04/05/2026
When we think of memorable underdog stories from the past FIFA World Cups, there are a few teams that instantly come to mind. The most recent team to defy the odds and thrive in the biggest stage is Morocco at the previous world cup, going all the way to the semifinals. Stepping back a few years, we had the dream run of Columbia & James Rodriguez in 2014 and the magical but controversial Uruguay in the 2010 tournament. In pretty much every edition of the worldâs most prestigious competition, there have been one or two nations who subvert all the expectations and write their names in the history books.
Letâs now take the daunting task of predicting the dark horses of the upcoming 2026 world cup in our hands. First, we must set some ground rules in order to determine which countries actually fall under the criteria of underdogs. The obvious factor, of course, is the limited expectations from the fans regarding how far a team would stay alive in the contest. And for the sake of variety, I will also be discounting the countries which have historically done great in the competition but saw a decline in team quality recently. This would be of much dismay to the Brazil fans, who were looking for an excuse in advance of the tournament in case their team fails to impress. Aside from Brazil, we are also excluding nations like Netherlands, Uruguay and Croatia. So, without further ado, letâs take a look at the teams that can take this world cup by storm in the most unexpected fashion.
The first team we are gonna talk about is Turkey. They not only have a bright squad with the likes of Arda GĂŒler, Kenan Yıldız & Hakan ĂalhanoÄlu, but have shown a lot of promise with their recent run in the Euro 2024 where they made it to the quarter finals. Despite GĂŒler not being deployed in his favored positions & getting enough playtime in Real Madrid shirt, he has upheld his consistency whenever he was given the chance for club and country. The squad is a perfect balance of experience and youth, having some genuine match winners. And with their group looking fairly easy, they can also land some favorable fixtures in the initial knock out stages if they can finish at the top of the pile.
Next are the latest entrants to the world cup: Sweden. Their attack puts fear in every defense, as Alexander Isak & Viktor Gyökeres form a superstar front two. Dejan Kulusevski & Lucas Bergvall behind them in midfield will add some valuable creativity. In addition to that, their defense is both solid and experienced. Although the chemistry between the youngsters doesnât seem to be quite there yet since they had a hard time qualifying for the competition itself. Their head coach Graham Potter, as Iâm still not sure how he ended up here, is more than capable of forming a cohesive structure in the biggest occasion. In order to qualify for the Round of 32, they must keep an eye out for Japan as they always cause the unlikeliest of upsets.
While weâre at it, letâs not forget the consecutive AFCON Champions Senegal. A few months ago, while aimlessly scrolling twitter during the mundane international break, I was taken by surprise seeing the starting lineup announcement tweet of Senegal for a friendly. There is quality in almost every position in the XI. The likes of ManĂ©, Ndiaye, Sarr not only possess flair, but have a deadly instinct in front of the goal. And despite all the memes about Nicolas Jackson, he is at least an experienced Premier League campaigner leading your line. Although it will be difficult to beat favorites France to the top spot in their group, they can eye a second-place finish and keep their hopes high in the knockouts.
Up next, we have Ralf Rangnickâs Austria. Like Turkey, they were another team that played an impressive brand of football in the Euro 2024. And in terms of squad strength, they are sort of opposite to Sweden. They may lack a few big names in the playing 11, but they have a well-rounded group organized under Rangnickâs sharp tactics. From Kevin Danso and David Alaba in defense, to the ever-present Marko ArnautoviÄ leading the line, there is some genuine structural solidity. And the likes of Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer in midfield provide further solidity. And just like Senegal, defeating reigning champions Argentina in the group stage is a tough ask, but a second-place finish is well within the reach.
I would also like to include some honorable mentions to top the list. Teams like Denmark and Switzerland have pretty consistently made it to the quarter finals at least in all the recent major tournaments, and I expect the same from them this time on too. From our continent, we have South Korea who have their players playing in some of the worldâs biggest clubs and could make good use of the valuable experience. And there is also Norway whose strikers Erling Haaland & Alexander SĂžrloth score goals for fun and can cause some major upsets.
We all like to root for teams that donât exactly have a star-studded squad, but have something that enables them to make their participation memorable. It can be a young rising star as their talisman, it can be some hidden gems who announce themselves on the grand occasion, it can also be a seasoned veteran making his last dance a spectacle. And more than anything, it can be their courage, and the belief that they can go all the way.
Â©ïž Sayeed Azam, BBA 32nd
