Believe it or not, the 2026 World Cup is just a year away from today.
The World Cup is held every four years, but there's a slight difference between the 2026 edition and the previous one in 2022. Instead of its traditional summer schedule, the action in Qatar played out in November and December due to the country's extreme heat in the summer months.
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WATCH HEREIn 2022, one of soccer's legends finally got his hands on the renowned World Cup trophy, as Lionel Messi and Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout to certify La Pulga as the sport's greatest ever.
A lot has changed in the soccer landscape since then. New global stars have emerged, certain countries have either taken leaps or fell behind and, of course, more teams will take part in 2026.
From teams to watch, the U.S. men's national team's chances and more, here's a year-out preview of the biggest tournament in sports:
What happened in the 2022 Qatar World Cup?
Soccer
To briefly recap the 2022 tournament, Messi and Argentina beat France in the final. Morocco and Croatia both made Cinderella runs to the semifinals but were eventually outclassed. Mexico, Germany, Belgium and Uruguay stunningly didn't advance into the knockout rounds, with Spain and the USMNT being eliminated in the round of 16.
In a stacked quarterfinals, the Netherlands, Brazil, England and Portugal all fell short, the former two via penalties and the latter two in regulation.
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SIGN UP When is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will run from Thursday, June 11, until Sunday, July 19.
Where is the 2026 World Cup?
The tournament will be co-hosted for the first time by three different nations: the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
What are the host cities for the 2026 World Cup?
These are the cities across the three countries that will be hosting World Cup matches:
United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle
Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
Canada: Toronto, Vancouver
Who has the 2026 World Cup media rights?
In the U.S., Fox will have the media rights to World Cup games in English, while Telemundo, a division of NBCUniversal, will own the Spanish rights.
How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup?
For the first time, the men's World Cup is increasing to 48 nations instead of the previous 32.
Teams and players to watch in 2026 World Cup
Of course, new players can emerge while current players could fade away by the time the tournament begins. But if the action started today, these are the five teams and players that are likely favorites:
Spain
The reigning Euros champions, La Roja showcased their potential dominance in international soccer. They have two explosive young wingers in Ballon d'Or candidate Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, with Rodri, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Fabian Ruiz and Martin Zubimendi highlighting a stacked midfield department. Unai Simon is between the sticks, while Pau Cubarsi, Robin Le Normand, Pedro Porro and more are helping revitalize the defense. A star striker is a weakness, but Spain specializes with false nines.
France
Winners in 2018 and 2022 finalists, Les Bleus will be a serious contender yet again with its treasure trove of talent. Superstar forward Kylian Mbappe is entering his prime, while top Ballon d'Or candidate Ousmane Dembele has finally started hitting his potential. Young winger Desire Doue just lit up the Champions League final, too. The midfield features Real Madrid stars Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, while Mike Maignan is the goalie. William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez are among the world-class defenders.
England
After years of not getting over the finish line, the Three Lions brought in German manager Thomas Tuchel, who is known for his knockout-competition brilliance. England has elite forwards in Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Cole Palmer potentially being the midfield trio. Jordan Pickford is the veteran goalie, while Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi, Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold could be key defensively. Myles Lewis-Skelly also rose to stardom at just 18 with Arsenal and could be the left-back the national team has needed for years, as he scored the first goal in the Tuchel era.
Portugal
There are concerns with how manager Roberto Martinez utilizes his players, but Portugal's depth has increasingly improved. With Cristiano Ronaldo still the starting striker at age 40, he's surrounded by the quality of talent his prime years deserved. Alongside Ronaldo in attack are Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, Francisco Conceicao and Diego Jota, among others. The midfield is particularly stacked with two star youngsters in Joao Neves and Vitinha, with Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva also pivotal players. Diogo Costa is easily the GK1, with the defense featuring Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva, among others.
Argentina
Last but not least, Messi is heading toward the possibility of going for a repeat World Cup title. Lionel Scaloni's side has learned to win without Messi in recent years, but he tilts the margins in Argentina's favor. Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez and Giuliano Simeone are attackers to watch, with the midfield including Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister. Emi Martinez will likely remain the starting goalie, while Cristian Romero, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel and Nico Tagliafico should return. La Albiceleste also has more promising talents across the pitch that could make serious strides in a year's time.
What are the USMNT's chances in the 2026 World Cup?
Will the USMNT be able to win the World Cup on home soil? Even though the team hired Mauricio Pochettino as its manager, a big name in the soccer world, the lack of quality still persists. Christian Pulisic remains the country's best player by far, while left-back Antonee Robinson has also seen his stock rise. However, Folarin Balogun didn't take the striker spot by storm as initially expected, Tyler Adams has continuously been injured, Matt Turner's dropoff has led to a GK1 hole and the general depth leaves more to be desired.
The U.S. just got through the 2022 group stage alongside England, with Iran and Wales also involved. But the Stars and Stripes lost 3-1 to the Netherlands in the round of 16, getting exposed for their lack of finishing and defensive acumen. Even though Gregg Berhalter was the manager at the time -- which led to his controversial re-hire before being sacked again -- there's not much evidence to suggest the U.S. will go deeper in a 48-team tournament in 2026.
