Are you ready for the 2026 World Cup? After months of hoopla and hype, it's almost time for actual matches at MetLife Stadium and in 16 venues around the United States, Mexico and Canada.

It's the first time three nations will host a World Cup. The field also expanded from 32 to 48 teams, opening up space for first-time qualifiers Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

There will be 104 matches from June 11 in Mexico to the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

The Americans introduced their team with much fanfare on May 26 on a South Street Seaport rooftop in Manhattan. But the USMNT is based on the West Coast. Though they have reached the Round of 16 in each of their last three World Cup appearances, the bracket makes it unlikely that the United States will advance all the way to the Meadowlands.

More: An inside look at Rutgers hosting Senegal as a World Cup base camp

If you're looking for other teams to support, or just want to impress colleagues with your sweeping soccer knowledge, North Jersey fans with eyes abroad argued on behalf of their favorite squads.

(The following responses have been edited for space and clarity.)

Brazil: 'This is our time'

Fort Lee resident Gabriel DeLima was born in New York City while his father worked at the Brazilian consulate. He is the president of WowStep Marketing.

"The last World Cup, I remember when I was (in Brazil), we cried. It was very tough for us, Brazil losing to Croatia on penalties. ... People have hope of Brazil winning again. Everyone's talking like, 'This is our time.' We have five World Cups, and we want the next one."

Croatia: 'They give me hope, give me excitement'

A former Morris Catholic goalkeeper who grew up in Boonton, Ante Rogic is a regional manager for BrightView Landscapes and goalkeeper director for PESA, the family's soccer training company. Around 35 siblings, cousins and other family are renting a bus to go to the Croatia-Ghana match on June 27 in Philadelphia.

"We have a fair amount of veterans who have a lot of major tournament experience. We're bringing some young guns in who have been playing at high levels in Europe. (Center midfielder) Luka Modric, they should win it for him, so he can get a medal. He hasn't won an international trophy with Croatia, but he's gotten them so close so many times. Let's do it for the captain.

More: How a NJ table tennis tournament is slamming pediatric cancer

"The good thing about the national team is they play with their heart. They have a country of four million people behind them. They can make a run. They have to believe in themselves like their fans believe in them. Is it bad I don't even have a U.S. national team jersey? I have 18 Croatia jerseys, and it might be 19 coming this year. ... They give me hope, give me excitement. I'm excited to see them play."

Egypt: 'Let's just keep our expectations lower'

Longtime Parsippany Hills soccer coach Ahmed Kandil, 46, grew up in Parsippany and played soccer there. His parents emigrated from Egypt in the mid-1970s.

"We've got Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush too. He's coming up on the scene, and Mo Salah is the Egyptian GOAT with what he's accomplished in the Premier League and all he's done for the national team. But with the Egyptian national team in the World Cup, you never know what to expect. ... Too many times, they've gotten my hopes up. This time, let's just keep our expectations lower and be pleasantly surprised.

"Offensively, we should be pretty solid. But traditionally, Egypt has been defensive. Since the last World Cup, legendary goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary has retired, the oldest player to appear in the World Cup. The new goalkeeper, Mohammed El Shenawy is 37 years old and a veteran, but this will be his first World Cup. I'm optimistic about the head coach, Hossam Hassan. He's from the country and was a legendary player in the 1990 Cup, the all-time national team leading scorer (69 goals in 177 appearances)."

England: 'This could finally be the one'

Gary Adair grew up a Liverpool fan in Wigan, England. He came to the United States in 2003 with UK Elite to coach soccer. He has taught health and physical education at Chatham High School since 2015, and led the girls soccer team to the Morris County Tournament title in 2021, the first of a five-year championship streak. Adair also scouts U-14 to U-23 boys talent for U.S. Soccer.

"We are always among the top favorites at international tournaments because of the quality of the players and the impact they have with their club teams week to week. As ever, all signs point toward England making another hopeful run at the trophy they haven't won since 1966. The thing that gets me, and always has, is that there is always something that stops us from getting over the line, usually ourselves. We have the players. We have the manager. If we make it out of the group relatively unscathed, the bracket could be kind to us, but I've seen this story too many times. Every tournament feels like this could finally be the one, and that's exactly what makes it so agonizing when it isn't."

Iran: 'Athletes are not politicians, and not their governments'

A lifelong Bergen County resident, Omid S. Irani, 32, is a criminal defense attorney in Hackensack. His parents emigrated from Iran.

"Iran is a genuine soccer country. It's not niche there. It's woven into everyday life. The passion is real. Despite not having the resources that some of the European clubs have, we see through their rankings (No. 21 in the world) they're resilient and highly effective. Having to work under those circumstances exemplifies an underdog mentality many Iranians have. Let's use this momentum, use this international stage, and use our love for soccer, and ride it out and see how far it goes.

"The Iranian national team, known as Team Melli, has always had to navigate the social, geopolitical and economic struggles as the country. That's placed a great burden on the team and its fans. Iranian players are often put in an impossible position. In some ways, they're expected to represent millions of ordinary Iranians, both internally and outside Iran. But at the same they're they're expected to navigate political scrutiny from every side. Athletes are not politicians, and not their governments.

"There was a big, highly anticipated 1998 USA-Iran group-stage match. When Iran won, everyone poured into the streets of the capital, Tehran. That game became remembered not for hostility, but for gestures of respect. The Iranian players gave white roses to the Americans before the game started. That is the most emblematic microcosm of players being players and people being people, because those two governments were and are so diametrically opposed to one another. But we saw soccer being played for 90 minutes. We saw humanity and empathy and respect and understanding for shared purpose: playing an international soccer game that both teams and both countries loved. The beauty of the World Cup is it works best when you can separate the government from the people."

Morocco: 'To have a little piece of home here'

Sarah Taouafe was born in Morocco and moved to Franklin Lakes when she was 2 months old. Taouafe, 18, is a rising pre-law sophomore studying chemistry at Stevens Tech.

"When I think 'World Cup,' I think of something international, across the sea. To have them here (at The Pingry School) in Basking Ridge is great, especially because there's such a strong Moroccan community in New Jersey. It's so close to home. It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.

"In the last World Cup, making it to the semifinals was historic for Morocco, not only as an African country but as a Muslim country. It was exciting to share that with my American friends, and of course being able to gather with community and have something to celebrate.

"Soccer is a huge part of Moroccan culture. You're playing with your neighbors and your friends on the streets as a kid. To be able to see it on such a big scale, it makes you feel a sense of community. ... To have a little piece of home here, it's merging your identity as a Moroccan and an American. I live my life every day fully immersed as an American. This is my country. But having a little piece from home to hold on to, in the form of soccer, is important to maintain the different aspects of my life that make me who I am."

Scotland: 'We've made our mark'

Old Tappan boys soccer coach Mark Torrie emigrated to the United States from a small town in Scotland in 2002 to work for MLS Camps. He teaches health and physical education at Harrington Park.

"It's Scotland's first time at the World Cup since 1998, when we also got Morocco and Brazil in our group. Morocco and Brazil will be the favorites to get out of the group, but with the expanded format, there's a possibility of three teams to get out. We have to get a result against Haiti (on June 13) or we might as well pack up and go home.

"The supporters' group is called the Tartan Army. They'll bring a party atmosphere in traditional kilts. If you look at history, the Scots transported the game from the British Isles to South America. The first U.S. national team that ever played (at a World Cup) had eight Scots on it, and the coach (Robert Millar) was Scottish too. They were all in the Kearny area then. We've made our mark."

South Korea: 'Be on the lookout for us'

Robert Austin Cho emigrated from Seoul, South Korea, when he was 4. He grew up in Roxbury and Rockaway, and attended Parsippany High School. The 55-year-old runs Texas-style Korean barbecue restaurants Kimchi Smoke in Ridgewood and Westwood.

"Koreans are known for our work ethic and hustle. Maybe we're not the most athletically gifted, but we make it up with grit and determination. Even with all the exposure, in terms of sports, we'll still be an underdog. K-Pop and Korean culture and cosmetics and movies have been very popular. People know the team, and now they have Son-Heung Min who plays in Major League Soccer. He's pretty famous now, worldwide. Maybe Korea's not under the radar. They're not a favorite to win, but I think people will be on the lookout for us."

Flashback! South Korea soccer fans light up NJ, build hype for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Türkiye: 'A gift to our country'

Veysel Ucan grew up on the European side of Istanbul. He came to the United States to study for his master's at Manhattan College, and has lived in New Jersey for five years. Ucan is the outreach director for the Turkish Cultural Center of New Jersey in Wayne.

"Türkiye has not been in the World Cup since 2002, so people are more excited. Türkiye has young stars playing on European teams, like Arda Güler at Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz at Juventus. The issue is when they come together, how they'll play with each other. Once they practice sufficiently so they can know each other and better play like a team, they'll be great. It will be a gift to our country."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ soccer fans rooting for many countries in 2026 FIFA World Cup