FIFA World Cup 2026 on the BBC - meet the lineup and find out how to follow coverage across TV, radio and BBC Sport online

This is going to be the biggest World Cup ever with more teams taking part across more matches, how do you think this might influence tactics?

Olivier Giroud: With 48 teams and the fact that eight of the 12-third placed teams will qualify, I think this changes a lot. Many teams will realise that with just one win and a decent goal difference, that could be enough to get them through the group stages. There will be more hope for the underdogs. I think then as a consequence the less fancied nations will be even more cautious than before in their opening matches. Tactics wise you will see them playing maybe low blocks and protecting draws instead of chasing wins, especially against big teams. Coaches might prioritise a ‘don’t lose' mentality over a ‘must win’ mindset. The perfect example of this is perhaps Morocco in the 2022 World Cup. Even though they had a great generation with talented players, nobody expected them to reach the semi final. They beat Spain and Portugal in the knockout games by playing in transition and with a great defensive organisation.

Ellen White: We might see more changes game by game and perhaps maximum numbers of subs happening per game. Potentially more teams playing a low block and trying to catch teams on the transition / counter attack. I think we might see more draws in the group stage as more teams can qualify for the knockout stage so therefore teams being harder to break down.

Conor Coady: I think a huge part of this World Cup is going to be conserving energy as much as you possibly can, whether that be controlling the tempo of the game with the ball and breathing with it which means when you lose it you have more energy to react or if your an out of possession side, containing opposition being compact, controlling the game without the ball which then means you can counter attack at speed! The heat is going to play a huge factor not just in individual games but also taking energy early on in the tournament from players and making it tough in the latter stages!

Steph Houghton: Without a doubt playing against different continents with different styles of football will have a huge influence on how this tournament will go. You will come up against a variety of teams that like to slow the play down, play fast paced, be aggressive and players with different profiles will also come into it. Playing in USA, Canada and Mexico will impact games depending on temperature and trying to conserve energy as much as possible across the tournament.

Stephen Warnock: I think the biggest obstacle teams, managers and squads will have to overcome is the temperatures. I think it would be very difficult, from a training point of view and recovery point of view, how you approach the match tactically. Do you go after it? Can you go full pelt for 90 minutes?

Guy Mowbray: I hope that I’m wrong, but I’ve a strong feeling that excitement-wise, we might be disappointed with quite a few of the group stage games. The addition of a round of 32 makes qualification from the group in effect ‘easier’, but by the same token makes elimination harder to palate, so it could lead to a cautious approach or a more measured build into the tournament from some. The likely hot and humid conditions at many venues will also be a factor in us seeing some ‘slow’ football.

Rachel Corsie: It won't, it's a World Cup. The biggest thing for any team is getting through the group stages. In that sense, nothing has changed, win your group, come second, or secure one of the best 3rd place spots that's the priority and in that sense it's the same as it has always been. Come the knock-out stages you have to pick the best team to win that one-off match, again, nothing has changed here, it's just we have an extra knock out round to play.

Kelly Somers: To be honest, the scale of everything about this World Cup will have a huge influence and it’s really hard to predict how, as we’ve never seen a World Cup like it. The amount of travel and the heat are going to be the biggest factors, I think. I do a podcast with Wayne Rooney, and he’s been telling us all season from his experience of playing out there just how hard the heat and the altitude in places is to prepare for - and the sheer amount of recovery time needed. I do think it’ll suit the South American nations and those more used to it.

Steve Bower: It’s the longest, biggest tournament that the players will have ever played – off the back of demanding, tiring domestic seasons – so I think we're going to see a lot more use of the of the substitutes right across the board from the coaches. Sport science – we know it's a huge part of the game anyway – will be at the forefront of this World Cup more than ever due to the demands of the heat in a lot of places, the altitude in Mexico, the travelling and the sheer demands on the players. It'll be really interesting, particularly for bigger nations, how the coaches juggle game time and manage the squads while still getting positive results.

Which young or emerging players do you think could become breakout stars this summer?

Wayne Rooney: Just look at England, Elliot Anderson is brilliant. Again, Yamal [Spain] is a top player, which obviously everyone knows about but I think these players are brilliant. You've got Kobbie Mainoo - hopefully he gets in the squad as well - so there's some great young players in the competition.

Olivier Giroud: Well, it’s not because I’m French but if you ask me my opinion I’d say Desiré Doué. He is only 20 but you can see what a talent he is. He made his breakthrough with his club Paris St-Germain two years ago and has not looked back and I think he will emerge as a key player for France. Everybody knows him thanks to what he has achieved in the Champions League but he needs now to make history with France in front of the whole world! I think he will.

Ellen White: For me, it’s Nico O’Reilly - England, Antonio Nusa - Norway and Yan Diomande - Ivory Coast.

Conor Coady: This is the most excited I’ve been to see young players at the World Cup, we have so much to choose from and I’m hoping these two have a good impact. Lennart Karl (Germany) and Rayan (Brazil). Both had fantastic seasons at club level playing in very high level leagues and games and shown they can produce.

Steph Houghton: Elliot Anderson and Nico O’Reilly for England. Have both been instrumental for club this season and can see them being starters for England this summer. Rayan Cherki for France, so much skill and has that star quality to win football games.

Stephen Warnock: The one player I’m looking forward to seeing on the world stage is Michael Olise. I think he is an absolute superstar. We've already seen this season at Bayern Munich in the Champions League what he was able to achieve. Then going into the World Cup with France, they’re such an exciting squad but he's the one I think who could come out of this World Cup just dominating it – he’s a defender's worst nightmare and just so high in confidence right now.

Guy Mowbray: As an England supporter I’m hopeful that the likes of Elliot Anderson and Nico O’Reilly can take their Premier League development this season onto the world stage. They could end up being two of Thomas Tuchel’s most important players, having only made their international debuts this season. Looking elsewhere I think that Désiré Doué has the opportunity to properly announce himself for France, having maybe edged ahead of PSG team-mate Bradley Barcola for club and country. And don’t be surprised if Rayan is a regular starter and scorer for Brazil as they mount a strong challenge. The Bournemouth teenager is ending his first half season in the Premier League strongly.

Rachel Corsie: Franco Mastantuono (Argentina), has been great in La Liga, Warren Zaïre-Emery (France) and Pau Cubarsí (Spain).

Steve Bower: A player that I've commentated on this season, scoring in the Champions League, is Lennart Karl for Germany and Bayern Munich. He burst onto the scene this season and really got his breakthrough with Vincent Kompany. I think if he gets game time, again because a lot more of the squads for these bigger nations will be used in this tournament, he's a special talent with a wonderful temperament.

In terms of predictions, what two teams can you see making it to the final? Are there any dark horses that you think will surprise fans?

Rick Edwards: It’s pretty hard to look past France and Spain, the two top ranked teams - although I think they might meet in the semis. I do wonder if Senegal will arrive with a raging fire in their bellies after the absurd ruling that robbed them of the AFCON title earlier this year. I’d love to see them go deep into this tournament. And they can ease themselves in with a comfortable first group game - against France.

Wayne Rooney: I think you have to look at Spain, France and England. I think they're probably favourites for this World Cup.

Olivier Giroud: For me the two strongest teams are France and Spain. But will they meet each other in the final or before? That will be the question. One of the African teams can be the surprise team. Maybe Ivory Coast, Senegal or Ghana - all dangerous teams on their day.

Conor Coady: I truly believe England have a real chance because we have the best striker in the world in my opinion, a player of his calibre with the confidence he has and the bit between his teeth to win something with England is a scary thought for other countries, my other team is Germany I think they have a very good manager in Nagelsmann and can always see them getting to the latter stages, my dark horse is Senegal, I know the AFCON ended up in difficult circumstances but the way they played in Qatar and then at AFCON really impressed me, they have some top quality players and are used to winning.

Steph Houghton: Hopefully England will get to the final. But I think France and Spain have a great squad with some real match winners, as well as Brazil.

Stephen Warnock: We can’t look past France with the depth of their squad to get to the final. They are an immensely talented group of players.

Guy Mowbray: I can’t name just two, so I’ll go with four (or five!) that have every chance. As the tournament is in the Americas, I naturally can’t look far past Argentina and Brazil and would be tempted to pick one or the other as eventual winners. The main European challenge will more than likely come from France and Spain, with a nod to England. If the tournament was in Europe I’d be giving England much more of a chance – although can’t really back that up with a hard reason why. Outsiders wise I can envisage Norway doing well. Also Senegal and Morocco. As always, there will be a nation that properly surprises us though – an outsider so outside it’s impossible to pick them out now!

Rachel Corsie: I think France will make the final, and I have sneaky feeling Portugal will get there too. Japan is the team I will pick as being the surprise to most onlookers, and I think Ecuador and Turkey will cause an upset or two.

Steve Bower: I can't look beyond France on paper – they have experience, they have talent, and they have Kylian Mbappé as well, who will want to right a few wrongs from Qatar four years ago. Didier Deschamps, the coach, has already announced that he's leaving as well – could they send him off by going one better? You can't look beyond Brazil, not necessarily because of the players, but if you're looking for a coach to lead then Carlo Ancelotti, he's been there and done everything in club football. In terms of the dark horse, Japan is always a nation I love watching. They have an incredible team spirit so I wouldn’t be surprised seeing them go deep into the competition.

The tournament evokes so many emotions, what is your fondest memory of the World Cup (playing or spectating) and why does it stand out?

Olivier Giroud: I’ve been lucky to win the World Cup as a player and also remember watching France win for the first time. So my fondest memory of the World Cup is definitely in 2018 when I lifted the trophy! Those moments as a player never leave you. As a spectator, France winning on home soil in 1998. I was just 11 year’s old but that’s my first memory!

Rick Edwards: The first World Cup I was properly invested in was Italia 90. I remember being in the lounge with my dad, watching the semi-final against Germany, whilst my mum was trying to teach adult literacy to some poor guy in the kitchen - when Gary Lineker scored the late equaliser, dad and I went berserk, and mum had to abandon her lesson. Good times. I also have very fond memories of Ray Houghton’s long-range goal against Italy in Ireland’s first game of the 1994 World Cup in the US - I can still vividly picture the mix of surprise and elation on Ray’s face as it sailed in.

Ellen White: The best memories when watching have been seeing the underdogs thrive and witnessing a team or player you maybe don’t know too well thriving and making a huge impact on the world stage. The colours, the vibrancy, cultures and communities all coming together to celebrate their teams and also football is a beautiful thing to watch.

Conor Coady: My biggest World Cup memory is Michael Owen against Argentina in 1998, in incredible player at 18 scoring one of the best goals I’ve ever seen.

Steph Houghton: My fondest memories of playing in a World Cup would be captaining the Lionesses to a bronze medal in Canada 2015. The most special memories and all I ever dreamt of doing was representing my country on the highest stage possible. Watching a World Cup will be 1999, when Michael Owen scored a beauty of a goal against Argentina!

Stephen Warnock: I have two memories that stand out. The first is 1990 – I’ll never forget David Platt’s goal against Belgium. I remember being sat with my mum, dad and brother watching the game and that was one of the most incredible moments of the competition. The other would be being part of the World Cup squad and going with England to South Africa.

Guy Mowbray: From watching every one since 1978 and attending them all since 1998, I’ve got so many wonderful memories, with the coming together of people from all over the world to share a drink and stories something that’s really special.

From a pure football match perspective, the 1998 and 2022 finals will be tough to beat. Being in Paris for my first World Cup final to witness the mastery of Zidane and then the celebrations on the Champs-Elysees was truly special. Watching Messi v Mbappe at the peak of their powers to light up the final in Qatar was incredible.

One thing could beat them both though. Over to you Thomas, Harry, Declan etc.

Kelly Somers: As England reporter my fondest memory was my first World Cup match - the 6-2 win over Iran in Qatar. Bukayo Saka was the star that night (as he has been so many times), and it felt very special to be there to witness it.

Rachel Corsie: As a player I remember the euphoria of qualifying for our first World Cup as a Scottish Women's team in 2019, and it was comparable being at Hampden to see Scotland pull off a sensational win against Denmark to get to this edition.

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