Meet the 48 Teams: Your World Cup 2026 Cheat Sheet
Forty-eight teams. Twelve groups. Six weeks. Here is your cheat sheet for every team at World Cup 2026.
The 12 Groups
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, Czechia, South Africa
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Curaçao, Ivory Coast
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The Favorites
Argentina — Defending champions. Messi at 38. Group J with Algeria, Austria, Jordan. Every match could be his last.
France — Mbappé, Dembélé, Tchouaméni. Group I with Norway and Senegal. Finalist in two of the last three.
England — Bellingham, Kane, Saka. Group L with Croatia and Ghana. The talent is always there. The trophies are not.
Brazil — Vinícius Jr, Raphinha, Neymar is back. Group C with Morocco — the toughest draw of any favorite.
Spain — Euro 2024 champions. Lamine Yamal is 18. Group H with Uruguay. The prettiest soccer in the tournament.
The Dark Horses
Morocco — 2022 semifinalists. Hakimi is African Footballer of the Year. Group C with Brazil. Not a feel-good story anymore — a real team.
Japan — Beat Germany and Spain in 2022. Group F with Netherlands and Sweden is wide open.
USA — Home team. Pulisic, Balogun, Adams. Group D is winnable. The crowd advantage is massive.
The Debutants
Cape Verde — Population 600,000. Group H with Spain. Smallest nation ever to qualify. Curaçao — Dutch-Caribbean squad, Group E with Germany. Jordan — 77 years of trying, Group J with Argentina. Uzbekistan — First Central Asian nation, Group K with Portugal. Haiti — Group C with Brazil and Morocco. Every match is history.
The Storylines
Messi’s Last Dance. Every touch is a memory. Ronaldo’s Sixth World Cup. He will be 41. USA Hosting. The last time was 1994 — MLS exists because of it. Group C. Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti — the group of death.
Follow every team on our World Cup hub — full nation profiles for all 48 teams, match schedules, and coverage throughout the tournament.