Supercomputer Predicts 2026 World Cup Winner After Portugal Stumble, Argentina Win Big
- Opta’s supercomputer has named a new country as the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup after their strong opening victory over Senegal
- Spain and Portugal have seen their tournament outlook affected after early struggles against Cape Verde and DR Congo, respectively
- Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and other 2026 World Cup stars have already influenced the predictions after a dramatic opening round
Opta’s supercomputer has predicted who is most likely to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the completion of the tournament’s opening round of matches.
Every team has now played one game each after Colombia’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan on June 18, bringing the first set of group-stage fixtures to a close.
Source: Getty Images
The opening week of the tournament has already delivered everything fans hoped for, dominant performances, unexpected results and major upsets as nations battle for qualification to the knockout stages.
From Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick to Cape Verde holding European champions Spain to a draw, Opta’s simulations have had plenty to analyse after the first 24 matches.
Supercomputer predictions after 2026 World Cup opening matches
According to Opta’s supercomputer, France are now the leading contenders to lift the World Cup trophy, with Didier Deschamps’ side given a 15.87% chance of winning the tournament.
Les Bleus began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal, with captain Kylian Mbappe once again stepping up on the biggest stage.
The forward scored twice, including a long-range effort that has already been considered one of the goals of the tournament, helping France overcome the 2022 African champions.
Source: Getty Images
Spain, who entered the competition as one of the pre-tournament favourites, have dropped into second place after their disappointing opening draw against Cape Verde.
Luis de la Fuente’s side now have a 12.85% chance of going all the way, despite dominating much of their match but failing to break down a determined Cape Verde defence.
Defending champions Argentina remain firmly in contention, with Opta ranking them third with a 12.23% chance of retaining their crown.
Lionel Messi showed he remains a decisive figure after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, strengthening hopes that he can lead the team to another deep tournament run.
England’s chances have also improved after their impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia, per BBC Sport.
The Three Lions are expected to reach at least the semi-finals, although Opta’s model places them fourth in terms of their chances of winning the entire tournament.
Portugal, Germany, the United States and Brazil are the other teams currently backed to reach at least the quarter-finals.
Portugal and Brazil, however, experienced difficult starts after being held to 1-1 draws by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Morocco, respectively.
Meanwhile, the United States, as co-hosts, and Germany made strong statements with convincing victories in their opening matches.
Supercomputer revises Ghana's World Cup chances
Meanwhile, Opta's supercomputer has significantly increased the Black Stars' chances of progressing through the tournament.
According to the latest projections, Ghana now have a 78.22% probability of reaching the Round of 32, a substantial rise from the 49.51% forecast before the tournament began.
Their chances of advancing to the Round of 16 have also climbed sharply from 18.12% to 29.17%.
Watch Yirenkyi's match-winning goal, as shared on X:
The model further estimates an 11.15% likelihood of Ghana making the quarter-finals, compared to the pre-tournament projection of 6.55%.
There has also been an encouraging increase in their semi-final prospects, rising from 2.40% to 4.12%.
Perhaps most notably, the Black Stars' chances of becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup final have nearly doubled, moving from 0.66% to 1.26%.
Prophet Testimony predicts 2026 World Cup winner
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Prophet Clement Testimony hinted at the country he believes will win the 2026 World Cup after disclosing details of a prophetic vision.
Although he did not name a champion outright, the clues he shared appeared to point towards Portugal.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
