There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe during the November international break, as 14 more countries booked their seat at next summer's festival of football in North America.
It obviously came as no surprise to see the likes of France, Spain and Germany secure their spots at the finals, but Curacao's qualification was absolutely incredible, while Scotland, Norway and Austria are all bound for their first appearances at a World Cup since 1998.
Of course, there are still six slots to be filled, but it's fair to say that we now have a much better idea of who will be contention to lift the most famous trophy in sport at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. So, who's looking like a potential victor and which nations still have a lot to work to do? Below, GOAL assesses the prospects of the three co-hosts (United States, Mexico and Canda) and the other 39 teams to have confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup ahead of the group-stage draw on Friday, December 5…
Getty Images Sport42New Zealand ⬇️
FIFA's decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed spot at the 2026 World Cup made New Zealand's qualification for the finals for the first time since 2010 a formality, as they have nothing remotely resembling worthy rivals in OFC. As defender Michael Boxall said after the All Whites progressed with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, "We've gone through heartbreak in [previous campaigns] but once the tournament expanded, we expected this of ourselves."
The question now is whether they can make any kind of impact in North America next year. Much will obviously depend on their group-stage opponents, and a recent draw with Norway offered some grounds for optimism – but it's hard to be confident about the prospects of a team that has now slipped to 85th in the world rankings after a run of seven games without a win.
Indeed, they've still only won 11 games against non-OFC opposition in the past 15 years, and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood is the only truly top-class player in New Zealand's squad.
AdvertisementAFP41Qatar ⬇️
After underwhelming everyone on their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, Qatar will be aiming to leave a much more positive impression on the tournament four years on. However, their qualification was shrouded in controversy, with the two-time Asian champions inexplicably allowed to play both of their fourth-round matches on home soil and, after holding Oman to a scoreless draw in Al Rayyan, they beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 at the same venue to clinch top spot in their three-team group.
Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui oversaw the conclusion of Qatar's campaign after taking the manager's job in May, and did a good job shoring up a defence that conceded 24 times in 10 matches during the third round of qualification. In striker Almoez Ali, Lopetegui is also in possession of a prolific striker who scored more goals (12) than anyone else in the AFC section.
Still, getting out of their group in North America is likely to be a tall order for Qatar, who were beaten in Doha by Zimbabwe on Monday.
AFP40Jordan ⬇️
Jordan made history on June 5 by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, sparking wild scenes of celebration all across the country. A 3-0 win over Oman, which came courtesy of a hat-trick from Ali Olwan, left Al Nashama on the verge of clinching a spot at the finals, and a top-two finish in AFC Group B was ensured thanks to South Korea's 2-0 win over third-placed Iraq later in the day.
Obviously, not much will be expected of Jordan at next year's finals. The majority of Jamal Sellami's side ply their trade in their homeland, though star winger Mousa Tamari has spent the majority of his career in Europe, and left Montpellier for Rennes earlier this year.
Jordan, who are ranked 66th in the world, have also been steadily improving over the past few years and even upset South Korea on their way to a runners-up finish at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but recent friendly defeats to Bolivia, Albania and Tunisia underline that their World Cup campaign is likely to be a hard slog.
AFP39Curacao 🆕
Curacao have improved enormously over the past 10 years, rising from 150th to 82nd in the world rankings, but their qualification for the finals is nonetheless astonishing. Indeed, it still looked unlikely during Tuesday's decisive group game against a heavily-fancied Jamaica side, who hit the woodwork three times in Kingston and also had an injury-time penalty overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
However, despite also being shorn of the services of coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the game for personal reasons, Curacao held firm to claim the point they needed to become the smallest nation – both in terms of size and population – to ever qualify for the World Cup. So, while The Blue Wave is unlikely to make a big impact in North America with a low-profile group of players (Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong will be the most familiar face to Premier League followers), it doesn't really matter. Curacao have already made history.