World Cup 2026: Meet the Teams Chasing Glory

After four years of anticipation, the Soccer World Cup is finally returning for the summer of 2026. It will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with several exciting games, including the third-place match, taking place at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. This edition will feature 16 more teams, making for a total of 48 countries represented. As the largest tournament in the soccer world, fans will have the opportunity to watch even more games from their favorite teams.

The teams that are most popular within the Falcons—Argentina, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, France, and Germany—have all qualified for the World Cup. This will famously be captain Lionel Messi’s last-ever World Cup playing with Argentina, so anticipation is brewing as the team fights to defend its champion title from 2022. Senior Vanessa Abreu states, “I’m rooting for them; they’ve done amazing in the past, and I’m sure they’ll keep it up.”

However, a common attendee whose chances are looking risky is Italy. They missed the first round of direct qualifiers and will have to defeat three more European teams to secure a spot. “I used to like the Italy team, but I feel like they might not even make it,” says junior Kasey Robiou.

Other countries are returning as finalists after long absences. Notably, Haiti’s team, captained by Johny Placide, qualified for the first time since 1974. Additionally, Norway, Austria, and Scotland have all made a comeback since their last appearance in 1998. “I don’t really like there being more teams now. Some weren’t there in the past for a reason,” shares senior Adriel Cudiamat.

The World Cup’s newly expanded format will make for exciting additions among the qualifying countries. As of now, four countries’ teams will be making their debuts: Jordan and Uzbekistan from Asia, Cape Verde from Africa, and Curaçao from North America. We’ll have to see how strong an impression these teams make against fan favorites once the tournament rolls around this June.

There are still six slots available in the competition, so there’s time for teams like Italy, Jamaica, Sweden, Bolivia, and more to prove themselves and qualify. It’s safe to say that regardless of the outcomes, this year’s World Cup will be one to remember.