The Opta global-network supercomputer, specialized in statistics, predicted the winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after conducting 10,000 full and in-depth simulations of the tournament.
According to this precise statistical analysis, based on artificial intelligence technologies, the Spanish squad has reinforced its status as the primary favorite to win the prestigious trophy. The team led by Luis de la Fuente tops the contenders, after having won the title in 16.1% of the virtual scenarios modeled by the system.
According to Opta’s projections, Spain will, however, have to face particularly strong competition from France, ranked second in these projections. Kylian Mbappé and his teammates appear as the most serious rivals to La Roja, with a 13% probability.
They are closely followed by England and Argentina, the defending champions, who have each won the trophy in more than 10% of the numerical simulations. This quartet stands out clearly from the rest of the teams involved, illustrating the weight of history, but also the quality of the current squads, which give them a clear advantage in the statistical projections.
In the rest of the standings, Portugal occupies fifth place, a notable position. The main surprise, however, lies in the decline of two historic World Cup powers: Brazil and Germany, ranked respectively sixth and seventh. The Netherlands complete this Top 8.
