Argentina’s 1986 FIFA World Cup-winning defender Oscar Ruggeri has named Spain, France, and England as the three nations most capable of ending Argentina’s reign as world champions at the 2026 tournament, set to be hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Speaking in an interview with BOLA VIP, Ruggeri acknowledged the individual quality present within each of the three European squads, though he stopped short of giving any of them an unconditional endorsement. “For me, Spain, France, and England, I see very good players in them. I’m not sure about them as a unit, but I will still put them in,” Ruggeri said.
Beyond the three sides he highlighted as frontrunners, Ruggeri also pointed to Germany as a team that could emerge as a serious contender despite potentially starting the competition under the radar. “The Germans, they might not show much early on, and then you see them among the top four,” he noted — a reference to Germany’s historical tendency to peak during the knockout stages of major tournaments.
Argentina enter the 2026 competition as defending champions following their victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in what was widely regarded as his defining moment on the international stage. It was Argentina’s third World Cup title overall, and their first since Diego Maradona led them to glory in 1986 — the same tournament in which Ruggeri himself played a central role.
The 2026 edition will mark a significant structural change for the competition, as it becomes the first FIFA World Cup to feature an expanded field of 48 teams, up from the 32-team format used since 1998. The three-nation hosting arrangement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada is also unprecedented in the tournament’s history.
Argentina will look to become the first nation since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to win consecutive World Cup titles. Manager Lionel Scaloni has continued to build a squad that blends experienced international campaigners with younger emerging talents, with Messi’s fitness and availability across the tournament likely to remain a central talking point as the competition approaches.
Spain, one of the sides Ruggeri flagged, are the reigning UEFA Nations League champions and have developed a generation of technically gifted players through their club academies. France, meanwhile, finished as runners-up at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, losing to Argentina in a final that went to a penalty shootout after Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in the closing stages. England have not won a World Cup since 1966 and continue to carry the weight of that drought into each successive tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin in the northern summer of 2026, with the final set to be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States.
