Every F1 driver’s national team at the FIFA World Cup

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Today marks the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – this year hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States – with 48 different national football teams all hoping to become the winners of the 23rd edition of the competition. But which drivers on the grid will be dreaming that their country can take home the coveted trophy with the final taking place on Sunday, 19 July? There are plenty of football fans in the paddock, with 18 drivers supporting 11 different nations with a shot at World Cup glory. From famous favourites to overlooked underdogs – here is every driver’s national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup... Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso will be feeling pretty confident in their home side this summer, as Spain enters the tournament as reigning European champions and FIFA's second-ranked side overall. Their squad is already proven on the sport's biggest stages, while featuring superstars like Lamine Yamal, Rodri, and Pedri. With a distinct footballing identity that has inspired millions over the years, La Roja are many people's tip to go all the way... The Spaniards will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H – which looks on paper to be a seemingly manageable opening group for a team with genuine title ambitions – we’re sure Sainz and Alonso will be following every game as closely as they can this summer! Next up, we have three of the paddock's most passionate football fans – Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Isack Hadjar will undoubtedly be glued to every minute this summer. Fresh off the back of watching their club team Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League back-to-back, the Frenchmen could be celebrating come July as their national team enters the World Cup as one of the favourites. France have made it to two consecutive World Cup Finals, winning in 2018 before losing on penalties to Argentina in 2022 despite Kylian Mbappe’s electrifying hat-trick – so Les Bleus certainly know how to deliver on the biggest stage. Mbappe is only four goals away from the all-time World Cup goals record held by Miroslav Klose, while Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise join him to form an attacking line-up that will strike fear into any team’s defence. France face the likes of Senegal, Iraq and Norway in Group I – a tricky group but one our three football-crazy drivers will be expecting to top. Will they be gloating in the paddock come mid-July? We’ll be keeping an internal tracker of how many times Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell, Ollie Bearman, and Arvid Lindblad say, ‘It’s coming home!’ over the next few race weekends! It’s the nation backed by the most F1 drivers – and England looks in good shape under new manager Thomas Tuchel to make a deep run and try to end their 60-year wait for a World Cup. England boast a strong squad, headlined by 60-goal striker Harry Kane, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, and vice-captain Declan Rice. The 2022 quarter-finalists face an interesting group of Croatia, Ghana, and Panama – teams that can cause them plenty of problems. If they progress, the latter stages could get tasty for England, with potential matchups against Spain, Brazil, and Argentina. There will be plenty of history between whichever sides they could face – we wonder if tensions in the paddock will rise if any of the drivers face off against these five Britons... Franco Colapinto's allegiances are crystal clear for this tournament, as the 23-year-old will be watching on, hoping his Argentinian side become the first team to win the World Cup back-to-back since 1962. A meeting with childhood hero Lionel Messi before the Miami Grand Prix was followed by an inspired performance from Colapinto – a moment that he said meant everything to him, but we’re sure he’ll be hoping for more inspiring moments to come over the next few months from his hero. This is widely expected to be Messi’s last World Cup, but the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has plenty of magic left in his boots, and with a strong supporting cast of Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Emiliano Martinez, who says no to a fourth crown for Argentina? Brazil’s World Cup heritage may even eclipse their F1 pedigree – thanks to their legendary past players like Pele, Ronaldo Nazario, and Garrincha, the ‘Selecao’ have won a record five World Cup titles. We’re sure we’ll see Gabriel Bortoleto in the iconic yellow and green colours of his country at a paddock during the tournament, but what are the chances like for a record-extending sixth World Cup? Carlo Ancelotti is the man tasked with bringing the best out of his exciting squad that features the talented Vinicius Junior, the talismanic Raphinha and the legendary Neymar Junior. Brazil can beat anyone on their day, but will the South American giants create more history in the US? Nico Hulkenberg is a big fan of his national football team, even spending some time at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix with some special German footballing legends. Members of the 2014 World Cup-winning side Mats Hummels, Lukas Podolski, and Mario Gotze all pulled up to the Principality to support Hulkenberg – the Audi driver will be hoping to see Germany return to form after failing to progress from the group stages in each of the last two tournaments. Manuel Neuer is the only man in the squad from that winning 2014 squad, but the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, and Joshua Kimmich provide plenty of technical ability and hard work that every quality side needs. A potential round of 16 matchup with France could bring some early fireworks to the knockout stages... The Netherlands are one of, if not the biggest, footballing nations never to have won the World Cup, but the Dutch should take inspiration from their very own Max Verstappen, who became the country’s first F1 World Champion in 2021. The Red Bull driver is a huge football fan, frequently collaborating with team captain Virgil van Dijk and sending his support before every major tournament. The squad tasked with improving on the country’s three World Cup Final losses also contains Liverpool stalwarts Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo, while the dangerous Crysencio Summerville and the Dutch’s all-time top goalscorer Memphis Depay should make the team eye-catching in attack. Japan, Sweden and Tunisia are a tough group, but this Netherlands team is certainly one to watch. We hope Sergio Perez finds some time in his busy schedule to attend a magical home World Cup game in his home city, but we know the Cadillac driver will be the biggest fan of ‘El Tri’. A keen football fan himself, Perez will be dreaming that this is the year Mexico make it past the quarter-finals, a result they achieved at both of their previous home World Cups. Football is the most popular sport in the country, and they have a solid squad that blends youth and experience effectively. Guillermo Ochoa joined Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the first people to be selected for six World Cups, while 17-year-old Gilberto Mora is the wildcard of the team. How will the hosts fare in front of an electric home crowd? Another driver will be deliberating travelling back home to catch their host country in action – Lance Stroll’s Canada are staging their first ever World Cup, playing games in Vancouver and Toronto over the course of the tournament. The team have qualified for two World Cups in their history, but they were unable to secure a point in 1986 or 2022. However, with a squad boasting Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, Juventus’ Jonathan David, and Union Saint-Gilloise's Promise David, this Canada team has the ability to go toe-to-toe with any nation from their group. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland stand in the way of Canadian footballing history – will Stroll have a win to celebrate in June? While more widely known as an Australian Rules Football fan, Oscar Piastri will undoubtedly be backing his nation’s soccer team – the Socceroos – this summer. In their sixth consecutive World Cup, the team are certified dark horses after reaching the last 16 in 2022, which is their equal-best finish in history. They also have star power in the form of youngster Nestroy Irankunda – the 20-year-old attacker – who will be hoping to show off his backflip and Michael Jackson-inspired celebrations over the course of the group stages. It won’t be the easiest of tasks to progress out of Group D, with the likes of Turkey and Paraguay and the United States, but this Australian team has plenty of belief. Liam Lawson will surely enjoy having his country to support at this World Cup, with New Zealand making just their third-ever appearance at the tournament and first since 2010. Much has changed since then for the winners of the Oceania region’s only qualifying spot, who have gone from part-time players to fully-fledged professionals during that 16-year absence. Despite being the lowest-ranked qualifiers in this edition, New Zealand will be hoping for a few upsets against their fellow Group G nations of Belgium, Egypt, and Iran – never underestimate the magic of the World Cup! And if things don’t go particularly to plan, trust that Lawson will be itching for a call-up. After all, the Kiwi has enjoyed fantastic form for the newly formed VCARB FC over the past few race weekends! F1FacebookXInstagramYouTube© 2003-2026 Formula One World Championship Limited