Shocking "Supercomputer" prediction for the 2026 World Cup champion: "Big teams" fall to sixth favorite.
On 2 June 2026 GMT+7, Opta, a leading football statistics expert, revealed the latest supercomputer prediction on which nation has the highest chance to win the 2026 World Cup after announcing the final 26-player squads for all 48 countries.
A major surprise emerged as Brazil, five-time World Cup champions, were analyzed to be only the sixth favorite to win the 2026 tournament. Despite having the renowned Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, their squad still appears less strong than expected.
Meanwhile, the defending champions Argentina, three-time world champions, are ranked only fourth favorite. Although they retain key players from their previous winning squad, including Lionel Messi, Julián Álvarez, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández, and Rodrigo De Paul.
The top favorite is Spain, winners of Euro 2024, led by Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Pedri, David Raya, and Fabián Ruiz. France ranks second favorite, boasting a formidable attack with players like Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, and Rayan Cherki.
England is placed third favorite despite criticism over coach Thomas Tuchel's player selections, having dropped several stars such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Harry Maguire, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, they still feature key players like Harry Kane, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham.
1st Favorite: Spain 16.12%
2nd Favorite: France 12.98%
3rd Favorite: England 11.18%
4th Favorite: Argentina 10.36%
5th Favorite: Portugal 7.00%
6th Favorite: Brazil 6.61%
7th Favorite: Germany 5.12%
8th Favorite: Netherlands 3.62%
