Messi, Modrić and the Weight of Home: 2026 World Cup Previewed
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is days away, with all 48 national squads completing final preparations at training bases spread across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The tournament - the first to feature an expanded 48-team field - opens a new chapter in the competition's history, and the questions surrounding it are as consequential as any in recent memory: who rises, who stumbles, and whether co-hosts can meet the enormous expectations placed upon them on home soil.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will again command the largest share of attention. Both are in the final phases of distinguished international careers, and how their respective managers - Lionel Scaloni for Argentina and Roberto Martínez for Portugal - calibrate sentiment against physical realism in a grueling expanded format will be a persistent storyline. One analyst covering the tournament raises the prospect of a potential quarterfinal meeting between the two, a scenario that would produce one of the most scrutinized matches in World Cup history.
Luka Modrić draws particular attention from multiple analysts. The Croatia captain - who spent the most recent club season with AC Milan - approaches a tournament that could see him reach a landmark number of international appearances. His capacity to manage game tempo is identified as the decisive factor in whether Croatia can advance deep into the knockout rounds under manager Zlatko Dalić, who has assembled a squad with a considered blend of experienced players and younger talent. Norway's Erling Haaland, appearing in his first senior major international tournament, represents another singular draw. The Manchester City striker is supported by a Norwegian squad that includes Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Sørloth, and Antonio Nusa, giving him a credible platform to compete for individual honors. Kylian Mbappé and Colombia's Luis Díaz - Bayern Munich teammates who helped the club to the Bundesliga title - are also identified as leading Golden Boot candidates. Díaz and Mbappé were among the standout performers of the recently concluded domestic season.
The co-host pressure question generates the sharpest assessments. Mexico carries specific historical weight: El Tri have reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup only when hosting, in 1970 and 1986, and hold the record for the most World Cup appearances without advancing to a semifinal. A run of consecutive round-of-sixteen exits was broken in 2022, when Mexico failed to advance past the group stage - ending a consecutive streak of knockout appearances stretching back to the 1994 edition. Analysts note that expectations from Mexican supporters are unconditional, and that the atmosphere at Estadio Azteca - the venue where both Pelé in 1970 and Diego Maradona in 1986 lifted the trophy - amplifies that pressure rather than cushioning it. The United States, meanwhile, faces its own measure of scrutiny. The appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as head coach, combined with a group-stage schedule played at home venues, has raised the standard against which the U.S. program will be measured. The group also includes a June 25 fixture in Los Angeles against Türkiye, which analysts describe as a potential group decider. Türkiye, under Vincenzo Montella, features Real Madrid's Arda Güler and Inter Milan's Hakan Çalhanoğlu in central positions, with Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz providing an additional attacking threat. Canada, the third co-host, enters with more modest expectations but a notable recent result - a Copa América semifinal appearance in 2024 under Jesse Marsch. Alphonso Davies is reported as doubtful for the June 12 opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
The team most frequently cited as a potential disappointment is England, on grounds that are now familiar: a roster of considerable quality undermined by a recurring pattern of underperformance at tournaments. France draws a more cautious note from one analyst, who points to a demanding group that includes Norway and Senegal - the side that eliminated France at the 2002 group stage - as a credible source of early-round risk, even for a squad of Les Bleus' depth. Defending champion Argentina is flagged separately: the 2026 squad closely resembles the 2022 World Cup-winning group, raising questions about squad renewal and competitive hunger that analysts draw parallel to Spain's exit as defending champion in 2014 and Germany's in 2018. The expanded format does produce one structural novelty that alters knockout mathematics: eight third-placed teams advance to the round of sixteen, creating a broader survival margin for nations making their World Cup debuts. Cape Verde, Haiti, and Curaçao are among those identified as sides with the profile to produce a sustained run capable of defining the tournament's wider narrative.
The competition begins with group-stage matches distributed across three countries. Key early fixtures include Canada's home opener on June 12, the United States against Türkiye on June 25 in Los Angeles, and Colombia against Portugal in Miami on June 27 - a match analysts single out as one of the most anticipated of the group phase. Japan, described as a tactically cohesive unit competing in a manageable group, is identified as a likely dark horse despite the absence of winger Kaoru Mitoma. Brazil, now under Carlo Ancelotti, and a Colombian side with strong community support across the United States are also noted as teams capable of exceeding pre-tournament assessments. The final is scheduled for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
