The co-hosts of the have seen their respective campaigns come to an end in the Round of 16. , and all made history in their home global finals, with each side getting major contributions from some rising stars.
FIFA look back on the accomplishments of each, the young players who stood out and the next steps for the three sides.
A slew of milestones were reached in Canada’s third appearance in the global showpiece and first on home soil. A first-ever point in their was followed in emphatic fashion by their first World Cup win, a 6-0 thrashing of Qatar in which That secured a first knockout-round berth, which then yielded a first knockout-round win, the 1-0 Round of 32 victory over South Africa.
for coach Jesse Marsch’s squad. The 20-year-old centre-back was an anchor, starting all five of the Reds’ matches. The Fulham defender showed maturity beyond his years, was a good bet to win any aerial duel and also showed off his sharp passing ability. Canada have an anchor in the back for at least the next decade.
Canada took a big step with their World Cup successes and what would further galvanise the program is a continental title. They last hoisted a trophy a generation ago in the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup, but with two Gold Cups coming prior to 2030, plus additional editions of the Concacaf Nations League, the opportunity is there for Canada to experience the thrill of winning hardware.
El Tricolor took their fans on a ride for the ages at these finals. It started in style with a in the tournament’s curtain-raiser at the historic Mexico City Stadium and would yield another three clean-sheet victories, giving Mexico four wins at a World Cup for the first time. They also lifted their 40-year knockout-round curse by capturing a 2-0 Round of 32 victory against Ecuador.
It is hard to believe that midfielder Rodrigo Mora is still only 17 years old. The Tijuana man was superb in the centre of the park for El Tri and simply a joy to watch. In their biggest contest, against England in the Round of 16, Mora showed no fear, constantly calling for the ball, running at defenders, showing intelligence with his vision and movement and using turns that wrong-footed some of the game’s best.
In recent years, Mexico’s squad has been one of the oldest in tournaments, but a new wave led by Mora is breathing life into the program. Midfielders Obed Vargas and Brian Gutierrez, defender join Mora as impact players aged 23 and under that offer a ton of promise for the next cycle. The improvement and growth of this quintet could help Mexico smash even more records in four years’ time.
Like their co-hosting counterparts, USA rewrote their history books at World Cup 2026, beginning in their opener as a marked the first time USA had scored four goals in a match at the global showpiece. The subsequent 2-0 victory against Australia also gave them two group-stage wins for the first time. The Stars and Stripes hadn’t tasted knockout-round success since Korea/Japan 2002, but that changed with the 2-0 Round of 32 triumph over Bosnia and Herzegovina. That result also made USA the first Concacaf team to ever reach double-digit goals at a World Cup, as they would finish with 11.
stormed onto the scene at these global finals. The 21-year-old had an assist against Paraguay and scored in the win over Australia, while showing toughness and physicality throughout the tournament. A keen sense of anticipation and a fearless attitude helped him rack up impressive numbers for both clearances and interceptions, giving USA a solution on the right flank for years to come.
USA were the second-youngest team at Qatar 2022, and many of those same faces were on the pitch at this edition. Yet by 2030 stalwarts like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson will all be over the age of 30. Freeman at 21 was the youngest member of the 2026 team so as they prepare for an upcoming cycle, it will be important for USA to start blending in younger talents who have starred at youth level, such as FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™ player Cavan Sullivan and FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ Golden Boot winner Benjamin Cremaschi.
Sources: FIFA Official
