Paraguay

A scrappy, hard-to-beat South American side, they've never been world-beaters but have a knack for grinding out results and making life miserable for bigger names. They had a rough stretch missing out on recent World Cups, so just getting to 2026 would feel like a big deal for their fans after years of frustration. Keep an eye on whether their young players can inject some real energy, because when this team clicks together they can genuinely surprise people.