A real group of death is coming! Spain heads into this 2026 World Cup with the label of clear title favorite, but fate has given them a brutal wink: La Roja has been drawn into Group H, the very same

England will be on the short list of "2026 World Cup favorites," but standing in the way in Group L will be Croatia.

This 48-team extravaganza is the biggest World Cup there has ever been, and it might just be the most complex too. Twelve groups of four teams might be enough to follow in the first place, but those fans of brackets who have a familiarity of past tournaments might have a sense of what the issue is here.

That was a shocking moment for them, even though Mexico has not yet advanced beyond the quarter-final stage of a World Cup. The last time they hosted, as the sole venue for a 24-team tournament in 1986, a penalty shootout defeat by West Germany in the last eight dashed their dreams of reaching the semis on home soil.

Predictions about who will be the next world champion often miss the mark. The pressure at this tournament is as intense as it gets for any player, and the margins are so fine that even a powerhouse can be knocked out.

Although England has won the last two times these teams have met in official competition, including a Euro win in 2021, it's not the same. Even a win at the World Cup wouldn't make up for the heartbreak of 2018, but it would be a tiny bit of revenge. And if Croatia wins, it might mentally break every single person in England.

There are 16 additional teams in this year's World Cup finals — complicating group-stage progression Mandel NGAN - Pool/Getty Images The World Cup is larger than ever, with the 2026 edition expanding from 32 to 48 nations. Not only did the tournament ...

Tim Payne, the internet's biggest sensation heading into the 2026 World Cup, and New Zealand will play in Group G with Belgium, Iran and Egypt.

Portugal and its quest to win the country's first World Cup headlines Group K but there are other teams to keep an eye on in the preliminary round.

Turkey manager Vincenzo Montella insisted there will be “no excuses” if his team fails to shine in World Cup Group D, where it is a favorite over co-host the United States.