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SRIPOKU.COM - The Corporate Secretary of Sriwijaya FC management (PT Sriwijaya Optimis Mandiri), Faisal Mursyid SH, has named five teams he believes will be the favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Based on my general analysis of the power map for the 2026 World Cup, there are five teams that stand out as favourites to clinch the title — Spain, Brazil, Germany, England, and Argentina,” said Faisal Mursyid in an interview with Sripoku.com on Wednesday (3 June 2026).

Faisal Mursyid, who also serves as the Head of the General and Organisation Committee at the South Sumatra Provincial Football Association (Asprov PSSI South Sumatra), noted that among the five teams he mentioned, he sees Brazil and Argentina as having the strongest chances.

“Since the tournament is being held in the Americas, it seems likely that teams from this continent will be strong contenders. Brazil and Argentina, in particular, stand out,” Faisal explained.

Faisal, who was appointed as the Head of the Organising Committee for Sriwijaya FC’s home matches during the 2025/26 Pegadaian Championship season, believes that the upcoming World Cup will have a different atmosphere compared to previous editions.

“As we know, the 2026 World Cup will be quite different from past tournaments. There will be more participating nations, which also means more host cities involved,” he stated.

Faisal elaborated on why he believes Brazil and Argentina have the best chance of winning the 2026 World Cup.

“If I had to predict among the five favourites, my pick would be between Brazil and Argentina,” he remarked.

He added that his assessment is not based on individual players, but rather on the overall team strength of Argentina and Brazil, which he considers excellent — alongside Spain, England, and Germany.

“Argentina, as the defending champion with Lionel Messi leading the squad, naturally holds a stronger nomination. Meanwhile, Brazil could emerge as the dark horse,” Faisal concluded.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will make history as the first edition to feature 48 participating nations. The tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, running from 11 June to 19 July 2026.

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups (Groups A to L), with each group containing four teams.

Below is the list of participating nations and their group allocations: Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic

Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey

Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay