The usual global powerhouses will receive plenty of attention on online platforms when the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off later this year.
However, savvy punters will be keeping an eye on nations that could spring some surprises, including co-hosts Canada. The sportsbooks featured on comparison website bettingtop10.ca rate Canada as 1.50 shots to reach the round of 32.
African juggernauts Ghana, are another team worth keeping an eye on. They will head to the World Cup with a couple of the English Premier League’s highest-rated stars in their squad.
Norway could also upset some of the more fancied teams, particularly with star striker Erling Braut Haaland eager to rewrite the goalscoring history books.
Read on as we assess why Ghana, Canada and Norway could upset the odds at the 2026 World Cup.
Ghana
Ghana have been drawn alongside England, Croatia and Panama in Group L. Reaching the knockout stage will be a difficult task for them to achieve.
However, the World Cup has always been a tournament where odds are defied, and match-ups never follow paper logic. That alone gives Ghana a fair chance.
Ghana sent shivers across the globe in their World Cup debut in 2006 as they qualified for the knockout phase despite being drawn against Czech Republic and the United States.
That success was built on a golden generation that included Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah and Otto Addo.
Ghana went even further four years later in South Africa by reaching the quarter-finals and becoming only the third African nation to do so at the time. The question now is whether this current team has enough quality and belief to repeat those feats.
While England, Croatia and Panama are more advanced in football infrastructure, globalisation has levelled the playing field. Many Ghanaian players compete in the biggest leagues in Europe and are used to facing elite opponents.
Coming into the World Cup with that level of experience in the bag makes them a dangerous proposition, one whose chances of upsetting the apple cart cannot be swept under the rug.
Canada
Host nations often find a way to rise above expectations at the World Cup, and 2026 should be no different. The problem is working out which of the three co-hosts will seize that moment.
The obvious choices will be Mexico and the US, but Canada’s chances cannot be overlooked.
Canada’s World Cup history hardly inspires confidence. This will be only the third time that they’ve made it to the biggest stage in international football after appearing in 1986 and 2022.
On the plus side, they can hardly do any worse than their performances across those two previous spells. Canada failed to pick up a single group stage point across both editions (L6), but they could finally rewrite their World Cup history this time around.
Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David are the cream of the crop, but several other players will be keen to use the World Cup as a stepping stone.
Canada have been handed a head start for the tournament, with Jesse Marsch’s side set to play all of their three group stage games on home soil. On the off chance that they finish as Group B winners, Canada could also play two rounds of knockout football in Vancouver.
Canada scored just twice across the last two tournaments. Their performance in Qatar was hugely disappointing, considering they were the top team in CONCACAF during the qualifiers.
If Canada can capitalise on home advantage, there is a real chance that they can make history in 2026.
Norway
Norway’s route to the 2026 World Cup was one of the most impressive feats in UEFA qualifiers.
They were drawn in a group that included four-time winners Italy, but they dominated the qualifying campaign and came away with a stunning perfect record.
They decimated Italy 4-1 to seal their place at the World Cup, ending a hiatus from the showpiece that had lasted for nearly three decades. Stale Solbakken’s side won all eight of their matches and scored an incredible 37 goals, more than any other European team.
Haaland was their standout performer. The Manchester City striker scored 16 goals to become the highest goalscorer in World Cup qualifying across all continents.
Norway are heading to North America with a squad stacked with a perfect blend of established stars and plenty of talented players who will be hoping to announce themselves to the world.
Many of them are already tearing it up in the biggest European leagues, and if Norway can avoid any massive injury in the build-up, there is no telling what they can achieve at the World Cup.
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