The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar recently ended with a triumph for Argentina, but fans are already wondering whether they can win it again in 2026. The next time this event is held, it will feature an expanded format and be held across three host countries that have never won it, so what can we expect to happen
Argentina to Win Two in a Row?
After winning their third World Cup trophy, hopes are high in Argentina that they can now go on and win again in 2026. The squad returned home to a hero’s welcome in Buenos Aires. However, the chaotic celebrations resulted in several injuries and the players suffering severe sunburn from their hours spent waving at fans from an open-top bus.
Can they repeat the feat in North America in 2026? Many of their younger players, such as Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez, should be getting close to their peak in four years. However, captain and talisman Lionel Messi will have retired from international soccer by then. Thirty-five years old at the time of their victory against France in the final, he’s now expected to continue playing for Argentina in the near future, but 2026 seems too far away for him.
The US to Win on Home Soil?
The 2026 World Cup will be split between US, Canada, and Mexico venues. With the tournament extended to 48 teams for the first time, 16 cities will host the games. FIFA hasn’t yet decided at which venue the final will be held, but since all of the games in the knock-out stage will be in the US, this country will have an advantage if they get past the group stage.
In the 2022 World Cup, the US national team qualified from group B, which contained England, Wales, and Iran, but they lost to the Netherlands 3-1 in the round of 16. Is the US team ready to take the next step? Express VPN’s research into what drives sports streaming in the USA shows that soccer has overtaken baseball as the third most popular sport behind basketball and American Football. While soccer hasn’t been as popular here as in Europe or other regions, growing interest in the MLS is one reason why it’s now gained ground.
Other Possibilities
Can England win their second World Cup 60 years after their triumph in 1966? A strong showing in Qatar raised hopes until they eventually lost to France in the quarter-final stage. With several of their most important players due to reach their peak playing years in time for 2026, English fans will once again be looking forward with confidence.
As for France, the winner in 2018 and beaten finalists in 2022 should again be involved in the later stages in 2026. Star player Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in the final, won the Golden Boot award as the top scorer, and now has 12 goals in two World Cup tournaments. He will continue to be his country’s greatest hope of success in four years.
We can’t write off countries like Germany, Croatia, and Brazil, and millions of fans around the planet will be pinning their hopes on the winner of the World cup 2026 being one of the nations we’ve looked at here.
