Get ready for the biggest World Cup ever! What you...
Key takeaways
- The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams.
- Will Lionel Messi lead Argentina to retain the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 and cement his claim to GOAT status?
- What about the other star-studded teams that have genuine ambitions to be the last one standing after the final on July 19?
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams. Here's what you need to know at a glance about all of them from ESPN's experts. Illustration by ESPNThe wait is almost over ... the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States, is about to begin! That means we will soon start getting answers to all our burning pre-tournament questions.
Will Lionel Messi lead Argentina to retain the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 and cement his claim to GOAT status? Or will Cristiano Ronaldo -- who, like his longtime rival, is set to appear at a record sixth World Cup -- lift the trophy for Portugal?
What about the other star-studded teams that have genuine ambitions to be the last one standing after the final on July 19? Can Spain and boy wonder Lamine Yamal add the World Cup to their 2024 European Championship crown? Two-time winners France were runners-up four years ago despite Kylian Mbappé scoring three goals in the final; could it be their year again? What about Harry Kane's England? Or Vinícius Júnior's Brazil? And can you ever really discount Germany from the running?