2026 Football Predictions: Winners, Flops and Shockers | OneFootball

With another year in the football world almost over, we need to assess what’s in store over the next 12 months.

In the spirit of transparency, it would be fair to say that too many of our football predictions for 2025 were wide of the mark.

However, we are nothing if not persistent at Football Today, so read on as we get stuck into our top 10 football predictions for 2026.

England won’t win the World Cup

We pointed out last year that drama is rarely far from the surface where Thomas Tuhcel is concerned, and he did not disappoint us.

The England manager seems to have been on a mission to alienate Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, and their head-to-head is unlikely to end well.

Tuchel has a strong record of winning major trophies at club level. However, we are confident that he will not add to his tally at the 2026 World Cup.

World Cup heartbreak for Wharton

It would be fair to say that Adam Wharton divides public opinion. Some people think he is a generational talent. Others focus on what he can’t do rather than the things he can.

With Tuchel seemingly in the latter category, the Crystal Palace midfielder may well end up sitting in his garden while England are flopping at the World Cup.

If Tuchel selects Jordan Henderson ahead of Wharton, he deserves to fail.

Arsenal will fall short again

Arsenal’s sizeable investment in new players last summer demonstrated that they were serious about ending their long wait to win the Premier League.

They have been in excellent form during the first half of the season and will never have a better chance of finishing on top of the pile.

However, Manchester City are hot on their heels and still have a home game to come against Arsenal. More heartbreak is on the cards for the Gunners.

Wrexham may need to move on from Parkinson

Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have made no secret of their desire to drive Wrexham into the Premier League.

However, the club have stalled a little in the Championship, which is no surprise given manager Phil Parkinson’s underwhelming record at that level.

The co-owners may allow him the chance to prove his doubters wrong this season, but failure to win promotion will probably result in them saying farewell to Parkinson.

Eddie Howe – Third time’s a charm?

We have twice predicted that Newcastle United would sack manager Eddie Howe. He then guided them to their first piece of silverware since dinosaurs roamed the land.

While Howe undoubtedly deserves a pat on the back for that achievement, we can’t help but feel that Newcastle must appoint someone better if they are ever to truly fulfil their potential.

With that in mind, once more to the well we go. Howe will leave Newcastle before the end of next year. Definitely this time.

Emery to win a trophy with Villa

It’s all been a tad gloom and doom up to this point, with predictions that teams will fail to win trophies and managers tipped to head to the dole queue.

To lighten the mood, let’s take the plunge and tip Aston Villa to win silverware under manager Unai Emery this season.

Villa are going exceptionally well in the Europa League, and Emery’s track record of success in the competition makes them the team to beat.

United will be in a better place by the end of 2026

While Ruben Amorim has yet to convince everyone that he is the right man to manage Manchester United, he does have them heading in the right direction.

The Red Devils are in contention for a top-four finish this term, which is a significant step forward after last season’s debacle.

With another two transfer windows to get the squad where it needs to be, Amorim will have United in a much better place by the end of 2026.

Ecuador fancied to make their mark at the World Cup

Ecuador finished second in the South American World Cup qualifying group after losing just two of their 18 matches.

With players such as Moises Caicedo, Enner Valencia, Willian Pacho and Kendry Paez in their ranks, Ecuador could be tough to beat in North America.

They have never progressed past the last 16 in the tournament. Do not be surprised if they go further next summer.

Pray for Lampard

After missing out on promotion to the Premier League last season, Coventry City are flying high under manager Frank Lampard this time around.

The Sky Blues are 12 points clear of third place in the Championship after 21 games and well on course to climb into the top flight.

However, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if they imploded during the second half of the season. If they do go up, Lampard will be sacked before Christmas.

Joy for Hughes at Carlisle

Having managed extensively in the upper echelons of English football, it would have been easy for Mark Hughes to walk away from football after he left Bradford City in 2023.

Hughes raised plenty of eyebrows when he agreed to join Carlisle United last February, but was unable to keep them in League Two.

The Blues are now riding high in the National League under Hughes. They are a good bet to secure an immediate return to the fourth tier.