These five nations stand above the rest as next summer's soccer spectacle nears, a mix of proven champions, rising powers and one team daring to upset the game's global order.
As we say goodbye to October’s international window, the countdown to the men’s World Cup dwindles down and with less than eight months to go, there are now 28 nations who have sealed qualification, including debuts for Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan. With 48 teams playing across three host nations (USA, México and Canada) it is the biggest and most ambitious edition of the tournament.
As things stand, here are Luis Miguel Echegaray’s top five nations that could win the competition.
1. Argentina
There should be no qualms about my top two selections. I begin with the defending champions, who last month ended CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers at the top of the table. Due to their roster, filled with world-class quality and the continuous ascendance of younger stars, Argentina is right on schedule and looking very good to retain the title.
And here’s the scariest part about them: they don’t even need Lionel Messi. Argentina’s manager Lionel Scaloni has a fraternity at his disposal, a group of players who understand each other and the system so well so it is extremely difficult to break them down.
The other component is that the established players are playing the best football of their careers. From Tottenham’s Cristian “Cuti” Romero to Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, many leaders are peaking at the right moment. Lautaro Martínez, still only 28, remains one of the best strikers in Europe and then there’s Julián Álvarez, who is currently the second top scorer in La Liga behind Kylian Mbappé. Rising stars in Como’s Nico Paz, Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono (18 years old) and Álvarez’s Atlético de Madrid teammate Giuliano Simeone also provide so much promise.
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In this window, therefore, friendly victories against Venezuela (1-0) and Puerto Rico (6-0) were less about the result and more about the use of more players in the squad. Messi didn’t play against Venezuela but returned for Tuesday’s win against Puerto Rico, where Scaloni also gave four debuts (José Manuel López, Lautaro Rivero, Aníbal Moreno and Facundo Cambeses) showing just how deep and comfortable this team is.
We don’t know yet if Messi will take part in next year's World Cup. Everything suggests that he will, but there has been no official confirmation. Nostalgia aside, it’s very obvious to those who follow Argentina that — unlike 2022 in Qatar — Messi’s involvement for next summer is now a golden cherry on top as opposed to an absolute necessity. Clearly, Argentina is stronger with the Inter Miami star and the team’s beloved captain, but the biggest reminder is that the key to Argentina’s success next summer is mainly with Lionel Scaloni and his resilient, overall philosophy.
2. Spain
Again, this is another selection that offers zero surprises. Spain, the European champions, continue to make strides as the loss in a shootout to Portugal in the Nations League final being their only recent blemish. After thrashing Bulgaria 4-0 on Tuesday in this window, Luis de la Fuente’s side sits on a perfect record in World Cup qualifiers, having scored 15 goals, conceding zero and, similar to Argentina, the depth and cohesive understanding is strong.
This is all being done under the backdrop of many injuries including Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Nico Williams, Gavi, Dean Huijsen and Ferran Torres. But the squad is so rich that the path toward success hardly falters. Every position is accounted for, from Arsenal duo Mikel Merino (who’s playing the best football of his career) and Martín Zubimendi to their former Real Sociedad teammate Mikel Oyarzabal — Spain is a perfect recipe for success.
What’s more, they have the best midfielder in the world in Pedri, the architect of everything. He played only 66 minutes Tuesday against Bulgaria, but in that timeframe, he made art out of the game, producing more than 100 passes and leaving to a standing ovation. This is a possession-hungry team, but due to the demands of the modern game, it's also now obsessed with application so passing comes with a purpose.
Spain is on par with Argentina as the favorites for the World Cup. The Finalissima (where the CONMEBOL champions face their UEFA counterparts) might give us a good indicator of separating the two, but who knows, March (when the match is played) is a tricky month to decipher anything due to the closing of domestic competitions. Regardless, Spain — FIFA’s No. 1-ranked nation — looks the part of an early favorite to win its second World Cup title.
3. England
Due to the continued dominance of the Premier League and English stars making their mark in Europe, the embarrassment of riches at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal is almost insulting. The Three Lions are deep, talented, balanced and ambitious but what they don’t have is a World Cup title or major silverware since 1966. Can this change next summer? After the good work done by former manager Sir Gareth Southgate, under whose leadership an identity and a cultural makeover developed which took the national team to a World Cup semifinal in 2018, a quarterfinal in 2022 and two Euro finals (2020 and 2024), England is now begging for a major trophy more than ever before.
It has been so far, so good under Tuchel as England became the first European team to seal its place at the World Cup thanks to a perfect record in qualifying, including beating Latvia 5-0 on Tuesday night. In group action, England won every game, scored 18 goals and conceded zero.
It has arguably the best striker in world football in Harry Kane (alongside Erling Haaland), offensive stars such as Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers whilst also possessing one of the best all-around midfielders in modern football in Declan Rice. At the back, Marc Guehi, John Stones and Ezri Konsa are showing defensive leadership and unity whilst Jordan Pickford — due to his consistency — may just go down as one of the best stoppers England has ever had. There’s actual talk of whether the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham can even make the team right right now. That’s the level of depth we’re talking about.
England has all the tools to win the World Cup, but the issue is that we have been here before and most importantly, due to the level of competition at the bottom of UEFA World Cup qualifiers, England can often appear to be playing at a lower level from their own expectations and sometimes bore us into victories. As always, when it comes to England's chances of winning the World Cup, the Three Lions ultimately have to overcome their toughest opponents: themselves.
4. France
The 2018 World Cup winners and 2022 runners-up always give me the same sentiment. It doesn’t matter what happens on the way to the dance because no matter what, France always shows up and delivers. It’s in its DNA.
Just recently, however, Les Bleus were held by Iceland in World Cup qualifiers thus ending their perfect record. So they'll need a victory against Ukraine next month to seal their place for next summer. I don’t see it as a problem, more of a hiccup as France, playing at home against Ukraine, should confirm its spot in November.
There have also been injuries to worry about, including Kylian Mbappé, who had to leave camp after suffering an ankle issue during the team’s 3-0 win against Azerbaijan. And against Iceland, there were more absences including Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and his PSG teammates Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola. Mbappé’s Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni was also out due to suspension.
But again, just like Spain and England, Didier Deschamps’s side is deep and threatening and continues to present itself as a major contender thanks to in-form talent. Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, for example, scored his first goal for the national team Monday whilst Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, Milan’s Christopher Nkunku and Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike are examples of how deadly France can be going forward. And on their day, William Saliba (Arsenal) and Dayot Upemacano (Bayern Munich) are an unstoppable center back pairing.
The issue for France is that for all its offensive might, it’s also prone to give the opposition opportunities. In fact, sometimes it seems France likes to play it dangerously. Statistically speaking, France obliterated Iceland as the visitors only had two shots on target — it just so happened that both of them turned into goals.
The French have a knack for switching off when it matters and in his last hurrah as manager, Deschamps has to rectify this type of vulnerability before next June.
5. Morocco
The final selection might surprise some of you, but for those who have been paying attention, I am sure this isn’t as shocking of a statement. The Atlas Lions are the real deal and their historic semifinal placement in the 2022 World Cup, where they became the first African and Arab nation to reach a semi-final after defeating Portugal 1-0, was no fluke. The highest ranked African nation became the first team in the continent to seal its place for next summer and did it in style, winning every game, scoring 22 goals and conceding only two.
On Tuesday, thanks to a 1-0 win over Congo, Morocco made history and broke Spain’s record by making it 16 straight wins across all competitions.
Walid Regragui has his proverbial spine, beginning with his leader and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi. But it doesn’t end there as goalkeeper Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal) offers so much consistency with the ever-present Sofyan Amrabat (injured for this window) managing the midfield responsibilities, Youssef En-Nesyri leads the attack and thanks to the introduction Brahim Díaz (Real Madrid’s attacker who switched allegiance from Spain) has added creativity. Then there are new stars such as Hamza Igamane (left Rangers for Lille in August), who debuted earlier in March and he has made a strong impression.
Before the World Cup, there’s an Africa Cup of Nations tournament to host and this could either be a great test for Regragui’s team — or a hindrance — given the congested schedule. But as far as next summer goes? With 48 teams taking part, this will be the biggest men’s World Cup in history, with nine CAF nations representing the African continent. In an expanded competition, with an extra round in the knockout stages, there is no reason to say that Morocco doesn’t have a legitimate chance to make history and win Africa and the Arab nation’s first ever World Cup.
Category: General Sports
