As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the March international break has given us a glimpse into which nations are emerging as contenders and which face challenges. Seven countries have already secured their places in the tournament, joining hosts United States, Mexico, and Canada. Japan, Argentina, New Zealand, and Iran are among the first to qualify.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, demonstrated their strength with an impressive 4-1 victory over Brazil in Buenos Aires, solidifying their qualification. While Asian and South American qualifiers are progressing rapidly, European teams have just begun their campaigns. The next year will be crucial as teams battle for the 48 coveted spots in the World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico starting June 11th next year. Let`s analyze the winners and losers from the recent international break.
Winner: Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel has enjoyed a positive start as the England national team manager. The Three Lions kicked off their qualifying campaign with two victories against Albania and Latvia at Wembley. Tuchel`s arrival appears to have injected fresh energy into a talented squad eager to overcome the disappointment of consecutive UEFA Euro final defeats in 2021 and the previous year under Gareth Southgate. Beyond the encouraging performances, Tuchel offers hope for silverware, becoming only the third foreign manager to lead the team, following in the footsteps of Sven-Göran Eriksson (2001-2006) and Fabio Capello (2007-2012).
Losers: Brazil
Brazil emerged as a major disappointment during this international window. Dorival Junior`s team suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat away to rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires. Beyond the negative result, which saw Argentina qualify for the World Cup and convincingly defeat them, Brazil`s performance was concerning. Argentina, under Lionel Scaloni, appeared to be the superior team at this stage. Notably, Argentina`s second goal, scored by Enzo Fernandez, followed a sequence of 37 passes, highlighting their cohesive play and marking one of the longest passing sequences leading to a goal in the CONMEBOL qualifiers.
Winners: Argentina
Argentina has become the first South American nation to officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Under Scaloni`s guidance, the team will have the opportunity to defend their historic third World Cup title, won four years after their dramatic penalty shootout victory against France in Doha. After a period of understandable instability following such a triumph, Argentina has re-emerged as a strong contender for the 2026 World Cup. They secured qualification even without key players like Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, who were sidelined due to minor injuries. This week has boosted the team`s confidence and reaffirmed their ambition: Argentina aims to win again.
Losers: Italy
Despite not yet beginning their European qualifying campaign due to their UEFA Nations League quarterfinal loss to Germany, Italy is already facing pressure ahead of the June matches. Following the defeat to Julian Nagelsmann`s Germany, Italy finds themselves in Group I with Norway. Erling Haaland`s Norway has started strong, winning their first two matches against Moldavia and Israel. On June 6th, Norway will host Italy in their first World Cup qualifier, a potentially challenging match for Italy if they fail to secure points in Oslo. The European giants have missed the last two World Cups, and Italy`s last appearance in a World Cup knockout game was in 2006, when they won their fourth title by defeating France in a penalty shootout.
