Finally, the FIFA World Cup is almost here. We are one month out to the greatest show on earth and we’re officially at the stage of cringing and grimacing through every club football match, praying that stars don’t get injured.
We’re almost there, though, with camps opening in two weeks. As 26-man squads start getting announced ahead of the May 30th deadline, it will result in some fascinating inclusions and some genuine gambles.
To look ahead to that, and the World Cup’s opening match on June 11th, here are 26 Big Questions ahead of this summer’s tournament.
1. Did FIFA make the right decision to expand World Cup to 48 teams?
No. All the pre-tournament noise may well be drowned out after the first couple of mesmerizing football moments, but 48 teams is too many. There is nothing close to a Group of Death and the very fact that the eight best third-place teams will advance from their group into a knockout Round of 32 promises that football fatigue will be a real thing as we sweep into mid-July. More matches also means more mileage on the players, who are already dropping like flies before a ball is kicked.
2. Can Canada, USA or Mexico make a deep run?
That best third-place team chestnut certainly helps the chances for the host nations, but what should we consider a deep run? Surely, getting beyond the Round of 32 is a must for Mexico and the USA, while Canada — still searching for its first-ever World Cup win — should be content to get beyond the group phase. It is a bit of a myth that hosts always do well; just ask Qatar in 2022 and South Africa in 2010. I suspect we may be in for a disappointing surprise … the question is: which team will it be?
3. The old guard says farewell. Who will we remember most fondly?
Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar (maybe?), Son Heung-min, Kane. They are all more than likely to bid adieu to the world stage at this tournament. They have all brought wonder and magic to the World Cup, but who of the bunch should we truly shed a tear for? Well, Messi has his medal and CR7 has shed enough tears of his own already. So, the answer is Luka Modric. The 40-year-old Croatian has been old for years, so has his team, yet they always perform and never seem to tire. And damn it, those shirts are still the best the tournament has to offer. Modric is nursing a broken cheek bone, so he may well be the masked man at the World Cup. He might still return in four years’ time, but if ever there has been an under-the-radar superstar, the diminutive Modric is just that.
4. Who is the next global superstar the casual fan doesn’t know yet?
There is always a footballer who shines brightly for the first time at a World Cup, but the trick is realizing whether it is a short-lived moment of the highest highs, or genuinely the beginning of something special. Turkey is a genuine dark horse and Arda Guler is a young midfielder who has broken out at Real Madrid this season. While Barcelona rival Lamine Yamal will likely steal the show overall with Spain, don’t be surprised if Turkey enjoy a deep run on the back of some Guler magic. Now, it must be remembered Guler is making his way back from a hamstring injury, but if healthy, pay attention.
5. What should you be most concerned about?
Ticket prices? Nah, out of our control. Injuries? Yes, it is injuries. There is just too much football, and the epidemic of soft muscle injuries this season proves it. We won’t be seeing the likes of Xavi Simons (Netherlands), Serge Gnabry (Germany), Hugo Ekitike (France) and Rodrygo (Brazil) this summer and there are some other big names all forcing collective crossing of the fingers from their respective nations.
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6. Which traditional power is quietly falling apart?
Dare I say Brazil? I hope I’m wrong and that that Carlo Ancelotti can work his magic and turn an average-looking side into a world beater, but I have doubts. Neymar may or may not even make the squad. Is Vinicius Junior really a sure thing as much as his predecessors were? There just seems to be a lack of Brazilian flare these days. Prove me wrong, please.
7. Can England finally handle the pressure?
More like, can the fans handle the pressure? England have a special group — not to mention some players at the top of their game — and are led by a well-respected manager who surely won’t be swayed by the fame factor. I could be talking about every edition of England for the past 30 years, right? Yet, the World Cup drought continues … we’re at 60 years now!
8. Can Argentina defend its crown?
Is this Argentina team simply old, or just battle-hardened and oozing with guile? Perhaps it’s the former, but they have Messi so anything is possible. How to manage Messi in an extended World Cup might be the secret for this team’s success. Beyond that, will Julian Alvarez emerge as the team's most important player? He may have to if they hope to repeat.
9. Is this the strongest France squad ever assembled?
This is a common refrain, but it is usually put forward by those too young to remember the late 1990s and early 2000s. Let’s be honest: Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit, Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly would all walk into the current French side. However, this 2026 squad is still really, really good. In fact, probably the deepest team in the tournament so let’s just enjoy, rather than compare.
10. Which underdog nation could become the Morocco of 2026?
Quite possibly, Morocco. Perfect in qualifying, still superb. If not Morocco, another African side could surprise at the tournament. Senegal has a wealth of edge-of-your-seat talent and will be one of the more entertaining sides at the tournament.
11. Which manager will steal the show?
Why not stay close to home and choose Canadian coach Jesse Marsch. A decent run for Canada could mean many opportunities in front of a microphone, and few do it better than Marsch. That chip on the American’s shoulder is real, and he is happy to use it as motivation when needed. Marsch will defend his players better than anyone, and will stick up for his team's underdog status, even if and when they become favourites.
12. Will North America deliver the atmosphere a World Cup needs?
Here’s the dirty, dark secret of the World Cup: Not every match is a sellout, and the atmosphere doesn’t often replicate what we’re used to in club football. Combine those realities with the incredibly high cost of tickets, and no, the atmosphere will not be as hoped. It’s a World Cup, it will be a cool thing to see, but hostile, bubbling cauldrons? Unlikely.
13. Which player has the most to gain from a great World Cup performance?
It is difficult to consider that Lamine Yamal of Spain is set to embark on his first World Cup. Since his breakthrough at Euro 2024, the 18-year-old has firmly cemented himself as one of the top players in the world. The non-footballing world (a strange and odd place) hasn’t quite taken notice yet, though. With the old generation fading away, Yamal can claim the world as his this summer.
14. Will VAR and technology dominate the headlines?
Probably, it is what VAR does best after all. Remember the enormous amounts of added time we endured in Qatar? Expect the same again this tournament, as they really haven’t figured out how best to utilize the system. I do like the new time constraints on substitutions, goal kicks and throw-ins, not to mention injured players being forced to leave the pitch for one minute but the expanded VAR that will assess such things as corner kicks annoy even the most patient of fans.
15. Who should you most be looking forward to watching?
Aside from the usual suspects who routinely entertain, how about Antoine Semenyo. As usual, Ghana will provide plenty of great theatre, and their dynamic Manchester City attacker is box office.
16. Which star player is under the most pressure?
The answer is Cristiano Ronaldo, which is dreadfully unfair. He has done it all on the football stage, aside from winning a World Cup. This is his last chance. At 40 years of age, does he have enough left to lead Portugal to the promised land? Or is the team better served using him off the bench when needed? We all know he will start and anything less than the trophy will be unbearable for CR7 and elevate his biggest rival forever ahead of him.
17. Is there a star player ready to make their mark internationally?
It has to be Erling Haaland. Norway has come out of nowhere to become a genuine dark horse, having dominated qualifying (at Italy’s expense, no less). The Premier League’s biggest star is my pick to also land the Golden Boot. This is Haaland’s world; we’re just renting space in it.
18. Which nation has the biggest chance to embarrass themselves, on or off the pitch?
The Dutch and French have traditionally had the tendency to occasionally throw in a putrid performance on and off the field at the World Cup. That said, Senegal has recent form. Just last month, they were stripped of the African Cup of Nations title, months after beating Morocco on penalties. Senegal had left the pitch late in the contest out of protest to some dubious officiating … that’s a no-no. At the time, they returned to the field and won the match in extra time. The whole fiasco was a farce, but that is AFCON — as brilliant as it is insane.
19. Will this World Cup jettison Canada towards being a soccer nation?
It is a great start and will certainly help. I am cautiously optimistic moving beyond this summer, as we look well positioned with the soon to-be-announced national training centre, Canada at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027 and an ever-growing base of excellent talents in both the men and women’s game. The future of MLS in Vancouver is of major concern as the possibility of the Whitecaps relocating would be a national sporting disaster. Can we find the right partners and backers in a post-World Cup world to save them? If so, the answer to the question is yes. If not, it is sadly no.
20. Which three players will Canada struggle with?
I don’t care what people think, Group B is a tough one. Bosnia’s dynamic winger Esmir Bajraktarevic will cause whoever is healthy enough for Canada at left back some serious problems. Qatar’s Akram Afif is a cerebral forward who will find space where there is none from either wing. Dan Ndoye of Switzerland is a similar threat to Bajraktarevic. Canada will need at least one of Alphonso Davies or Richie Laryea to be at 100 per cent to defend those threats.
21. Is the potential absence of Alphonso Davies really a big deal?
Give yourself a shake — of course it is! I know we have grown accustomed to Canada squads without Davies due to injury, even dating back as far as the 2022 World Cup Qualification when he missed action with Myocarditis. The fact is Phonsie is the greatest player Canada has ever produced so having him on the pitch makes Canada significantly more threatening. They are simply better with him.
22. Who will be Canada’s most important player?
To advance out of the group, Canada will have to score. Great insight, eh? Canada’s biggest goal-scoring threat is Jonathan David. Therefore, Jonathan David is Canada’s most important player.
23. Which Canadian will the world be talking about?
Four years ago, Ismael Kone was being touted as the next Atiba Hutchinson, and here we are four years later and that is who Kone has become. Not like for like, but an intelligent and aggressive central midfielder who will engineer a big-money move this summer from his Italian club, Sassuolo. The world is on notice and Kone will not disappoint.
24. But didn’t we think Moise Bombito was going to be that guy?
He may well be, but he hasn’t played a minute of soccer since November when he broke his leg. Bombito has the biggest upside of any Canadian player, but he does need to find a way to stay healthy. The Nice centre back has it all, aside from the ability to stay on the pitch.
25. Which Canadian is sneaky good and might surprise?
Liam Millar has been a favourite of mine for a long time. With the ability to play both wings, the Hull man could be eying Premier League football next season if the EFL playoffs work out. Given Canada’s injury issues out wide, Millar may be afforded an opportunity of a run of games, and he will deliver.
26. Will Canada have a surprise call-up when the squad is announced later this month?
Promise David is back training this week, following February hip surgery that appeared to end his World Cup hopes. Even if his return is ahead of schedule as reported, David will not be match fit in time for the tournament … but can he be fit enough to give some minutes off the bench, if needed? Even if he is only able to give 10 minutes once the knockout rounds begin, you take the chance and pick him. Having a squad of 26 players means you can take a gamble or two, and the Union Saint-Gilloise striker is worth that gamble.
