Heading into the World Cup in peak form is obviously ideal. Reigning champions Argentina headed to Qatar four years ago in the midst of a 37-game, three-and-a-half-year unbeaten streak, and they would go on to win the trophy, ironically with said unbeaten streak ending in the opening game after falling to a stunning defeat to Saudi Arabia in their first group game. Spain similarly headed into their successful 2010 campaign with just one defeat across their last 45 games before also losing their tournament opener and then going on to leave Johannesburg with the famous gold trophy for the first time.
Fast forward to the eve of the 2026 showpiece, and online betting sites make both of those heavyweights contenders once more. The latest Lucky Rebel World Cup odds list Luis de la Fuente's Spain as the 9/2 favourites, while Lionel Scaloni's defending champion Albiceleste are an 8/1 fourth favourite, with France and England sandwiched between the two, both priced 7/1.
However, sensational form heading into a World Cup isn't the be-all-end-all. As we saw with both Argentina and Spain in their successful campaigns, the form book went straight out of the window in their opening games of the tournament, losing to Saudi Arabia and Switzerland, respectively. Russia headed into the 2018 World Cup as hosts but with just one win in their last ten games, and they came within a penalty shootout of the semifinals, famously eliminating the Spanish along the way.
So, which nations are heading to North America this summer, void of any kind of form or confidence? And, perhaps crucially, can they too defy the form book to mount a successful tournament run? Let's take a look.
USA
The United States will be hosting the vast majority of the World Cup, with 78 games taking place in the Land of the Free — including every game from the quarterfinals onwards — compared to just 13 for fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico. As such, as is always the case with the tournament host, expectations will be high from the legions of American supporters packing out stadiums for each of their games. Unfortunately for them, however, the USMNT's form under manager Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t been good.
The Stars and Stripes lost each of their two recent international friendlies, shipping seven goals in the process. They were downed 2-0 by Portugal in Atlanta after goals from Francisco Trincao and Joao Felix, and that came just three days on from being thumped 5-1 by Belgium in the same Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Their efforts in recent tournaments haven't impressed. They were dumped out of the 2024 Copa America in the group stage after losing to both Panama and Uruguay, despite hosting the tournament. They were then beaten again by Panama in the following summer's Concacaf Nations League semifinals.
They did, however, manage to string together a run of results in the aftermath of their 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup defeat against Mexico, going five games unbeaten before those two defeats to Portugal and Belgium. Now, the pressure is on Pochettino to get the best out of a star-studded American side containing the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Folarin Balogun. Failure to reach the round of 16 could well be seen as a disaster among the notoriously over-expectant American fans, and that may well cost Poch his job.
Sweden
Sweden endured a strange old rut to the World Cup. With a menacing strike force of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres — two men who cost a combined £200m in their respective moves to Liverpool and Arsenal last summer — the Blågult were expected to breeze through their qualifying group. Instead, they finished dead last in Group B and didn't pick up a single win, losing four of their six games with neither Isak nor Gyokeres managing a single goal between them.
However, their stellar efforts in the UEFA Nations League saw them secure a playoff spot, giving them a second crack at securing an invite to football's biggest party. Sweden then appointed English former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter as manager, a man who made his name in the country by leading lowly Östersund from the fourth tier of Swedish football to a Cup win, three promotions, and a UEFA Europa League victory over heavyweights Arsenal.
Potter's task was immediately made a difficult one when Isak was sidelined with a broken leg. That injury, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise. With the Liverpool man out of the picture, Arsenal's Gyokeres was given freedom to thrive. And thrive he did in the playoffs. The former Sporting CP man bagged a blistering hat-trick to down Ukraine in the playoff semifinals. He then scored a last-gasp winner to beat Poland in the final in Stockholm.
But despite that pair of victories, the Swedes will still head to North America with less than impressive form at their back. They failed to qualify for either the 2022 World Cup in Qatar or Euro 2024 in Germany. They also didn't win a single competitive game in 2025, losing to the likes of Luxembourg and Kosovo (twice) along the way. Still, Potter and the playoffs gave them a second chance at qualifying for the World Cup, and the Swedes duly took it. Now, they will be aiming to build on that platform by mounting a deep tournament run.
