The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than a year away, and excitement is reaching a fever pitch ahead of next summer’s North American showdown. Qualifiers are still ongoing to determine who makes it to the tournament, with a newly increased number of 48 – up from 32 – set to take part. Reigning champions Argentina have already punched their tickets, as have their archrivals Brazil, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, Asian underdogs Uzbekistan and Jordan will feature on the grandest stage for the first time.
Three nations that will not have to worry about the qualifying process are the three host nations. The United States, Mexico, and Canada all have a guaranteed invite to the party that they will be hosting. But what is the sentiment surrounding each nation nine months out from the June 11th, 2026, tournament opener in Mexico City? Let’s take a look.
Both Vancouver and Toronto will be hosting games at next summer’s showdown. The BC Place in Vancouver is the third biggest stadium in Canada, and it will host five group games and two knockout games. Toronto’s BMO Field, meanwhile, is due for an almighty expansion in capacity, from 28,000 to 45,000, and that will also host five group stage games and just the one knockout game. It may not be the biggest stadium, but that expansion will certainly help. The Maple Leafs will now be relishing the idea of performing in front of their adoring public.
Back in 2022, Canada qualified for the World Cup for just the second time in their history and for the first time since 1986, topping the CONCACAF qualifying section ahead of both Mexico and the United States. Unfortunately, their return to the global stage didn’t go as planned, bowing out after losing all three of their group stage games to Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco. However, considering the fact that the latter two of that trio both reached the semifinals, perhaps Canada should take some heart from their efforts.
In the years since then, the Maple Leafs have continued their growth. They reached the semifinals in their first-ever Copa America last summer, ultimately losing out to eventual champions Argentina after a spirited display. Jesse Marsch’s men were brought back to reality this summer, however, after being dumped out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup after a shocking penalty shootout defeat to Guatemala.
Bayern Munich fullback Alphonso Davies remains the star of the show, and he must impress on the left-hand flank if Canada are to have success next summer. Striker Jonathan David is another superstar, and he has hit the ground running since joining Italian giants Juventus during the recent transfer window.
Canada just picked up back-to-back victories on European soil, defeating both Romania and Wales away from home without conceding a goal. Next summer, they will be aiming to qualify from the group stages at the very least, with a run to the quarterfinals considered an ambitious target.
Mauricio Pochettino’s United States are a team in disarray. Despite boasting superstars such as Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams, the Stars and Stripes simply cannot string together a run of results. They reached the Gold Cup final this summer, but they hardly faced a murderer’s row of opponents en route to the SoFi Stadium showpiece. Once they did reach the final, they were thoroughly outclassed by Mexico, slipping to a 2-1 defeat, and raising further questions over their Argentinian manager.
Their friendly performances haven’t been much better. The USMNT have lost three of their last four warm-up matches for the World Cup, dropping back-to-back defeats to European opposition in the spring before losing again to South Korea in the most recent international break. They did manage to snap that losing streak with a 2-0 triumph against Japan in their most recent clash, however, and Poch will be hoping that result triggers an upturn in fortunes.
America’s media is notorious for overestimating the USMNT’s hopes at World Cups. Lest we forget, that one popular TV show once referred to Pulisic as “the LeBron James of soccer.” Still, anything less than a quarterfinal berth next summer will be considered a disappointment. The chances of a catastrophic group stage exit seem more likely than a fairytale run to the trophy at this point.
Mexico are without question the best positioned of the co-hosts. They won the Gold Cup this summer and were good value for their victory, with Raúl Jiménez and a late winner from Edson Álvarez enough to overturn a 1-0 deficit and secure the title. Now, they will be aiming to carry that through to the World Cup.
El Tri are packed with quality across the pitch. Their two scorers in that Gold Cup final are among their best, while AC Milan striker Santi Gimenez and defender Johan Vásquez are also highly regarded. However, it’s teenage sensation Gilberto Mora that truly has the Mexicans excited.
The 16-year-old has burst onto the scene over the last year and was arguably the best player on the pitch in the recent victory against the United States. If he performs at the highest level at the World Cup, clubs will be queuing up to secure his signature, while his country could well mount another run to the knockout stages.
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