European champions Spain head to North America as favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. A record 48 teams will compete for the biggest prize in football, but while there are plenty of new faces and potential fairytales, one thing remains the same - the usual suspects are favourites once again.
La Roja surprised plenty of fans and pundits in a superb run to the final at Euro 2024, and their World Cup campaign should provide a similarly comfortable route through to the knockout rounds. Two-time winners Uruguay will provide a fairly stern test for Spain early on and will be confident of qualifying in second as they look for another surprise run to the latter stages.
Cape Verde are one of the feel-good stories of the summer after qualifying for a first World Cup in their history. Group H fixtures include Spain v Cape Verde on June 15, Saudi Arabia v Uruguay on June 15, and Uruguay v Cape Verde on June 21.
Spain's squad includes many of the same names from their 2024 Euro campaign, including Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Pedri. De la Fuente has selected a squad devoid of any Real Madrid players, with both Dani Carvajal and Dean Huijsen left at home.
While there are some questions over defensive options and the fit of some of the attackers in the squad, if de la Fuente can successfully adapt the game plan used in 2024, Spain may well end this summer with another star over the famous crest.