The 2026 men's World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off in 442 days on June 11, 2026. It may seem a lot of days remaining but trust me, time goes fast and before you know it, the largest and most ambitious World Cup in history will kick off in Mexico City.
As a result, here's a special Onside/Offside where I give my top 11 contenders and assess who's right on track for a deep run in the tournament and who's currently in need of more work. As a bonus, I also break down the current state of the host nations.
Welcome to Onside/Offside: a World Cup contenders special edition!
THE TOP CONTENDERS
ONSIDE: Spain
It's simple, really: Spain truly are the real deal, and in my humble opinion, they're the current favorites to win next summer's World Cup. Since their Euro 2024 victory against England last summer, La Roja haven't lost a game, and scarily for everyone else, they continue to evolve.
The wins haven't always been perfect, but that's the thing about Luis de la Fuente's Spain, and what makes them different from other Spanish sides in the past: it's not perfection or tiki-taka aesthetics that matter. All they care about is getting the job done, and that's what you saw in this window against the Netherlands, where two fantastic matches saw them win on penalties to book their a place in June's UEFA Nations League semifinals. They are also versatile in their system, meaning that they are quite happy and comfortable changing ideas mid-game.
And here's the other component that is so unique: Due to the drop in average age (from 27 at the Euros to 25 in 2025) they have this air of unapologetic swagger. For example, when former Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart criticized Lamine Yamal for his attitude and for wearing his shorts too low during the first leg of their game with the Dutch, the 17-year-old star posted a gallery on his Instagram account celebrating the victory with the caption: "Shorts down, a goal, a missed penalty and INTO THE SEMIFINAL, COME ON SPAIN!"
My point is less about Yamal's response on social media and more about the fact that this Spanish side is young, hungry and confident, and they could care less what you think of them.
Oh, and just wait until Rodri returns.
ONSIDE: England
The Thomas Tuchel era has just begun, so it's difficult to place the Three Lions in either category because there are still many questions left unanswered. Their first two matches under the German manager were wins against Albania and Latvia -- with all due respect to these European nations, it wasn't exactly a challenging window, but I'll place England in the Onside category for two reasons.
First, this is an insanely talented squad -- perhaps the most talented in recent years when you also consider the overwhelming depth and the fact that some of the younger members still have one more season to get even better. From Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly (who became the youngest player in history to score on his senior England debut with his goal against Albania) to Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, there is no shortage of legitimate quality.
Second, I like the Tuchel appointment because he is a pragmatist. He doesn't romanticize a particular style of play, but rather focuses on building an environment that appeals to his squad. He wants to instill a club-focused mentality where the fast-paced aggression of the English game is implemented. It's not about pretty patterns or possession, but rather entering the box, recovering the ball and finding different ways to threaten the opponent.
"The Premier League is a very physical league, a very direct league. We should be proud enough of the culture and the style of English football and the English league to implement this," Tuchel said in his first news conference as manager. "We have to increase the intensity in our games. I want to have more touches in the opponent's box. I want to have more ball recoveries in the opponent's half."
You saw some of those things in this window, but again, it's too early to tell. However, I do believe this philosophy is what's necessary for England to actually win major competitions.
ONSIDE: France
When it comes to going deep in a competition, I never worry about France. Ever. Even if they looked terrible right before the tournament, it wouldn't mean anything to me because their talent and mental foundation is made of alloy steel. As my colleague Julien Laurens puts it: the habit of winning is strong throughout the squad. An opponent's momentum to France doesn't exist, because it's all about what they do.
So, as Didier Deschamps prepares for the World Cup and his final hurrah as manager -- we reported back in January that he was stepping down following that competition -- I am sure this team will be more than motivated to give him a good send-off next summer.
What intrigues me about France is that when it comes to goals, there is currently little reliance on Kylian Mbappé, who hasn't scored in his past seven appearances for the national team. He remains very much involved in all that's good for France, but it's not just about him anymore. From Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise, their offensive firepower is scary.
Elsewhere in the squad, there is no shortage of energy, and Mike Maignan is one of the best goalkeepers in the game. So, yeah. France? Not worried at all.
I think if anything, this is more about Deschamps and his managerial expertise because sometimes, he overplays his hand with team selection and strategy. There's no need to get cute here, Didi: Just play the hits, and everything else will follow.
ONSIDE: Morocco
Let me tell you something. Morocco's historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semifinals, was no fluke, and it's also something that should be noted for 2026.
After losing in disappointing fashion to South Africa in the round of 16 of AFCON in 2023, Walid Regragui's team pressed the reset button and have been on a mission ever since to elevate their game. They are perfect in World Cup qualifiers -- the latest victory being a 2-0 win over Tanzania -- has the Atlas Lions looking good for another spot at next year's tournament.
In four of their past six games in all competitions, they have scored at least four goals and conceded only twice. We already know about their depth, which includes Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Azzedine Ounahi and Youssef En-Nesyri, but last year, another member entered the frame when Real Madrid's Brahim Díaz switched allegiance from Spain to Morocco (his father is Moroccan), and the rewards have been great as the winger/attacker has eight goals since joining.
To me, however, this is about Regragui, who is a tremendous manager. Under him, who's to say the Atlas Lions can't roar at the World Cup once again?
ONSIDE: Netherlands
I'll make this one brief, but not without value. The Netherlands, who have never won the World Cup (but have gone to three finals), are so close to being a legitimate contender.