Brazil is the most searched World Cup team in countries that failed to qualify
Google Trends data reveals that fans in non-qualifying nations are most interested in Brazil, Argentina, and Portugal during the 2026 World Cup.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Bryan Berlin
Despite the expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams, many nations failed to qualify for the tournament. This has led fans in those countries to adopt other national teams to follow as the competition progresses.
According to exclusive data from Google Trends, collected between June 11 and 23, the Brazilian national team is the most searched side among nations that did not qualify but remain in the top 30 global markets for World Cup interest. Brazil topped the rankings, appearing as the most searched team 16 times.
Following Brazil, the defending world champions, Argentina, took second place. Lionel Messi's side appeared in the preference list 14 times. Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, rounded out the top three, appearing 13 times.
This interest spans a diverse geographic range, from Central American nations like Jamaica, Guatemala, and El Salvador to distant markets including Nepal, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.