World Cup 2026: Unexpected Advantage for Underdog Teams

Speaking before the match against Austria in the second round of Group J, the coach who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title noted that the gap in quality between teams is narrowing, while the playing conditions in North America make matches even more unpredictable. He emphasized: "What we are seeing in this World Cup shows that no match is easy anymore."

According to strategist Lionel Scaloni, the group stage has always been fraught with difficulties, but this year the level of competition is even greater as the number of participating teams has increased to 48, meaning more new opponents and more matches.

In particular, the hot weather in the US and the frequent stoppages for players to hydrate have given weaker teams more opportunities to recover physically and maintain their game. He analyzed: "Those breaks help the underdog teams gain extra recovery time. This somewhat reduces the advantage of the stronger teams."

At the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has implemented a rule allowing about three-minute water breaks per half in extreme weather conditions. According to the Argentina coach, this effectively splits a match into "four small halves" instead of the traditional two.

Argentina began their title defense campaign with a 3-0 victory over Algeria, in which Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick. However, Scaloni recalled the lesson from the 2022 World Cup when Argentina surprisingly lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia in their opening match before going on to win the title. He believes that similar shocks could easily happen again in the current tournament.

Midfielder Enzo Fernandez also agreed with his coach's view. The Chelsea star noted that the 2026 World Cup is significantly more competitive than the World Cup in Qatar four years ago. He said: "I feel that the level between teams is becoming more balanced. This tournament is also much more competitive than the 2022 World Cup." According to the 25-year-old midfielder, more and more teams are ready to spring surprises on the big names, making every match unpredictable.

Scaloni's assessment partly reflects the reality unfolding at the 2026 World Cup, where many underdog teams have caused considerable trouble for the title contenders. In the context of extreme weather, a packed schedule, and a record number of participating teams, the gap between the "big guns" and the underdogs seems to be narrowing more than ever.