As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the March international break has given us a glimpse of potential contenders and those facing challenges. Seven nations 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 for this prestigious competition.
Argentina, led by Lionel Scaloni, are aiming to defend their 2022 Qatar World Cup title and demonstrated their strength with a dominant 4-1 victory over Brazil in Buenos Aires. While Asian and South American qualifiers are in full swing, European teams are just beginning their journey. Over the next year, the competition will intensify as teams battle for a spot in the expanded 48-team World Cup. The European section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will determine 16 places for the 54 UEFA national teams. The tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, starting on June 11 next year. Let`s examine the standout 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 began their group stage campaign with convincing wins against Albania and Latvia at Wembley. Tuchel`s arrival seems to have injected fresh energy into a talented squad eager to overcome the disappointment of losing two consecutive UEFA Euro finals in 2021 and the previous year under Gareth Southgate. Beyond the encouraging performances on the field, Tuchel brings hope for silverware, becoming only the third foreign coach to manage England, following in the footsteps of Sven-Göran Eriksson (2001-2006) and Fabio Capello (2007-2012).
Losers: Brazil
Brazil emerged as the biggest disappointment of this international break. Dorival Junior`s team suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat away to rivals Argentina in Buenos Aires. Beyond the unfavorable result, especially considering Argentina`s earlier qualification for the World Cup and subsequent dominant win, Brazil`s performance was concerning. Lionel Scaloni`s Argentina showcased superior tactical organization and team play. Notably, Argentina’s second goal, scored by Enzo Fernandez, originated from a sequence of 37 uninterrupted passes, marking one of the longest passing sequences leading to a goal in the current CONMEBOL qualifying campaign.
Winners: Argentina
Argentina has become the first South American nation to officially qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Coach Scaloni and his team will have the opportunity to defend their historic third World Cup title, won in a penalty shootout against France in Doha four years prior. After a period of expected instability following such a major triumph, Argentina is once again asserting itself as a strong contender for the 2026 World Cup. They achieved qualification even without key players like Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez, who were sidelined due to minor injuries. This international break has bolstered the team`s confidence and reaffirmed their ambition to win again.
Losers: Italy
Despite Italy yet to begin their European qualifiers (having participated in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals against Germany), the Azzurri are already facing challenges ahead of the June matches. Their loss to Julian Nagelsmann`s Germany means Italy is seeded in Group I with Norway. Erling Haaland`s Norway has started strongly, winning their first two matches against Moldavia and Israel. Norway will host Italy on June 6 for their first World Cup qualifier, a potentially difficult opener for the Italians if they fail to secure points in Oslo. The European giants have missed the last two FIFA World Cups, and Italy`s last World Cup knockout game appearance was in 2006, when they claimed their fourth title by defeating France in a penalty shootout.
