World Cup Run-Up: 10 months until showtime

Welcome to World Cup Run-Up, a new column from theScore. On the 11th of each month, we'll examine the biggest talking points and storylines relating to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Which teams and players are trending up or down, what's new with the co-hosts, and how is the expanded 48-team tournament shaping up? The countdown is on.

Opening whistle: Parsing key transfers 🧐

The summer transfer market is invariably viewed through the lens of club soccer. Teams are tinkering, retooling, or reloading entirely in the hopes of reaching their targets during the upcoming season, while players themselves are looking to take the next step in their respective careers. But don't discount the impact the World Cup has on these decisions. In many cases, transfers are completed explicitly with the tournament in mind. It happens every time a major international event rolls around.

This window has been no different.

Son Heung-min, after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur, realized he was being relegated to a lesser role at the club and opted to join LAFC in Major League Soccer, where he could conceivably play every minute at club level before leading South Korea at the World Cup next year. Marcus Rashford, instead of rotting on the bench at Manchester United, will play regularly at Barcelona. Conversely, Nico Williams, wary of either not being registered or not getting enough minutes with the Catalan club, spurned Barca's advances in favor of staying with the sure thing at Athletic Bilbao.

Sometimes the grass isn't greener. Other times, it is.

Joao Pedro has a better chance of cracking the Brazil lineup if he's scoring for Chelsea as opposed to Brighton & Hove Albion. Americans Tim Weah and Johnny Cardoso need strong seasons after moving to Marseille and Atletico Madrid, respectively, to bolster their case for a starting spot on Mauricio Pochettino's team. Canada's Jonathan David should benefit from swapping Lille for Italian giants Juventus. If Rayan Cherki settles quickly at Manchester City, he could convince Didier Deschamps that he deserves the coveted role as France's primary playmaker. Dean Huijsen always looked destined to shine for Spain, but his new status as a starting center-back for Real Madrid only increases that likelihood. Jordan Henderson, somewhat inexplicably, still has a place in the England setup under Thomas Tuchel, a position that's probably been strengthened by his move back to the Premier League with Brentford.

The inverse is also true. Some players have made moves that, at least on paper, are detrimental to their World Cup hopes.

Mateo Retegui, Italy's nominal No. 9, ran away with the Serie A Golden Boot last season, scoring 25 league goals for Atalanta. He then promptly moved to Saudi club Al-Qadsiah this summer. Theo Hernandez, France's best left-back, ditched AC Milan for Al-Hilal. We won't begrudge any player chasing an enormous payday - get what you can, while you can - but the trade-off is obvious. Perhaps Joao Felix, now at Al-Nassr, can prove us wrong.

We're watching this space with great interest until the window closes Sept. 1.

North American notebook 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽

What's the latest with the three co-hosts?

United States: Several glaring questions surround Pochettino's squad after a disastrous Nations League showing in March was followed by a largely uninformative Gold Cup. The U.S. doesn't have another competitive fixture until the World Cup, so Pochettino, hired at a huge expense to take the USMNT to the next level, will only have friendlies to figure out his best XI. A good place to start is between the sticks. Matt Freese had an uneven Gold Cup, potentially opening the door for namesake Matt Turner to regain his place as the No. 1 netminder. Turner's recent move back to MLS with New England will give him the minutes he's sorely been missing in 2025. Solidity in goal is vital for any team with aspirations of making noise at the World Cup, and the U.S. intends to be very loud next summer.

Canada: Alphonso Davies continues to make strides in his recovery after tearing the ACL in his right knee - much to the exasperation of Bayern Munich - during the Nations League in March. Bayern are hopeful the 24-year-old can return to the pitch at the end of October, which would give him over seven months to regain full fitness and sharpness before he captains Canada at the World Cup on home soil. Jesse Marsch has turned Canada into a competitive team, but the ceiling is capped as long as the nation's best player is on the sidelines. Davies is one of the world's most explosive left-backs, and (spoiler alert) no other Canadian can single-handedly raise the level of Marsch's team in the same way.

Mexico: Despite winning both major titles on offer to them in 2025 - the Nations League in March and the Gold Cup in July - El Tri are still far from convincing right now. This remains a team in transition. But Javier Aguirre has steadied the ship after a tumultuous period of managerial upheaval, and in Gilberto Mora, Mexico possesses one of the game's genuine teen phenoms. The 16-year-old midfielder, who played 75 minutes in the Gold Cup final, is a breathtaking talent. A daring dribbler, the Tijuana sensation dances past would-be tacklers and shows the kind of on-ball composure that belies his youth. He's a game-changer in the mold of fellow wunderkind Lamine Yamal, and Mexico needs to start building around him going into 2026.

Rising and falling 📈📉

Which teams, players, and coaches have been trending up or down?

Haaland's World Cup chances 📈

Erling Haaland, now 25, has never played in a major international tournament at senior level. That's finally poised to change. Norway is on track to reach its first World Cup since 1998 after a perfect start to its qualification campaign. The Norwegians have won all four of their matches thus far, scoring 13 goals in the process - Haaland has four of them - and conceding just twice.

Included amongst those victories was a 3-0 dismantling of Italy that has put Norway in full control of its own destiny in Group I of UEFA qualifying. Nobody wants to see Haaland and compatriot Martin Odegaard featured on another pre-tournament list that highlights the best players to miss the World Cup.

Neymar's World Cup dream 📉

Neymar desperately wants one last crack at winning the World Cup. The 33-year-old, who hasn't played for Brazil since tearing his ACL and meniscus in 2023, left plenty of money on the table in Saudi Arabia to return to Santos in the hopes that the familiar (and familial) surroundings of his boyhood club would propel him back into the Selecao picture. It's a romantic story. Whether it's realistic is another matter. New Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti didn't call up the nation's all-time leading scorer when naming his first squad earlier this year, and the battle for a roster spot has only intensified since then.

Vinicius Junior and Raphinha are locks. Matheus Cunha is going to start every week for Manchester United. Joao Pedro is making waves at Chelsea. Estevao is one of the most exciting teenagers around. Endrick, who once owned that title, was just given the No. 9 shirt at Real Madrid. Rodrygo and Gabriel Martinelli are keen to bounce back this season. Richarlison, Antony, and Savinho are also in the mix. Neymar's one of the greatest players of his generation and arguably the best pure dribbler in the sport's history, but it's hard to have faith that his body can hold up any longer.

Cinderella stories 📈

Expanding the World Cup from the traditional 32-team field to next year's humongous 48-team version certainly has its share of detractors. The concerns are understandable. Cramming 104 games into 39 days across three countries sounds like a logistical nightmare, and adding 16 teams threatens to dilute the overall quality of the product and take some sheen off the illustrious tournament - for what it's worth, even a "bad" World Cup game is still a World Cup game, so the latter shouldn't be an issue.

On the flip side, the most obvious benefit is already being realized. Nations that would otherwise have little to no chance of qualifying will now get to be part of the action. Uzbekistan and Jordan have already booked first-time tickets; Cape Verde has a chance to beat out Cameroon in Africa; Indonesia, coached by Patrick Kluivert, is in the mix in Asia; New Caledonia is already assured of a place in the intercontinental playoffs. FIFA's motivations for supersizing the World Cup were obviously monetary, but this is one positive, if unintended, consequence.

Quick free-kicks 💥

What else is catching the eye?

Club World Cup lessons: Let's give Gianni Infantino some credit. The Club World Cup, buoyed by vibrant fans and shocking upsets, was more fun than anyone expected. But concerns about player welfare came into sharper focus as the oppressive U.S. summer heat wreaked havoc. Matches were routinely played in searing 90-plus degree conditions, with multiple players admitting it had adverse effects on their health and performance. How could it not? FIFA has to balance the well-being of players, fans, staff, and hordes of volunteers with the considerations of the global television audience - precedence suggests the governing body will prioritize the latter, despite the efforts of various player unions. It's tricky, we get it. At the absolute least, how about we don't schedule the marquee matches of the tournament for the hottest times of the day? Take the easy win.

Last dance for Messi, CR7: This sentiment will only grow as the tournament draws near, but it's impossible to think about the competition without reminding ourselves that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the totemic superstars of the last two decades - and arguably ever - will grace the sport's grandest stage for the last time. Ronaldo will be 41 by the time the World Cup begins, while Messi, still the talisman for reigning champion Argentina, turns 39 during the competition.

Gattuso's rescue mission: It's been almost 20 years since Italy last featured in a World Cup knockout match. That's absurd. The Azzurri followed up their fourth title in 2006 with limp group-stage exits in 2010 and 2014, and then outdid themselves by failing to qualify altogether for the last two editions. They're now in legitimate danger of making it three straight. A brutal start to qualifying against the aforementioned Norwegians led Italy to sack Luciano Spalletti and replace him with Gennaro Gattuso. It was an act of pure desperation for a nation flirting with more humiliation. Barring a rapid turnaround under the ex-midfielder, Italy will likely need to navigate another playoff to make the World Cup. What could possibly go wrong?

Let's get down to business: Over 500 World Cup qualifying matches have already been played across the various confederations since the cycle began in 2023, but things start to really heat up now. Beginning with the September international break, there are qualifying windows for three consecutive months before the tournament draw is held in December. The playing field will begin to crystallize, and some perennial participants will be sweating.

Who's in, who's out? 🎟️

Thirteen of a possible 48 nations have booked their tickets to the 2026 World Cup, with Canada, Mexico, and the United States included as co-hosts.

For current World Cup qualifying standings, tap here.

Betting odds 🤑

Which teams are favored to win the tournament?

⚽️ Check out the full World Cup odds on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here

Key dates ahead 🗓️

Sept. 1-9: World Cup qualifying
Oct. 6-14: World Cup qualifying
Nov. 10-18: World Cup qualifying
December 2025: World Cup draw (exact date TBD)
March 23-31, 2026: Final World Cup qualifying matches
June 1-9, 2026: Pre-tournament friendly matches
June 11, 2026: World Cup opening match