World Cup 2026 Upsets: Meet the underdogs changing the mood of the tournament

Every World Cup has its surprise package.

The team that arrives with little fanfare, few expectations and almost no global spotlight, only to force football fans to pay attention.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a handful of so-called minnows are already doing exactly that.

While much of the attention remains fixed on traditional giants such as Brazil, Argentina, England and France, several smaller football nations are quietly writing some of the tournament's most compelling stories.

A bigger World Cup, a bigger opportunity

The expanded 48-team format was controversial when FIFA first announced it.

Critics feared it would lower the tournament's quality by allowing too many smaller nations to qualify.

Instead, the early stages of the competition have shown something different.

More teams have arrived believing they belong.

Rather than simply defending and hoping to avoid embarrassment, many of the newcomers and underdogs are playing with confidence, organisation and ambition.

The result has been a tournament full of surprises.

Cape Verde continues to dream

Among Africa's representatives, Cape Verde have once again demonstrated why they are one of the continent's most remarkable football stories.

With a population of under one million people, the island nation has repeatedly punched above its weight in international football.

Their scoreless draw against Spain may not have produced headlines around the world, but it sent a message: smaller nations are no longer arriving at World Cups merely to make up the numbers.

Curacao's historic moment

Curacao's qualification for the World Cup was already an achievement in itself.

The Caribbean nation has spent decades living in the shadow of football's larger countries, yet simply reaching the tournament represented a major milestone.

Although they suffered a heavy defeat to Germany, their presence reflects a broader shift in global football.

Nations that once seemed far removed from the World Cup stage are increasingly finding ways to compete and qualify.

Uzbekistan's rise has been years in the making

Perhaps no team's appearance is less accidental than Uzbekistan's.

For years, the Central Asian nation invested heavily in youth development and football infrastructure while repeatedly coming close to qualification.

Their arrival at the World Cup is the result of long-term planning rather than luck.

For many football fans, Uzbekistan may feel like a new name. For those who have followed Asian football closely, this moment has been years in the making.

The gap is getting smaller

What makes this World Cup particularly fascinating is not that traditional powers still exist. They do.

Brazil, France, Argentina and England remain among the favourites.

What is changing is the gap between the giants and everyone else.

Smaller nations are better organised, better coached and more confident than ever before. They are no longer satisfied with simply sharing the stage with football's elite.

As the tournament unfolds, one of these underdogs may yet produce the upset that defines the World Cup.

And if the opening weeks are anything to go by, football's next great story could come from a country few expected to be talking about at all.