The 2026 World Cup has narrowed down to its final four contenders. This year marked a historical shift as the tournament expanded to include 48 teams, allowing nations like Jordan, Uzbekistan, Curacao, and Cape Verde to make their debut. Cape Verde proved to be a crowd favorite, drawing against Spain and Uruguay before eventually exiting in a close 3-2 match against Argentina.
Football analyst Clinton McDubus noted the impressive consistency of the African side, highlighting that they remained unbeaten in regulation time throughout their run. McDubus also pointed to Norway and Egypt as teams that showed great promise but ultimately fell short. While some nations impressed, others faced significant scrutiny for underperforming. The early exits of Nigeria and Italy surprised many, while the group stage departures of South Korea and Senegal were described by McDubus as particularly shocking given the caliber of their rosters.
As the competition heads toward its conclusion, France stands out as the favorite to claim the trophy. McDubus believes the French team holds a distinct advantage due to their strategic base location, which minimized travel fatigue. Combined with their ability to control matches without overexerting their players and their dangerous offensive lineup, France appears well-positioned to be crowned champions this coming weekend.
