World Cup: Predicting the Stage of Elimination for All Three Co-Hosts
The World Cup is barely three months away, and excitement is gearing up ahead of the biggest installment of the tournament ever, especially in North America.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada will co-host this summer's competition, and in doing so, they will open their doors to the biggest ever edition of the World Cup. 48 countries will embark upon the three host nations, an increase from the 32 we saw in Qatar four years ago. The result is nearly twice as many matches and a tournament that will last a full week longer than usual.
World Cup Draws Closer
The action begins on June 10th as Mexico face off against South Africa in Mexico City in a repeat of the 2010 curtain raiser, a game that saw Siphiwe Tshabalala's iconic opener canceled out by Rafael Marquez's late equalizer. Over the five weeks that follow, those 48 competing nations will be whittled down to just two finalists who will battle it out at MetLife Stadium on July 19th with the famous gold trophy on the line.
Online betting sites make Spain the team to beat. The reigning European Champions conquered their continent two years ago, beating England in Euro 2024's final, thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal's late winner in Berlin. Now, the latest Lucky Rebel World Cup odds price Luis de la Fuente's men as the clear 9/2 favorite, just ahead of the Three Lions (11/2) that they beat in Germany for their fourth European crown.
But what of the host nations? Each of the US, Mexico, and Canada will have their own hopes and dreams as they open their doors to the world, but can any of them mount a deep tournament run? Let's take a look.
Mexico: Round of 16
Between 1994 and 2018, Mexico suffered seven straight round-of-16 exits, with names such as Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and archrivals the USA all ending El Tri's hopes of marching towards the trophy. In 2022, however, things took a turn for the worse as Gerardo Martino's side was dumped out in the group stage, their earliest exit to a World Cup since 1978.
Fast forward to now, and the Mexicans are in fine form. They won the Concacaf Gold Cup last summer, coming from behind to beat the US in the final in Los Angeles courtesy of goals from Raúl Jiménez and Edson Álvarez. Since then, they have lost just two of their last nine games, including a 4-0 drubbing of Iceland most recently.
Mexico will be roared on by raucous home support throughout the tournament. All three of their group stage games will take place in Mexico, with Mexico City's Estadio Azteca hosting two and Zapopan's Estadio Akron the other. And after being drawn into a group with South Korea, South Africa, and any one of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, and North Macedonia, El Tri are tipped to win Group A.
If they do that, then their Round of 32 and Round of 16 ties will also take place in Mexico City, but it's at the quarterfinal stage where we think their run will end. Javier Aguirre's side is likely to face second-favorites England in the last-16, and Thomas Tuchel's men could prove to be too hot to handle, especially considering the blistering form of captain Harry Kane. While the test won't be easy for the Three Lions in the cauldron-like Azteca, they should have enough about them to get the job done and end Mexico's run.
Canada: Round of 32
Canada ended a 36-year wait to qualify for the World Cup when they reached Qatar in 2022. While that was an achievement in itself, the Maple Leafs endured a miserable trip to the Arabian Gulf, losing all three games and bowing out at the group stage just as they did in their maiden foray onto the global stage in 1986. Now, they co-host the World Cup with a dreadful record of zero wins in six games.
Like Mexico, all three of Canada's games will take place on home turf, and they will be confident of at least picking up their maiden World Cup win. Their squad includes Juventus striker Jonathan David and Villarreal winger Tajon Buchanan, proven match winners on their day. However, Jesse Marsch is sweating over the fitness of his star player: Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies.
The mandate for Canada is simple: win a game and try to make it out of Group B. Qatar represents their best chance of claiming three points, while Switzerland will prove a much harder task. There is also a chance that Italy could feature in this group should the Azzurri make it through their European playoff against Northern Ireland and either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A win against Qatar and a point in either of Canada's other two games should be enough to secure a spot in the round of 32. Unfortunately, however, that is where their run will end.
USA: Quarterfinals
Does any nation have more unrealistic expectations than the United States? The USMNT arguably has its most talented squad in years, with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Timothy Weah all strutting their stuff in Europe. Admittedly, they have quality, but American media and casual fans genuinely believe that the Stars and Stripes could win the tournament. That's not going to happen.
That being said, the US is expected to top Group D ahead of Paraguay, Australia, and a European qualifier (likely Türkiye). Should they do that, they are likely to be on a collision course with Belgium in the round of 16, the team that ended their run at the same stage in 2014. We can see the USMNT getting revenge for that defeat by beating the Red Devils in Seattle before bowing out in the quarterfinals at the hands of tournament favorites Spain.