The Road to the 2026 World Cup

Emily Olcott

Staff Writer

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most exciting tournaments to watch in recent years. With the competition expanding to 48 teams and hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, football fans are set to experience a global showcase of new talent, more teams, and shifting dynamics in the sport.

One of the biggest stories leading into the tournament comes from Cape Verde, a small island on the west coast of Africa. The small island nation, of about 600,000 people, has made headlines after a historic qualification run, marking its first-ever World Cup appearance. Cape Verde’s success comes from years of investment in their youth academies and the rise of players who have experience in European leagues. The nation erupted in celebration after the qualification being a historical moment for the nation as a whole.

Nations like Morocco and Japan, are also gaining attention for being real top contenders in the upcoming tournament. Morocco’s semifinal finish in 2022 demonstrated they have something to prove on the national stage. Japan’s fast pace and disciplined style of playing continues to be impressive against top teams. The traditional gap between large teams like Italy and Spain, and rising powers, like Cape Verde, has never been smaller, showing this tournament will be more unpredictable than ever.

In terms of players, a new wave of young talent is ready to display what they have to offer. Spain’s Lamine Yamal, at just 18, is making headlines at Barcelona, winning La Liga the last two seasons, and for the national team, winning tournaments like the UEFA European Championship. Brazil’s young talent is also something to watch for. Players like Endrick and Estêvāo are being spoken highly about in major sports news outlets for having quality play at the club level and showing skill in qualifier games. Additionally, players like Germany’s Florian Wirtz and England’s Jude Bellingham are anticipated to be tough competitors throughout the tournament.

As the road to 2026 continues, one thing is clear. This World Cup won’t just be about who wins, but who rises to the challenge to raise the highly coveted trophy.