The 2026 World Cup has all the makings of a classic, with young, emerging stars like Lamine Yamal and Michael Olise determined to make their mark, while the old guard of Lionel Messi and Neymar gear up for one last dance.
Spain enter the tournament as most bookmaker's favourites. The reigning European champions have both depth and consistency to rely on, but there are some concerns of their wing pairing, with both Yamal and Nico Wiliams in uncertain physical shape.
Many are backing France to get the job done, with their star-studded lineup of game-changing attackers, and they'll no doubt take some stopping. Michael Olise comes into the tournament in the form of his life, while Kylian Mbappe has a point to prove and is chasing the all-time World Cup goalscoring record.
England's chances are divisive, with manager Thomas Tuchel having picked a controversial squad. However, with Harry Kane coming off his best-ever season and other top-class players across the pitch, the three lions will be competitive.
Strong cases can be made for the likes of Portugal and Argentina too, while Brazil and Germany can never be written off. All in all, this feels like a very open tournament with numerous plausible outcomes.
