Inside Time Word Cup Supplement // sponsored by Brayford Solicitors

It’s all to play for:

Football’s greatest show on earth is back and bigger than ever.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will for the first time be hosted by three different nations, in 16 cities across America, Mexico and Canada. A record 48 teams from around the world will compete in a new format, hopefully helping to unify the planet through the beautiful game. The opening match between Mexico and South Africa kicks off in Mexico City on 11 June and the Final will be on 19 July in New Jersey, USA. Historically, the World Cup stage uncovers hidden star players, often from the smaller countries less familiar to us. A rising nation could well shock the world! Will England and Scotland exceed our expectations? Prepare yourself for 39 days featuring 104 matches, and watch the dramas and controversies unfold via the BBC and ITV.

Inside Sport previews the favourites, contenders and outsiders for the 2026 World Cup Trophy.

England

Thomas Tuchel’s squad will arrive in North America carrying both the weight of history and the momentum of a near-perfect qualifying campaign on their shoulders. Eight out of eight wins, scoring 22 goals and conceding none, is impressive. Can that form be transferred to the tournament? For sure, the pessimists are lining up to state the reasons why England will again fall at the last hurdle, so what is different this time around? Former FIFA manager of the year Tuchel boasts a successful track record and more experience than previous men in charge, winning 11 major honours at four different clubs. Captain Harry Kane is flying, having scored 36 league goals (58 in all competitions) for Bayern Munich this season – more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. The depth in this squad with Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Pickford etc. is as strong as any. The challenge will be for those individuals to be coached to come together and perform as a team and finally end 60 years of hurt. Odds: 11/2

Scotland

The way that Steve Clarke has led the Tartan Army to their first World Cup tournament this century may be the most dramatic story in qualification. Heading into their final match, the Scots just needed to avoid defeat against Denmark to secure qualification. Kieran Tierney’s 93rd-minute rocket was followed by Kenny McLean’s lob from the halfway line, resulting in a 4-2 victory that sent Scotland fans so wild that the British Geological Survey recorded the equivalent of an “extremely small earthquake”. Scotland’s aim is simple: to qualify for the knockout stage, a task that they have failed to do in their previous eight attempts. Clarke plays to Scotland’s strengths and capabilities. His team is direct, physical and organised; but with no elite striker, they rely on goals to come from midfield and set pieces. Odds: 100/1

Favourites

Spain 4/1

Best Performance: Winners 2010

Qatar 2022: Last 16 loss to Morocco on pens

Key Player: Lamine Yamal

Top Scorer Qualifying: Mikel Oyarzabal (6)

Squad Note: Best squad in years. The midfield strength of Pedri and Nico Williams is now boosted by the return of Rodri.

France 9/2

Best Performance: Winners 1998 & 2018

Qatar 2022: Runners-up to Argentina

Key Player: Ousmane Dembélé

Top Scorer Qualifying: Kylian Mbappé (5)

Squad Note: Destiny suggests that Didier Deschamps’ last tournament in charge will end in victory. Is it Mbappé’s prime time?

Brazil 8/1

Best Performance: Winners 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 & 2002

Qatar 2022: QF loss to Croatia on pens

Key Player: Vinicius Junior

Top Scorer Qualifying: Raphinha (5)

Squad Note: Not a golden era of players, but this is Brazil and a World Cup, so underestimate them at your peril.

Argentina 17/2

Best Performance: Winners 1978, 1986 & 2022

Qatar 2022: Champions

Key Player: Emiliano Martínez

Top Scorer Qualifying: Lionel Messi (8)

Squad Note: The reigning champions and Copa América holders. One last dance for a 39-year-old Messi, maybe?

Germany 10/1

Best Performance: Winners 1954, 1974, 1990 & 2014

Qatar 2022: Eliminated in the group stage

Key Player: Jamal Musiala

Top Scorer Qualifying: Nick Woltemade (4)

Squad Note: Must avoid a group stage exit suffered in the previous two WCs. A strong defence and well-organised setup – is that enough?

Portugal 11/1

Best Performance: Third place 1966

Qatar 2022: QF loss to Morocco

Key Player: Bruno Fernandes

Top Scorer Qualifying: Cristiano Ronaldo (5)

Squad Note: The Nations League holders have a strong enough squad to support Ronaldo as he seeks to emulate Messi in 2022.

Netherlands 18/1

Best Performance: Runners-up 1974, 1978 & 2010

Qatar 2022: QF loss to Argentina on pens

Key Player: Virgil van Dijk

Top Scorer Qualifying: Memphis Depay (8)

Squad Note: Renowned for their free-flowing attacking style of Total Football. Expect plenty of goals at both ends.

Norway 22/1

Best Performance: Last 16 1938, 1998

Qatar 2022: Did not qualify

Key Player: Martin Ødegaard

Top Scorer Qualifying: Erling Haaland (16)

Squad Note: Sailed through qualifying, winning all eight games. Viking goal machine Haaland will take some stopping.

Belgium 22/1

Best Performance: Third place 2018

Qatar 2022: Eliminated in the group stage

Key Player: Jérémy Doku

Top Scorer Qualifying: Kevin De Bruyne (6)

Squad Note: Notorious slow starters, but they possess a depth of midfield fluidity and are dynamic out on the wings.

Contenders

Colombia 40/1

Star Man: Luis Díaz

One to Watch: Luis Suárez

Note: Competing in their eighth World Cup, having reached the quarter-finals in 2014.

Morocco 40/1

Star Man: Achraf Hakimi

One to Watch: Neil El Aynaoui

Note: Africa’s most successful team, finished fourth in the overall tournament at Qatar in 2022.

Japan 50/1

Star Man: Wataru Endo

One to Watch: Takefusa Kubo

Note: Topped their group in 2022 ahead of Spain and Germany, and beat England 1-0 in March.

USA 50/1

Star Man: Christian Pulisic

One to Watch: Folarin Balogun

Note: Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has targeted reaching the semi-finals.

Mexico 66/1

Star Man: Raúl Jiménez

One to Watch: Gilberto Mora

Note: Playing all their group games at home is an advantage; the team is aiming for the quarter-finals.

Switzerland 66/1

Star Man: Granit Xhaka

One to Watch: Breel Embolo

Note: The Swiss national team is like the country’s banking system: safe, boring and effective.

Uruguay 66/1

Star Man: Federico Valverde

One to Watch: Darwin Núñez

Note: Eccentric former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa demands a hard-working, passionate team ethic.

Sweden 100/1

Star Man: Alexander Isak

One to Watch: Viktor Gyökeres

Note: Did not win a game in their qualifying group, but advanced due to their Nations League ranking.

Outsiders

Senegal / Star: Sadio Mane (100/1)

Ecuador / Star: Moises Caicedo (100/1)

Croatia / Star: Luka Modric (100/1)

Turkiye / Star: Arda Guler (125/1)

Austria / Star: Marcel Sabitzer (150/1)

Paraguay / Star: Miguel Almiron (150/1)

Canada / Star: Alphonso Davies (250/1)

Ghana / Star: Mohammed Kudus (300/1)

Ivory Coast / Star: Wilfried Zaha (300/1)

Egypt / Star: Mo Salah (300/1)

Algeria / Star: Riyad Mahrez (300/1)

Czechia / Star: Tomaš Souek (300/1)

Iran / Star: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (500/1)

Tunisia / Star: Ellyes Skhiri (500/1)

South Korea / Star: Son Heung-min (500/1)

Australia / Star: Jackson Irvine (500/1)

DR Congo / Star: Cedric Bakambu (500/1)

Bosnia & Herzegovina / Star: Edin Džeko (500/1)

Saudi Arabia / Star: Salem Al-Dawsari (1000/1)

New Zealand / Star: Chris Wood (1000/1)

Qatar / Star: Akram Afif (1000/1)

Cape Verde / Star: Ryan Mendes (1000/1)

Curaçao / Star: Leandro Bacuna (1000/1)

Haiti / Star: Derrick Etienne Jr. (1000/1)

Iraq / Star: Aymen Hussein (1000/1)

Jordan / Star: Musa Al-Taamari (1000/1)

Panama / Star: Adalberto Carrasquilla (1000/1)

Uzbekistan / Star: Abdukodir Khusanov (1000/1)

South Africa / Star: Lyle Foster (1000/1)