Spain and England Top Favorites to Win the 2026 World Cup

Who is going to win this one? According to various rankings and odds, there are several contenders, some of them bigger than the others. 1xbet online is one of the most relevant brands in this niche, and as such, it created the list of contenders which goes like this:

• Spain
• England
• Argentina
• Brazil
• France

Spain and England Leading the Way

Spaniards are the top favorites according to the majority of the analysts. They are slightly ahead of the English unit, the team they've beaten in the previous UEFA EURO finals, and the team that's been in the mix to win each tournament over the last 8 years. 

The Red Fury has Yamal and the rest of the kids, while England has an experienced unit, with head coach Tomas Tuchel leading the way. Both teams are peaking right now, and are in the prime, though, we need to say that Spain’s unit has younger players than the Three Lions.

Brazil and Argentina Come After

Two South American powerhouses, one a 5-time World Cup champ, Brazil, and the other, the reigning winners, Argentina, are next on the list. Many pundits say they are both leveled, having the same prospects, even though many believe Brazil doesn't have as powerful a team as in the past. 

Sure, the great Carlo Ancelotti is there, and with him on the bench, each team is a contender and needs to be scared off, but it appears that the aura Brazil had in the past is gone. 

Argentina's unit is mostly composed of veterans, with Lionel Messi as their leader. One of the greatest ever to play this game is nearing his 5th decade, but wants another shot at the title, which would cement his legacy. If he does that, Messi will undoubtedly reach Maradona and maybe even Pele on the all-time GOAT list. 

Can France do Anything With Mbappe as the Leader?

For a while now, there have been discussions regarding Kylian Mbappe. One of the best players in the world leads Real Madrid and is the club's top scorer, yet the team under his leadership is trophyless. And so is the French national team since he became the No.1 in the squad. 

While Antoine Griezmann held everything in his hands along with Olivier Giroud, France became the World champion. When Mbappe took over, they didn't do anything notable. Also, his departure from PSG saw the Parisians immediately win the UCL, whereas, with his arrival in Madrid, Real lost its dominant position in Spain and, overall, the team struggles as we speak.

Some call that a direct consequence of Mbappe's ego and his inability to be a true leader. 

Last Shot for Cristiano Ronaldo

At 40 years, this phenomenon refuses to stop. And he still has that same desire to win and lift trophies. Portugal is one of the dark horses, having a team filled with fantastic individuals, but can they make that final push as they did in France 2016? 

Now that's a question worth a million dollars.

Ronaldo is already immortal, but with this trophy, he would add to his incredible legacy and deny Messi the edge in their trophy count. However, Portugal isn't as competitive as it was in the past, despite all the excellent names on the roster. It seems that so many amazing individuals can't be combined into a single good unit. Or 

Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium - Gatekeepers

You know about the term "gatekeepers" ? In sports, it's awarded to the teams or individuals who are good, but never good enough to win the title. For the moment, these 4 teams are gatekeepers. Or at least that's how the odds at the 1xbet mobile website see them. All these teams have superstars and quality, but are limited and have a slight chance of winning the World Cup. 

Sure, some will reach the semis, maybe even, but according to many analysts, they can't go further. Simply, these teams have limits. Italy doesn't have any superstars, any more than Germany does. The Netherlands is trying to take that extra step and reach another level, yet it's not happening. 

Belgium, on the other hand, has superstars, but this team is already a bit old, with De Bruyne well past his prime. And, to be honest, there aren't any successors in the team on sight.