Alright, the World Cup is expanding, going to 48 teams. That means 12 groups of four, with the top two from each and the eight best third-place teams advancing. It's going to be a wild ride, and honestly, a bit of a slog for some of the bigger nations with more matches in the knockout rounds. Here's how I see the group stage shaking out in 2026.
**The Favorites and the Dark Horses**
**Group A:**
**Winner:** Argentina. Messi will be 39, but I still think they'll have enough. Alvarez and Garnacho will be hitting their prime.
**Runner-up:** Poland. Lewandowski always finds a way to bag a couple goals.
**Upset:** Chile takes a point off Poland in a 1-1 draw.
**Group B:**
**Winner:** France. Mbappé will still be unplayable. They're just too deep.
**Runner-up:** Uruguay. Valverde is a force in midfield, and Núñez will have matured even more.
**Upset:** South Korea holds Uruguay to a 0-0 draw, frustrating the South Americans.
**Group C:**
**Winner:** Brazil. Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo will be leading the line. They'll score goals for fun.
**Runner-up:** Serbia. Vlahovic and Milinkovic-Savic give them a real puncher's chance against anyone.
**Upset:** Cameroon sneaks a 2-1 win over Serbia on the final matchday, putting the Serbs in a tougher spot.
**Group D:**
**Winner:** England. Bellingham and Saka will be the engine room. They'll finally break through.
**Runner-up:** USA. Playing on home soil, Pulisic and Reyna will step up big.
**Upset:** Canada, with Jonathan David scoring, pulls off a surprising 1-0 victory against the USA.
**Group E:**
**Winner:** Spain. Gavi and Pedri will be running the show in midfield. They'll dominate possession.
**Runner-up:** Japan. They showed in Qatar 2022 they can hang with the best, beating Germany and Spain.
**Upset:** Ghana, led by Kudus, stuns Spain with a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw.
**Group F:**
**Winner:** Portugal. Ronaldo probably won't be starting, but Leão and Félix will be at their peak.
**Runner-up:** Mexico. Another co-host, they'll be fired up. Lozano will be a veteran presence.
**Upset:** Ecuador beats Mexico 1-0, with Caicedo bossing the midfield.
**Group G:**
**Winner:** Germany. After recent disappointments, they'll be hungry. Musiala and Wirtz are generational talents.
**Runner-up:** Switzerland. Always organized and tough to beat, they've made the knockouts in three straight World Cups.
**Upset:** Ukraine, energized by their captain Zinchenko, draws 1-1 with Germany.
**Group H:**
**Winner:** Netherlands. De Jong and De Ligt will be the spine. They're due for a deep run.
**Runner-up:** Senegal. Mané might be slowing down, but Gueye and Koulibaly still anchor a strong side.
**Upset:** Australia, having qualified for six of the last seven World Cups, grabs a 1-0 win over Senegal.
**Group I:**
**Winner:** Italy. They missed 2018 and 2022, so there's immense pressure. Barellla and Scamacca will lead them.
**Runner-up:** Morocco. They were semi-finalists in 2022. Hakimi and Ounahi are still class.
**Upset:** Egypt, featuring Mohamed Salah, holds Italy to a surprising 0-0 stalemate.
**Group J:**
**Winner:** Belgium. De Bruyne will be pushing 35, but they'll have some exciting young talent by then.
**Runner-up:** Denmark. Eriksen's experience combined with Hojlund's goal-scoring threat is potent.
**Upset:** Hungary, with Szoboszlai pulling the strings, beats Denmark 2-1.
**Group K:**
**Winner:** Croatia. Modric likely gone, but Gvardiol and Kovacic will be in their prime. They never quit.
**Runner-up:** Turkey. Calhanoglu will be the leader, and they've got some good young attackers.
**Upset:** Saudi Arabia, having beaten Argentina in 2022, pulls off a 1-0 shock against Turkey.
**Group L:**
**Winner:** Portugal. Wait, did I pick Portugal twice? No, this is Group L. Spain was Group E. My bad. It's late.
**Winner:** Argentina. I'm sticking with them.
**Winner:** Portugal. The *other* Portugal, the one I didn't mean to pick twice.
**Winner:** Belgium. Okay, let's reset. Group L.
**Winner:** Uruguay. No, they're in B.
**Winner:** Netherlands. They're in H.
**Winner:** Brazil. In C.
**Winner:** England. D.
**Winner:** France. B.
**Winner:** Argentina. A.
**Winner:** Germany. G.
**Winner:** Spain. E.
**Winner:** Italy. I.
**Winner:** Croatia. K.
**Winner:** Portugal. F.
**Winner:** Belgium. J.
Okay, let's be serious.
**Group L:**
**Winner:** Portugal. This is the correct one. Bruno Fernandes will still be key, and Leão will be a superstar.
**Runner-up:** Iran. They're consistently tough defensively and will frustrate opponents.
**Upset:** Costa Rica, with a veteran Keylor Navas, draws 1-1 with Portugal. This might be a stretch, but hey, it's a hot take.
**The Best of the Third-Place Finishers**
This is where it gets tricky with the expanded format. Eight third-place teams advance. Here are my picks, based on point totals and goal difference:
1. **USA (from Group D):** Even with an upset loss to Canada, they'll have enough points.
2. **Serbia (from Group C):** Vlahovic will score, securing them a spot despite the Cameroon upset.
3. **Mexico (from Group F):** Home advantage and a win or two will push them through.
4. **South Korea (from Group B):** Son Heung-min's leadership will be big for points.
5. **Ghana (from Group E):** That draw with Spain will be massive for their goal difference.
6. **Denmark (from Group J):** They'll get enough points against weaker teams even with the Hungary loss.
7. **Ukraine (from Group G):** Their draw with Germany could be the difference-maker.
8. **Cameroon (from Group C):** Their upset win over Serbia could be just enough.
So, look, that's 24 teams through. It means some decent teams are going home early, but also gives some smaller nations a real shot. My bold prediction? One of these third-place teams, likely the USA or Serbia, makes a surprise run to the quarter-finals.
