Supercomputer Predicts 2026 FIFA World Cup Winner Ahead of Round of 16 Fixtures
- Opta’s supercomputer has predicted the 2026 FIFA World Cup winner with 16 teams left in the tournament
- The first round of the knockout stage was concluded with Colombia’s 1-0 win over Ghana the last game
- The Round of kicks off on July 4, 2026, at 5 PM GMT between co-hosts Canada and Morocco in Houston
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is down to the final 16 teams after the completion of the first round of the knockout stages with Colombia’s win over Ghana.
Defending champions Argentina laboured for a 3-2 win over Cape Verde after extra time, while France and Spain had it easy against Sweden and Austria.
Source: Getty Images
England came from behind to beat DR Congo and Portugal secured a hard-fought win over Croatia in Luka Modric’s last dance at the World Cup.
Canada and USA beat South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 to keep all three co-hosts' campaigns alive.
Belgium came from two goals down to eliminate Senegal, while Brazil also secured a comeback win over Japan. Paraguay stunned Germany on penalties.
As noted by CAF, nine out of 10 African countries made it out of the group stage, but after the first round of the knockout stage, seven have been eliminated, with only Morocco and Egypt left.
The results and next stage draws are shaping the potential winner of the tournament as Opta’s supercomputer predicts the winner with 16 teams left, as noted by The Analyst.
Predicted winners of 2026 World Cup
France
France were the second favourites to win at the start of the tournament, but their performances so far have propelled them to being the leading favourites, and they have a 44.68% chance of reaching a third straight final and 28.89% of winning the trophy.
Argentina
The defending champions breezed through the group stage, but Cape Verde took them to the limit in the Round of 32. Regardless, they have a 31.12% chance of reaching the second consecutive final and a 16.32% chance of retaining the trophy.
Spain
Luis de la Fuente’s side are beginning to settle into the tournament after their convincing win over Austria. They have a 22.58% chance of reaching their first final since 2010, and 12.96% of winning their second world title.
Brazil
The Carlo Ancelotti-led side have been one of the best teams at the tournament so far with Vinicius Jr spearheading their proceedings. They have a 19.68% and 9.11% chance of reaching their first final and winning their first trophy since 2002 in South Korea and Japan.
England
The Three Lions’ chances have dropped since the start of the tournament. However, Thomas Tuchel’s side remains one of the favourites with a 17.06% chance of reaching the final and an 8.14% chance of taking it home for the first time since 1966.
Source: Getty Images
Portugal, Colombia, Morocco, Norway, Mexico, Switzerland, USA, Belgium, Canada, Egypt and Paraguay, in that order, are the other teams left in the competition.
Of all the teams remaining in the tournament, Paraguay are the least rated with a 0.29% chance of continuing their journey and winning their first ever World Cup, despite eliminating Germany in the Round of 32.
France and Argentina overtake Spain
Legit.ng previously reported that France and Argentina overtook Spain as the leading favourites to win the World Cup after the group stage.
La Roja's chances of winning dipped after the group stage, where they played a shocking 0-0 draw against the tournament debutants Cape Verde.
Source: Legit.ng
