News Focus
- France rated second favourites with 13% chance of lifting trophy
- Spain lead Opta supercomputer predictions at 16.1%
- Didier Deschamps preparing for final tournament as France boss
- Morocco ranked as Africa’s top hope in 12th place
- 35.9% probability of first-time World Cup winner
Opta’s supercomputer has placed France among the top teams to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The computer model gives Didier Deschamps’ team a 13 per cent chance of winning the trophy. This will be the manager’s final tournament with the national side.
The sports data company ran 10,000 simulations to predict results. Spain top the list with a 16.1 per cent chance of victory. England are in third place with 11.2 per cent, while current holders Argentina are fourth with 10.4 per cent.
The data shows France may struggle in the group stage. Spain and Argentina have better odds of finishing first in their groups. However, France grow stronger in the knockout rounds. The model gives them a 21 per cent chance of reaching the final.
History could be made at this tournament. The simulations show a 35.9 per cent chance that a country will win the World Cup for the first time.
African fans will look to Morocco. The Atlas Lions are the continent’s best hope, ranking 12th overall with a 1.9 per cent chance. Senegal are 19th with a one per cent chance.
The three host countries face a difficult task. The United States have a 1.2 per cent chance of winning at home. Mexico have a one per cent shot, while Canada have less than one per cent.