For example, by reproducing the kind of performance they showed in the opening half-hour against Brazil. In terms of pressing, I have the feeling the Atlas Lions can really trouble the Dutch. Ismael Saibari, who is set to make the move to Bayern Munich this summer, has scored three times in three appearances at the 2026 World Cup and will again lead the line. Brobbey is expected to continue through the middle for Koeman’s team, with Memphis Depay, Justin Kluivert and Crysencio Summerville set to be kept in reserve. Netherlands topped Group F with seven points to breeze into the round of 32, while Morocco finished second in Group C behind Brazil, also claiming seven points from three games.

A place in the World Cup last 16 will be at stake when Switzerland and Algeria meet in what promises to be a tightly contested knockout clash. As both sides are likely to rely on their defences this time out, we predict a 1-1 draw. Switzerland enjoyed a solid group campaign, beating Bosnia and Canada while drawing 1-1 with Qatar in a match they arguably deserved more from. Group-by-group odds, knockout stage forecasts, and tapados watch — all powered by FIFA rankings, ELO ratings, and past tournament performance. Stephen Eustaquio’s late goal sparked jubilant celebrations among the co-hosts, with head coach Jesse Marsch telling his players they had become “Canadian heroes” and inspired the next generation of footballers. Canada reached the men’s World Cup last 16 for the first time after a dramatic stoppage-time victory over South Africa, marking the nation’s first knockout win at the tournament.

Like Messi, Ronaldo will appear at a record-breaking sixth edition of the World Cup, but of his eight goals in 22 games at the tournament, three have been penalties and none have come in the knockout stages. The 2026 World Cup continues with three more Round of 32 matchups on Tuesday. ET with Norway vs. Ivory Coast, followed by France vs. Sweden at 5 p.m. The action wraps up with Mexico hosting Ecuador at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and Mexico is the only team remaining in the tournament that hasn’t yet conceded a goal.

• Ready to put your World Cup knowledge to the test this summer?
• France vs Spain – Only a handful of teams can stop Les Bleus from becoming the first team in World Cup history to reach three consecutive finals.
• A confident victory over Curaçao on Matchday 3 showcased both their defensive organisation and attacking threat.
• The World Cup draw took place on Dec. 5 and the 48 teams were slotted into 12 groups of four.
• The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States (11 venues), Mexico (3 venues), and Canada (2 venues) across 16 stadiums.
• The Leopards, meanwhile, have produced encouraging displays so far, drawing 1-1 with Portugal before suffering a narrow 1…
• Germany are overdue a strong result, and the supercomputer gives them a decent chance of achieving that, as they were finalists in 10.6% of sims.
• Ancelotti was only in charge for the final five games of their campaign, but less than eight months into his reign, he has already overseen surprise defeats to Bolivia and Japan, as well as poor draws with Ecuador and Tunisia.
• Norway are the dark horse, and Lionel Messi heads the Golden Boot race after becoming the World Cup’s all-time top scorer.
• I’m taking a risk on Jordan to claim a knockout place and Algeria edging out Austria in an upset as one of the top third-place teams to advance to the Round of 32.
• Like Messi, Ronaldo will appear at a record-breaking sixth edition of the World Cup, but of his eight goals in 22 games at the tournament, three have been penalties and none have come in the knockout stages.
• After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide.
• They start as third-favourites and would be considered a major threat in any era.
• We have analyzed 64 matches across 48 teams in the World Cup 2026, achieving a best-tip accuracy of over 71.9%.

The generational talent Yamal is of course part of that logic. He was in the squad that swept all before them to win Euro 2024 in such impressive style just two summers ago. The supercomputer believes Spain have a chance to ease into the tournament, as they topped Group H in a massive 75.3% of sims, with Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde representing a reasonably kind draw. As such a wide range of countries with very different World Cup histories fight it out, the 23rd edition may well prove to be the most compelling. It may also be the most difficult yet to make predictions for.

LeBron landing spots: Four teams that make sense for 41-year-old star

A true David vs Goliath clash awaits as already-eliminated Jordan take on tournament favourites Argentina in their final Group J fixture, with 0-3 our predicted outcome. While Jordan are playing only for pride, Argentina will be looking to maintain their perfect record and head into the knockout stages with maximum confidence. Arrowhead Stadium will host a compelling World Cup last-32 clash between Colombia and Ghana, with both sides arriving after contrasting group-stage performances. Los Cafeteros come into the knockout stage unbeaten in their last group games, beating Uzbekistan and DR Congo while drawing 0-0 with Portugal, a match in which they produced 24 shots on goal.

With the Round of 32 underway and this 48-team field wide open, we will update these picks after every round. Our World Cup 2026 predictions land on France beating Argentina 2-1 in the July 19 final at New York New Jersey Stadium, a rematch of 2022. France and Argentina are the most likely finalists, sitting on opposite halves of the bracket. Spain and Brazil are the strongest challengers, though Spain would have to get past Argentina in the semifinals to reach the final on July 19. France are the form pick after winning Group I with three wins from three, beating Senegal, Iraq and Norway.

They are given a 47.8% chance of topping Group A, which also contains South Korea and Czechia. France became the sixth team to win as hosts in 1998, but no side has accomplished the feat since then. Netherlands (3.6%) and Norway (3.5%) rank highest in terms of possible World Cup winners. The issue for both is they will first have to negotiate their way through difficult groups and, if they don’t finish top in the initial stage, that could hinder them with a tougher path to the final. Despite sitting a little below the top four nations, these sides are also contenders. If any of them capture form and momentum at the right time, they will prove tough to stop.

Top World Cup 2026 futures picks

Below are the 16 actual fixtures with our pick for each, followed by our forecast through to the final. Switzerland pipped Canada to win Group B. Colombia won Group K ahead of Portugal, the only group favorite not to finish top. Croatia recovered to take second in England’s group, pushing Ghana to a third-place spot. The group stage is finished and the Round of 32 began today with South Africa vs Canada in Los Angeles.

Indy Sport’s writers have made their selections for USA, Canada and Mexico 2026

In the United States, all 104 matches are in English on Fox (70) and FS1 (34), and all are streamed on Fox One. In total, there are 16 stadiums spanning across the U.S., Canada and Mexico that will be used during the month-long tournament. With 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup, there’s more disparity across the four-team groups than we’re typically used to.

We say: Germany 2-1 Paraguay

Before locking in your 2026 World Cup picks and other World Cup bets on betting sites like FanDuel, be sure to check out top picks from the team of experts at SportsLine. Similarly in the tournament itself, you might find that teams have already qualified for the knockout stage, or might be eliminated, which could lend itself to valuable FIFA World Cup betting opportunities if analysed correctly. With nations playing so infrequently, head-to-head results can have a much larger impact than it does for club teams. It can be important to look at historical matchups like England vs Germany for example, and where the results over the years may indicate which team might win the upcoming game. Perhaps none has had more recent success on the international stage as France’s Didier Deschamps.

World Cup: To advance, the U.S. will have to end its five-year European curse

The comments came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and the US following recent military attacks and a fragile ceasefire. Taremi urged FIFA to resolve the issues, saying the governing body had failed to provide the support promised before the tournament. Iran captain Mehdi Taremi accused FIFA of failing to address logistical problems facing his team at the World Cup after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Egypt. Colombia will become just the third South American team Portugal have faced at the World Cup, following previous meetings with Brazil and Uruguay. Despite sitting a point behind Ghana in Group L, Croatia are clear favourites to claim victory, according to the Opta supercomputer.

Paraguay

Argentina vs United States – The US crashed out at this juncture in the last tournament staged on their soil, and history looks set to repeat itself against the reigning champions. Brazil vs Senegal – There’s little doubt that Senegal possess the quality and confidence to push this tie into extra time. However, it probably won’t be enough to prevent the Selecao from edging through to the next round. Mexico vs Best 3rd place Group C/E/F/H/I – Since suffering a quarter-final elimination on home soil in 1986, Mexico have reached the round of 16 in seven of their eight World Cup appearances. Ivory Coast vs Senegal – Senegal’s impressive results in recent tournaments point towards an emphatic victory in this all-African knockout tie.

Odds Across Operators

Elo ratings + XGBoost trained on 50,000+ international matches. The 2026 World Cup will be the broadest, most competitive, and most logistically complex tournament ever staged. Picking a winner is harder than it has ever been, and that’s precisely what makes the build-up so compelling. Whatever your predictions, the only certainty is that we’ll all be surprised by something. Spain is backed to make light work of Austria, as is England in its meeting with DR Congo.

• As USA have been producing excellent performances in front of home fans, our prediction points toward a 2-1 home win.
• This site provides historical and current football data for informational purposes only.
• At Juve FC, Luca covers match analysis, squad news, and the longer threads that run through a Juventus season.
• Modrić won the Golden Ball at the 2018 tournament, where Croatia was runner-up to France, and he led the team to a third-place finish in 2022.
• According to the Opta supercomputer, there are six other teams who should go into the tournament with strong hopes of going all the way.
• Earn points, climb the leaderboard, and create private leagues with friends.
• Messi has scored six goals in three World Cup 2026 group matches, meaning Cape Verde’s centre-backs Logan Costa and Roberto Lopes must track him constantly, which in turn creates space for Martinez and Alvarez to exploit.
• Spain for example have always played in a similar way which involves having lots of possession, whilst Italy for example have always been well-known for being resilient defensively.
• Cape Verde’s resilient defensive record is notable but was built against opposition that did not carry the same individual quality Argentina bring.
• Haaland struck 16 of those goals, matching Robert Lewandowski’s 2018 record for the most prolific UEFA World Cup qualification campaign.

None of the three co-hosts are favorites, but all three reached the knockouts and all three have a real story to tell. Lionel Messi made history in the group stage, overtaking Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. He is the front-runner for the 2026 Golden Boot, with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland the closest challengers. The top two in each advanced automatically, joined by the eight best third-placed teams. No nation has retained the men’s World Cup since Brazil in 1962, and the expanded 48-team format adds an extra knockout round and more upset paths than any previous edition.

• Both of these teams have enjoyed free-scoring group-stage outingsm but if Sweden enter a 90-minute shootout with Kylian Mbappe and company, they are likely to be outgunned.
• This will be tense, brutal and impossible to take your eyes off.
• While 47 countries won the tournament at least once in our sims overall, for the teams rated 25-48, a successful tournament would realistically constitute emerging from their groups.
• Uzbekistan came out on top in 26.8 percent of simulations, while the draw was rated at 24.3 percent, leaving the Central Asian side with an outside chance of reaching the Round of 32.
• And of course, there are also six teams still to be decided in March’s play-offs.
• We’ve lost big names like Uruguay, Scotland and Türkiye, but all the pre-tournament favorites are still alive and kicking in pursuit of glory across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• With the 48-team format, expect slight dilution — 10–12 top-20 teams likely.
• Similarly, tactics tend to play a large role for international teams.
• Mexico are seeded comfortably and will play key matches at altitude in Mexico City, a significant advantage.
• Lewandowski scored his tally in 10 games, two more than Haaland.
• That flexibility feels particularly important in a World Cup likely to be played in extreme temperatures.

From the oldest coach in World Cup history to Lionel Messi’s and Kylian Mbappé’s chase for the all-time World Cup scoring record, history will likely be made this summer. Tactics and managerial decision-making can be the difference between winning and losing a World Cup game, and there are plenty of skippers in the tournament that have had success coaching around the globe. While the field is a bit more watered-down than in previous iterations of the tournament, it’ll still be a challenge for most teams looking to advance to the Round of 32. The Yahoo Sports soccer team has its picks for Golden Ball, Golden Boot, Golden Glove, biggest disappointments and more right here. The World Cup draw took place on Dec. 5 and the 48 teams were slotted into 12 groups of four. The teams were given a final roster deadline of June 1, so we already know who will be representing each country (click on the teams below to see each roster).

The top team from each group automatically qualifies for the FIFA World Cup Finals, whilst a 16-team play-off competition then decides the final four spots. Check out the FIFA World Cup predictions with SoccerVista through this page and choose your next bet for the biggest international tournament in the sport. And while the U.S. doesn’t have a star the caliber of those players, Christian Pulisic stands out as a player to watch on the team. He delivered a gutsy performance in shaking off an injury to help the Americans reach the knockout round at the 2022 World Cup, becoming a household name. Then, in the final round of group play, there will be six games each day, with the teams in each group kicking off at the same time.

Paraguay vs France Prediction

• All three teams have a chance greater than 5% of winning the tournament, and of at least 10% to reach the final.
• Arrowhead Stadium will host a compelling World Cup last-32 clash between Colombia and Ghana, with both sides arriving after contrasting group-stage performances.
• Morocco asked plenty of questions of Brazil during their first game and Japan can present a similar sort of technically proficient, front-footed challenge.
• With the Round of 32 underway and this 48-team field wide open, we will update these picks after every round.
• BMO Field will be packed when Portugal and Croatia go head to head in the World Cup last 32.
• Sparkles will be flying when USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina square off in the World Cup last 32 at Levi’s Stadium.
• Lionel Scaloni’s side posted three wins from three in group play, beating Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0 and Jordan 3-1, and Messi has been in remarkable form at 39 years old, driving his side through the group phase with six goals.
• Los Canaleros can count themselves unfortunate not to have collected at lea…
• There is currently a combined 3.7% chance of any of those sides going all the way, with Italy surely the most likely candidates if they can end their World Cup exile.
• England secured top spot in Group L with victories over Panama and Croatia, while sharing the spoils with Ghana.
• He delivered a gutsy performance in shaking off an injury to help the Americans reach the knockout round at the 2022 World Cup, becoming a household name.
• Our World Cup betting analysis draws on data from recent editions of the tournament to highlight consistent patterns and team performance metrics.

Ecuador (1.4%) are potentially tricky opponents who the top teams will want to avoid. They impressively finished second in South American qualifying and conceded just five goals in 18 matches. Jesse Marsch has a 42.7% chance of leading his team to the last 16, which would represent a magnificent performance. They are expected to challenge Switzerland for top spot in Group B. Erling Haaland struck 16 times in just eight games, matching Robert Lewandowski’s 2018 record for the most prolific UEFA World Cup qualification campaign.

Wednesday, June 24

Across 25,000 pre-match simulations, Croatia won 56.3 percent of the time. Ghana were victorious in 17.6 percent of simulations, while the draw was rated at 26.2 percent. There are many nations from Africa that could have a huge impact on the 2026 World Cup, just like Morocco who managed to make it all the way to the semi-final of the 2022 tournament in Qatar. With FIFA World Cup betting, it is key not to make silly mistakes which can immediately harm your chances of placing winning bets. On top of those nations, Brazil, Germany, and many other countries can also have a big part to play in the 2026 World Cup too in what is expected to be an enthralling tournament. The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams and they are split into 12 different groups, with winners, runners up, and even some third placed teams qualifying into the knockout rounds of the Finals.

The recent form and questions on formation under Mauricio Pochettino for the U.S. raises concern, while Turkiye’s balance and presence of Hakan Calhanoglu give them the slight edge to win the group. Australia and Paraguay are organized enough to earn draws but remain long shots to advance ahead of the two favorites. Bosnia enter confidently after knocking out Italy and looks talented enough to win this group as long as Edin Dzeko can stay on the pitch at 40 years old. The Bosnian legend didn’t miss a minute in the playoffs against Wales and Italy despite injuring his shoulder. Switzerland’s experience and defensive structure should see them through comfortably, as well.

Can the Hosts Win? USA, Mexico and Canada

Teams are divided into 12 groups of 4, with the top 2 from each group advancing to a 32-team knockout bracket. Build your bracket, play the prediction league, and follow every match — all in one place. Gillette Stadium will host an intriguing World Cup last-32 clash between Germany and Paraguay.

World Cup Day 15 What to Watch: USMNT aims for undefeated group play; Netherlands, Japan, Sweden battle for Group F

U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino will present the winning country with the trophy in East Rutherford, New Jersey when the competition concludes with the World Cup final on 19 July. Peter Fitzpatrick is an experienced sports journalist, having worked in the industry since August 2022 following a mid-pandemic career change. In the time since, he has worked for a wide range of well-known publications including the Evening Standard, FourFourTwo, Football365, GOAL and TNT Sports. In his current role as a freelance content producer for The Sporting News, he writes betting content mostly for football but also tennis, golf, rugby union and Formula 1. Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, defeating France in a breathtaking final that ended 3-3 after extra time before the Albiceleste won on penalties.

• Tuesday’s tie, however, will be their first knockout match against an African nation.
• Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, and Ivory Coast are all set to feature in the tournament and could find a way to cause major upsets and book a spot in the latter rounds.
• But a stunning defeat to Guatemala, in another shootout, ended Canada’s Gold Cup campaign at the quarter-final stage and brought them crashing down to earth.
• All 32 teams that qualify from the group stage play a sudden-death elimination round before the traditional Round of 16.
• The knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 continues with a fascinating Round of 32 encounter as Ivory Coast take on Norway at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.
• Two of the most talented squads, if not the top two, meet in the tournament semi-final.
• Even at home in the 2022 World Cup, Qatar still couldn’t get a point and they’ll likely struggle to do so again.
• So who will win the World Cup 2026, and which longshot could stun the soccer world?
• Morocco, meanwhile, picked up seven points from their three games in Group C to finish second, only behind Brazil on goal difference.

Portugal vs. Argentina

The latest 2026 World Cup betting odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list Mexico as -182 favorites to advance to the Round of 16, while Ecuador are +148 underdogs. However, SportsLine soccer expert Matt Severance is looking for a little added security by playing Mexico (tie no bet) for a -215 payout. Building momentum heading into a tournament is huge, and the vast majority of nations will play friendly matches with their strongest teams in close proximity to the tournament to build a rapport between the players. All three teams have a chance greater than 5% of winning the tournament, and of at least 10% to reach the final. The trio are closely matched and have regularly traded ranking positions leading up to the summer. These World Cup 2026 predictions combine the final group standings and results with our own group-by-group analysis, updated after every matchday.

Our AI football predictions go far beyond World Cup 2026 matches, covering more than 160 competitions worldwide. The Round of 32 is a brand-new knockout stage introduced for 2026. All 32 teams that qualify from the group stage play a sudden-death elimination round before the traditional Round of 16. This is the first time this stage has ever existed in World Cup history. Expert tips, group stage analysis, outright winner predictions, Golden Boot picks, and match forecasts for all 104 games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — updated throughout the tournament.

Jesse Marsch’s co-hosts missed out on top spot in Group B after defeat to Switzerland and must decamp to L.A. But they should have too much for South Africa, even if their often erratic finishing threatens to leave the game in the balance. 48 teams compete at the 2026 World Cup — expanded from 32 at Qatar 2022.

In a five-week knockout competition there is massive variance. Just one shock exit from a tournament favourite can cause other dominos to fall and the draw can suddenly open up for an unexpected team to challenge. Croatia rank just above co-hosts USA and place 15th overall in terms of potential winners with a 1.6% chance. The Opta supercomputer is reasonably positive about the chances of the three co-host nations, suggesting all of them are likely to produce solid – albeit not necessarily spectacular – tournaments.

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has resigned following his side’s group-stage elimination from the World Cup, after coming under heavy criticism from President Lee Jae-myung. Germany and Paraguay meet in the knockout stage having faced each other only twice before. The Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup is upon us, and there are some brilliant games coming up in the first knockout round at the tournament. The knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 continues with a fascinating Round of 32 encounter as Ivory Coast take on Norway at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. At Juve FC, Luca covers match analysis, squad news, and the longer threads that run through a Juventus season. He writes with the perspective of someone who genuinely cares about where the club is heading rather than simply reporting what has already happened.

They made it to the UEFA Nations League final – where it took a penalty shootout for Portugal to beat them – and eased through qualification, topping Türkiye to go unbeaten across six games. For the first time, 48 nations will compete to lift the World Cup trophy in an expanded tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada across 16 stadiums. Forty-eight teams will battle it out for glory in North America, but who will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup? We asked the Opta supercomputer for its predictions before the tournament kicks off on 11 June. Portugal enter the tournament as legitimate title contenders for good reason.

As the two teams seem to be evenly matched ahead of this round 32 clash, our prediction leans toward a 1-1 draw. The Netherlands produced a series of convincing displays in Group F, defeating both Sweden and Tunisia while sharing the spoils with Japan… MetLife Stadium will be the centre of attention when France and Sweden lock horns in an exciting last-32 encounter.

Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT is also given great odds of making it through to the next round, sitting at 78.46%. Canada and Mexico, the other two co-hosts, are both expected to advance comfortably as well. No team has greater odds of reaching the round of 16 than Argentina.

As Germany are eager to make amends for a shocking 2-1 loss to Ecuador, we predict a 2-1 home win. Germany failed to impress in their final group match, but with qualification already secured, the result had little significance. Expect a thrilling atmosphere at Estadio Banorte (Azteca) in Mexico City when Mexico and Ecuador square off in the World Cup last 32. As both sides are likely to adopt a cautious approach, our prediction leans toward a 1-1 draw.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is already the only man to score at five World Cups, as the 41-year-old strives for the one major international trophy that has eluded him. They are in an evenly matched pool, and while seen as the least likely team to win Group D, they still have a decent 17.9% hope of topping the table. The Socceroos are more likely than not to progress to the knockouts (59.2%) and have a 26.3% chance of reaching the last 16 to match their best-ever performance. These were the knockout stage predictions for TSN expert Dom Farrell. Two of the most talented squads, if not the top two, meet in the tournament semi-final.

Brazil and France sit at the top of most prediction models, and for good reason. Brazil have rebuilt impressively since their disappointing 2022 quarter-final exit, with a generation of attacking talent led by Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, and the teenage prodigy Endrick. France remain a tournament machine under Didier Deschamps’s successor, with Mbappé still in his prime and one of the deepest squads in world football. Either would surprise nobody by lifting the trophy in New Jersey.

They have only endured one previous drought of that length since first winning the tournament in 1958, between 1970 and 1994. And after Messi finally ended his wait for a World Cup win in Qatar, Portugal are assigned a 6.6% chance of giving Ronaldo his own crowning moment. A lack of recent match practice against top-class European opponents could count against the Albiceleste, who also saw Ángel Di María retire from international football after the Copa América.

Nestor Lorenzo’s team look a little more battle hardened and should edge through. DR Congo clinched its first-ever spot in the World Cup knockout stage, and with that, the nation was rewarded with England. Three Lions have had a tumultuous and injury-riddled group stage, but Thomas Tuchel’s squad should still come out on top. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed sides advance to the brand-new Round of 32. Click any group below for full match predictions, score tips, and qualification analysis.

• Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT is also given great odds of making it through to the next round, sitting at 78.46%.
• 16 teams qualify in total from the UEFA qualifiers, with 54 teams split into 12 groups.
• He just scores goals – 61 of them to be precise this season – and this summer he looks to be heading into the tournament in peak physical condition.
• Green has studied the 2026 World Cup draw and locked in his best bets and predictions, including his outright winner.
• A rampant Kane scored an astonishing 61 club goals across all competitions (64 if you also include the Club World Cup) and finished the season in fine style with two consecutive hat-tricks.
• Their organised defensive shape has been the foundation throughout, keeping clean sheets against Spain and Saudi Arabia and conceding only twice across three games.
• Reigning champion Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, are +1000 as they seek to become the first back-to-back winners since Brazil in 1962.
• Furthermore, play-off spots will also feature teams from these continents too.
• England vs Portugal – Ronaldo may have to take comfort from beating his arch-nemesis in the quarter-finals.
• Portugal’s depth and momentum give them the edge, and I see them pulling off the upset to reach their first World Cup final.
• As Morocco have been producing excellent displays at the showpiece tournament, we predict a 1-0 away win.

Free World Cup picks: Back Mexico (tie no bet) vs. Ecuador on Tuesday

The 48-team format’s wider R32 bracket creates more upset opportunities than the 32-team era. The dramatic elimination sparked emotional reactions across Iran. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei described the team’s misfortune as extraordinary after Iran became the first side at the tournament to have three world cup 2026 group predictions goals ruled out by VAR.

FAQ About World Cup 2026 Predictions

While Messi inspired his capable but unspectacular team-mates to glory in 2022, Ronaldo arrives in North America with real quality all around him. There’s the PSG clan of Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Ramos and Ballon d’Or third-place Vitinha who are coming into this off the back of a second straight Champions League win. Brilliant Bernardo Silva and the livewire Rafael Leao are in Roberto Martinez’s squad too. What a story it would be if, at 41-years-old, Cristiano Ronaldo matches his arch rival Lionel Messi by helping Portugal to a first-ever World Cup this summer. The Argentina ace’s supporters have been able to play a trump card whenever the debate about the two modern-day icons has been had since Messi’s heroics in Qatar. Portugal are slight favourites according to the Opta supercomputer, winning 51.6 percent of its 25,000 pre-match simulations.

Now that there are 12 groups instead of eight, it’s hard to find a Group of Death with four exceptionally strong teams. There are 12 different groups of four teams in the 2026 World Cup. Here’s the breakdown on all of them, including what you need to know about each team.

Argentina: 8.7%

Below is a daily World Cup game schedule so you can plan accordingly. In terms of winning the tournament, USA’s chances are more remote but still respectable at 1.2%. That puts them close to Switzerland, two-time winners Uruguay and Ecuador in our overall projections. After winning the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo is eyeing the chance to bounce back from what was, by his extremely high standards, a poor major tournament at Euro 2024, an event he ended without a goal. England finished with eight wins – and eight clean sheets – from as many matches in qualifying, becoming only the second team ever to win all their games in a UEFA campaign without conceding, after Yugoslavia in 1954.

They face Ghana and could reach the quarterfinals without meeting a top seed. Debutants Cape Verde finished second in Group H ahead of two-time champions Uruguay, who went home. South Africa and Egypt both reached the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time, while Turkiye finished bottom of Group D. France and Argentina won their groups as forecast, Brazil and Germany topped theirs, and dark horses Norway, Morocco and Colombia all advanced.

Leading the way is France with a chance of 18.66%, putting Les Bleus marginally ahead of Argentina’s 16.26%. As the round of 32 prepares to get underway on Sunday, the cogs of the Opta supercomputer have been whirring to rate every team’s chances of glory. (via FanDuel Sportsbook, subject to change)See full World Cup picks at SportsLine. Portugal, who arrive in the US, Canada and Mexico ranked fifth in the world and fourth favourites for the tournament, are in a favourable-looking Group K alongside the likes of Colombia, DR Congo and Uzbekistan. That flexibility feels particularly important in a World Cup likely to be played in extreme temperatures. That’s why Spain make the most appeal as the outright winners.

Cape Verde (0.1%) have qualified and are the second-smallest nation by population (after Iceland in 2018) to achieve the feat. They fared slightly better with our model than the other first-timers Curaçao and Jordan (both 0.04%). If previous World Cups are anything to go by, shocks and surprises should be a given, so all those teams will still be dreaming of a deep run. They must get past Northern Ireland and potentially Wales to make it, with both of those sides hoping to join fellow home nations England and Scotland. Inspirational Croatia captain Luka Modrić is hoping to appear at his fifth World Cup at the age of 40, and no team will want to see Croatia drawn into their group from Pot 2. That previous dry spell ended, of course, in the United States, and Brazil are assigned a 5.6% chance of another stateside triumph.