Winners and Losers of World Cup 2026 Qualifying
The 2026 World Cup is approaching, and after the recent international break, seven nations have already secured their places in the tournament. Alongside the co-hosts (United States, Mexico, and Canada), Japan, Argentina, New Zealand, and Iran have officially qualified. Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, secured their qualification with an impressive 4-1 victory over Brazil in Buenos Aires. While Asian and South American qualifying rounds are in progress, European teams have just begun their campaigns. Over the coming year, the competition will intensify as teams vie for the final 48 spots in the World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, starting June 11th.
Winner: Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel has enjoyed a positive start as the England national team manager. England began their qualifying journey with victories against Albania and Latvia at Wembley. Tuchel has injected fresh energy into a talented squad aiming to overcome the disappointment of consecutive UEFA Euro final defeats in 2021 and the previous year under Gareth Southgate. Beyond on-field performances, Tuchel can be optimistic about the future, aiming to lead England to a trophy. He is only the third foreign manager to coach the team, following Sven-Göran Eriksson (2001-2006) and Fabio Capello (2007-2012).
Losers: Brazil
Brazil was the biggest disappointment of this international break. Dorival Junior`s team suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat away to Argentina in Buenos Aires. Beyond the unfavorable result, especially as Argentina had already qualified for the World Cup earlier that day and then convincingly defeated them, Brazil`s performance was concerning. Argentina, under Lionel Scaloni, demonstrated superior quality at this stage. Notably, Argentina`s second goal, scored by Enzo Fernandez, followed a sequence of 37 passes, one of the longest passing sequences leading to a goal in the current South American qualifiers.
Winners: Argentina
Argentina is the first South American team to officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Coach Scaloni`s team will have the opportunity to defend their third World Cup title, won in a penalty shootout against France in Doha four years prior. After a period of instability, understandable after such a major victory, Argentina are once again strong contenders for the 2026 World Cup. They qualified despite missing key players like Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, who were absent due to minor injuries. This week has boosted the team`s confidence and reaffirmed their ambition to win again.
Losers: Italy
Despite Italy not yet starting their European qualifying campaign, having lost to Germany in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, they are already facing challenges before the June matches. Following their loss against Julian Nagelsmann`s Germany, Italy are placed in Group I with Norway. Norway, featuring Erling Haaland, won their first two matches against Moldavia and Israel. On June 6th, Norway will host Italy in their first World Cup qualifier. It could be a difficult start for Italy if they fail to gain points in Oslo. The former European champions have missed the last two World Cups, and Italy`s last World Cup knockout game was in 2006, when they won their fourth title by defeating France on penalties.
