Dark Horses For The 2026 World Cup

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The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada promises to deliver plenty of excitement for fans across the planet.

With 48 teams participating in the tournament for the first time, the chances of an underdog making significant progress have been increased.

Read on as we look at three teams that we believe could be dark horses at the World Cup, starting with one of the three co-hosts.

United States

Mauricio Pochettino replaced Gregg Berhalter as the United States head coach following a disappointing early exit in the 2024 Copa America group stage.

Pochettino will look to take the team deeper into the tournament than his predecessor’s round of 16 exit in 2022 and deliver a memorable World Cup campaign on home soil.

The US have not gone past the first knockout phase since 2002, and Pochettino will be keen on changing that narrative.

The Argentine has built a reputation for building teams that punch above their weight, and he needs to bring that magic to the US.

Pochettino overachieved with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur during his time in England, establishing a reputation as one of the top managers in football.

He has inherited an exciting group of players with the US, and they could be a surprise package at the tournament if they adapt to his style of play.

The pressure will be immense on Pochettino as the tournament unfolds on home soil, but it could also fuel a historic run for his team.

Australia

Football Australia hired Tony Popovic to take the head coach mantle from Graham Arnold, who had led the team for the previous six years.

The first task for Popovic will be qualifying for the showpiece. He should be able to get them into the tournament after they successfully navigated a tricky start to their qualifying campaign.

Australia have never been past the last-16 at the World Cup, but if there’s any manager from the domestic league that can get this squad to overperform, then it is Popovic.

The former Crystal Palace assistant led Western Sydney Wanderers to the 2014 AFC Champions League Final in the club’s first attempt. They defeated Al-Hilal in the final, becoming the first Australian team to win the tournament.

Popovic also managed Perth Glory as they finished top of the A-League table in 2018/19 for the first time in their history.

He took over an underachieving Melbourne Victory side and re-established them as title contenders. They won the Australia Cup in 2021, and he led them to the Grand Final last season.

Detractors will point to his five Grand Final losses, but Popovic has shown he can inspire teams to exceed expectations.

The Socceroos aren’t favourites with the bookmakers by any means, but you would not bet against Popovic’s team defying the odds in North America.

Punters will be eager to wager on his side on Aussie betting sites during the World Cup, particularly if they receive a favourable draw.

Australia could feasibly reach the quarter-finals of the tournament, which could force Aussie sportsbooks into making a few sizeable payouts.

Nigeria

Nigeria are due a deep run at the World Cup. The Super Eagles have shown some promise in previous editions, but they can surprise the world in 2026.

Technical director of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Augustine Eguavoen is currently in charge of the team until Bruno Labbadia takes over, and they have kicked into gear under him.

The front three of Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, and Samuel Chukwueze is one of the most dangerous in the world, and they could cause major problems for the top teams.

Lookman could win the prestigious CAF African Footballer of the Year award after his spectacular 2023/24. He will usurp the award from Osimhen, who is earning rave reviews at Galatasaray.

Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Ola Aina are other Nigerian players who are performing admirably. This group is loaded with potential, and they can surpass expectations.

Nigeria’s best finish at the World Cup came in 1994 on US soil when they finished above Bulgaria and Argentina in Group C, becoming the first African team to qualify for the next round as winners.

They pushed eventual finalists Italy until the dying minutes when Roberto Baggio’s second goal sent them crashing out of the tournament.

Morocco reached the semi-finals of the World Cup two years ago, and there is no reason why Nigeria cannot at least match their feat in 2026.