Trader consensus heavily favors a winless team emerging from the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, driven by the expanded 48-team field that includes low-ranked qualifiers like Curaçao, Haiti, and New Zealand—locked in via late March playoffs and the subsequent group draw placing them against powerhouses such as Germany. Historical precedent reinforces this, with every prior tournament producing at least one zero-win side, now amplified by 12 groups of four where top two plus eight best thirds advance, leaving little margin for minnows amid vast FIFA ranking gaps and form disparities. Realistic shifts remain improbable but could stem from freak upsets across all groups or mass withdrawals elevating stronger replacements.