2025-12-10 02:47:27
Tom Hindle09 Dec 2025 19:18-05:00The 2026 World Cup dark horses, ranked: Can Colombia go all the way or are the USMNT the best of the rest?From Colombia to the USMNT, GOAL ranks the teams most likely to make a dark horse run at the 2026 World Cup – and possibly even go all the wayEvery World Cup has a dark horse. It’s the story that defines each tournament, especially at a time when surprise winners are rare. Look at the last four tournaments, and each of the champions – Argentina, France, Germany, Spain – could have easily been predicted before a ball was kicked. But who could have called Ghana’s run to quarterfinal in 2010? Or Morocco’s in 2022? Those runs are what make the World Cup fun.Yet some qualities are always needed and there are common ingredients from tournament to tournament. The first is a solid structure – the ability to keep the ball out. The second tends to be a game-changer in attack, whether it be a singular presence or a well-constructed machine to make things happen. And finally, there’s the vibes, the belief, the groundswell of momentum that gathers during a World Cup run. It’s what makes these things so difficult to predict. Yet there are some clear contenders at the 2026 World Cup. And with the draw done, GOAL ranks the six teams most likely to make a run next summer…
