World Cup Brings Excitement to Hopkins Community

Hopkins students identified a solid favorite for the tournament but winner picks were very diverse. Students identified twelve of the forty-eight countries that are going to compete at the 2026 World Cup as winners of the entire tournament. France was the most common choice to be crowned champion with almost 32% of the votes. France was the winner of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the runners-up of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Spain was the second-most picked team with 18.6% of the votes, followed by England at 11%, England at 8%, and reigning World Cup champions Argentina at 8%. Additionally, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, and Bosnia all received votes as the winner despite each having under a 2% chance of winning the tournament per Opta Analyst. Fans are also optimistic about the United States’s performance this summer, with only 84% of students predicting the United States to make it past the group stage, and 7% of students even picking the United States to emerge victorious overall.

Despite over 65% of students saying they are rooting for the United States at this upcoming World Cup, students will be backing at least twenty-one of the forty-eight World Cup nations this summer.  The reasons to root for these countries vary across the student body. Alex Kotchen ’31 said that he is rooting for first-time participants Curaçao because “they are the underdog” and will break the record this summer for the smallest nation by population to play at a World Cup. Frank Wang ’31 is cheering for all the teams that feature “Barcelona players” since that is his favorite club team. Henry Weinstein ’26 mentioned that he enjoys “rooting for the Dutch in International competitions, namely Track and Field.”

Students also shared their opinions about the local New York/New Jersey stadium, otherwise known as MetLife Stadium, being chosen to host the World Cup Final on July 19. Among the negative reactions, Shin noted the logistical issues involved with transporting tens of thousands of fans to-and-from the stadium: “The location of MetLife itself is horrendous, and the prices to get to the stadium via public transport are crazy. Anywhere but here.” Neil Mehta ’26 said that the New York/New Jersey stadium isn’t “a bad choice, but could've been somewhere more culturally relevant to the host countries.” Despite the downsides, Weinstein said that to him, the location choice “makes the most sense” since he views “the football market as the largest in Europe,” which New York City is closer to than other World Cup Final stadium candidates. 

The World Cup presents a huge opportunity for smaller countries to gain recognition around the world and bring in more money to develop soccer back home. Aly Gaye ‘31 views the World Cup as a chance for nations with less soccer development to “be seen and taken seriously by the entire world at once. It can also further sports in those countries as clubs that see the popularity and attention that the country is getting can set up soccer academies.” Additionally, Mehta mentioned that the tournament “gives small countries a sense of national pride and unity.”

Despite the event’s infrequency, students are already looking forward to potential future tournaments. Alex Sukhodolsky ’27 said that he would like to see France host another World Cup in the future because “ it is the heart of soccer.” Rohin Turaga ’29 mentioned Italy as an option, but noted that the nation would need to develop its stadiums and infrastructure to be able to host another tournament. Meanwhile, in the near future, Weinstein is excited to see what Saudi Arabia will bring to the table when they host the 2034 World Cup, saying “I'd stake my soul on this. They've been pumping money into the sport for decades, and they have a perfect chance with the bid prices increasing. They'll host an Olympics too, I'm sure.” 

With kickoff just weeks away, Hopkins students will be tuning into the New York/New Jersey stadium and beyond to watch favorites France, hosts the United States, or underdogs like Curacao to see who will come out on top and be crowned World Cup champions.