2026 FIFA World Cup: The Contenders (Part One) A look into the top teams who will be fighting for glory

As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws near, the eyes of the world will be on the top contenders who will vie for glory and the chance to etch their names in history forever.

Here are the FIFA rankings for the top 10 teams heading into the World Cup and what to expect from each nation.

Rank 10 - Germany

The champions of 2014 and four world titles to their name, the Germans have seen a massive fall from grace since their glory days and have failed to make it past the group stages in 2018 and 2022 respectively.

However, Die Mannschaft will be looking to erase the ghosts of the past with a perfect blend of young rising stars and a reliable casts of experiences stalwarts.

But there are still questions surrounding Germany’s chances at the World Cup, particularly in the shape of Manuel Neuer, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who had to come back out of international retirement as Germany are yet to find a suitable successor.

Players to Watch: Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlovic

Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ecuador, Ivory Coast

Rank 9 - Belgium

The nation that has shown much promise the past decade but has never quite hit the mark, this World Cup could be significant for Belgium who will be passing the torch from their ‘Golden Generation’ to their rising starlets.

Belgium has been the picture of consistency the past year, with their last defeat coming in March 2025, and a 2-0 win over Croatia ahead of the World Cup shows much promise for the Red Devils.

Could this be the year that Belgium finally fulfills on the potential that have shown for the past decade?

Players to watch: Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Rank 8 - Netherlands

The Dutch hold the unfortunate record for the most FIFA World Cup final appearances without ever lifting the trophy; a reputation of consistent near-misses that the Oranje have failed to shake.

Despite the lack of a true superstar, the Netherlands boast a squad of reliable and proven players who can go on a deep run in the World Cup, backed by a loud travelling support.

The real concern surrounding the team is injuries to several key players, with Jurrien Timber, Xavi Simons and Matthijs de Ligt all ruled out of the World Cup.

Players to watch: Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie De Jong, Memphis Depay

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia

Rank 7 - Morocco

Underneath the controversy of the 2025 Afcon final lies a rising African powerhouse that is ready to take the world by storm once again.

Morocco stand as the first-ever African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, which they did in 2022.

Entering the World Cup as the highest-ranked African nation, the only real concern is if they can live up to the high expectations and intense scrutiny after the Afcon debacle.

Players to watch: Brahim Diaz, Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou

Group C: Morocco, Brazil, Haiti, Scotland

Rank 6 - Brazil

The five-time World Cup champions, Brazil enter every tournament with the expectation to win - and this year will be no different.

Brazil, as usual, will boast one of the world’s best attacks filled with proven talents as well as rising starlets ready to embody the philosophy of joga bonito.

But the biggest story around Brazil is the availability of the team’s leading goalscorer Neymar Jr, who will be playing in his final World Cup.

Neymar’s career has been riddled with injuries and the forward is recovering from a grade two muscle tear in his right calf which has ruled him out of their opening game.

Players to watch: Vinicius Jr, Kendrick, Raphinha, Neymar

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland