There are now eight players for Wolves supporters to look out for at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the poster boy for co-host Mexico, Raul Jimenez, having re-signed for the club this week.
Jimenez joins Jose Sa, Santi Bueno, Ladislav Krejci, David Moller Wolfe, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Hee Chan Hwang and Sasa Kalajdzic among the Old Gold’s representatives in North America this summer.
And with the tournament set to kick off in less than 12 hours’ time, here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 World Cup.
THE FORMAT
For the first time in World Cup history, the 2026 edition will be made up of a whopping 48 teams, who have been divided into 12 four-team groups, with each team playing the others in their group one.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams – making 32 in total – will advance to the knockout stages.
Matches from this point on are single-elimination and if scores are level at the end of 90 minutes, the games will go to extra time. If a winner can still not be decided, then the match will be decided by a penalty shootout.
This means the 2026 World Cup will feature a total of 104 matches played across three countries, with the final set to take place on Sunday 19th July in New York/New Jersey.
THE HOST NATIONS
One of the hosts will be of particular interest to Wolves fans across the world following Jimenez’s return to the club, with Mexico set to get the whole competition underway at 8pm (BST) this evening in opening game against South Africa in Mexico City.
By being a co-host this year, Mexico will become the first country to have hosted three World Cup tournaments, having previously held the World Cup in 1970 and 1986.
Canada and the USA are the other two co-hosts, although most of the matches in this summer’s tournament will be held in the States, with the US providing 11 host cities, Mexico three and Canada two.
- Mexico | Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City
- Canada | Toronto and Vancouver
- USA | Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle
THE FAVOURITES
After tasting victory at Euro 2024, Spain are aiming to follow up their European title with a World Cup this time around, having already achieved that feat with Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 – their only previous World Cup success.
France reached the final in 2022 before losing to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, and they are hot-tipped once again to go all the way in North America, and although the reigning champions are contenders once again, they are not as strong as they were four years ago.
Thomas Tuchel’s England are also among the bookies favourites, despite their underwhelming performances of late. Brazil and Germany have nine World Cups between them and should never be counted out, even though neither side are currently at their peak, while Sa’s Portugal are also among those which could get their hands on the trophy for the first time.
THE DARK HORSES
With 2026 expanding to 48 teams, there are several countries who might think they can go all the way in North America and claim their first ever World Cup title, and one of the six we’re featuring here includes a member of the current Wolves squad.
That man is Wolfe, who is part of a golden generation of Norwegian footballers right now. Having not qualified for a World Cup since 1998, Norway are a team packed with talent and reached the tournament with a 100 per cent record in qualifying, including a double over Italy. In a side which has Erling Haaland leading their attack alongside former Old Gold striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, Wolfe says his teammates want to make history this summer.
Having been the surprise package of the 2022 World Cup where they were led into the semi-finals by Wolves cult hero Romain Saiss, Morocco are once again being tipped to do well in 2026 and become the first African nation to win the World Cup, while other outside chances for the title this year are Japan, Colombia, Turkey and Croatia. Host nations quite often do well, so could this be a chance for Mexico to shine?
FOLLOW THE WOLVES PLAYERS
With eight Wolves players to follow this summer, there are plenty of matches of interest to Old Gold supporters, and in particular Group A, which features Jimenez’s Mexico, Krejci’s Czech Republic and Hwang’s South Korea.
While Group C contains Bellegarde’s Haiti, who face Brazil, Morocco and Scotland, Santi Bueno’s Uruguay are in Group H alongside Spain, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia and Wolfe and Norway face France, Senegal and Iraq in Group I.
It’s Group J for Austria and Kalajdzic, who are pitted against Argentina, Algeria and Jordan, while Sa’s Portugal are in Group K where they will take on DR Congo, Uzbekistan and a Colombia side who did not call up Old Gold defender Yerson Mosquera.
- 11th June 2026 | Mexico vs South Africa | Mexico City | 8pm (ITV)
- 12th June 2026 | South Korea vs Czech Republic | Guadalajara | 3am (ITV)
- 14th June 2026 | Haiti vs Scotland | Boston | 2am (BBC)
- 15th June 2026 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | Miami | 11pm (ITV)
- 16th June 2026 | Iraq vs Norway | Boston | 11pm (BBC)
- 17th June 2026 | Austria vs Jordan | San Francisco | 5am (BBC)
- 17th June 2026 | Portugal vs DR Congo | Houston | 6pm (BBC)
- 18th June 2026 | Czech Republic vs South Africa | Atlanta | 5pm (BBC)
- 19th June 2026 | Mexico vs South Korea | Guadalajara | 2am (BBC)
- 20th June 2026 | Brazil vs Haiti | Philadelphia | 1.30am (ITV)
- 21st June 2026 | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | Miami | 11pm (BBC)
- 22nd June 2026 | Argentina vs Austria | Dallas | 6pm (BBC)
- 23rd June 2026 | Norway vs Senegal | New York/New Jersey | 1am (ITV)
- 23rd June 2026 | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | Houston | 6pm (ITV)
- 24th June 2026 | Morocco vs Haiti | Atlanta | 11pm (BBC)
- 25th June 2026 | Czech Republic vs Mexico | Mexico City | 2am (BBC)
- 25th June 2026 | South Africa vs South Korea | Monterey | 2am (BBC)
- 26th June 2026 | Norway vs France | Boston | 8pm (ITV)
- 27th June 2026 | Uruguay vs Spain | Guadalajara | 1am (ITV)
- 28th June 2026 | Colombia vs Portugal | Miami | 12.30am (BBC)
- 28th June 2026 | Algeria vs Austria | Kansas | 3am (BBC)
All kick-off times listed above are BST.
