2026 World Cup: Predicting Starting Lineups for All Major Contenders and Co-Hosts

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens break down ESPN's World Cup Power Rankings and share their picks for who will finish top at the tournament. (2:30)

Tuesday marked 30 days to go until the start of the FIFA World Cup , with the opening game set for Mexico City between co-host Mexico and South Africa on June 11. In addition to laying out the second edition of our Power Rankings , where our global reporters and experts voted for the top 15 contenders set to take part in this summer's competition, we're drilling deeper on the major nations and the three host nations.

Not only are we taking a projection of their starting XIs based on form and fitness, but we are predicting their squads, formation and dissecting their strengths and weaknesses. The last two months have seen some big injuries and big names ruled out , which will present opportunities for new stars to step up.

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How are they looking with less than 30 days to go? Let this be a 10,000-foot view of how they're shaping up.

JUMP TO: Argentina | Australia | Belgium | Brazil | Canada | England | France | Germany | Japan | Mexico | Morocco | Netherlands | Portugal | Senegal | Spain | South Korea | U.S.

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Juan Musso, Geronimo Rulli; (Defenders) Leonardo Balerdi, Nicolas Otamendi, Facundo Medina, Gonzalo Montiel; (Midfielders) Valentin Barco, Leandro Paredes, Exequiel Palacios, Nico Gonzalez, Thiago Almada, Nico Paz; (Forwards) Lautaro Martinez, Jose Lopez

Squad snapshot: Argentina enter the 2026 World Cup as defending champions, a status that presents both a challenge and a massive responsibility. However, Lionel Scaloni's side possess two primary virtues: mental fortitude and an innate ability to compete. They have a clear identity, and are a consolidated team rather than just a collection of individual talents -- this is something of a rarity in international football.

The squad will once again feature Messi, whose presence provides an extra incentive to retain the trophy -- something no team have achieved in over 60 years. By appearing in his sixth World Cup, the legendary No. 10 will break the record.

Argentina's weaknesses involve a lack of depth in certain positions and the recurring physical issues of their defenders. The team also lack strong alternatives at full back, while in attack they rely heavily on two world-class strikers: Álvarez and Martínez.

For this tournament, Scaloni will have to make crucial decisions to ensure the necessary generational transition. Following Ángel Di María's departure, but with Messi still as the focal point, there will be room for several stars to shine alongside emerging talents such as Barco and Paz. -- Damian Didonato, ESPN Argentina

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Paul Izzo, Patrick Beach; (Defenders) Kye Rowles, Kai Trewin, Jason Geria, Aziz Behich, Miloš Degenek; (Midfielders) Paul Okon-Engstler, Patrick Yazbek, Ajdin Hrustić; (Forwards) Nestory Irankunda, Mathew Leckie, Nishan Velupillay, Deni Juric, Craig Goodwin

Squad snapshot: Australia have long been established as one of the most defensively formidable sides in Asia, and this has been even more pronounced since the arrival of Tony Popovic as coach midway through qualifying. With the return to fitness of towering center back Souttar -- one of the stars of the 2022 World Cup despite only just returning from an ACL injury -- the Socceroos can be a nightmare for any side when they dig in and look to play on the counter.

With the ball, though, while Australia possess explosive individual talent in the likes of McGree, Irankunda and Touré, the team have a tendency to become static during extended periods of possession. They can also be vulnerable to counter pressing: their all-action first-choice midfield isn't as comfortable in tight areas as others, which can cause dangerous turnovers in their own half.

However, they tend to keep things simple at a World Cup and are very comfortable settling into Australian sport's preferred role of underdog and play on the counter. One only needs to look at what happened in Qatar -- when they stunned Denmark to reach the round of 16 before pushing Argentina all the way -- to see how they can leverage a backs-to-the-wall mentality and their game-breaking individual talents to spring surprises. -- Joey Lynch, ESPN Australia

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Senne Lammens, Matz Sels; (Defenders) Brandon Mechele, Koni De Winter, Timothy Castagne, Joaquin Seys, Nathan Ngoy; (Midfielders) Axel Witsel, Hans Vanaken, Nicolas Raskin, Nathan De Cat; (Forwards) Leandro Trossard, Lois Openda, Dodi Lukebakio, Alexis Saelemaekers

Squad snapshot: Fitness is still the biggest worry for this Belgium team. The squad is interesting on paper, with a bit of everything -- different profiles, ages and experience levels -- but the biggest issue is injuries to many of their key players. Lukaku is the biggest concern, with hamstring and other muscle issues limiting him to just five Serie A appearances so far this season, most recently on March 6. Time is running out for him to get fit and lead the line.

However, manager Rudi Garcia clearly has ideas of how to manage without him, having beaten the U.S. 5-2 and drawn 1-1 with Mexico in the March international break. If everyone is ready to go, the attacking potential is huge, though it does lack depth. Defensively, however, Belgium are less solid besides the 6-foot-7 frame of Thibaut Courtois in goal... just think about a Debast/Theate partnership against the likes of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé or Alvarez. And, as we know, having a strong defense goes a long way to winning big tournaments. -- Julien Laurens

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Ederson, Bento; (Defenders) Douglas Santos, Vanderson, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Danilo; (Midfielders) Fabinho, Andrey Santos, Danilo Santos, Lucas Paquetá; (Forwards) Gabriel Martinelli, Endrick, João Pedro, Igor Thiago

Squad snapshot: Brazil are facing two different issues in their preparation for the World Cup: the limited time head coach Carlo Ancelotti has with the team, and a growing list of injuries to important players.

Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Estevão were all considered very important players for Ancelotti, but they are now going to miss the World Cup entirely. Alisson remains a safe pair of hands in goal, though nobody knows exactly how he will return from his latest injury suffered at Liverpool. Winger Raphinha and midfielder Bruno Guimarães have also spent time on the sidelines to recover from a heavy workload.

What we do know is that Brazil are trying to build a team around the speed, technique and intelligent movement of their attacking players, without a traditional No. 9 striker as a reference point, and supported by a very strong midfield duo -- especially driven by Casemiro's leadership.

There are also other important points to observe. The growing role of Danilo Santos -- formerly of Nottingham Forest, now Botafogo -- has added intensity and dynamism to midfield. There is also the question of how Vinícius Júnior will handle the expectations surrounding him, while the "Neymar debate" appears to be much hotter in the media than inside the CBF offices. His inconsistent performances at Santos, combined with concerns about injury and his behavior on and off the pitch, have made him a long shot to be named in the final squad. -- Gustavo Zupak, ESPN Brasil

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Maxime Crepeau, Owen Goodman; (Defenders) Niko Sigur, Richie Laryea, Zorhan Bassong, Luc de Fougerolles, Kamal Miller; (Midfielders) Mathieu Choiniere, Nathan Saliba, Marcelo Flores, Jacob Shaffelburg; (Forwards) Liam Millar, Tani Oluwaseyi, Daniel Jebbison

Squad snapshot: The glass-half-full read is that Canada are undefeated in their last six matches, they've got a best XI composed almost entirely of players from European clubs and, when fit, they have a genuine world-class star in Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies taking charge on the left flank. Coupled with a World Cup on home soil, the tournament co-hosts will look to make some noise in another international competition after doing just that a couple of years ago as Copa America semifinalists.

The glass-half-empty read is that in those six matches Canada failed to score in half, while earning four draws. It would be a stretch to say that they were highly convincing and without some of their top stars, they've also looked vulnerable when relying on alternatives. It's a common scenario for most national teams that don't have the talent pool of a Spain or France, but the health and fitness of crucial starters will be key for a run through the knockout stage. And Davies has now suffered another hamstring issue that could see him miss out.

There's also a worrisome trend of red cards, with players picking on up three times in their last five matches. "We're physical, we play hard, but we're not a dirty team," coach Jesse Marsch said in March. -- Cesar Hernandez

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Dean Henderson, James Trafford; (Defenders) Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn; (Midfielders) Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer; (Forwards) Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins

Squad snapshot: England only need to find a little improvement to have a strong chance of ending their 60-year wait for a major international trophy. The FA hopes that Thomas Tuchel can provide it as an elite coach with a tactical acumen that many view as an upgrade on his respected predecessor, Gareth Southgate.

He could start with a bang before a ball is kicked, with midfielder Phil Foden and right back Trent Alexander-Arnold huge doubts to make the final squad despite their experience and pedigree, and there are other areas of concern.

England's run to the Euro 2024 final featured a series of dogged, but largely uninspired, performances as Southgate scrambled for an effective combination in central midfield. England have long lacked a deep-lying No. 6 midfielder capable of dictating the tempo of a game, but there are signs Anderson could be that player. The Nottingham Forest star's emergence has been a feature of the Tuchel era, bringing composure and confidence to the base of England's engine room but it remains to be seen whether he can translate that to the biggest stage of all.

England's center backs are not entirely convincing, although Guéhi's move to Manchester City only furthers the idea he is developing into a top-class player, while O'Reilly's rapid progress at City could provide a solution to the problematic left back position.

Overall, England's strength is in attack with a rich array of options and one of the best No. 9s in world football: Kane. Tuchel has sometimes favored Rogers' all-around contribution over the star power of Bellingham in the No. 10 role, while he must figure out how to rotate the likes of Palmer and Saka effectively during a difficult schedule.

England have historically struggled in hot conditions at the end of another arduous Premier League season in which many clubs have had extended runs in European competition. Tuchel must succeed where Southgate came up just short in forging a clear identity which maximizes that individual talent, and he must do so while battling another familiar enemy: fatigue. -- James Olley

Projected bench: (Goalkeepers) Brice Samba, Robin Risser; (Defenders) Malo Gusto, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez, Lucas Hernandez; (Midfielders) Warren Zaire-Emery, Adrien Rabiot, Manu Kone, Bradley Barcola, Eduardo Camavinga; (Forwards) Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram, Maghnes Akliouche, Randal Kolo Muani

Squad snapshot: The March international break was a great success for Les Bleus , with top performances and wins against Brazil (2-1) with t

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48677243/2026-world-cup-rosters-predictions-starting-xis-usa-france-mexico-england-spain-germany-brazil-argentina)._