The 2026 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, with June 11th the date marked in every football fan’s calendar for the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa. Plenty of attention has been paid to the tournament favourites. Can Spain’s Lamine Yamal-led new generation lead them to glory after their surprise success at Euro 2024? Will England finally end 60 long years of hurt after coming closer than ever before in recent campaigns?
If the online betting sides are to be believed, both are in with a great chance. The latest World Cup odds make the reigning European Champion La Roja the 9/2 frontrunner to leave MetLife Stadium with the trophy on July 19th. Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions come in just behind at 11/2. But while those two heavyweights are expected to impress, what of the teams that might not be able to handle the pressure?
Recent Flops
At every World Cup, there is always a team or two that shockingly slumps to an early exit. In 2022, Germany were dumped out at the group stage after a stunning 2-1 defeat to Japan, their second straight such exit after falling victim to the champions’ curse in Russia four years prior. Belgium also fell victim to an early exit after losing to Morocco in the group stage, with a campaign mired by internal turmoil ultimately ending in disaster.
Heading into this summer’s showdown, a number of teams run the risk of suffering a similar fate. Let’s take a look at the two we consider most likely.
Brazil
Brazil is the record five-time champions, but their record since their most recent triumph back in 2002 is miserable. They have fallen at the quarterfinals in four of those five tournaments since Ronaldo’s brilliance in Japan and South Korea. Most recently, it was Croatia who revelled in the role of underdogs, dumping out the Selecao on penalties after heroics from goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. And since then, things have only gotten worse.
The Brazilians suffered a disastrous Copa America run in 2024, once again losing on penalties in the last-eight, this time to Uruguay. Their qualifying campaign for the upcoming World Cup didn’t go much better. At one point, there was a very real possibility that the Selecao wouldn’t receive an invite to football’s biggest party after a run of one win in six threatened to derail their hopes.
The appointment of Carlo Ancelotti steadied the ship somewhat, but fifth place in the standings represented Brazil’s worst qualifying effort since CONMEBOL expanded to an 18-game qualification route back in 2002. If that wasn’t bad enough, this Selecao side has lost a number of its superstars, with the likes of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, and Thiago Silva all well past their best.
As a result, the new generation must hit the ground running, and they immediately find themselves under pressure, having been installed as the 9/1 fourth favourites. Vinicius Jr. is the new star of the show, but he has been in miserable form for Real Madrid this season. As such, expectation could well shift onto 18-year-old Chelsea sensation Estêvão to provide that traditional samba flair. Is he up to the task at such a tender age? He may well have to be, should his teammates once again underwhelm.
USA
With the United States co-hosting the tournament alongside neighbours Mexico and Canada, expectations Stateside have been ramped up. No one outside of the States will be tipping the Stars and Stripes to win the tournament, but there’s definitely hope within the country. Unfortunately, we’re here to remind them that things could go badly wrong when they open up their doors to the world in six months.
Former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino was brought in as manager in a bid to mount a deep tournament run at the World Cup, but the Argentine’s reign in charge has left a lot to be desired. The 53-year-old presided over a group stage exit at the Copa America in 2024, as well as suffering a shock Concacaf Nations League semifinal defeat to Panama. They did reach the final of the Gold Cup last summer, but even then, they were less than impressive en route to the finale, before being utterly outclassed by Mexico in the SoFi Stadium showpiece.
The current American squad is being tipped as the greatest ever. Europe-based stars lead the way, with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Timothy Weah all capable of the spectacular, while Chris Richards provides defensive solidity. But they have done little to inspire confidence throughout Pochettino’s time in charge, conspiring to lose friendlies to the likes of South Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey over the last year.
After being drawn in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and a European qualifier, they will be expecting to win the group before mounting a run towards the quarterfinals. Anything less will be considered a disappointment. Will the USMNT be able to handle the pressure? If they don’t, the growth of “soccer” in the country could take a few steps back.
