The 2026 World Cup in North America will be the first to feature 48 teams, but an expanded tournament does not necessarily mean a wider field of genuine contenders to succeed Lionel Messi’s Argentina as champions.
Only eight countries have won the World Cup in 22 editions up to the most recent tournament in Qatar, when Argentina defeated France on penalties in an epic final.
That was their third title, a tally bettered only by Brazil with their record five crowns, and Germany and Italy with four each.
With a year still to go until kickoff in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, there remain plenty of unknowns—not least because European qualifying has barely begun.
Of the eight previous World Cups held on the American continent, seven have been won by a South American team.
There was one European winner in Brazil in 2014, when Germany edged Argentina in the final.
However, Argentina, who top the FIFA world rankings, will be the team to beat in 2026—even if no country has retained the trophy since Brazil in 1962.
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