How to Pick a Team to Support at the World Cup

Your heritage or where you're from

The most common way. Where were you born? Where are your parents or grandparents from? A lot of people find that once they start watching a country they have roots in, the connection hits differently. You're not just watching a game — you feel like you have skin in it. If you're American, Mexican, or Canadian, you've got a host nation to shout for right on home soil.

A player you admire

You don't need to know anything about a country to follow them — you just need to know one player. Messi plays for Argentina. Mbappé plays for France. Ronaldo is probably playing his last ever World Cup for Portugal. Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha lead Brazil. Pick a player who caught your eye and follow their team. That's a completely legitimate way to pick, and plenty of lifelong fans started exactly like that.

The jersey

This gets more eyerolls than it deserves. But honestly? If you see a kit and think it looks incredible, that's a real reason. You're going to be wearing it, watching in it, and representing it at watch parties. Argentina's light blue and white stripes, Brazil's yellow, Morocco's red — if the shirt speaks to you, run with it. You'll care more about the team once you own their colours.

The underdog

Some people can't bring themselves to support a favourite. If you'd rather get behind a team with something to prove — a nation punching above their weight, making the tournament for the first time, or carrying an entire continent on their back — those are the stories that make the World Cup special. The underdogs always produce the moments everyone's still talking about decades later.

The host nations

USA, Canada, and Mexico are all co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. If you're in North America and you haven't had a team before, this is your moment. Rooting for a host nation at a home tournament is electric — the crowd, the atmosphere, the whole country behind them. All three have squads capable of going deep. This is the easiest entry point there is.

Argentina won the 2022 World Cup — Messi's crowning moment after a 20-year wait. They arrive in 2026 as defending champions with a squad built on South American flair and genuine star power throughout. If you want to support a team that plays with emotion and carries the legacy of the player many consider the greatest of all time, Argentina is your team.

France have the most technically complete squad in the tournament. They won in 1998 and 2018, and Kylian Mbappé at 27 will be at his absolute peak. France don't always play beautiful football but they know exactly how to win when it matters. If you want to back a team that is simply built to be champions, pick France.

Five World Cup wins, unmistakable yellow jerseys, and a style that has always been worth watching. In 2026 they arrive with Vinicius Jr. and Raphinha — two of the most exciting attackers in world football. Brazil are also desperate to end a World Cup drought going back to 2002. If you have no particular allegiance and just want to watch brilliant attacking football, Brazil is always the answer.

England invented football and haven't won the World Cup since 1966. Every four years, the whole country convinces itself this is the year — and every four years, something goes wrong. They have a genuinely strong squad with Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, and they keep going deep in tournaments. If you enjoy tension, collective heartbreak, and the occasional moment of real drama, supporting England will deliver all of that.

Spain are the original tiki-taka nation — building from the back, passing through teams, and scoring through patience rather than power. They're the most technically polished team in Europe and regularly produce the best young players in the world. If you appreciate the craft of controlling a football match rather than just pressing and counter-attacking, watching Spain is genuinely satisfying.

Morocco became the first African team in history to reach the World Cup semi-finals at Qatar 2022. They are organised, disciplined, almost impossible to break down, and they carry the weight of an entire continent every time they play. The atmosphere at their games is unlike anything else in the tournament. If you want to support a team with something to prove and the most passionate support in the draw, Morocco is the move.

Mexico are co-hosting this World Cup and will have some of the loudest and most colour-filled support of any team in North America. They've reached the Round of 16 at seven consecutive World Cups and are desperate to finally break through that barrier. If you're going to a match and want the full stadium experience of backing a host nation, Mexico games will be an event in themselves.

Cristiano Ronaldo at 41 is almost certainly playing his final World Cup, chasing the one trophy that has always eluded him. Whatever your opinion of him, watching someone at the very end of their career give everything for one last shot at the top is compelling viewing. Portugal have real quality throughout the squad beyond Ronaldo. If you want to witness potentially the last World Cup chapter of one of the sport's defining players, don't miss them.

Colombia are one of the most entertaining teams in the tournament — technical, quick, joyful to watch, with James Rodriguez orchestrating from midfield when fit. South American football at its most expressive. Colombia qualified strongly and will cause problems for anyone they face. If you want to back a team that plays with flair and genuinely looks like it's enjoying itself, Colombia is an excellent pick.