Landon Donovan thinks these three sleeper teams could shock the World Cup | OneFootball

The World Cup is five days away from starting, and the emotions are through the roof. Many former players or reporters of the game are predicting the favourites to win the tournament.

Right now, every statistic says the same thing: France, Argentina, and Spain are the top candidates, and then you have some surprise countries like Norway, Ecuador, and Morocco.

In a recent social media video, Landon Donovan, USMNT legend and MLS soccer spokesperson, shared his picks for three sleeper teams to watch at the 2026 World Cup.

Landon Donovan names its three World Cup sleepers

This year’s World Cup is completely different. There are more teams, more games, and more excitement.

Whether people like it or not, every tournament ends up divided between the favorites and the overlooked teams that few believe in.

However, there is a small group that is called “sleepers” - meaning these are teams that don’t qualify as World Cup favourites, but still have the potential to surprise and get further in the competition than fans expect.

In a recent video for Unfiltered Soccer social media, Landon Donovan revealed his three sleepers for this World Cup.

He began by explaining that the tournament’s location gives North and South American teams a slight advantage, while European teams may struggle to adapt to the different playing conditions and styles found in the Americas.

“One of my picks is Colombia, very talented, will feel like a home game everywhere they go. Ecuador is also a very talented team, and as an outside pick, I think Norway. I know they are in a tough group, but if they manage to finish 1st or 2nd, they could get a decent pathway and could upset very big teams.”

These are the groups of those three teams Donovan mentioned. Ecuador is facing Germany, Curaçao, and the Ivory Coast in Group E; Colombia shares a group with DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Portugal.

Finally, Norway will face Iraq, Senegal, and France in Group I.