The 2026 men’s World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off in 442 days on June 11, 2026. It may seem a lot of days remaining but trust me, time goes fast and before you know it, the largest and most ambitious World Cup in history will kick off in Mexico City.
As a result, here’s a special Onside/Offside where I give my top 11 contenders and assess who’s right on track for a deep run in the tournament and who’s currently in need of more work. As a bonus, I also break down the current state of the host nations.
Welcome to Onside/Offside: a World Cup contenders special edition!
THE TOP CONTENDERS
ONSIDE: Spain
It’s simple, really: Spain truly are the real deal, and in my humble opinion, they’re the current favorites to win next summer’s World Cup. Since their Euro 2024 victory against England last summer, La Roja haven’t lost a game, and scarily for everyone else, they continue to evolve.
The wins haven’t always been perfect, but that’s the thing about Luis de la Fuente’s Spain, and what makes them different from other Spanish sides in the past: it’s not perfection or tiki-taka aesthetics that matter. All they care about is getting the job done, and that’s what you saw in this window against the Netherlands, where two fantastic matches saw them win on penalties to book their a place in June’s UEFA Nations League semifinals. They are also versatile in their system, meaning that they are quite happy and comfortable changing ideas…
