News Focus
- The 2026 World Cup expands to 48 nations, offering fans numerous options for second teams
- Curacao becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify, with a population comparable to Huddersfield
- Four debutant teams including Uzbekistan and Jordan will compete for the first time
- Premier League clubs provide strong representation with over 100 players heading to North America
- Manchester City leads club representation with 15 players, though Bernardo Silva departs this summer
The tournament is drawing near, and you have probably already traced your country’s possible path to the final match. However, what occurs if disaster strikes and your nation faces an early exit? Will you simply watch the remaining matches as a neutral supporter, or should you select an alternative team to follow?
Fortunately, we have created a brief guide to assist you in picking your second team. You can share your selection with us through our social media channels.
One simple method to select a second team during a major tournament involves choosing the side with the most attractive kit. This author previously selected Jamaica during the 1998 World Cup for exactly this reason.
With the competition now expanded to include 48 teams, each possessing home and away strips, there are numerous designs to consider. We have selected some of our preferred options to help you decide.
Referencing the 1998 tournament again, Mexico’s home jersey honours their famous design from that year with another Aztec-themed pattern. The shirt displays an imprint of the Piedra del Sol, an ancient Aztec sculpture.
France have selected a brave yet stunning choice for their away strip, utilising a mint green foundation with copper emblems and trim. This design carries significant meaning, as it reflects the surface of the Statue of Liberty, which France presented to the United States in 1886.
The tournament newcomers from Curacao are introducing some brightness with their away kit, featuring a lively design based on the colourful buildings found across the Caribbean island.
Uruguay’s kit has become one of the most popular choices for the tournament. It features a navy blue base with an impressive pattern that honours their status as the first World Cup winners. They hosted and claimed victory in the 1930 tournament, and the shirt imprint displays part of the Estadio Centenario along with the wings of the Jules Rimet trophy.
Supporters often enjoy backing the underdog, so why not select your second team by supporting the nation facing the greatest challenges?
The debutant teams provide obvious candidates for underdog status, with four countries appearing at the World Cup for the first time.
The small Caribbean island of Curacao will become the smallest nation ever to participate in a World Cup when they compete against Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.
Curacao lies 37 miles off the Venezuelan coast and has a population of just over 150,000 – comparable to Huddersfield – covering a land area of 171 square miles, which is smaller than the Isle of Man.
Cape Verde rank as the third-smallest nation to reach the World Cup, following Curacao and Iceland. This collection of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean has fewer than 525,000 inhabitants. The nation gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted World Cup qualification for the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea. They will face Spain, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.
Asia provides two debutants in Uzbekistan and Jordan. Uzbekistan, who reached the Asian Cup semi-finals in 2011, finally achieved qualification under Fabio Cannavaro, the Italian captain who won the 2006 World Cup. They will seek to make an impression in a group containing Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo.
Jordan currently hold 64th position in the world rankings and have shown consistent improvement, reaching the 2023 Asian Cup final where they lost to hosts Qatar. They will meet Argentina, Algeria and Austria in Group J.
English supporters will not face extremely late nights during the group phase, with two matches starting at 23:00 East Africa Time and one at midnight local time. Scottish fans must remain awake longer, with two fixtures kicking off at 01:00 in the morning and their opening match starting at 04:00 East Africa Time.
However, if you are already staying up late, perhaps you will manage additional hours to follow a team whose group matches all occur during the early morning hours? Algeria face the most challenging schedule, with their three matches beginning at 04:00, 05:00 and 06:00 local time. If you wish to test yourself further, Tunisia have one fixture starting at 07:00 East Africa Time, while their earliest match begins at 02:00.
More than 100 players from the English top division will travel to North America for this summer’s tournament, providing strong Premier League representation. Manchester City will contribute the most players, with 15 squad members heading to the World Cup.
Following English players, Portugal provides the next largest contingent for City, including Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes and Bernardo Silva, though Silva will leave the club this summer. City supporters might also monitor Uzbekistan to observe Abdukodir Khusanov’s performances as his country makes their World Cup debut.
Premier League title holders Arsenal will send 14 players to the tournament, including three in Spain’s squad: David Raya, Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Merino.
Crystal Palace also have significant representation with 10 players at the tournament. Two of these – Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix – feature in France’s squad. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest supporters may wish to follow New Zealand, as Chris Wood and Tyler Bindon appear in their squad.