Historic year beckons for 2026 co-hosts
Canada, Mexico and USA all have key questions they need to answer ahead of the global showpiece.
Davies' return to form and fitness is key for Canada
Mexico must reverse alarming post-Gold Cup slump
Pochettino needs to finalise USA goalkeeping line-up
The excitement in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ is becoming increasingly palpable as the co-hosts prepare to stage the greatest show on Earth.
The three national teams are full of hope and optimism following the draw as they make their final preparations for the sporting showpiece on home soil. But, as FIFA examines, each coach has some key issues that need resolving in the months building up to the global finals.
Canada need superstar left-back Alphonso Davies to be firing on all cylinders to make it out of a challenging group that contains Qatar, Switzerland and potentially Italy. After a serious knee injury that kept him out for nine months, his return to the field in the 88th minute of Bayern Munich's 3-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Sporting in early December provided a massive boost for coach Jesse Marsch.
"We're all very pleased for Alphonso," Bayern team-mate Serge Gnabry told reporters afterwards. "It's been a long road for him. We've seen over the years how important Phonzy is for us, so we're extremely pleased that he's back — and hopefully back at full steam soon."
The 25-year-old admits the time out took its toll on him but he now has plenty of time to get back to his best for a World Cup on home soil. “The pain, the sleepless nights, waking up in pain every day – it was harder mentally than physically," Davies recalled to Bayern's official website. “I could either moan or smile and fight. I chose the latter.”
One of Marsch's biggest points of order since becoming Canada coach has been expanding the playing pool by incorporating a series of dual nationals. New faces that have come in over the past year have included Bournemouth forward Daniel Jebbison (on loan at Preston North End), Royale Union Saint-Gilloise frontman Promise David, Hajduk Split defensive midfielder Niko Sigur, Sporting Kansas City forward Stephen Afrifa, Villarreal frontman Tani Oluwaseyi and Fulham defender Luc de Fougerolles (on loan at Belgian side Dender EH).
More new faces have been integrated in recent months, including Middlesbrough's English-born defender Alfie Jones who made his senior debut for Canada in a 2-0 November friendly win over Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale. Despite the World Cup being six months away, there is still the prospect of further dual-nationals coming into the fold.
Marsch's efforts have already paid huge dividends, but the Canada coach will need to settle on a squad quickly to build team chemistry ahead of the global showpiece and ensure his players have as much playing time together as possible.
It is unclear at this stage who will be Canada's goalkeeper at the World Cup, with good friends and rivals Maxime Crepeau and Dayne St. Clair both in the running. St. Clair was recently named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year after an outstanding season for Minnesota United. Crepeau, meanwhile, is seeking a new club after he was not re-signed by the Portland Timbers.
Marsh has split playing time between the two stoppers in recent international windows and it appears the decision as to who will be the No1 will go down to the wire. At this stage, St. Clair — an acrobatic shot-stopper — seems to have the edge right now.
"They keep making big headaches for me. But I would say across the board we now have almost a two-person competition at almost every position on the team," Marsch recently told TSN. “So what a great problem to have, but certainly as we get closer and closer to the World Cup and defining what our first group is, what the whole squad looks like, it will be a big challenge for me. A big challenge.”
After winning the Concacaf Gold Cup in July, El Tricolor have been on an alarming run of form, failing to win in six successive games. In an effort to simulate the competition they will face at the World Cup, Mexico registered draws with Japan and Korea Republic in September. A 94th-minute equaliser by Santiago Gimenez was required, however, to salvage a 2-2 draw with the Koreans, whom they will face in Group A at next year's global showpiece.
Since then, a 4-0 defeat to Colombia and a 2-1 defeat to Paraguay, coupled with draws with Ecuador and Uruguay, have raised red flags. Javier Aguirre will aim to reverse his team's fortunes with upcoming friendlies against Panama, Bolivia and Iceland in the new year prior to heavyweight clashes with Portugal and Belgium in the March international window.
Mexico's players and fans alike will be given a huge lift with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in March, which will mark the reopening of the historic Mexico City Stadium. The iconic venue, which has been closed since May 2024 for renovations, will host five World Cup matches, including the opener between Mexico and South Africa on 11 June.
Modifications to the stadium, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cup™ finals, include new changing rooms, improved hospitality zones, upgraded VIP areas and new seating in areas previously used for boxes and lounges.
The match will notably herald Ronaldo's first game on Mexican soil. As well as being a valuable test event, it is sure to help generate excitement for the World Cup in the country.
Aged just 17, Gilberto Mora is one of the brightest prospects of the global game and is poised to make Mexico's World Cup squad. Much is expected of the midfielder following his outstanding performances at the Gold Cup and FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™.
The Tijuana star appears to be taking it all in his stride. "My family have always helped me to keep my feet on the ground and stay humble. My friends help me a lot, too," he told FIFA earlier this year.
Following Mexico's slump in form, Mora appears to carry the hopes of a nation at the World Cup. A bright performance could lead to a move to a European giant. But a sense of realism about a player who only has five senior caps and has never played on football's biggest stage is also needed.
Matt Freese is poised to make history as the first Harvard graduate to play at a FIFA World Cup and, after making huge strides for New York City FC this year, the 27-year-old has solidified his hold on the No1 jersey. Freese, though, is still inexperienced at the international level, having played just 13 senior games for the Stars and Stripes.
It appears that Mauricio Pochettino will continue to start Freese in upcoming friendlies against Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany to give him more minutes and help him build a relationship with his defensive line. Yet should Freese get injured or become unavailable for some reason, some questions remain about the readiness of the keepers behind him in the pecking order.
Matt Turner, who recently moved to Major League Soccer (MLS) club New England Revolution, started for USA at Qatar 2022 but has not been in Pochettino's thinking at all in recent months. A return to the squad is far from certain. Nonetheless, it would still be a massive surprise if he is not included in the World Cup roster as the only current USA keeper to have appeared on the highest stage.
Shortly after becoming the first American to win the Premier League Goal of the Month award, Tyler Adams suffered suspected medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage in Bournemouth's 4-4 draw with Manchester United. The defensive midfielder came off in the opening minutes of the Old Trafford clash while challenging Matheus Cunha.
"It is bad news for us because Tyler is massive for us," Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola. It is certainly bad news as well for the Stars and Stripes, with Adams playing a key figure in the centre of the USA midfield.
There is time for Adams, who has a history of injury problems, to recover in time for the World Cup, but Pochettino faces a nervous wait over the fitness of one of USA's influential leaders.
Just a few months ago, Gio Reyna was out of favour for both club and country and the prospect of the mercurial midfielder making the World Cup squad looked slim at best. But a move from Borussia Dortmund to Borussia Monchengladbach in August appears to have rejuvenated the 23-year-old.
Reyna has emerged as a consistent performer for the Bundesliga team under newly-appointed coach Eugen Polanski and he showed his worth to Pochettino by scoring in the 2-1 victory over Paraguay in November. “It’s just a Gio performance,” gushed USA midfielder Brenden Aaronson. “It’s a very mature performance. He’s an unbelievable player technically... he’s an amazing player. He always shows up for the national team.”
A hugely talented playmaker who offers something that few others in the USA midfield can provide, Reyna will be determined to continue his fine form in the second half of the Bundesliga season to make his second successive World Cup.