Predictions

Our pre-tournament forecast for the 48-team World Cup — favorite, dark horse, group-by-group picks, and our predicted bracket through to the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium.

Tournament Favorite

🇦🇷 Argentina

Defending champions, FIFA rank #1, and the deepest squad in South America. Leo Messi's last World Cup ensures maximum motivation. Group-stage draw is favorable.

Dark Horse

🇲🇦 Morocco

The 2022 semifinalists bring nearly the same squad plus a year of experience. A kind draw plus home-continent crowd support could push them past the quarterfinals for the first time ever.

Predicted Final

Argentina 2 - 1 France

After extra time at MetLife Stadium, July 19.

Predictions are speculative — football is gloriously unpredictable.

We'll update these predictions once the official group draw is announced November 13, 2025.