The United States, Mexico and Canada will host the first-ever 48-team World Cup tournament in 2026.
Wrestling the title from reigning champions Argentina will be difficult, but tournament football has a knack for delivering the unexpected.
The South American qualifiers are already in full swing, while European nations start their bid to reach the World Cup in March 2025.
The United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will hope to be well-represented, with five teams vying to book their place at the tournament.
Read on as we assess their chances of securing a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
Republic of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) recently ended their protracted search for a new manager after announcing the appointment of Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Time will tell if the former Iceland boss is best suited to reverse Ireland’s downward spiral, but his arrival ends a tiresome eight-month managerial search.
After months of uncertainty, Ireland can now head into the upcoming Nations League tournament and World Cup qualifiers with some semblance of stability.
Hallgrimsson takes the reins with a decent record of guiding underdogs to major tournaments, so his arrival significantly boosts Ireland’s chances of ending their barren World Cup spell.
Ireland haven’t graced the World Cup stage since 2002, and their 1000/1 odds of winning the tournament suggest Irish betting sites aren’t convinced about their prospects.
They have a talented squad, but need a tactically astute manager to harness their potential. Hallgrimsson could be the man to defy the bookmakers’ odds and end their World Cup exile.
England
After guiding England to consecutive European Championship finals but failing to ‘bring it home’, Gareth Southgate decided to call time on his spell as manager.
His legacy will be debated for years to come, but there’s no sugarcoating that England’s run to the Euro 2024 final was far from inspiring.
England’s talent pool can only be rivalled by a handful of nations worldwide, yet Southgate found a way to make them look mediocre.
Whoever replaces the 53-year-old must be an upgrade – a tactical mastermind capable of implementing a system that plays to the strengths of England’s hugely talented squad.
England are one of the bookies’ favourites to win the 2026 World Cup, so should power through the qualifiers. However, that depends on who replaces Southgate in the dugout.
Scotland
After back-to-back Euro appearances, Scotland can dare to dream again as they set their sights on a return to the World Cup stage for the first time since France 1998.
However, they have consistently struggled on the biggest stage, evidenced by their performance at Euro 2024. Like the previous edition, the Tartan Army failed to get past the group phase in Germany.
Progressing from a group that includes Germany, Switzerland and Hungary was always going to be difficult.
Picking up just one point from three games suggests they still have a long way to go before they can compete with the elites.
Nevertheless, Scotland have displayed a newfound resolve and tactical resilience under Steve Clarke’s guidance.
The upcoming World Cup qualifiers could be a redemption quest for the Tartan Army, but they’ll need to be firing on all cylinders to qualify for the tournament.
Wales
Wales will be hoping to qualify for consecutive World Cup tournaments for the first time in their history.
Memories of their dismal 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, where they finished rock bottom of Group B, will still be fresh.
A spot at Euro 2024 slipped through their grasp, but not for the lack of trying. Wales pushed Turkey and Croatia to the limit but ultimately fell short.
Wales will now set their sights on the 2026 World Cup. After parting ways with Robert Page, they have turned to former Burnley assistant manager Craig Bellamy to lead the team.
The Welshman will be eager to make his mark in his senior head coach debut. A favourable draw will significantly bolster his chances of leading Wales to the tournament.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland fans can barely remember the last time the nation featured in a World Cup tournament.
Their last appearance came in 1986, but they crashed out at the group stage – a far cry from their golden generation that reached the quarter-finals in 1958.
While dreams of replicating that feat in 2026 are practically non-existent, the upcoming qualifiers offer a chance for the nation to patch up their reputation on the international stage.
Realistically, forcing their way into the 2026 World Cup represents a monumental task.
Northern Ireland lack the firepower or pedigree to match the elite, but they’ll be eager to prove themselves in the qualifiers and restore pride to the green and white jersey.
They’ll be hoping for a decent draw to strengthen their faint chances of making it past the qualifiers, but it would be a surprise if they progress to the final tournament.
