Final predictions for the World Cup: Champions, Go… | beritakitanih

Final predictions for the World Cup: Champions, Go…

Jun 10, 2026, 05:00 AM ETThe 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived! Four years after Argentina’s triumph over France in Qatar, the latest edition of the world’s biggest sporting event kicks off with Mexico vs. South Africa on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, the first of 104 games over the next several weeks.That means it’s time for ESPN’s writers from around the globe to make their picks on everything from silverware and most entertaining teams to which host nation is most likely to advance the furthest: the United States, Mexico or Canada.Here’s what the 19 experts we asked think will happen, starting with the most important question: Who will lift the trophy on July 19?Top-four predictionsWinnerRunner-upThird placeFourth placeLizzy BecheranoSpainArgentinaFranceEnglandLluis Bou (ESPN Brasil)SpainPortugalNetherlandsEnglandBill ConnellyEnglandSpainColombiaGermanyRob DawsonSpainArgentinaPortugalBrazilDamian Didonato (ESPN Argentina)GermanyArgentinaSpainEnglandEd DoveFrancePortugalSpainEnglandOmar Flores (ESPN Mexico)FranceMoroccoPortugalBrazilTom HamiltonFranceArgentinaSpainJapanCesar HernandezFranceArgentinaSpainBrazilAlex KirklandSpainEnglandFranceArgentinaJulien LaurensFranceEnglandPortugalSpainBeth LindopFranceSpainBrazilEnglandGab MarcottiBrazilFrancePortugalSpainArmando Neria (ESPN Mexico)FranceSpainArgentinaEnglandMark OgdenSpainBrazilFrancePortugalConnor O’HalloranFranceEnglandSpainNetherlandsJames OlleySpainPortugalFranceBrazilRodraSpainFranceArgentinaBrazilLeonard Solms (ESPN Africa)SpainFranceEnglandPortugalIt’s clear who our writers view as the favorites: Spain and France. The European powerhouses earned 16 out of 19 votes for winner, and Spain was the only country that appeared on every ballot.Interestingly, though seven writers expect Argentina to follow up their 2022 World Cup victory with another deep run in 2026, not a single one picked them to actually repeat. Can Lionel Messi & Co. defy their expectations? Their bid to go back-to-back begins Tuesday against Algeria.- Final World Cup Power Rankings before the tournament begins- Ian Darke’s World Cup preview: Favorites, surprises to watch, Brazil to win?- World Cup Rank: The 50 best players in the 2026 tournamentPlayer award predictionsGolden BallGolden BootGolden GloveYoung Player AwardLizzy BecheranoLionel MessiHarry KaneEmi MartinezLamine YamalLluis BouLamine YamalKylian MbappéDiogo CostaPau CubarsiBill ConnellyHarry KaneLuis DiazUnai SimonLamine YamalRob DawsonLamine YamalHarry KaneEmi MartinezLamine YamalDamian DidonatoFlorian WirtzMichael OliseEmi MartinezLamine YamalEd DoveVitinhaHarry KaneMike MaignanLamine YamalOmar FloresKylian MbappéHarry KaneYassine BounouGilberto MoraTom HamiltonMichael OliseKylian MbappéUnai SimonLamine YamalCesar HernandezLionel MessiKylian MbappéUnai SimonGilberto MoraAlex KirklandPedriHarry KaneUnai SimonLamine YamalJulien LaurensKylian MbappéErling HaalandJordan PickfordLamine YamalBeth LindopMichael OliseErling HaalandUnai SimonDesire DoueGab MarcottiRaphinhaKylian MbappéDiogo CostaJoao NevesArmando NeriaOusmane DembéléKylian MbappéMike MaignanLamine YamalMark OgdenLamine YamalKylian MbappéYassine BounouLamine YamalConnor O’HalloranKylian MbappéErling HaalandMike MaignanLamine YamalJames OlleyPedriMikel OyarzabalMike MaignanLamine YamalRodraLamine YamalKylian MbappéThibaut CourtoisEndrickLeonard SolmsLamine YamalHarry KaneUnai SimonLamine YamalIs there anything more certain than Spain’s Lamine Yamal being named best young player of the tournament? According to our writers, probably not. Thirteen out of 19 picked the Barcelona star for the award, and five even expect him to go home with the Golden Ball for best player, period.And out of a collection of the world’s most clinical finishers, one player emerged on top: France’s Kylian Mbappé, whom seven selected as the Golden Boot winner (awarded to the top goal scorer), and three picked him for the Golden Ball.Kylian Mbappé and France are among the favorites for both individual and teamwide accolades. Xavier Laine/Getty ImagesWhich underdog team is most likely to make a deep run?Lizzy Becherano: Japan. There’s something about Japan’s attack-minded style of play, yet conservative backline of five, that makes them an interesting team.Bill Connelly: Colombia. They have a nice set of veterans, even on defense, and players such as Luis Díaz assure that they aren’t overly reliant on James Rodríguez.Rob Dawson: Norway. Erling Haaland is the best goal scorer in the world, and that will take Stale Solbakken’s team a long way in their first World Cup since 1998.Tom Hamilton: Ecuador. Packed with talent, they’re going to be the surprise package.Cesar Hernandez: Japan. There’s a lot to like about their group of players, and it wouldn’t shock me if they made a run to at least the quarterfinal stage — or perhaps further.Group Stage ChallengePredict the final standings in every Group. $10,000 in prizes. Make Your Picks
Alex Kirkland: Ecuador have some top players, such as Moisés Caicedo, Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapié, and I think, based on qualifying, that they’re the most underrated South American team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the quarterfinals.Julien Laurens: Japan. I loved them four years ago, and they are even stronger now than they were in Qatar. They have a talented squad (even without winger Kaoru Mitoma), with experience and a style of play full of energy against which is so difficult to play.Beth Lindop: I think Norway might do very well. It’s a bit of a golden generation for them and, with Haaland up front, you can’t write them off.Gab Marcotti: Ecuador are stacked with defensive talent. They can grind down opponents come the knockout phase And at the other end, if winger Alan Minda is feeling it and striker Enner Valencia turns back the clock … who knows?Mark Ogden: Portugal. An underdog in the sense that they have never won a World Cup and aren’t widely tipped to do so, but just look at their squad: Bruno Fernandes, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Bernardo Silva, Pedro Neto and an old guy called Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal can beat any team if they show up.Connor O’Halloran: Senegal. This World Cup is a wide-open field, and it wouldn’t shock if they followed in Morocco’s footsteps from four years ago and made a deep run.James Olley: Mexico. Talk about the conditions is inescapable, and the altitude advantage could be significant for the co-hosts.Most surprising team that won’t make it out of group stage?Becherano: Netherlands have a great group of players, but manager Ronald Koeman might be the team’s downfall.Connelly: Uruguay. They had a frustrating 2025, they haven’t played many warmup matches this year, and though it will take a lot to miss the knockouts with third-place teams getting in, drawing with Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia and losing to Spain isn’t out of the question.Dawson: Given the expanded tournament, it will take a lot for one of the more experienced nations to finish bottom of their group and go out. Netherlands should go through, but drawn in a group with Sweden, Japan and Tunisia, they’re one to watch.Hamilton: Paraguay. They’re in a tough group with four teams who will all fancy their chances of taking points off one another.Hernandez: Senegal. Things won’t be easy when facing France and Haaland’s Norway. An unfavorable goal differential could keep them out of the running.Kirkland: Egypt. Given the format, surprises will be few. But the semifinalists at the last Africa Cup of Nations might just count.Knockout Bracket ChallengeCreate up to 25 brackets. $10,000 in prizes. FREE to play. Make Your Picks
Laurens: Sweden. I don’t rate manager Graham Potter, striker Alexander Isak is not properly fit, they qualified through the back door after zero wins in qualifiers and they have a tough group (Tunisia, Japan, Netherlands).Lindop: Ultimately the tournament is so big that I can’t envision many shocks. Group F is one to watch as Netherlands are probably the favorites to qualify as group winners, but there could be an upset in there.Marcotti: Uruguay. I’m not sure Marcelo Bielsa is suited for this group of players.Ogden: The United States. When Türkiye won their World Cup playoff against Kosovo in March, it was bad news for the U.S. Turkiye will be the best team in Group D by some distance, so it heaps the pressure on Mauricio Pochettino’s team to beat Paraguay and Australia. But Pochettino has failed to create a feel-good factor and the U.S. team has done nothing in the past two years to suggest it will suddenly come good now.O’Halloran: The United States. It would be a big shock, but none of their games are surefire wins and they’ll be under pressure as hosts.Olley: It would be a catastrophe in this format if the leading sides failed. Maybe Australia, given they got to the round of 16 four years ago and only narrowly lost to the eventual winners, Argentina.Who will become the neutral’s favorite as the most entertaining team to watch?Becherano: Spain. It’s hard not to watch a team with Yamal, Marc Cucurella, Gavi, Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres and not be entertained.Connelly: Norway. They’re an underdog with epic star power, and their pre-World Cup photoshoot shows they aren’t taking themselves totally seriously. And they have a chance at a big group-stage upset against France, too.Dawson: Japan. With a 1-0 win over England at Wembley in March, they showed they are capable of big results against the favorites.Hamilton: Curaçao. Everyone loves an underdog, and you can imagine the hype building through the group stage. As for the latter stages of the competition? Japan.Hernandez: Uruguay. How could you not root for a side led by Marcelo Bielsa? Who knows how far they’ll go, but it’ll be brash and relentless.Kirkland: If Spain play anything close to the football they played at Euro 2024, they’ll be the most fun team to watch in the tournament by far.Laurens: Colombia. Luis Díaz, Luis Suárez, James Rodríguez, Daniel Muñoz, Jhon Arias … there is so much attacking talent in this team, and they will show it.Lindop: I’m going to go for Brazil. They are always the country most synonymous with this tournament and, with the likes of Endrick and Vinicius Junior up front, they could be really fun to watch.play1:40Can Vinicius Jr. lead Brazil to World Cup glory?Marcotti: Japan are a well-drilled unit and fun to watch but hugely awkward to play against, and they regularly pull off shocks.Ogden: Türkiye. Vincenzo Montella’s team are stacked full of experience and exciting young talent. Arda Güler has the potential to be one of the stars of the tournament and Kenan Yildiz is a classic old-school winger who will create plenty of goal-scoring chances.O’Halloran: Brazil. They are always blockbuster viewing at World Cups and, unlike most big teams, their group is truly competitive.Olley: Ivory Coast. They’re fun, fast and capable of upsetting the odds. They had 15 different scorers in qualifying.How far will the USMNT go?Becherano: It depends which version of the United States shows up to the tournament, but the round of 16 given the talent on the roster.Connelly: Round of 16.Dawson: Round of 32. It should get out of Group D behind Türkiye, but a possible knockout tie against Egypt will be tough.Hamilton: Round of 16, where it loses to Belgium, but these World Cups do strange things to form and reason.Hernandez: Round of 16. That feels like par for the course with the current setup and the potential opposition the Americans could face.play2:43What would make a good World Cup for the USMNT?Kirkland: I think the best the U.S. can hope for is the round of 16.Laurens: Round of 16. The U.S. will finish second in its group behind Türkiye and beat the runner-up of Group G (Iran or Egypt) in the last 32. Then it’s Argentina, and the adventure will stop there.Lindop: I think the U.S. make it to the round of 16, potentially even the quarterfinals.Marcotti: Round of 16 — Belgium’s Jérémy Doku and Thibaut Courtois are its reward for winning the group … if it wins the group.Ogden: The group stage. Sorry guys, but this World Cup could be messy for the co-hosts.O’Halloran: Round of 16. If the U.S. doesn’t win Group D, it could easily face Argentina in the last 16.Olley: Round of 16. The U.S. will surely make it out of the group — and could win a knockout match if the draw falls its way — but the suspicion is it will be found out by one of the more experienced sides.Which host nation will go the furthest?Becherano: Mexico. One should never underestimate the power of playing a World Cup at the Estadio Azteca.Connelly: The U.S., because I don’t think Mexico or Canada is making the round of 16.Dawson: Mexico, although their group with South Africa, South Korea and Czechia is tougher than people seem to think.Hamilton: I’m going for Mexico — the Azteca Stadium factor is huge.Hernandez: Mexico. A favorable group should provide a run into at least the quarterfinal stage for El Tri. Anything further would be a historic success for the nation.Kirkland: Canada. I could see them making the quarters, where they’d likely be eliminated by the first top team they’d face. But that would still make them the best-performing host nation.Laurens: I have a feeling that Mexico and Canada will both finish second in their groups, which means they will face each other in the round of 32 in Los Angeles. I think it’s a tight game, but Canada will progress. Then it should be super tough for them against one of Morocco, Brazil, Japan or Netherlands, where they would lose regardless of the opposition. So I have the U.S. and Canada reaching the last 16 and Mexico the round of 32.The U.S. men haven’t won a World Cup knockout game since 2002. Will they break through in 2026? Omar Vega/USSF/Getty ImagesLindop: I’m going to predict Mexico to get to the quarters as they have lots of exciting young talent.Marcotti: Canada’s run is actually pretty favorable relative to those of the other hosts.Ogden: Mexico. They have a soft group alongside South Africa, South Korea and Czechia and the advantage of games in Mexico City in the first two knockout rounds if they top their group. This isn’t a vintage Mexico team, but they will be formidable in the Estadio Azteca, and their opponents are likely to struggle to overcome the heat and altitude in the capital.O’Halloran: Mexico, although so much of this relies on who each team faces in the knockouts.Olley: Mexico. But you could make a case for the U.S. easily enough.Which player will everyone be talking about as the breakout star of the tournament?Becherano: All the hype before the World Cup points to Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, the tournament’s youngest player at 17.Connelly: Michael Olise. He’s France’s best player, and I’m not sure the world realizes it yet.Dawson: Ben Gannon-Doak. Still only 20, the exciting right winger had a long layoff because of injury during the second half of the season, but he returned in time to be part of Scotland’s campaign.Hamilton: Mora. It’s going to be his tournament. Nico Paz, Yan Diomande, Rayan, Nico O’Reilly and Ayyoub Bouaddi will have big competitions.Hernandez: Mora. Already the youngest to ever lift an international trophy, the youngest at the tournament altogether will make some waves.Kirkland: One of Brazil’s teenagers: Endrick or Rayan. Or another Rayan — France’s Rayan Cherki.All of ESPN. All in one place.Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
Laurens: Diomande. He will light up this tournament the way he lit up the Bundesliga this season with RB Leipzig, in his first year in one of the big five European leagues. He’s one of the most exciting talents in this competition.Lindop: Diomande is one of the most prominent players in the transfer rumor mill right now, and I think he could have a lot of eyes on him when he steps out for the Ivory Coast.Marcotti: Diomande.Ogden: This will be Lamine Yamal’s tournament, but it’s a stretch to suggest he will be a breakout star considering the 18-year-old’s status already. So I am going to call out Arda Güler as the player everybody will be talking about. He is becoming a star at Real Madrid, but the Türkiye midfielder will announce himself on a global stage this summer.O’Halloran: Güler. He has the ability to provide big highlight moments and can excel as a young star playing a big role on his team.Olley: Diomande. The cat is already out of the bag to some extent given he is Bundesliga Rookie of the Year, but the teenage winger can go to the next level.Best group stage match?Becherano: Portugal vs. Colombia is not only bound to be great on the field, but being hosted in Miami adds a whole new level of stardom to that match.Connelly: I mean, it’s really hard to beat France vs. Norway, isn’t it?Dawson: France vs. Norway. Haaland against Mbappé; what’s not to like?Hamilton: Senegal vs. Norway — that’s going to be box office (closely followed by Japan-Netherlands)Hernandez: Spain vs. Uruguay is one of those matches that could easily be a round-of-16 or quarterfinal clash. Expect fireworks.Kirkland: Spain vs. Uruguay in Guadalajara, Mexico. And not just because I’ll be there!Laurens: France vs. Norway. Mbappé vs. Haaland, the battle of the No. 9s. Olise vs. Martin Ødegaard, the battle of the left-footed playmakers. Antonio Nusa vs. Désiré Doué, the battle of the 2005 wonderkids. And so many more narratives …Lindop: I think Brazil vs. Morocco has the potential to be a lot of fun.play1:48Morocco face injury crisis right before World CupMarcotti: France vs. Senegal. Senegal are stacked, and France are among the favorites. France can’t let up, though, because they also have to play Norway and Haaland.Ogden: France vs. Norway. It’s Haaland vs. Mbappé, so what more could you want? France are one of the favorites, but Norway could be a dangerous outsider with the likes of Haaland and Ødegaard on their team.O’Halloran: Brazil vs. Morocco. Both teams’ opening game will see the winner probably head to the knockouts, while the loser must salvage their tournament as soon as it has begun.Olley: Spain vs. Uruguay. Expanding the competition to 48 teams dilutes the competitiveness, but the favorites versus an unpredictable Marcelo Bielsa team sounds like fun.Last but not least, one bold prediction for anything on or off the pitchBecherano: Canada is eliminated from the competition in the group stage.Connelly: Iran is making the knockout rounds.Dawson: Thomas Tuchel quits as England coach before the end of the summer. The expectation and the heat is too much, things don’t go well and despite signing a contract extension in February, everyone decides it’s best to part ways.Hamilton: U.S. center back Tim Ream is going to establish himself as a national icon.Hernandez: Only four European nations will be quarterfinalists. In 2022, there were five. In 2018, there were six. The rest of the world, and a host nation or two, are catching up.Kirkland: The weather will be a huge talking point for fans and players, from soaring temperatures to game-delaying thunderstorms (as it was at the Club World Cup last summer).Laurens: No European country has ever won the World Cup in the Americas. It will change this year. And it will be even better than that, as my bold prediction is that the final will actually be contested by two European teams.Lindop: I think the final, like in 2022, will be decided on penalties.Marcotti: Folks will show up at Iran games with the pre-Revolution flag, and FIFA will have to decide whether it’s a political gesture and whether to confiscate the flags.Ogden: Some games are going to be an embarrassment for FIFA due to vast numbers of empty seats. It’s hard to see big crowds turning out for Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar (Seattle), Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Houston) or Congo DR vs. Uzbekistan (Atlanta).O’Halloran: Two African teams make the semifinals. European teams typically struggle at hot World Cups, and African teams are increasingly making an impact. Keep an eye for Morocco and Senegal.Olley: Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t score a goal from open play in the tournament.

Diterbitkan : 2026-06-10 13:59:00

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