Who will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The bold prediction stunned football fans

NEW DELHI: For years, football fans have tried all sorts of ways to predict the winner of the World Cup. Some believed in expert opinion, others believed in superstition, and many still remember Paul the Octopus, who became famous for correctly predicting the results of matches during the 2010 World Cup.Now, a group of statisticians has used artificial intelligence to make a prediction for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A research team led by statistics professor Achim Zeileis created a machine learning model and simulated the entire tournament 100,000 times to determine which team had the best chance of lifting the trophy.According to a study reported by The Independent, Spain have emerged as favorites to win the 2026 World Cup. The AI ​​model gives them a 14.5% chance of becoming champions.England and France share second place with a 12.4 percent chance, while Germany is close behind with 11.2 percent. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal have an 8.9% chance of winning the title, while Lionel Messi’s Argentina have an 8.2% chance.How did the AI ​​make the prediction?Scientists looked at a wide range of information before making a forecast.They looked at how teams have performed in recent years. In addition, they considered the odds of the betting market and evaluated the quality of the players. And all this information was then fed into the machine learning system.The model then calculated the odds of different outcomes in each match. Not only was it estimated which team had a better chance of winning, but also how many goals each side could score.Using these probabilities, the researchers simulated every match of the tournament, including extra time and penalty shootouts, while following FIFA’s official rules.Why isn’t there a clear favorite?The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest ever, featuring 48 teams instead of 32.With more teams and an extra knockout round, there is more room for surprises. A single upset can completely change the course of the tournament, which is why the leading contenders are only separated by a few percentage points.What are the United States’ chances?The United States, one of the hosts of the tournament, have been given a strong 78 percent chance to advance from the group stage and advance to the round of 32.However, once the elimination rounds begin, the challenge becomes much tougher. According to simulations, the United States has only a one percent chance of winning the World Cup on home soil.Pundits were quick to point out that football isn’t always about numbers. Predictions are based on probabilities, not certainties. The upsets and surprises are part of what makes the World Cup special.Still, if the AI ​​model is correct, Spain currently have the best chance of winning football’s biggest prize in 2026.