Attacking Football’s 2026 World Cup Predictions | OneFootball

World Cup fever is back! Four years on from an enthralling tournament in Qatar, the FIFA World Cup is set to return with more action, drama and controversy than ever.

The 2026 World Cup in North America is set to be bigger than ever, with 48 teams playing across 104 matches. Chaos is a fitting description.

Eight Attacking Football contributors have put forward their predictions for seven different World Cup categories. Make sure to check back and see who did best!

Alex’s 2026 WORLD CUP predictions:

Winner: England – “Do I believe England will win the World Cup? Not fully. But as somebody who will be cheering on the Three Lions myself, I have to back us to get it done.”

Runner-up: Spain – “When deciding on my predictions with a tournament bracket, the final was England vs Spain. This really could go either way – but I think justice is due after the Euro 2024 final between the two.”

Surprise team: Sweden – “I think Sweden will be the surprise of the tournament. Victor Gyokores, Alexander Isak, Anthony Elanga, Lucas Bergvall, all balling out in a system with decent wing-backs key to their way of playing. I think the Swedes can get pretty far.”

Flop team: Brazil – “I just don’t see it. There are no real players I’d brand as ‘world class’ in that Brazil team, apart from Vinicius Jr. Carlo Ancelotti is a winner, but I don’t think it’s a ready squad.”

Golden boot: Harry Kane – “I think Harry Kane and Erling Haaland are the two best strikers on the planet right now. With Norway not having the best side, and my prediction that England will go all the way, Kane takes the cake here.”

Player of the Tournament: Lamine Yamal – “If Spain go all the way to the final, undoubtedly Yamal will have had his say. A special player.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Nico O’Reilly – “This could be a breakthrough tournament for the England defender, who’s the only out-and-out left-back Tuchel has taken to North America. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him to win this award, because of just how good he is.”

Yassin’s 2026 WORLD CUP Predictions:

Winner: Brazil – “They are playing close to home, they know the weather and the environment and they have Carlo Ancelotti.”

Runner-up: France – “France are the best team in international football, but Brazil will come on top in the final.”

Surprise team: Senegal – “Senegal have a good squad and will be coming out with a vengeance after the outcome of AFCON.”

Flop team: England – “Thomas Tuchel left his best players at home, and the English will come to regret the Gareth Southgate days.”

Golden boot: Kylian Mbappe – “France’s star is a World Cup specialist.”

Player of the Tournament: Kylian Mbappe – “The same reason as above. Mbappe is unstoppable on the world stage.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Lamine Yamal – “Yamal is far too good for just Young Player, but he will have to settle for it with Mbappe as my Player of the Tournament.”

L.A’S 2026 WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS:

Winner: Portugal – “They have the best midfield in the tournament by a country mile. A win would be long overdue, Portugal are favourites for me.”

Runner-up: France – “France have the best frontline in the 2026 World Cup, but I think they will fall just short.”

Surprise team: Norway – “Any team with Erling Haaland at the top of the pitch is in with a chance, I think he’ll get Norway as far as the Semi’s.”

Flop team: England – “Thomas Tuchel’s baffling squad selection will see England go out in the second round against Colombia after failing to win their group.”

Golden boot: Ousmane Dembele – “The reigning Balon D’or holder will fire France all the way to the final.”

Player of the Tournament: Bruno Fernandes – “If Bruno can bring the creativity he used to break the Premier League assist record this season, he’ll end the summer with the World Cup trophy.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Joao Neves – “Portugal will win the tournament, and Joao Neves will comfortably be the best young player.”

READ MORE: What Is Happening With Marcus Rashford As Man Utd Hold Firm?

Shiv’s 2026 WORLD CUP Predictions:

Winner: England – “Thomas Tuchel is a tournament specialist – he will help England go all the way.”

Runner-up: France – “The French will make it all the way to the final as they have some of the best attackers in the world, but their defence will ultimately let them down.”

Surprise team: Japan – “I think the Japanese have some very underrated players that can take them fairly far, compared to the pre-tournament expectations.”

Flop team: Belgium – “This squad is not quite the ‘Golden Generation’ of 2018, it’s a Belgium group well below par compared to the past.”

Golden boot: Harry Kane – “Kane has proven in the last 18 months that he is the best striker in the world, and his goals will be crucial for England to win the tournament.”

Player of the Tournament: Bruno Fernandes – “The United playmaker will be the heartbeat to what Portugal will do in attack, and create chances for fun. Whether they are taken or not is a different story. But I expect him to be the main standout.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Nico Paz – “Nico Paz has had an incredible season with Como, but some people who don’t watch Italian football may not be aware of just how talented he is. This is the tournament where Paz will make a name for himself.”

Ed’s 2026 WORLD CUP Predictions:

Winner: Spain – “It will come down to France or Spain for me, but with the two being on the same side of the bracket, I’ll say Spain. I think they are the most complete team in the tournament, with also some of the best individual players in their squad.”

Runner-up: England – “The Three Lions have enough quality to get to the final, but I can’t see them beating Spain.”

Surprise team: Norway – “I wrote a whole article about how good Norway are and how they are a team going under the radar – it has to be them.”

Flop team: Belgium – “Many of Belgium’s top players are past their best now, and may struggle in the heat.”

Golden boot: Erling Haaland – “The Norwegian was the top scorer in World Cup qualifying, I think he’ll take that form through to North America.”

Player of the Tournament: Kylian Mbappe – “France’s talisman to win the Player of the Tournament, but they won’t make it to the final.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Lamine Yamal – “Barcelona’s winger is going to light up North America.”

Ishaan’s 2026 WORLD CUP Predictions:

Winner: Spain – “Arguably the most complete team right now. I don’t think the lack of an out-and-out no.9 will harm them given the talent around Oyarzabal.”

Runner-up: Portugal – “I think they’ll fall just short in the final, but Portugal has the strongest midfield three in the world.”

Surprise team: Colombia – “They have some good top five league experienced players, as well as Rios and Suarez, the latter of which scored 38 goals this season. They are my dark horse for the tournament.”

Flop team: Netherlands – “A decent team, but feel the quality worsens the further up the pitch you go. Think they don’t top their group, Sweden will give them a tough game.”

Golden boot: Kylian Mbappe – “Pretty self explanatory here, loves a World Cup, ended the season back in goalscoring form and he’s France’s main man. Don’t think he runs away with it though.”

Player of the Tournament: Lamine Yamal – “I expect Spain to win the World Cup, and in that case I’d guess Yamal takes the player of the tournament. Close call between him and Bruno Fernandes, though.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Nico Paz – “If you haven’t been watching Nico Paz, you are missing out. Now in his second season in Italy, he’s off the back of a 20 G/A campaign. This award is between him and Doue for me, but I expect Paz to be a key player in this Argentina side, and get involved everywhere on the pitch.”

Jim’s 2026 World Cup predictions:

Winner: Spain – “De la Fuente did it two years ago, and his largely unchanged team is going to do it again. The only changes to an already Euro-winning team are a better striker in Ferran, two more top-shelf goalkeepers in Joan Garcia and David Raya, and a Pedri/Yamal duo who are now among the best in the world.”

Runner-up: France – “With the talent that this France squad has, the minimum expectation should be the final. Watching Mbappe, Dembele, and Olise as a front three with Cherki and Doue for support will see France demolish (nearly) every country they face.”

Surprise team: Turkiye – “The future is bright in Istanbul. Led by veteran presence Hakan Calhanoglu, with dynamic youngsters like Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz, and Can Uzun, I’m favouring Turkiye to make a good run to the Quarter-Finals.”

Flop team: England – “This squad just doesn’t have it when it comes to talent, not enough to compete with the world’s best. Besides Harry Kane, with much less support than he has at Bayern, a worse Jude Bellingham than his Euros self, and Declan Rice, this team doesn’t really inspire.”

Golden boot: Kylian Mbappe – “As he always does, Mbappe will have a corker of a tournament. The Frenchman now has potentially the best surrounding attack any star player has ever had, and he’ll be putting away goals for fun. I see him becoming the World Cup’s top ever goalscorer (at just 27!)”

Player of the Tournament: Pedri – “While some would say Yamal, I rate Pedri to be the metronome of Spain’s midfield, and dictate the pace of every match this tournament. When it’s all said and done, there won’t really be any debate.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Lamine Yamal – “Somehow, Yamal is playing just his first World Cup, and with the star turning 19 just a week before the final, he’s eligible for the award. Six goals and four assists throughout the tournament will be more than enough.”

damo’s 2026 World Cup predictions:

Winner: France – “The attacking depth they have is frightening. Mix that with the form of Cherki, Zaire-Emery and Olise then it will be too much for some to handle. Tournament football is about moments and these have so many options to change a game.”

Runner-up: Portugal – “Portugal will sneak through the semis against a huge side. Maybe on penalties. Bruno, Bernardo Silva and Vitinha are coming off their best seasons. Ronaldo will always have goals in him but I also think Leao and Neto can add important goals.”

Surprise team: Scotland – “The valid reason I have for this is that I think the fight they will have will get them through as second in their group. I’m not convinced by Netherlands, and Scotland could shock them. After that, they could get an easier draw next round.”

Flop team: Netherlands – “I am not convinced by Netherlands. Very good defence but a lot of the midfield and attack are not in form at all. It will cost them when it matters. I wouldn’t be shocked if they didn’t top their group.”

Golden boot: Cristiano Ronaldo – “With all the creativity in that Portuguese side, he will get his chances. I think he could get at least three goals in the group stages. A semi-final run where some games could be decided on moments such as a penalty may give him an advantage. He will end up on 5/6 goals.”

Player of the Tournament: Rayan Cherki – “He will make everything happen. The French forwards will get all the praise for the goals but Cherki will be the key to everything they do. With strong players behind him, Cherki will have the freedom to express himself.”

Young Player of the Tournament: Nico O’Reilly – “He could be England’s secret weapon. O’Reilly has been unbelievable at left-back for Manchester City. If England have a good tournament, he will. He could also be pushed into midfield if needed. I’m expecting him to be a star in this World Cup.”

There we have it – Attacking Football’s contributors have had their say. With the World Cup just around the corner, the footballing frenzy is on its way.