A ’dark horse’ is defined by Oxford Languages as “a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds.” In this context, we’re talking about a soccer nation, and where better for an underdog to emerge? The FIFA World Cup has conjured an array of heroic stories since its inception almost a century ago, with one-off shocks bettered by deep tournament runs that capture hearts and minds across the globe. Rarely does a tournament go by without an underdog running amok. Four years ago in Qatar, Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semifinals, having beaten Belgium and Portugal along the way. So, who will be this year’s Morocco? An expanded tournament means we’ve had to consider more contenders than ever, and here is Sports Illustrated’s 10 leading dark horse contenders for the 2026 World Cup. 10. Mexico The co-hosts have a kind group.…