The Real Madrid 2026 World Cup preview: Countries, players, and predictions

The Real Madrid 2026 World Cup preview: Countries, players, and predictions The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here, and the world is set to experience a 48-team version of the event for the first time ever. With three host nations, 48 participating countries, and millions of supporters across the globe, it has all the right foundations to be a massive global success and a mega-event. Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, and Neymar Jr.’s Brazil are some of the teams that will be seen as sides living the end of an era, while Lamine Yamal’s Spain, Kylian Mbappe’s France, and Brahim Diaz’s Morocco are some of the sides on the other end of the spectrum. A total of ten Real Madrid stars have been called up for the event, showing how Real Madrid continue to be a pioneer on that front and enjoy global representation. The shocker, however, is that they have no representation on the Spanish national team itself for the first time in history, marking perhaps their lowest point in the history of the competition. Madrid Universal brings you a preview of every Real Madrid player who will be in action at the event and their importance in the upcoming event. France Mbappe will spearhead France. (Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images) The 2018 champions are perennial favourites in the event and once again enter as one of the sides best backed to walk away with it all. With a squad filled with unbelievable resources , France have enough star players to field two completely independent sides at the World Cup. To call them favourites in itself would be an understatement. With Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and others marshalling the team, they are set for a special campaign, and it will take a monumental effort to stop them anywhere along the way. Kylian Mbappe For all that Mbappe has achieved over the years, winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup is his biggest achievement by some distance and the World Cup itself is a stage where he usually backs himself to shine the brightest. Entering his third edition of the competition after two great campaigns in 2018 and 2022, Mbappe will undoubtedly be the focal point for France, their emotional leader, and the captain of the team. His performances in France’s pre-tournament friendlies were not brilliant, and he was overshadowed by Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise. Regardless, Mbappe arrives as France’s most potent attacking weapon and a strong candidate to be the top scorer. He will, however, continue to be under heavy scrutiny given the circumstances of how his club season ended for Real Madrid and the injury he has just recovered from. Aurelien Tchouameni France’s midfield has seen a drastic shift from what it was in 2022, and Tchouameni who was a young talented youngster back then now arrives as a mainstay. The Real Madrid star will be Les Bleus’ anchor in midfield, marshalling other young and hyper-talented midfielders who Didier Deschamps has called up. Eduardo Camavinga’s shocking exclusion, however, means Tchouameni has more responsibility to take up. A big part of France’s dominance and midfield stability, thus, will depend on Tchouameni’s pressing, distribution, decision-making, and tactical discipline. And it is not just consistency that is needed of him, but leadership and responsibility as well. Brazil All eyes on Vinicius Jr. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) The Selecao do not enter the competition as explicit favourites, as there are teams with more complete squads who have a stronger case to go all the way. Yet, it is simply impossible to discount a team as talented as Brazil, especially given how the internal expectation is high and the period of transition is seemingly done. The South American side have a solid core and have brought in Carlo Ancelotti to help overcome their World Cup rut, and they do have every chance of going deep into the tournament. Vinicius Jr. Neymar Jr. making the World Cup squad made a lot of noise as his possible ‘last dance’ on the big stage, but given his form and fitness struggles in recent months, Vinicius Jr. is the one who will have to take up responsibility in his place. Entering as the team’s undisputed talisman, the Real Madrid winger will have to step up his game and bring consistency to the table, something he has lacked for a while. There is no doubt that a Vinicius in full flow is close to unstoppable, but it has been a while since that version of the player has appeared consistently game after game. Brazil need that version of him, now more than ever. Endrick The teenage phenom enters the squad for his first World Cup and offers a unique goalscoring profile that his country otherwise lacks. Alongside Bournemouth’s Rayan, he is the first teenage forward to travel with the national team to the World Cup since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994 – something that puts his talent to the test. He did not have it easy to enter Ancelotti’s list, but a successful loan stint in Ligue 1 earned him a spot on the plane. Given what he showed in the friendlies as well, he will undoubtedly have minutes as an impact substitute for his sheet knack in front of goal. England Bellingham will hope for a better World Cup campaign. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) The World Cup has not come ‘home’ for decades now, but there is good reason to believe that 2026 can be special for England. Entering the tournament as strong favourites with talented youngsters across the field and a red-hot attack led by Harry Kane, they are one of the most lethal attacking sides in the upcoming tournament. Trent Alexander-Arnold shockingly had no place in Thomas Tuchel’s side, but Jude Bellingham will lead the midfield and serve as a pivotal piece throughout the event where England are expected to possibly go all the way. Jude Bellingham Having been handed England’s Number 10 shirt, Jude Bellingham has symbolically been handed a bulk of the team’s creative responsibility for the upcoming event and will be a central piece to Tuchel’s plans. The manager has made it clear that no player will have an assured starting spot unless they earn it through merit, and he has tough competition on that front with Aston Villa’s breakout star, Morgan Rogers.  Bellingham did not have an easy club season and must rediscover his best physical version if he is to continue being a mainstay for the team. After all, he will also need to make a massive tactical shift given that his usual partners-in-crime Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are excluded from the squad. Morocco Brahim Diaz has a chance to prove. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta/Getty Images) While Morocco may have been considered relative minnows in recent years, they are firm dark horses this time around as they enter with a high-pedigree squad capable of taking down giants comfortably. Their legendary heartwarming run to the semifinals four years ago won them support from across the globe, and this time they are back with an equally good, if not better squad. They are Africa’s footballing superpower at this point and could well go on to make an upset in the tournament. Brahim Diaz Of all the players on the Moroccan side, Brahim Diaz is the single biggest crown jewel who will have the spotlights shining bright on him. As the team’s sole creative anchor and focal point in attack, Diaz’s form will dictate Morocco’s efficiency in front of goal. He will be tasked with starting in the attacking midfield or the right wing and breaking down defences right from the get-go. Placed in the same group as Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil, he has a golden chance to earn the limelight and propel his club career back on track. With Jose Mourinho arriving as a new manager, after all, he has a chance to start from scratch and a strong World Cup campaign will go a long way. Uruguay Following the retirement of legends like Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, La Celeste are entering a new era under Marcelo Bielsa and are now a symbol of a dynamic, high-pressing system. They may not enter as favourites, but they have good enough calibre to progress even to the semifinals of the event. Federico Valverde Valverde enters the tournament as Uruguay’s captain and leader and has massive responsibility on his shoulders to carry forward the legacy of the previous generation. Bielsa’s tactical footprint necessitates high pressing and unrelenting energy – something that Valverde himself stands for as a player and is the perfect prototype for. He will, thus, orchestrate the midfield alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Manuel Ugarte. In addition to his duties of controlling possession and breaking transitions, however, will he also be tasked with taking the initiative of getting into goalscoring positions and pulling off long-range bangers – all of which are easier said than done. Germany Rudiger will be Germany’s defensive leader. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) Germany’s downfall since their victory in 2014 has been steep, but they now have the beginning of a special core of players and have a decent chance two editions later. Their squad is anything but complete, yet specific profiles like Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz, and Leroy Sane give them some hope in attack. Their performance as a unit, however, still requires massive improvements. Antonio Rudiger While the young blood will look to control Germany’s starting XI across the field, Antonio Rudiger persists as one of the old guard, and his place in the side remains under doubt. Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck are the preferred centre-backs in the current setup and will likely hold on to their position in the upcoming tournament as well. Rudiger’s biggest challenge at the World Cup, thus, will be to use his experience and ability to force his way back into the team as part of the undisputed XI. His season at the club level was highly erratic, and he will need to be far more consistent if he is to do the same. Belgium Belgium’s Golden Generation are all past their prime, and many have not even found their way to the FIFA World Cup or have called it time on their careers. Thibaut Courtois is one of the last remaining pieces of that special generation of players and will be joined by the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku in their bid to form a team that blends their experience with some much-needed youth. Thibaut Courtois The goalkeeper has had his fair share of controversy in recent years, especially in the form of a falling out with the national team manager and the dressing room. A lot has changed since then, and the Real Madrid goalkeeper is set to enter the tournament as his team’s undisputed starter in between the sticks. He enters the tournament in unbelievable, imperious form and will be one of Belgium’s standout performers in a campaign where the defence will be heavily tested. He started off the friendlies with two clean sheets and will look to keep the form going. Turkey Arda Guler will be one to watch. (Photo by Tomas Diniz Santos/Getty Images) Turkey, as always, enter the tournament as solid dark horses and have a potent side with high individual ceilings. Further, Vincenzo Montella have carefully crafted and put together a side that perfectly combines the golden generation of attacking wonderkids with seasoned veterans who have much-needed experience. Their path to qualification was not simple by any means as they finished behind Spain and had to go through to the play-off route. Now that they are here, however, they will look to inflict damage on their way out. Arda Guler Guler was one of the few bright sparks in Real Madrid’s recent and underwhelming season, and it was a breakthrough campaign of sorts for him as he showed the world why he is as highly rated as he is. Named the UEFA Champions League Revelation of the Season for 2025-26, he will look to carry his form into the World Cup and establish himself as a mainstay in the event. After all, that will also go a long way in establishing his place under Jose Mourinho. He will, in many ways, be Turkey’s reference point in attack and the midfield and will have a role very similar to Valverde and Brahim Diaz in their respective national teams. Ukraine Will Lunin start for Ukraine? (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Ukraine endured a highly challenging qualification cycle to make their way to the 2026 World Cup and have evolved into a solid unit under Serhiy Rebrov. In the likes of Illia Zabarnyi, Ruslan Malinovskyi, and Vitaliy Mykolenko, they have some quality names who can work well as a unit to beat expectations around the team. They are, however, not expected to progress deep into the knockouts. Andriy Lunin Lunin will serve as Ukraine’s elite presence in goal and mainstay at the back, and given the relatively fragile defence, he will be crucial for his team’s chances of progressing. The player has top-tier continental exposure and is perhaps the only player on his side to be part of a dressing room as special as Real Madrid’s. His experience and quality, thus, will be invaluable. Benfica’s Anatoliy Trubin, however, also arrives in red-hot form and is a strong contender to take away Lunin’s starting spot, and the goalkeeper’s biggest objective will thus be to retain his starting position.