The 2026 World Cup is still a year away, but the excitement surrounding the tournament is already building, particularly in host nations Canada, Mexico and the United States. However, there are also a lot of happy football fans in Jordan and Uzbekistan right now, given both nations have just qualified for the finals for the first time ever.
There is, of course, an awful lot of football to be played between now and the opening game of the World Cup in Mexico City on June 11, 2026 - particularly as qualification has only really just got under way in Europe. However, the latest batch of international matches across the globe have given us a slightly clearer of picture of who's likely to be challenging for the trophy next year.
So, who's looking like a potential victor and which nations have a lot to work on? Below, GOAL assesses the prospects of the three hosts, the confirmed qualifiers and the remaining members of the top 10 nations in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings...
Previous update: March 26, 2025