2026 World Cup: Which Nations are on the Rise Ahead of Next Summer’s Showdown?

The FIFA World Cup is less than nine months away, and excitement is heating up ahead of next summer’s festival of football. The United States, Canada, and Mexico will open their doors to the largest edition of the tournament ever, with 48 teams set to compete, way up from the previous number of 32. The three co-hosts have already secured their spots, as have reigning champions Argentina, Brazil, and a slew of others as well.

Contenders Emerge

Both of those South American giants are among the favourites to leave MetLife Stadium next July with the famous gold trophy in tow. The bookies currently make Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste as a 10/1 shot to retain their crown, with their rival Selecao considered a more likely champion at 8/1. Following Argentina’s sensational performances in qualifying, finishing nine points clear of anyone else in the South American region, surely there is value to be had when backing the reigning champions.

Here’s where sharp bettors turn to the expected value calculator—a tool as essential as a striker’s instinct. Let’s say your analysis gives Argentina a solid 15% shot at the ultimate prize, as opposed to the 9.1% chance that their current odds suggest. That discrepancy screams value, something that the expected value calculator online at Thunderpick can help you detect. By drilling into the hard numbers and pinpointing mismatches between true probability and bookmaker odds, you put yourself in a position to outplay the market—one calculated risk at a time.

But while the Argentinians and the Brazilians have dreams of winning the World Cup next summer, some nations are just aiming to qualify for the tournament, let alone go all the way. In Europe, several nations have been on the rise in recent years, and here are two that are certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Greece

Greece famously shocked the football world back in 2004 when they won the European Championships in Portugal. In the years that followed, they were a staple both at the Euro and at the World Cup, reaching the knockout stages of the latter in 2014. However, since that round of 16 penalty shootout defeat to Costa Rica in Brazil, the Greeks have never ventured back onto the global stage. In fact, they have tumbled down the world rankings.

In the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League, Greece found themselves in League C, and they would rot in Europe’s third tier throughout the first three instalments of the new competition. However, in recent years, things have taken a turn for the better, and the Ethniki have since secured back-to-back promotions and will compete in League A for the first time in the next edition of the tournament.

Much of their recent progress has been down to the emergence of striker Vangelis Pavlidis as a goalscoring ace, as well as a plethora of younger talent, such as 21-year-old centre back Konstantinos Koulierakis and 17-year-old playmaker Konstantinos Karetsas. Last October, Gus Poyet managed to mastermind a 2-1 victory against England at Wembley. Now, the Uruguayan manager’s task is to lead this talented crop of stars to end a 12-year drought and punch their tickets to next summer’s World Cup.

Greece has been drawn into a wide-open group alongside Denmark, Scotland, and Belarus, a quartet without a genuine powerhouse. With the group winner guaranteed a spot at the World Cup and the runner-up set to receive a second chance in the playoffs, the Greeks will never have a better chance to end their barren spell.

Hungary

Throughout football’s golden era, Hungary was one of the sport’s true powerhouses. They reached the World Cup finals in 1938 and again in 1954, only to be beaten on both occasions. Fast forward to modern times, however, and next summer will mark 40 long years since the Magyar featured on the grandest stage the beautiful game has to offer. Luckily, a new generation of stars is emerging, and while they may not yet rival Ferenc Puskás and Co., there should be enough firepower to finally secure their spot among the elite.

In recent years, Hungary has been showing signs of life. They have qualified for the last three European Championships and have twice featured in League A of the Nations League. The Magyars beat both England and Germany away in back-to-back games in 2022, with the former being a 4-0 drubbing at Molineux, home of Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. Now, though, their attention is squarely focused on reaching the World Cup.

Liverpool talisman Dominik Szoboszlai is without question the star of the show. The 24-year-old is the captain and has already amassed 57 appearances despite his tender years. His brilliance in the centre of the park remains crucial to his country’s hopes. However, the current qualification campaign is teetering on a knife-edge.

Hungary lost 3-2 at home to Portugal in their first qualifier, before securing a 2-2 draw away at the Republic of Ireland in their second. Now, back-to-back clashes with Armenia await, and if the Magyars can pick up six points from those two clashes, they will be confident of securing a playoff spot at the very least.