Picking Best All-Time INDYCAR Drivers From 2026 World Cup Countries

INDYCAR is known for having diverse drivers from countries all across the globe. So, to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — we choose the best INDYCAR driver from every country being represented in the momentous event. Obviously, not every country has had an INDYCAR driver, but we did our best when compiling this list. So here we go, by each World Cup group: GROUP A Enge competed in 17 races over three seasons with a best finish of fifth in the 2005 event at Sonoma Raceway. He also made three Formula 1 starts in his career. With 11 wins overall (eight with CART during the split and then three with INDYCAR), Fernandez is one of the most well-known racers from Mexico. When NASCAR went to Mexico City in the 2000s with what was then the Nationwide Series, Fernndez was the driver who was able to get a ride and generate excitement among the fan base. Scheckter won two INDYCAR races over a career that included 118 starts from 2002-11. His best finish was seventh in the standings in 2003 when he was driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. I couldn’t find an INDYCAR driver who was native to South Korea, but Choi competed in what is now the Indy NXT Series in 2015, 2016 and 2018. His best finish was sixth in Portland in 2018. GROUP B No drivers for Bosnia and Herzegovina or Qatar. This was a hard one. Paul Tracy or Jacques Villeneuve? And regards to James Hinchcliffe. However, the nod goes to Tracy and his 31 victories, including a seven-win season in 2003 when he captured the CART title. The only blemish is that he didn’t win an Indianapolis 500 (although he will contend that he did, it’s just not in the record book). Grosjean was born in Switzerland, although he races under France as his country. The former Formula 1 driver has six podiums in 71 career INDYCAR starts and currently drives for Dale Coyne Racing. GROUP C No drivers for Haiti or Morocco. There are plenty of Brazilian drivers who have competed in INDYCAR, but none have been as successful as Castroneves in the Indianapolis 500. That’s because no one else has been more successful in that particular race, with Castroneves tied for the record with four victories (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021). Castroneves won’t rule out another attempt for an Indy 500 win as he is a co-owner of Meyer Shank Racing. Overall, he has 31 victories and finished second in the standings twice. He’s tied for 11th all time in victories with Tracy and … Franchitti has 31 INDYCAR wins, four championships (2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011) and three Indianapolis 500 victories (2007, 2010 and 2012) for one of the most prolific careers in INDYCAR history. His 31 victories tie him for 11th all time with Tracy and Castroneves. He still works with Chip Ganassi Racing as a driver coach. GROUP D No drivers for Paraguay or Türkiye. Power ranks fourth all time with 45 career victories and has a record 71 poles. Power is a two-time series champion (2014, 2022) and won the 2018 Indianapolis 500. He plans to add to those numbers as a driver at Andretti Global. There is little doubt about this one, as Foyt is arguably the greatest driver in series history with a record 67 victories, including four wins in the Indianapolis 500 (1961, 1964 1967, 1977) and seven titles (1960-61, 1963-64, 1967, 1975, 1979). He also has the record (tied with Al Unser) for most victories in a season with 10. In 1964, he won seven consecutive races, which is a record. Group E No drivers for Curacao or Ivory Coast. There isn’t an Ecuadorian driver in INDYCAR, but Correa has competed in Indy NXT the last couple of years. He is eighth in the current standings. This was a tough choice because, obviously, Schumacher just started INDYCAR racing. Christian Danner did compete in a handful of races in the 2010s, but Schumacher is finishing on the lead lap more consistently. And the thinking is that the former F1 driver will improve his results as he gets more comfortable in his ride with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. GROUP F No driver for Tunisia. This is the Indy 500 group, as Sato also won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2017, 2020). He has six victories in his career and continues to seek a third Indy 500 win as he has driven for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in recent Indy 500s. Luyendyk had seven career victories, but two of them came in the Indianapolis 500 (1990, 1997). He made 171 starts over a career that spanned 20 years. There have only been five drivers from Sweden who have competed in the Indianapolis 500 and three of them are Indy 500 winners — Brack, Marcus Ericsson and now this year’s victor, Felix Rosenqvist. Brack gets the nod here with nine career victories, including the 1998 Indy Racing League title. GROUP G No drivers for Egypt or Iran. Baugette competed in the 2010 INDYCAR season and placed seventh in the 2011 Indianapolis 500. Dixon was born in Australia and was raised in New Zealand, so we’re putting him here. He ranks second all time with 59 victories and six INDYCAR titles (2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020). He won the 2008 Indianapolis 500 from the pole. And he’s not done yet, as he continues to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing. GROUP H No drivers for Cape Verde or Saudi Arabia. Palou ranks in the top 20 in all-time career victories, as he started this year with 19. And the Chip Ganassi Racing driver already has four through the first eight races this season. He has four series titles (2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025) to go along with those victories. Also, Palou won the 2025 Indy 500. Rodríguez’s INDYCAR career makes some wonder what could have been. The Team Penske driver was killed in practice at Laguna Seca in what would have been his second career start in 1999. GROUP I No drivers for Senegal or Iraq. Bourdais ranks seventh with 37 career series victories and won four consecutive CART titles from 2004-07. Certainly some would say Simon Pagenaud should be on this list here with his 15 victories, including the 2019 Indianapolis 500 win, but Bourdais gets the nod. The 2026 INDYCAR rookie for Dale Coyne Racing and 2025 Indy NXT champion, Hauger is the first Norwegian driver in the series and is considered to have a bright future as an Andretti Global driver on loan to Coyne for this season. GROUP J No drivers for Algeria or Jordan. Fangio competed from 1995-97 in CART with his best finish being seventh in his debut at Mid-Ohio. He is the nephew of the five-time F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Rindt, who was born in Germany but raised in Austria and raced under the Austrian flag, finished 24th in the 1967 Indianapolis 500. He competed in Formula 1 from 1964 until his death at Monza in 1970. GROUP K No drivers for Portugal, Democratic Republic of Congo or Uzbekistan. Montoya earned 15 victories, including two in the Indianapolis 500 (2000, 2015). He won seven of those races in the 1999 season, where he won the CART title. He potentially could have won more, but spent six seasons in Formula 1 and seven seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. GROUP L No drivers for Croatia, Ghana or Panama. Wheldon won 16 races, including the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. He won the title in 2005. He was killed in a crash in 2011 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX and FS1 with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports apps.