points ahead of Ecuador. Legendary footballer Lionel Messi has yet to confirm his participation in the World Cup, but his absence would be surprising. Recently, he was rested for a friendly to allow Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez to play together.
Portugal
Portugal has yet to qualify for the World Cup but remains confident, leading Group F despite a recent draw with Hungary. During Euro 2024, there were concerns that Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading international goalscorer, was hindering the team. However, Ronaldo has scored 13 goals in 13 games for Portugal since then. The team appears to be in good shape after winning the Nations League final against Spain on penalties this summer.
Germany
Germany must significantly improve their performance in major tournaments to compete effectively in North America. Since winning the World Cup in 2014, they have exited in the group stage twice and failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals of the European Championship. Currently, they are struggling in World Cup qualifying, sitting just above Slovakia on goal difference in Group A after suffering a recent defeat to Slovakia, marking their fourth qualifying loss.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is in solid form, having lost only once since their defeat to England in the Euro 2024 semi-final. They have accumulated 16 points from six qualifying matches, scoring 22 goals while conceding only three. Memphis Depay has emerged as the country's all-time leading goalscorer (54) and assist provider (35) during this qualifying campaign.
Italy
While Italy is often included in discussions about World Cup favorites, recent data does not support this. Since winning the 2006 World Cup, they have not participated in a single knockout match. They exited the group stage in both 2010 and 2014 and failed to qualify for the last two World Cups. Currently, they sit three points behind Group I leaders Norway and may require a playoff to secure a spot. However, they have performed better in the Euros, winning the final against England in 2021.