Before we name our favourite, one debate needs settling: Argentina or France. The two played the most dramatic World Cup final in memory in Qatar in 2022, and both come to 2026 with fire in their bellies. France want revenge for the penalty shootout. Argentina want to prove they are still the best team on earth. One of them could well be lifting the trophy in July 2026.
Didier Deschamps manages France, with Kylian Mbappé as the headline name. Lionel Scaloni manages Argentina, who have Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez.
France or Argentina: who has the edge?
France's case rests largely on Mbappé. He is at Real Madrid now, he is the fastest and most dangerous forward on the planet, and he scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final. Deschamps led them to the 2018 title and to the final in 2022, and few managers alive know tournament football better.
Argentina's case is broader. Winning the 2022 World Cup gave Scaloni's squad the deep belief that champions carry, and they know how to win under pressure. The depth beyond Messi has grown quickly too. Álvarez, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister are all world class.
So France have the deadliest forward alive, and Argentina have the champion's mentality and a group that has been winning together for years. If they meet again at the 2026 World Cup, it could be a match to rival the last one. Most neutrals would happily watch a second instalment.
Tomorrow: the team we think is most likely to win the 2026 World Cup.
