A year away from the 2026 World Cup, the international soccer landscape is murky.
Argentina, the reigning champion, is adjusting to having national icon Lionel Messi in and out of the lineup.
Portugal is coming off a second Nations League triumph, though Cristiano Ronaldo is still a regular starter at 40 years old and manager Roberto Martinez is not fully optimizing the young talents at his disposal.
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SIGN UP HERE In Concacaf, the three host nations look scattered, too. The U.S. men's national team is in questionable form under Mauricio Pochettino and doesn't appear likely to make noise on home soil, while Mexico doesn't have much inspiration either after failing to advance past the group stage in Qatar. Canada is well-drilled under Jesse Marsch but doesn't have the talent to make a deep run.
So, who are some top teams to watch and possible dark horses? Let's look at five each:
2026 World Cup teams to watch
These are the five nations one year out that likely have the best chance at winning next summer:
Argentina
Lionel Scaloni has built a robust side that's balancing life with Messi and without. But as Messi will be 38 when the World Cup begins next year, should he suit up, it's fair to question his impact. Will he still be able to singlehandedly turn a game on its head? How many full 90s can he handle? Outside of Messi, Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Giuliano Simeone and Thiago Almada are some key attackers to watch.
Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister are the main midfield men, while the backline still has Emi Martinez in net, with Cuti Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Gonzalo Montiel and Nico Tagliafico. La Albiceleste may benefit from more top talent entering the scene to freshen things up, but they'll be a favorite as long as Messi is healthy.
Spain
La Roja is among the most well-balanced nations when it comes to quality veterans and star youngsters. Though Spain doesn't play with a traditional striker at the moment, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Ferran Torres are the main forwards. They're particularly stacked in midfield, with 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri looking to be healthy alongside Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Dani Olmo, Gavi and Fabian Ruiz, among many more.
Unai Simon and David Raya are both top goalkeepers, with the defense featuring Dean Huijsen, Pau Cubarsi, Robin Le Normand, Pedro Porro, Alejandro Balde and Marc Cucurella. Spain also has some talents coming up like striker Samu, wingers Yeremy Pino and Moleiro and left-back Alvaro Carreras, among others, who could break through.
France
Les Bleus have reached the final in each of the last two World Cups, beating Croatia in 2018 and losing to Argentina in 2022. Manager Didier Deschamps is leaving his post after the tournament, so he'll look to lead one last run even though his team selection quality has dropped. Kylian Mbappe is the star striker, though there's criticism about his ability as a true nine. Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki and Hugo Ekitike are among the other top attacking options.
Midfield options are a bit more precarious. Behind Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, there are not many high-profile figures. Can Manu Kone, Khephren Thuram and Warren Zaire-Emery step up as depth options? Maghnes Akliouche could be a 10 to watch, too. Mike Maignan is GK1 despite a rough stretch, while William Saliba, Jules Kounde, Theo Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate and Benjamin Pavard form solid defensive depth. Castello Lukeba could be a developing LCB in the squad to watch.
England
Will soccer "come home"? The Three Lions have came close to winning major titles but have consistently fallen short. German manager Thomas Tuchel has joined to help the team cross the finish line with plenty of talent on the team. The attack has Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins. The midfield is also stacked with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze, among others. Phil Foden still needs to regain form, while Ethan Nwaneri, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo and Jobe Bellingham are young talents who could push for a midfield spot.
Jordan Pickford is the main goalie with England not having much competition there, unless James Trafford steps up. The defense features Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, Ben White and up-and-coming star Myles Lewis Skelly. Reece James, Jarrad Branthwaite and Tino Livramento are possible options if they stay healthy and in form, too.
Portugal
After winning the Nations League, Portugal should have cautious optimism about what it could achieve at the World Cup. Roberto Martinez's questionable managing aside, Ronaldo is still capable of being a poacher nine in big games. Also in attack are Rafael Leao, Francisco Conceicao, Pedro Neto and Diogo Jota. The midfield is stacked, with Vitinha, Joao Neves (though used as a right-back), Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva as the stars. Rodrigo Mora could be a special talent if he breaks out soon, with Geovany Quenda a right winger to watch even if he doesn't get called up.
Diogo Costa is the clear GK1, with Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva in defense. Martim Fernandes, Renato Veiga, Tomas Araujo and Tiago Santos could also beefen the backline if they advance in their developments.
2026 World Cup dark horse teams
These five nations are possible sleeper squads to look out for if the dominos fall in their favor:
Norway
Arguably the country fans are most excited to see on the world stage is Norway. The Landslaget feature two of the best attacking minds in the world in striker Erling Haaland and midfielder Martin Odegaard, though both haven't been helped with their supporting casts in international play. That seems to be changing, as Antonio Nusa, Oscar Bobb, Sverre Nypan and Jorgen Strand Larsen should make the team.
They also have ready-now players in Alexander Sorloth, Fredrik Aursnes, Julian Ryerson, Sander Berge and Kristoffer Ajer that help build the gap. The lack of a star goalie may hurt, with Orjan Nyland, 34, looking likely to be the starter. Coaching has also been a previous concern, but they're a new team and that could help them make a Cinderella run.
Senegal
Africa had a country that made a shocking deep run in Qatar. Will it have another this time? The Lions de la Teranga could be an outside pick given their mix of veterans and young players. Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, Eduoard Mendy, Boulaye Dia and Idrissa Gueye should still be in the mix, while Nicolas Jackson, Pape Matar Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye are proven talents in the Premier League.
Goalie Yevhann Diouf and Assane Diao Diaoune recently switched nations to represent Senegal, while Lamine Camara, Habib Diarra, Sadibou Sane, Mikayil Faye and El Hadji Malick Diouf are all versatile youngsters growing across Europe. Coaching has also been a bright spot for Senegal, so if they qualify, they'll be worth watching.
Morocco
The Atlas Lions were the team that stunned the world to reach the semifinals at the Qatar World Cup, eventually falling to France after eliminating giants Spain and Portugal. Can they go on another deep run this time? Most of their key players are still in the right age, with Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Youssef En-Nesyri, Noussair Mazraoui and Nayef Aguerd playing well in their respective leagues.
Brahim, Amine Adli and Eliesse Ben Seghir are three crucial attackers who switched their nationalities, while more young players have emerged since then, including Ismael Saibari, Sofiane Diop, Abde Ezzalzouli, Osame Sahraoui, Ilias and Bilal El-Khannous. Amir Richardson, Hamza Igamane, Neil El Aynaoui and Zakaria El Ouahdi are also possible squad options.
Japan
The Samurai Blue topped a group in Qatar that included Spain and Germany, but they failed to go any further in the knockout rounds. Known to be well-coached and disciplined tactically, Japan is led by star attackers Takefusa Kubo, Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan, while Takumi Minamino, Daizen Maeda are veterans up top. Keito Nakamura, Shuto Machino and Koki Saito are some forwards who will look to break through.
In midfield, Japan has Hidemasa Morita and Daichi Kamada as the veterans, though Kaishu Sano, Ao Tanaka and Reo Hatate could push for important roles, too. Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito and Yukinari Sugawara are among the key defenders with Japan needing more young talent there. If Takehiro Tomiyasu can have a healthy season, he'll be a key piece to the backline as he can play any position. Japan could also benefit from a star goalie at some point, with Zion Suzuki recently showing the most potential.
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Denmark
The Danish Dynamite was a dark horse entering Qatar, but it failed to show any cohesion or fight and ended the tournament on a dreadful note. Will Denmark bring more dynamite to the table this time? They don't have a star attacker, but Mika Biereth has made waves at striker, while Rasmus Hojlund could gain form in a year's time should he find a better environment. Conrad Harder is an up-and-coming, versatile forward who could break out, too.
In midfield, Morten Hjulmand is an underrated profile, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Matt O'Riley, Mikkel Damsgaard, Philip Billing and Maurits Kjærgaard are intriguing players that offer a mix of youth and experience. The defense features Andreas Christensen, Joachim Anderson, Alexander Bah and Joakim Mæhle, among others, while Kasper Schmeichel could return to be GK1. If not, Frederick Ronnow is the next veteran, but Filip Jorgensen and Mads Hermansen have recently bolstered their stocks and could play a part. Patrick Dorgu, Oscar Hojlund and Elias Jelert are talents to watch, as well.