Sportz Nation Panel Predictions for the 2026 World Cup

by Zak Drapeau, Matt Hylen, Joel Piton and Will Gilhooly

Sportz Nation - 6/10/2026

Photo Credits to ESPN Illustrations

Zak Drapeau -

So if you've seen my World Cup Group Stage Predictions article, you know I am extremely high on a few teams. Those teams include France, England, Spain, Portugal, and Japan. I believe they'll all walk out of the Group Stages as their group's winner and move on to the knockout stage, where the real fun begins.

The 2026 edition of the World Cup knockout stage tournament is unlike any before, as it's the first tournament to include 32 teams instead of the previously held 16-team tournaments. With this expansion, we'll mostly see the extra 16 nations be weaker countries, "just happy to be here," but in certain circumstances, we can also see two high-powered countries face each other earlier (even though FIFA is doing all they can for that not to happen).

With the expanded field in the tournament, it's impossible for me to give you any real predictions as far as who will be in the Quarters, Semis, and Finals, but I will share this:

-My Favorites to Win The Cup

-My Favorites to Win the Golden Boot

-My Favorite Underdogs

Favorites to Win the Cup

I believe the four strongest sides in this tournament are:

1. France

The pairing of Mbappe and Dembele makes one of the best attacks in the tournament. They have proven winners starting and on the bench, and have one of the deepest rosters as well. The only weakness is between the sticks, where Mike Maignan might be great for Milan, but has never played in the World Cup.

2. Spain

We'll get into this a bit later, but I think Lamine Yamal will make Spain the most exciting team to watch in this tournament. Along with a superb manager in Luis de la Fuente, this team is made up of winners and men who know how to get the job done when it matters most, like when they won the 2024 Euros.

3. Japan

One of these things just doesn't belong here...

No, seriously though, Japan has the best teamwork, unselfishness, and smartest game of any team in the world right now. Led by forward Takefusa Kubo, this team actually drew an easy Group F and should glide into the tournament and be one of the best stories of the summer.

4. England

As one of our team members pointed out to me, England always has the talent, but chokes every tournament. And they're right, but this year feels different.

The latest generation of England's football stars, led by Harry Kane, seem to be catching fire at the best possible time, and players like Kane, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham are playing some of the best soccer in the world right now. I expect them to make the Quarter Finals, where we'll see once again if they can actually stand up to France, Spain, and Portugal, or if they'll go home disappointed again.

My Favorites for the Golden Boot

*The Golden Boot is the trophy given out for most major fixtures/tournaments to the highest goal scorer.

This race is going to be a 2-man show and one of the best things to follow in the entire tournament. England's Harry Kane is the clear frontrunner and top goalscorer domestically right now for Germany's Bayern Munich, but my other favorite, Spain and Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, is someone you NEED to watch for.

Similar to Mbappe in 2018 and James in 2014, I believe the 2026 World Cup will be Lamine Yamal's coming-out party and the Star of the tournament, even though he's already considered one of the best footballers in the entire world at only 18 (turning 19 just before the World Cup Final).

My Favorite Underdogs

My favorite underdog teams in this tournament may not "technically" be underdogs if you have been closely following international play in 2025 and 2026, but nonetheless are not as highly-touted in international play historically.

I already mentioned Japan as one of my teams to beat, as they come in as one of the best cohesive teams in the world. Another team I really like is New Zealand, who also drew a great Group G that should easily bring them to the knockout stages.

Finally, for the nations, I have to show some love to 2 of the Home Nations in 2026, being the United States and especially Mexico. While the United States is likely going to be one of the 8, 3-rd place teams to make the tournament, they have fantastic coaching and defense this year and could shock someone. Mexico, on the other hand, could really do some damage, and there's a world where they can even make the Quarter-Finals if the knockout draw is good to them.

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Matt Hylen -

Man, am I excited for this World Cup! I feel like we have not seen this kind of even playing field in a very long time. Sure, there are levels in terms of talent on each team, but there is no number one clear favorite to win it all in my mind, which makes things all the more interesting.

In terms of teams I like, of course you have the big dogs, which will be discussed later, but one team I think could be a sleeper that no one is talking about is Portugal. Led by the likes of Nuno Mendes, Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Neves, and of course Cristiano Ronaldo, I think Portugal has a balanced enough team to make it pretty far in this tournament. The defense is among the best in the entire field, so with loads of experience up front, it could be a fun team to watch. The only concern is generating offensive movement with Ronaldo past his prime, but otherwise I really like this team.

One team I am severely low on in terms of meeting expectations is England. Zak mentioned this before, but I was the one who said that England will always have a top-3 team in terms of talent, but always choke in some way, shape, or form. Every year, it is something different for England. I also may be in the minority in liking the way they constructed their roster, but I just do not think it will be enough for them to go as far as people think they can.

Let's talk about what my expectations are for the USA. First off, I firmly believe they should win Group D; they lucked out in the Group Draw, so they have to capitalize on this opportunity. Sure, Türkiye could make things interesting, but the US is much better than the likes of Australia and Paraguay.

So, if the US gets out of the group stage, their entire run will be dictated by three things. One is Christian Pulisic; Pulisic needs to play his best brand of soccer. If the game does not run through him, the US simply has no chance of winning. He has to initiate the offense and become the biggest offensive threat on the field for either team. That does not mean he has to score multiple goals per game, but rather be the focal point of any offensive attack.

Two is whether or not Folarin Balogun can break out and become the next star striker for the USA. We have not had one since Clint Dempsey, which is the last time the USA saw any sort of success in major tournaments. If Balogun can carry over his club production and become the player people know he can be on the biggest stage, the USA could turn some heads.

Lastly, for me, the goalkeeping needs to be elite. Whether that is Matt Freese or Matt Turner, one of them needs to step up and perform at a level that no one is expecting them to. USA's defense is the weakest aspect of the team, so whoever is in net needs to account for that and keep the team in games.

Now, for what you are all waiting for, my pick to win the World Cup is France. It was a close decision between them and Spain, but I really think it is France's time. France, of course, won in 2018, but they were a much different team then. Yet, as a much younger and inexperienced team, France was inches away from winning the last World Cup in 2022. Now this team has that experience under their belt and the hunger to get back to where they were. Not only that, but I think we see a leveled-up version of Kylian Mbappé. After a tough season for Real Madrid, I think Mbappé is going into this World Cup with something major to prove. He has the team around him in every facet, which should only make Mbappé want it even more now that it is for his country.

So, while I do not overlook the talent and skill Spain has, I think they are too inexperienced to warrant winning the whole thing. France has been there with this squad before, which is paramount if you want to make any sort of run. Look at Argentina last World Cup; they were the much less talented team on paper, yet their proven experience was what kept them in the game and ultimately winning it. So, give me France to prove the doubters wrong and get their first World Cup since that 2018 win.

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Joel Piton -

This is a tough one for me. With so much talent across the board, it's hard to lock in on a favorite—here's how I project things to go.

Spain is virtually stacked with young talent from top to bottom. With teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal expected to be the fulcrum, Spain has a very real shot at making history yet again. Paired with elite veterans like Rodri and also looking more and more comfortable playing direct, vertical football, La Roja is going for ruthless execution. This team has an elite front office as well and bleeds win culture, but even though I expect them to win, they aren't quite my favorites.

France comes into group play as an absolute powerhouse. Ousmane seems to be in the best shape of his life and is vocal about what France is capable of. The guy is riding high as a back-to-back Champions League winner and the reigning Ballon d'Or winner. When you put his elite dribbling on one side and Kylian Mbappe’s ruthless finishing on the other, the defense is forced to make impossible decisions. They may not be super experienced, but they pack a punch. I'm rooting for them all the way.

As for England, Thomas Tuchel's a beast of a manager, but the squad always seems to shoehorn every big-name star into the starting XI just to claw at a narrow loss later on and drown. Because of this, they fumble. England's setup has been historically flawed, and even though Group L presents a clear path to the knockout stage, they'll have to claw their way to every victory past that.

This is the last dance. There's no way either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo will be around for another World Cup appearance, so soak it up. While Argentina will make a valiant run to defend their title, Portugal's deep and balanced squad could prove to be more than enough.

Spain lifting their second trophy almost feels inevitable, but I'd like to be proven wrong. If there's one squad that exists that can disrupt them, it’s a French team that thrives in the crucibles of knockout football.

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Will Gilhooly -

This year's World Cup represents one of the ultimate changing-of-the-guard moments in sports history.

With both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi expected to play in their final World Cup, the tournament could indicate who will become the next face of international soccer.

Spain is the reigning European champion and a clear favorite to win the tournament. The squad has not lost a competitive match in more than 30 games and is ranked No. 2 in the world. During qualifying, Spain caused constant havoc, leading all European teams in turnovers forced and shots on target per match.

Manager Luis de la Fuente has his squad playing at the fastest pace in the world, which could cause significant problems for less-conditioned teams in the American heat.

Lamine Yamal is also playing to establish himself as the new face of the sport. Yamal, who has already won back-to-back La Liga titles with Barcelona, has become one of the must-see players in soccer and enters the tournament as a front-runner for the Golden Boot.

In addition to Yamal, Spain features high-energy winger Nico Williams, alongside midfield wizards Rodri and Pedri, who are among the best players in the world at their respective positions.

While the team is remarkably young, with an average age of 26.2 years, Spain's unmatched playstyle and well-rounded offensive attack make it look like the most dangerous team in the world.

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