The FIFA World Cup is nearly here and fans are getting ready by buying the latest jerseys and looking at their country’s potential route to the final. Squads will be released soon and every friendly and injury update will be closely scrutinised.
Many are also now filling out their free World Cup bracket 2026 to see if they can correctly predict what happens during this jam-packed tournament. It’s the first time ever that there have been 48 teams, so it’s harder than ever to correctly predict what’s going to happen.
However, attempting to forecast the 104 matches is a fun exercise and means that you have skin in the game for all of the action and not just when your own team is playing. Anyone taking the matter seriously will need to make sure that they consider a proper strategy before submitting their final bracket.
The new format changes everything
It’s worth first considering how the 2026 FIFA World Cup has grown from 32 teams to 48, with 12 groups of four. The top two from each of the groups will automatically go into the knockout stages, as well as the eight best third-placed teams. There’s a brand new Round of 32 included in the football competition as a result.
This new format means that group stage upsets will matter less than they once did. Big teams that lose their opening match aren’t in massive danger anymore, as they can stumble, finish third and still progress. That means it’s important not to overreact to early shocks.
The extra knockout round also means that there are more opportunities for underdogs to ambush a high-profile side after having a couple of games under their belts already. The 2026 bracket will reward patience, depth, and people who embrace the chaos.
The favourites
Spain are the favourites to win the whole tournament. They were very impressive two years ago when claiming Euro 2024, blending their traditional possession game with a more direct attacking threat. New generational talent in midfield means that they’ll get the chance to dictate tempo in the tough summer heat.
France aren’t far behind Spain in the rankings and have been the most consistent teams at recent World Cups. They won in 2018 and finished runner-up in Qatar in 2022. They still have true quality across the pitch, with Kylian Mbappe entering the tournament as the favourite to win the Golden Boot.
Didier Deschamps still leads a team that’s capable of winning the World Cup. France’s depth will be especially important due to the extra game under the new format, with squad rotation going to be pivotal for any teams that do well.
England, Brazil and Argentina round out the top five teams, each having their own pros and cons. England have come close in several recent tournaments, but their lack of ambition going forward has ultimately cost them.
Lionel Messi looks like he will play his last World Cup and the aging Argentina team will hope to get one last swansong as they defend their title. Then Brazil have an impressive mix of attacking talent and defensive rigidity under Carlos Ancelotti and could be the team to watch.
The dark horses
The bracket usually opens one slot with the dark horses, as every World Cup has at least one team that progresses much further than anyone expected. The 2026 tournament has more potential candidates than ever before.
Portugal are widely tipped as a dark horse, with a good blend of experience and youth. Morocco stunned the world by getting to the semi-finals in 2022 and they’ve a similar group with more experience. Colombia got to the Copa America 2024 final and have one of their best attacking generations in years.
Erling Haaland dragged Norway to its first World Cup in almost two decades and he can be the difference against many of the top sides. Rounding out the list are Senegal, Ecuador and Japan, each of which is coming into the tournament with a strong vein of form, tactical know-how, and being well able to deal with the tough weather conditions in North America.
A bracket worth backing
It’s hard to make any prediction with absolute confidence, which is a big part of the enjoyment in completing a free World Cup bracket. There are almost always surprise shootouts where one of the favourite teams exits after a nail biting finish. The expanded 48-team format will certainly create plenty of excitement, which is not to be missed.
