A unique iteration of the biggest spectacle in football, and perhaps in all of sport, has arrived. The 2026 World Cup is here, with the competition split between three hosts: the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Argentina enter the tournament as defending champions, four years on from Lionel Messi’s long-awaited crowning moment, and as the all-time great prepares for his last dance on this stage.
Similarly, this summer likely marks Cristiano Ronaldo’s last shot at the only major accolade to elude him, as the 41-year-old represents Portugal at a sixth straight World Cup – a new record for a men’s player of any nationality, and one shared with Messi, 38.
The favoured teams, however, are France and Spain, with England deemed to have a strong chance as well. France will pursue a third straight final and third title overall, while past winners Spain enter as European champions. It was Spain’s victory over England in the Euro 2024 final that heralded the end of Gareth Southgate’s time leading the Three Lions, ushering in Thomas Tuchel’s reign.
Here are Indy Sport’s predictions for the 2026 World Cup: the winners, top scorer, breakout star, and how far England and Scotland will go...
Who will win the World Cup?
Richard Jolly, senior football correspondent: France. Not the most confident prediction, but they are probably the most-talented team and have a record of going deep into World Cups under Didier Deschamps; yes, they were disappointing and dull at Euro 2024, but Deschamps proved an adept problem-solver in both the 2018 and 2022 world championships. And with Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele, there really ought to be goals.
Lawrence Ostlere, chief sports writer: Spain (haven’t lost for two years) and Portugal (incredible midfield) are tempting, but I’m going with France. They are defensively solid, tournament savvy and their options in attack are just ludicrous. Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise is an absurd and unfair front three. They have creativity in Rayan Cherki and Warren Zaire-Emery. And substitutes will play a big role in this inflated tournament in North American heat, so the second-half impact of Desire Doue could be telling.
Jack Rathborn, editor: Brazil. A savvy boss in Carlo Ancelotti, a handful of superstars in Vinicius Jr and Raphinha, plus an immense foundation in Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos. They’ll handle the conditions just fine, plus a few wildcards off the bench, perhaps in the shape of Igor Thiago to mix things up. A quarter-final with England should leave fans salivating, and if they squeeze past Thomas Tuchel’s side, I think they will have enough belief and nerve to finish the job for the sixth star.
Kieran Jackson, senior sports writer: Spain for me. Unbeaten in two years and so impressive at Euro 2024, though a group which includes Uruguay means top spot is far from guaranteed. What I would say is that much depends on Lamine Yamal’s fitness, as his lack of participation or influence would be a hammer blow, but all signs indicate that he will be fully fit for the knockout phase.
Luke Baker, deputy editor: I’m desperate to predict a slight outsider but can’t bring myself to do it. It’s hard to see past Spain. They made an absolute horlicks of things four years ago – losing to Japan in their final group game, before falling to surprise package Morocco on penalties – but they earned redemption at the Euros and are a much better team now, packed with young talent. The heat shouldn’t be a factor and the underachieving, slightly clownish outfit of the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s have been replaced by a winning machine over the past 20 years.
Will Castle, sports reporter: Spain. Luis de la Fuente got a huge reprieve with Lamine Yamal’s fitness, which was initially in heavy doubt for the World Cup after having his Barcelona season ended by injury in April. Their star man is in the squad, a stacked squad at that, and it now feels like all the pieces are there for La Roja to follow up their Euros win with the biggest prize of them all, just like they did in 2010.
Alex Pattle, sports reporter: Spain. While some European nations might fear the climate this summer, Spain’s style of play means they are pretty well poised to cope, and as European champions they have momentum on their side – and, arguably, a relative lack of pressure. That’s to say nothing of their talented squad, and a group that they should really top.
Who will win the Golden Boot?
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RJ. Kylian Mbappe. It could be a question of who goes furthest of the contenders or who capitalises on weak opponents, and France have a tough group – but with Iraq in it. Anyway, the evidence thus far is that Mbappe scores goals in World Cups.
LO: Mbappe, on the basis that I think he will play more games than Erling Haaland or Harry Kane. Plus he’s chasing the all-time record, so there’s some added motivation.
JR: The longer tournament might negate a player piling up goals in the group stage, so I’ll side with Mbappe due to the potential for Harry Kane to come out for Ollie Watkins in that final group L game against Panama. A real long shot? How about Charles De Ketelaere, with Romelu Lukaku “out of shape,” in the words of Rudi Garcia, the Atalanta star could play a big role after scoring in the friendly against Tunisia. He has also taken a penalty for Belgium this year and might profit from soft group-stage opponents New Zealand and Iran.
LB: With Messi on 13 and Mbappe on 12, Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup goalscoring record of 16 will fall during this tournament and I believe it’s Mbappe who will eventually emerge on top. His lack of a Champions League trophy may haunt him on the club stage, but put him in the blue of France at a major tournament and he soars. Four goals in 2018, eight in 2022 including a hat-trick in the final; how many in 2026 with an extra game at his mercy? He’s going to fill his (Golden) boots.
KJ: Not Mbappe! Let’s do something a bit different: I’m going to plump for Erling Haaland. By far and away the top scorer in European qualifying with 16 (the next-best was eight), Norway do have a tough group with France and Senegal, but Haaland will surely net a goal, or two, or three, against Iraq. His first major tournament represents one of the Man City striker’s biggest ambitions and I think he could lead Norway to the quarter-finals.
WC: Harry Kane. England’s captain is already in Ballon d’Or contention after an astonishing 61-goal season with Bayern. I’m not brave enough to back Tuchel’s boys to go all the way, but they should go far enough for Kane, their irreplaceable goalscoring outlet, to top the charts.
AP: I’ll tentatively back Kane as well. He is in the form of his life, and I think he’ll avoid the drop-off that characterised his Euro 2024 campaign. England’s group game with Panama could be a good platform for the striker to make a dent, and the extra round of knockout games means that – even if England go out in the quarter-finals – he should get numerous chances to bag goals.
Who will be the breakout star of the tournament?
RJ: Kenan Yildiz. Not exactly a secret to fans of either Juventus or Turkey, but there is a very plausible route for Vincenzo Montella’s team to reach the last eight, and either Arda Guler or Yildiz could become the face of success.
LO: Yan Diomande won the Bundesliga’s young player of the season, so perhaps he has already broken out in that sense, but he will catch the eye for the first time on a global stage if Ivory Coast go far. Ibrahim Mbaye is another fun, fast winger and the 18-year-old will get some game time in a strong Senegal side.
JR: Gilberto Mora. Hosts Mexico might need a spark and the 17-year-old has already been influential when he has featured. Creative and brave on the ball, it will be fascinating to see when and how Javier Aguirre utilises him, with that mega move to Europe expected to come in January after his 18th birthday.
KJ: Who will take the No 10 workload off Argentina’s Lionel Messi when/if he doesn’t play every minute, I hear you ask? Nico Paz, the 21-year-old who dazzled in Como’s run to Champions League qualification with 12 Serie A goals, is the current heir to the throne. Possessing a wonderful left foot, he can score from range and create delicately in the pocket. He is also from a family of World Cup heritage: his father, Pablo, played at France ‘98. His game time, most likely, will depend on Messi’s fitness.
WC: Luka Vuskovic. Tottenham may find themselves batting off some of Europe’s biggest hitters by the end of July, if Vuskovic’s club form translates on the world stage. A standout on loan at Hamburg this term, the 6ft 4in 19-year-old is both a rock at the back and a prolific threat in the opposite box, ending the Bundesliga season as his club’s joint-top scorer with six. As things stand, he’s expected to pen a deal with Spurs and then return on loan to Hamburg – but if Croatia go far once again this year, Vuskovic may be fast-tracked at Tottenham.
LB: I love the Vuskovic call by Will and if Nico Paz can force his way into Argentina’s starting XI, he will be a superstar, but Yan Diomande will shine for Ivory Coast. He’s so fun to watch, a proper fast, old-school, dribbling winger, relentlessly taking on his man and driving into the box. Twelve goals, 10 assists and the Rookie of the Year award in his first Bundesliga season with RB Leipzig mean Europe’s biggest clubs are already sniffing around the 19-year-old – and his mooted €100m price tag will only continue to rise. He lit up the Africa Cup of Nations, and I see no reason why he won’t do the same on the very biggest stage.
AP: I had been looking forward to watching Lennart Karl slot in to the attacking shake-up for Germany, but injury has ended his World Cup before it has even begun. A great shame. I’ll therefore echo the thoughts of others and go for Yan Diomande, another Bundesliga standout this season and surely set for a big summer move. Let’s hope the Ivory Coast can progress beyond the group stages.
How far will England and Scotland go?
RJ: Quarter-finals for England, which tends to be my standard prediction but could bring an exit to Brazil in Miami. Although if they don’t win their group, it might be a last-16 exit to Spain. But I will go for a historic first for Scotland, and tip them to get through to the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time, probably as the third-placed team in Group C. And due to the various permutations, it is hard to say what would happen next.
LO: One of many problems with the expanded format is that there are now even more opportunities for England to exit the tournament in heartbreaking fashion. I predict the draw will open up kindly and England will reach the semi-finals, where they will be knocked out by a European opponent (in heartbreaking fashion). Scotland will squeeze out of the group and lose valiantly in the round of 32.
JR: As detailed in my winner pick, England look a good bet to reach the quarter-finals against Brazil, where they may just come unstuck in a tense tie that goes to extra-time. Scotland should have enough to get out of the group, with Brazil rotating and, Steve Clarke hopes, already secure of top spot before that final group game. The last 32 will be where the Tartan Army bid farewell, with the likelihood of Netherlands, as runner-up in Group C, or perhaps France, Germany or Switzerland, should they secure progress via third spot.
KJ: Nothing like a good, old-fashioned dose of English optimism. A potential last 16 tie against Mexico at altitude will be extremely tough but I think if Tuchel’s side can get through that, my belief is that they’ll beat Brazil (probably) in the quarter-finals. Progression to the final feels a step too far, so semi-finals for me. Scotland should progress from their group as a best-placed third-place team, courtesy of a win over Haiti, but last 32 feels about par.
LB: Quarter-finals feels about par for England, but I’m going to say they’ll fall in the last 16. I’ve just got a nagging feeling about facing Mexico, in a raucous Azteca, in the heat. It’s got the Three Lions wilting written all over it, even though they’re objectively a better team than Javier Aguirre’s outfit. I think Scotland will get a vital win over Haiti in their opening fixture and that will be enough for them to sneak through as one of the best third-placed teams, although surpassing the last 32 against a group winner will be a step too far.
WC: I’ve gone back and forth on this, going as far as thinking they could go on a run to the last four, but I end up echoing Luke here. Falling to Mexico at the Azteca in the last 16 feels like a very English destiny. We get despair in an arena of pure elation. Scotland, meanwhile, will be aiming to just get out of the group, and I think they’ll do that as one of the eight best third-placed teams. It’ll be very tricky to get anything against Morocco and Brazil, but three points and a few goals against Haiti may just be enough. They’ll probably be knocked out in the round of 32, but that eventuality would still see the Tartan Army go home happy, with their first win at a major tournament in 30 years.
AP: For England, all-too-familiar quarter-final heartbreak may loom. In 2022, I felt there was an inevitability to England performing commendably but just coming undone in a stern quarter-final test, and I feel similarly now. At best, I think it will be a semi-final run. As for Scotland, I concur with the ideas above: that Steve Clarke’s side will escape their group but fall swiftly thereafter.
What are you looking forward to most?
RJ: The knockout stages. There could be some interesting groups – C, I and L in particular – but the reality is that very few of the better teams will go out before the last 32. But it should be very good from then onwards.
LO: I would normally say the fans and the atmosphere in the host cities, especially during the group stages when they cross paths and mingle in public spaces, but Fifa has probably put paid to that particular joy with its extortionate ticket prices and vast spread of venues. So I’ll just say watching England games: a weirdly addictive, unhealthy and ultimately painful experience that I adore.
JR: Kylian and Les Bleus. Can Didier Deschamps, or perhaps two-time European champion and PSG leader Ousmane Dembele, ignite the fire within Kylian Mbappe to banish lingering negativity from his season with Real Madrid? Many note the problem with Kylian... yet a win for France this summer can immortalise him in football history and build a case for him as the greatest World Cup player of all time. That, and the balance of that absurd front four for France, when and where do Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki operate? A fascinating storyline that will prove decisive to this summer’s outcome.
KJ: The ludicrous four-day group-stage burst of six games a day. A feast of football. Completely ridiculous, really. Way too much. Will I be watching? Oh, yes....
LB: The debutants and minnows getting a chance on this stage. Let’s be clear, increasing the tournament from 32 to 48 teams was a terrible idea, ruining a perfect format. But now we’re here, we might as well make the most of it. The sour-faced football fan will say that having minnows in tow means the group stage will feel like glorified qualifiers, but I’m excited to see the likes of Curacao, Cape Verde, Haiti, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Jordan, DR Congo et al. At least a couple will end up with an iconic moment of some description, and one or two might even shockingly sneak through to the knockouts. It’ll be great fun.
WC: The actual football. Sounds cheesy, yes, but hear me out. The last six months of constant controversy, greed, conflict and Trump-Infantino dynamics have taken every ounce of excitement out of this World Cup. It’s crucial those controversies, such as the ludicrous price attached to attending for the fan, aren’t forgotten about when all is said and done – but my God, am I looking forward to a whistle being blown so I can finally take my mind off everything else surrounding this tournament.
AP: The knockout stages, like Rich. As Will mentioned, this tournament has lacked hype, and to be honest, the group stage could prove tedious. But once the stakes are raised, the World Cup will explode into life. There is nothing better in football than the moments provided by World Cup knockouts.
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