The Underdogs of the 2026 World Cup: Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Jordan

07.05.2026 15:30 チーム・選手

With the expansion to 48 teams, the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico opens its doors to a whole host of new faces. Three debutants stand out in particular: Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Jordan. All three are celebrating their very first World Cup participation at this tournament – and all three have what it takes to make established football nations tremble. Uzbekistan: Asian Patience Pays Off For the Uzbek football association, it is the fulfillment of a decades-long dream. In the past, the national team came close to qualifying several times in the AFC playoffs. But this time, they achieved direct qualification with ease. Coach Timur Kapadse relies on a tactically disciplined eleven that stands compactly in midfield and switches quickly through the wings. Striker Eldor Shomurodov, no stranger to Serie A at AS Roma, is considered the key player. There are also young talents like Abbosbek Faizullaev, who is making waves at CSKA Moscow. Uzbekistan has produced an entire golden generation – vice Asian champions in the U23 category and Olympic participants in 2024 demonstrate this impressively. Cape Verde: The Island National Team Makes History With just around 500,000 inhabitants, Cape Verde would be one of the smallest countries ever to participate in a World Cup. The "Blue Sharks" asserted themselves against heavyweights like Cameroon in the African qualification and thus celebrated the greatest success in their federation's history. The team's style is characterized by Portuguese-influenced technique and Creole passion. Players like Ryan Mendes, Bebé or the lightning-quick Garry Rodrigues provide experience, while young players from Portuguese and French leagues bring fresh impetus. Cape Verde's greatest trump card is the mix of homeland ties and European training quality – many national players grew up in the diaspora and returned to the national team. Jordan: From Dark Horse to Reality Jordan had already grabbed the spotlight at the 2024 Asia Cup with their run to the final. Now the team under coach Hussein Ammouta crowns this development with their first-ever World Cup qualification. Striker Mousa Al-Tamari, who shines in French Ligue 1 with Montpellier, is the figurehead and combines individual class with the necessary international experience. Jordan's approach is based on a compact defense and quick counters – a profile that can certainly produce surprises against favored opponents. Who Has the Best Cards? In the new format with twelve four-team groups, not only group winners and runners-up reach the round of 16, but also the eight best third-place finishers. This means that often just one win and one draw are enough to advance to the knockout phase. This constellation plays right into the hands of all three underdogs. While Uzbekistan seems the most athletically and tactically refined, Cape Verde could become the tournament's surprise team with its carefree style of play. Jordan, meanwhile, benefits from its experienced squad and the experience gained from the Asia Cup final. One thing is clear: the expansion to 48 teams not only brings more matches, but also more stories. And if the history of football teaches us anything, it's this: anything is possible at a World Cup – even a knockout stage berth for an island republic with half a million inhabitants.