With the countdown now down to just months until the WC in North America, it may be too early for some to start diving into content for the competition, but for those who love it, it is never too early to get stuck in.
So for those people, we are here to cater, and to start off our WC campaign here at betcha, we are going to take a look at the current top five favourites heading into the competition.
Nothing else really needs to be said, so let’s crack into this one.
5th: Brazil
Brazil enter this WC cycle as the fifth favourite to be crowned champions at the end of the tournament, and if they were to do so, they would extend their record World Championships from five to six.
What should give them some belief is that, in classic Brazilian fashion, they have a number of superstar attackers at their disposal in 2026. Those names include Real Madrid superstars Vini Jr. and Rodrygo, while Chelsea starlet Estêvão provides another option on the wing. Now, that is all exciting, the main thing I, and many others, will be most interested to see is the return of Neymar to the national side. The question surrounding the legend will be whether he can be healthy enough to play in this WC come June, and if he is, that would be quite the boost to the tournament’s storyline.
The fact Brazil have all of those attacking options should not come as a surprise. However, where these kinds of tournaments are often won is in the midfield. For Brazil, the key issue I see is a lack of depth and top-end talent in that area of the team, and if they are to go on a run, they will need to have that figured out in a hurry.
4th: Argentina
The reigning champions remain near the top of the list when it comes to who could lift the trophy this year, and it is for good reason. Argentina return a trophy-winning core led by the best player of all time in Lionel Messi, who will be joined up top by the likes of Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
Behind that attack, they still boast one of the best midfield trios in world football, with Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, and Alexis Mac Allister providing them with a very strong engine through the middle of the park.
At the back, there will also be familiar faces in the defensive third, with Emiliano Martinez and Cristian Romero anchoring what was one of the hardest units to score against four years ago.
The key question, with many of their key players now another four years older, will be whether the younger generation can pick up the slack required to help players like Messi, or if there will still be a heavy reliance on the old guard to carry them.
3rd: France
France have been one of the best national teams over the past decade, with their most recent triumph coming in 2018 when they won the WC, largely based on the superior talent they had compared to everyone else. Then, in the 2022 WC, they were beaten in the final by Argentina in what could only be described as one of the best games of football of all time.
This time around, France are once again stacked and are led by arguably the most prolific player in the world, Kylian Mbappe. While not many people are talking about him, I would argue he is at the peak of his powers, having collected 36 goal involvements for Real Madrid this season in 26 games.
Outside of Mbappe, they have the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue on the wings, who have helped make PSG one of the most potent attacks in the world. What makes those three tick up top, though, is the foundation provided by the midfield and defence, with players like Ngolo Kante, Aurelien Tchouameni, and William Saliba at the back, making France one of the most well-rounded teams in the world heading into the 2026 WC.
2nd: England
Is this really the year that football could be coming home? From this far out, England are the second favourites to bring home the world’s biggest trophy. I would argue that expectation is for good reason, with Thomas Tuchel coming in as manager of a side that was good enough to reach a Euros final against Spain under Gareth Southgate.
England are similar to France in the sense that they are a very well-rounded squad, with a strong mix of youth and experience. From the top down, they have names like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Jude Bellingham leading the attack. They are then supported by some of the Premier League’s best midfielders in Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson, who should offer some of the stability they have missed through the middle.
To close out the side, they also have some very strong defenders, with Reece James, Marc Guehi, and Harry Maguire all seemingly hitting form at the right time heading into the tournament.
The big question for England will be whether they can truly gel. In previous tournaments under Southgate, while the talent was clearly there, the system at times felt clunky. Maybe, just maybe, if Tuchel can iron out those issues, they really could be crowned champions.
1st: Spain
Since the emergence of Lamine Yamal, Spain have become the gold standard of international football, which propelled them to win the 2024 Euros in scintillating fashion. The build of this side is borderline perfect, as they have two outstanding wide players in Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams Jr., who are supported by quality throughout the park.
At the base of the midfield, Spain have the luxury of Rodri, who, after returning from injury for Manchester City, is back playing at the same level that won him the Ballon d’Or. Outside of Rodri, you also have the likes of Pedri, Dean Huijsen, Pau Cubarsi, and Martin Zubimendi, who in their own right make up the core of this group that has enjoyed so much recent success.
When looking at this Spain side, I think they deservedly earn the title of the best team in the world right now. The question, however, is how consistent they can remain across a much longer and more demanding tournament than the Euros.