With less than a week to go until this year’s World Cup, it’s time to start taking a closer look at those who are set to play.

Didier Deschamps is trying to guide France to a historic feat. They could become just the third nation to make three consecutive World Cup finals. Brazil did that most recently (1994, 1998 and 2002) and before them West Germany made the 1982, 1986 and 1990 finals.

The 2026 World Cup’s expanded 48-team format has created a dynamic trading floor, with sharp traders building portfolios around group stages, goal-differential props, and advancement markets on platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket.