Ready for this summer’s soccer smorgasbord that will be the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
You better be because you know I am. I’m ready for 48 teams from around the globe to take part in what will be an epic party spread across three nations, including the United States.
But let’s be real. There are teams that are better than others. Some will have a legit shot at winning it all. And some will just enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
So now it’s time to rank all 48 teams. And remember, these are my power rankings. If you don’t like them, you can get your own.
48
Haiti
Derrick Etienne of Haiti (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +250000 (48th)
Key player: Winger Derrick Etienne Jr. (Toronto FC)
Hey, when you’re at the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up. This will be Haiti’s second World Cup and first since 1974.
Group C opponents: Scotland (June 13), Brazil (June 19), Morocco (June 24)
47
Curaçao
Curaçao’s Leandro Bacuna (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +100000 (T-39th)
Key player: Midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla (Pumas UNAM)
Panama returns to the World Cup after missing out on 2022. It gets a brutal group against England, Croatia and Ghana. The Panamanians will be lucky to score a goal.
Group L opponents: Ghana (June 17), Croatia (June 23), England (June 27)
45
South Africa
South African player Lyle Foster (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +100000 (T-39th)
Key player: Winger Ryan Mendes (Iğdır FK)
Cape Verde is an incredible story, but this team will be happy just to be involved in the World Cup and collect the gift bag.
Group H opponents: Spain (June 15), Uruguay (June 21), Saudi Arabia (June 26)
43
New Zealand
New Zealand’s Callum McCowatt and Chris Wood (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +100000 (T-39th)
Key player: Striker Ayman Hussein (Al-Karma)
The good news for Iraq: It’s back in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years! The bad news: The Iraqis will face France, Senegal and Norway in their group games.
Group I opponents: Norway (June 16), France (June 22), Senegal (June 26)
41
Qatar
Ahmed Alaaeldin and Akram Afif celebrate with teammates (Photo by Jan Kruger – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +100000 (T-39th)
Key player: Defender Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City)
Almost the entire Uzbekistan team plays its club soccer in its home country, so I’m not expecting much from it this summer.
Group K opponents: Colombia (June 17), Portugal (June 23), Congo DR (June 27)
39
Congo DR
Cedric Bakambu and Rocky Bushiri of Congo DR (Photo by Luis Cano/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +50000 (T-34th)
Key player: Midfielder Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Tunisia has never advanced out of the group stage at a World Cup — although it won games at each of the last two tournaments. I’m still not expecting this team to make the knockout stage this summer.
Group F schedule: Sweden (June 14), Japan (June 20), Netherlands (June 25)
37
Jordan
Jordanian players Musa Al-Taamari, Abdallah Nasib, Yazan Al-Naimat, Yazan Al-Arab and Salem Al-Ajalin (Photo by Markus Gilliar – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +50000 (T-34th)
Key player: Midfielder Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli)
There are no stars to be found on this team, but the underdog role suits the Australians. They could be a spoiler in Group D against the United States, Türkiye and Paraguay.
Group D opponents: Türkiye (June 13), USA (June 19), Paraguay (June 25)
35
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast player Wilfried Zaha (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +30000 (T-30th)
Key player: Winger Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Egypt has never won a World Cup game. That could change this summer with matches against Iran and New Zealand in the group stage.
Group G opponents: Belgium (June 15), New Zealand (June 21), Iran (June 26)
33
Algeria
Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez (Photo by Chris Ricco/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +25000 (28th)
Key player: Striker Edin Džeko (Schalke 04)
Did the Bosnians peak by beating Italy to qualify for this tournament? That will be the big question for this team entering the tournament. Bosnia and Herzegovina will face Canada on its home soil and a tough matchup against Switzerland in Group B.
Group B opponents: Canada (June 12), Switzerland (June 18), Qatar (June 24)
31
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari and Ali Majrashi (Photo by Tullio Puglia – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +50000 (T-34th)
Key player: Winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Dender EH)
Iran enters the tournament with a lot of uncertainty, but it can make some noise in a group that is pretty tame after Belgium with Egypt and New Zealand.
Group G opponents: New Zealand (June 15), Belgium (June 21), Egypt (June 26)
29
Czechia
Czechia’s Tomas Soucek (Sebastian Widmann – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +30000 (T-30th)
Key player: Midfielder Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham)
Ghana will have a young and inexperienced squad this summer. It’s more of a project capable of making more noise in four years instead of now.
Group L opponents: Panama (June 17), England (June 23), Croatia (June 27)
27
Scotland
Scotish player Scott McTominay (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +15000 (T-23rd)
Key player: Midfielder Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United)
If Paraguay is going to have any success this summer, it’s not going to be pretty. The goal for this team will be to muck it up and grind it out in a competitive Group D with the United States, Türkiye and Australia.
Group D opponents: USA (June 12), Türkiye (June 19), Australia (June 25)
25
Sweden
Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +15000 (T-23rd)
Key player: Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund)
The Austrians are back at the World Cup for the first time since 1998, and they’re sneaky good. Powered by a strong midfield, Austria could give Argentina problems in Group J.
Group J opponents: Jordan (June 16), Argentina (June 22), Algeria (June 27)
23
Senegal
Senegal’s Sadio Mane (Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +20000 (T-25th)
Key player: Defender Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
Canada avoided Italy after Bosnia and Herzegovina’s upset in qualifying in late March, but be careful what you wish for. The Canadians have more talent than ever, but it won’t be smooth sailing for them this summer.
Group B opponents: Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 12), Qatar (June 18), Switzerland (June 24)
21
Türkiye
Türkiye’s Arda Güler (Photo by Armend NIMANI / AFP)
Odds to win the World Cup: +45000 (33rd)
Key player: Winger Son Heung-min (LAFC)
The Koreans have a good team, but they did not get any luck from the draw. South Korea will play all of its games in the group stage in Mexico.
Group A opponents: Czechia (June 11), Mexico (June 18), South Africa (June 24)
19
Switzerland
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka (Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +5000 (T-12th)
Key player: Midfielder Wataru Endo (Liverpool)
Japan beat England at Wembley Stadium in London in late March. It was an impressive victory that saw the Japanese clean up on — and off — the field.
Group F opponents: Netherlands (June 14), Tunisia (June 20), Sweden (June 25)
17
Ecuador
Ecuador star Moises Caicedo (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +3000 (9th)
Key player: Striker Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Norway will be a sexy dark-horse pick after dominating qualifying, which includes two wins over Italy. The Norwegians will need more than just Haaland if they want to really compete this summer, though.
Group I opponents: Iraq (June 16), Senegal (June 22), France (June 26)
15
Uruguay
Uruguay player Federico Valverde (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +7500 (16th)
Key player: Striker Raúl Jiménez (Fulham)
Mexico gets all of its group-stage games on home soil. That’s a positive on paper, but if results don’t go their way, the Mexicans will be in trouble.
Group A opponents: South Africa (June 11), South Korea (June 18), Czechia (June 24)
13
Morocco
Morocco star Achraf Hakimi (Paul ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +6500 (14th)
Key player: Winger Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
Nothing beats home cooking, but the United States might need a double helping of it this summer if it wants to contend. The Americans will enter the summer coming off convincing losses to Belgium and Portugal in late March.
Group D opponents: Paraguay (June 12), Australia (June 19), Türkiye (June 25)
11
Belgium
Belgium player Kevin De Bruyne (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +8000 (T-17th)
Key player: Midfielder Luka Modrić (AC Milan)
Croatia is the favorite of dads and old guys everywhere. Modrić is in the final chapter of his international career and leads a Croatian team that has shown it’s more than capable of beating any team in this tournament.
Group L opponents: England (June 17), Panama (June 23), Ghana (June 27)
9
Germany
German player Jamal Musiala (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +2000 (8th)
Key player: Defender Virgil Van Djik (Liverpool)
While the Dutch have a strong team, it is not quite ready for prime time to truly compete with the top-tiered teams. There is quality around the field in this team, but the Netherlands isn’t among the favorites.
Group F opponents: Japan (June 14), Sweden (June 20), Tunisia (June 25)
7
Brazil
Vinicius Junior of Brazil (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +1100 (6th)
Key player: Striker Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
The dynamic surrounding Ronaldo will make or break this tournament for Portugal. The 41-year-old is missing one major trophy in his career, and that’s the World Cup. Will the attention he draws be a help or a hindrance?
Group K opponents: Congo DR (June 17), Uzbekistan (June 23), Colombia (June 27)
5
Argentina
Argentina star Lionel Messi (Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +4000 (11th)
Key player: Midfielder James Rodríguez (Minnesota United)
I see the heat and environment in the United States favoring South American teams this summer. Colombia has shown it can compete with the best at these big tournaments, and it has a star in attack (winger Luis Diaz) who could lead it to the promised land.
Group K opponents: Uzbekistan (June 17), Congo DR (June 23), Portugal (June 27)
3
England
England star Jude Bellingham (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Odds to win the World Cup: +500 (1st)
Key player: Midfielder Pedri (Barcelona)
This is not your parents’ Spain, which won the Euros twice and the 2010 World Cup. It’s better. The Spaniards won Euro 2024 and have not lost since March 2024 — plus, only twice since the start of 2023.
Group H opponents: Cape Verde (June 15), Saudia Arabia (June 21), Uruguay (June 26)
1
France
France star Kylian Mbappe (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
