World Cup 2026 Teams — Every Squad Through an Irish Lens
Last time Ireland were at a World Cup, Robbie Keane was terrorising defences in Japan and South Korea, Mick McCarthy was managing the squad before that whole Saipan business, and most of us genuinely believed we would be back within a cycle or two. Twenty-four years later, here we are — watching from the outside for the sixth consecutive tournament, nursing a penalty shootout defeat to Czechia in Prague that still stings when you think about it too long.
But neutrality has its perks. Without a dog in the fight, you can look at every team in this 48-nation World Cup with clear eyes and a sharp pen. No emotional hedging, no patriotic overrating, no pretending your centre-half is better than he is because he wears a green shirt. Every squad in this guide gets assessed on what they actually are, not what we wish they were.
This is the most sprawling World Cup field in history: 48 teams from six confederations, featuring four debutants, three host nations, the defending champions, the reigning European champions, and a collection of emerging sides that could wreck a few accumulators if you are not paying attention. I have been covering tournament betting for nine years, and this is the first time the pre-tournament homework genuinely feels like a full-time job. Here is everything you need to know about the teams that matter — and a few that might matter more than anyone expects.
The field: 48 teams from 6 confederations. 4 debutants (Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan). 3 host nations (USA, Mexico, Canada). 1 defending champion (Argentina). 12 groups of 4, with 32 teams advancing to the knockout rounds. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across 16 stadiums in North America.
The Favourites — Who’s Got the Shortest Odds
Walk into any bookmaker in Ireland right now and ask for the World Cup winner market, and you will see the same five or six names clustered at the top of the board. The order shifts depending on the day, but the cast does not change. These are the sides the bookmakers respect most — and the sides that will swallow the lion’s share of public money between now and June.
Brazil are perpetual favourites at any World Cup by virtue of their five titles and the depth of talent they produce. Drawn in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland, they have a manageable path into the knockout rounds. The current squad blends experienced campaigners with a generation of attacking players who have matured since the disappointment of Qatar 2022, where they lost to Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals. Brazil’s odds typically sit around 9/2 to 5/1 in outright markets, making them the bookmakers’ pick or joint-pick in most shops. The question — and it has been the question for two decades — is whether they can win seven knockout matches across a gruelling North American summer schedule.
France have been in the last two World Cup finals, winning in 2018 and losing narrowly to Argentina in 2022. That consistency is rare. With Kylian Mbappé as the centrepiece of their attack, France possess the single most decisive player in international football. They are in Group I with Senegal, Norway, and Iraq — a group they should navigate comfortably. Their outright odds generally hover around 5/1, and my view is that the bookmakers have them about right. The risk with France is always internal: squad tensions, tactical inflexibility under pressure, and the lingering uncertainty around who manages the side going forward. But on raw talent, they are as strong as anyone in the field.
Argentina arrive as defending champions, but the question that dominates every preview is whether Lionel Messi will be involved and, if so, in what capacity. He will be 39 during the tournament. Even if Messi features, the Argentina squad has evolved under Lionel Scaloni into a unit that does not depend solely on one player — the 2022 triumph was proof of that. Group J contains Algeria, Austria, and debutants Jordan, offering a relatively gentle path to the Round of 32. Argentina’s odds sit around 11/2 to 6/1. Backing the defending champion always carries a narrative premium, and that premium means the price is slightly shorter than the true probability warrants. They are a live contender, absolutely, but not the value pick at this stage.
England have finished as runners-up or semi-finalists at three of the last four major tournaments. That trajectory — consistently reaching the final stages but never winning — defines their market position. England are around 13/2 to 8/1 in most outright markets, sitting just behind the three names above. Group L pairs them with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, and the England-Croatia match has the added spice of their 2018 World Cup semi-final history. For Irish punters, England are the team you will hear the most about, watch the most of, and argue the most about. I cover them in detail in the full England preview.
Spain are the reigning European champions, having won Euro 2024 in Germany. That tournament confirmed the emergence of a new generation of Spanish players who blend the traditional possession game with a directness and pace their predecessors sometimes lacked. Drawn in Group H with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay, Spain face a fascinating test in the group stage — Uruguay are a serious side with tournament pedigree. Outright odds for Spain sit around 6/1 to 7/1, and there is a case to be made that they offer the best combination of current form, squad depth, and tactical clarity of any team in the draw.
Germany occupy a strange space: too much historical prestige to be ignored, too inconsistent in recent tournaments to be fully trusted. A group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup followed a similar early departure at Russia 2018, and those results have dented confidence in what remains one of the deepest squads in international football. Group E — Curaçao, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador — should not threaten them, but Germany’s odds around 8/1 to 10/1 reflect the market’s uncertainty about whether this is a squad in genuine contention or one living off reputation.
Dark Horses Worth a Punt
At every World Cup, the real money is made on the teams nobody sees coming until they are already in the quarter-finals. Morocco reached the semi-finals in 2022 at 150/1 pre-tournament. Croatia, who seem to make deep runs despite being a nation of four million people, were 28/1 before finishing third in Qatar. The dark horse market is where patient punters find the kind of value that transforms a modest stake into a serious return.
Netherlands are the classic “too good to be a dark horse, not quite good enough to be a favourite” team. Oranje consistently produce talented squads but have not won the World Cup in their history — three finals, zero trophies. Drawn in Group F with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia, they face a genuinely competitive group that could produce a second-round stumble if they are not fully switched on. Their odds in the 12/1 to 16/1 range make them an interesting each-way proposition for a tournament that rewards tactical discipline and squad depth. The Netherlands have both.
Portugal are in a similar bracket. We know them well from qualifying — Ireland beat them 2-1 in Dublin, one of the highlights of a campaign that ultimately ended in heartbreak against Czechia. Portugal’s squad is transitioning away from the Cristiano Ronaldo era and toward a younger core, but the quality in depth is extraordinary. Group K pairs them with DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia. The Colombia match is the one that will define their group campaign. At 10/1 to 14/1, Portugal are the kind of side that bookmakers struggle to price accurately because their ceiling is a World Cup final and their floor is a round-of-16 exit.
Morocco are no longer a surprise to anyone who paid attention in 2022, but the market still treats them with a scepticism that their recent record does not support. They reached the semi-finals as the first African nation to do so, beat Belgium, Spain, and Portugal along the way, and return with a largely similar squad. Group C is tough — Brazil and Scotland are no pushovers — but Morocco’s defensive solidity and tournament savvy make them dangerous beyond the group stage. At odds typically between 25/1 and 33/1, they represent one of the most compelling value propositions in the outright market.
Colombia are a name that surfaces at every World Cup preview and then either delivers spectacularly or flatters to deceive. They qualified comfortably from CONMEBOL, which remains the toughest confederation in world football, and their blend of technical midfielders and athletic forwards suits the kind of transitional football that tends to work at tournaments. In Group K with Portugal, DR Congo, and Uzbekistan, they will need to beat at least one established side to top the group, but a second-place finish should be achievable. At 20/1 to 28/1, Colombia are worth monitoring.
Japan have been the most improved team in Asian football over the past decade and proved it by topping a group containing Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup. Their pressing game, technical quality, and tactical flexibility under a succession of pragmatic managers have made them a genuine threat to any European or South American side. Group F — alongside the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia — is a serious test, but Japan have the tools to navigate it. Their odds in the 40/1 to 50/1 range are longer than their actual quality warrants, partly because the market still underrates Asian sides by default.
England in Group L — Can They Finally Deliver?
Let me say something that will get me in trouble in every pub in Dublin: I want England to do well at this World Cup. Not because I have gone soft, but because watching England in a tournament is the most entertaining thing in football — the hope, the hysteria, the inevitable penalty shootout drama, and the post-tournament analysis that swings between “we were robbed” and “we were never good enough.” As a neutral Irish observer, it is pure theatre.
England’s record over the last three major tournaments is remarkable by any metric except the one that matters most. Semi-finalists at the 2018 World Cup, finalists at Euro 2020, quarter-finalists at the 2022 World Cup, and finalists again at Euro 2024. They keep reaching the business end and then falling short. The question for 2026 is whether this pattern is a sign of a team on the verge of a breakthrough or a team structurally incapable of winning the last match.
Group L pairs them with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. The Croatia fixture is loaded with history — their 2018 World Cup semi-final is one of the defining matches of England’s recent tournament story, a match they led 1-0 and lost 2-1 in extra time. Croatia have aged since then, but they remain a side with extraordinary midfield quality and a tournament pedigree that belies their size. Ghana are dynamic and unpredictable, capable of beating anyone on their day and losing to anyone on another. Panama are the weakest team in the group by most objective measures, but they qualified for a reason and will not offer easy points.
The squad depth is England’s strongest asset. The Premier League produces a conveyor belt of tournament-ready players, and the current England panel features options across every position that most nations would envy. The managerial setup, the tactical approach, and the specific key players are covered in full in the England team preview, but from a betting perspective, the critical factor is this: England’s odds in the 13/2 to 8/1 range represent a team that the market thinks has roughly a 12% to 15% chance of winning the tournament. Given their consistency in reaching semi-finals and finals, that pricing feels about right — perhaps even slightly generous if you believe this is the year the pattern breaks.
For Irish punters, England are the team you will watch most. Group L matches will dominate the pub screens, the in-play markets will be flooded with English money, and every pundit on RTE will have an opinion. Whether you back them, oppose them, or simply use them as the anchor of your group-stage accumulators, England are unavoidable at this World Cup. The complete breakdown — squad analysis, tactical setup, and odds assessment — is in the England preview.
Scotland’s Return — A Celtic Fairytale?
Twenty-eight years. That is how long Scotland waited to hear their anthem at a World Cup. The last time the Tartan Army travelled to a finals, France 1998 was the host, Craig Brown was the manager, and the squad featured a young Paul Lambert fresh from winning the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund. An entire generation of Scottish football fans grew up without experiencing what it feels like to have their nation at the biggest tournament on earth. That drought is over, and if you are Irish, you will feel every second of it — because we know exactly what that kind of wait tastes like.
Scotland qualified through the European playoffs, and the road was not straightforward. But they are here, and they are in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti. On paper, it is brutal. Brazil are five-time champions. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Those are the two sides Scotland must compete with for a top-two finish, or hope to squeeze through as one of the eight best third-placed teams. The maths says it is difficult. The heart says something else entirely.
The Celtic bond between Ireland and Scotland is real, and it goes deeper than shared ancestry and similar accents. Irish football fans have a genuine affection for the Tartan Army — they are our people at a tournament we cannot attend ourselves. Pubs across Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Limerick will be packed for Scotland’s group matches, and the noise when they face Brazil will be something to witness. For betting purposes, Scotland are long shots in the outright market — typically 100/1 or longer — but their group matches offer individual betting opportunities. Scotland to beat Haiti is a realistic single. Scotland to draw with Morocco is plausible. Scotland to take any points off Brazil is the kind of 5/1 or 6/1 bet that makes the tournament feel personal.
The squad features a spine of Premier League and top-tier European players who have been hardened by competitive qualifying campaigns and a European Championship appearance at Euro 2024. There is no single superstar in the mould of Brazil’s attacking talents, but Scotland’s strength is collective — a pressing system, defensive resilience, and a refusal to lie down that has become their identity under the current setup. Whether that is enough to survive Group C is an open question, but it is enough to make every one of their three group matches worth watching and worth betting on. The full squad breakdown is in the Scotland preview.
The Debutants — Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan
Four nations will walk onto a World Cup pitch for the first time in 2026, and their stories are some of the best in this tournament. Forget the favourites for a moment — the soul of a World Cup lives in the teams nobody expected to see at all.
Cape Verde are an island nation of roughly 600,000 people in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. Their football federation was founded in 1982, and for most of their history, qualifying for a World Cup was an absurd fantasy. They have done it, and they have landed in Group H alongside Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. The odds of Cape Verde progressing from that group are slim, but they have already achieved the extraordinary simply by being there. From a betting perspective, Cape Verde are the side most likely to be used as a “banker” opponent in accumulators — Spain to beat Cape Verde at 1/7 or shorter is the kind of leg people add without thinking. The risk is minimal, but so is the reward. The more interesting market is Cape Verde’s total group goals: if they score even once against Spain or Uruguay, it will be a moment that transcends the scoreline.
Curaçao are another Caribbean island story, a nation of approximately 150,000 people that punches absurdly above its weight in football terms. Drawn in Group E with Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ecuador, they face a daunting task, but Curaçao’s squad features several players with experience in European leagues, particularly in the Netherlands, due to the island’s historical ties to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They are not tourists. They are a genuine football nation that happens to be tiny, and the Group E match against Germany will be one of the most emotional fixtures of the opening round — regardless of the likely scoreline.
Jordan made history by reaching the Asian Cup final in 2024 before qualifying for their first World Cup through the AFC pathway. They are in Group J with Argentina, Algeria, and Austria, which is a group where third place is genuinely achievable if Jordan can take points off Austria and keep Algeria close. Jordan’s defensive organisation and counter-attacking ability make them awkward opponents, and at odds of 500/1 or longer for the outright tournament, they are not a realistic winner bet — but a bet on Jordan to qualify from the group at around 4/1 to 5/1 could represent value if you believe Austria are beatable.
Uzbekistan have been a fixture in Asian qualifying for decades but never previously reached the finals. Drawn in Group K with Portugal, DR Congo, and Colombia, they face three sides with significant tournament experience. Uzbekistan’s strength lies in a technically proficient midfield and a domestic league that has improved considerably in recent years. Of the four debutants, Uzbekistan arguably have the best chance of causing an upset in a specific match — their style of play is more suited to the demands of World Cup football than the raw athleticism approach that sometimes characterises first-time qualifiers.
None of these four teams are realistic contenders for anything beyond the group stage, and the bookmakers price them accordingly. But their presence in the tournament changes the texture of certain groups, provides banker-style legs for accumulators, and — in Jordan’s case especially — creates a genuine betting opportunity in the “to qualify from group” market. Never dismiss a debutant entirely. Iceland at Euro 2016 taught everyone that lesson.
Host Nations — USA, Mexico, Canada
Three host nations at a single World Cup is unprecedented, and it creates a dynamic that affects every betting market in the tournament. Home advantage is real at World Cups — historically, host nations reach at least the quarter-finals more often than their global ranking would suggest. But how does that advantage split when the tournament is spread across three countries and 16 stadiums spanning four time zones?
The United States are the primary hosts, with 11 of the 16 venues on American soil, including MetLife Stadium for the final. They are in Group D with Paraguay, Australia, and Turkey, and most bookmakers have them as comfortable favourites to win the group. American football has transformed over the past decade — the player pool now includes regulars at top European clubs, the domestic MLS has grown in quality, and the pressure of hosting creates a galvanising effect that tends to raise performance levels. The USA’s outright odds sit around 14/1 to 20/1, reflecting both genuine quality and the host-nation boost. The concern is knockout-round experience: the USA have not won a World Cup knockout match since 2002, and facing a battle-hardened European or South American side in the Round of 16 is a different proposition from beating Paraguay at home.
Mexico host three group-stage matches at Estadio Azteca, Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, and Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. They are in Group A with South Korea, South Africa, and Czechia, and the opening match of the entire tournament — Mexico versus South Africa at the Azteca on 11 June — is theirs. Mexico’s World Cup record is defined by a peculiar ceiling: they have reached the Round of 16 at every World Cup since 1994 but have not advanced beyond it since 1986. That pattern — now known as the “quinto partido” curse — will define their betting markets. Mexico to win Group A is a solid bet. Mexico to reach the quarter-finals is where the price gets interesting, because the market knows the historical pattern and prices it in. At outright odds of 50/1 to 80/1, Mexico are not a serious trophy contender, but their group and Round of 16 markets are worth examining.
Canada co-host with two venues — BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver — and are in Group B with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland. Canadian football is in its most exciting period ever, driven by a generation of talent playing in European leagues. They qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (their first since 1986) and lost all three group matches, but the experience of that tournament will serve them well at home. Group B is competitive: Switzerland are a perennial round-of-16 side, Bosnia fought through a dramatic playoff win over Italy to be here, and Qatar are former Asian Cup champions. Canada’s odds in the 66/1 to 100/1 range reflect a team that could win their group at home or could finish last. The margin between those outcomes is razor-thin, and that uncertainty is exactly where value hides.
Collectively, the three host nations guarantee packed stadiums, intense atmospheres, and the kind of crowd-driven momentum that can shift a match — and an in-play odds line — in an instant. If you are betting in-play on any fixture involving a host nation, factor the crowd into your calculations. A goal for the USA at SoFi Stadium in LA will create a surge of noise and energy that no visiting team can replicate.
Who Could Spring a Surprise?
The 48-team format guarantees upsets. More teams means more matches between sides of vastly different quality, and more matches means more chances for probability to throw up a result that nobody saw coming. At the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in the group stage at odds of roughly 20/1. That single result reshaped the entire tournament narrative and made a lot of money for a handful of punters who backed the upset. The 2026 edition will produce similar shocks — the question is where to look for them.
Turkey are a side I keep coming back to. They qualified through the UEFA playoffs, beating Kosovo 1-0 in a tense match, and landed in Group D with the USA, Paraguay, and Australia. Turkey’s squad is deep with European club football experience, and their tactical setup under the current management is defensively solid and dangerous on the break. In a group where the USA will attract most of the public attention, Turkey could quietly finish second and enter the knockout rounds with momentum. Their odds in the 66/1 to 80/1 range feel generous for a side with quarter-final potential.
Senegal are drawn in Group I with France, Norway, and Iraq. Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 and have maintained their status as the strongest West African football nation. Beating France in the group stage is a genuine possibility — Senegal did exactly that at the 2002 World Cup — and a result like that would catapult them into dark-horse territory. At 50/1 to 66/1, Senegal are the African side with the best combination of talent, experience, and favourable draw.
Ecuador quietly impressed at the 2022 World Cup, beating Qatar in the opening match and running Senegal and the Netherlands close before exiting in the group stage. They are in Group E with Germany, Curaçao, and Côte d’Ivoire, and a second-place finish behind Germany is within reach. Ecuador’s high-altitude qualifying form in CONMEBOL does not always translate to sea-level tournaments, but their young squad has gained invaluable experience and their pressing intensity makes them uncomfortable opponents. At 80/1 to 100/1, Ecuador are a speculative pick with a clear route into the knockout rounds.
The pattern across all three of these sides is the same: they are in groups where the path to qualification is visible, their squads are better than their odds suggest, and the market has not fully priced in their potential. That is the definition of a value bet at a World Cup — not backing a team to win the tournament, but backing them to exceed the market’s expectations by one or two rounds.
Picking Sides From the Sofa
As an Irish neutral, I have the luxury of choosing my allegiance match by match. Some days I will back Scotland with everything I have. Other days I will watch England squirm through a tense knockout game and enjoy every minute of it. The favourites will command the most attention, the dark horses will generate the best stories, and the debutants will remind us why the World Cup is the only sporting event that genuinely captures every corner of the planet.
My outright pick? I will save the specific selection for the winner odds page, where I break down the prices properly. But I will say this: the value at this World Cup does not sit at the very top of the market. The team I am backing is not the shortest price. The best World Cup bets rarely are.
Forty-eight teams, one trophy. From the comfort of an Irish pub or a late-night sofa session, this is going to be worth every lost hour of sleep.