World Cup Predictions Guide

The World Cup is known as the original bracket-buster tournament. Unlike the predictable outcomes of March Madness or the College Football Playoffs, the World Cup often surprises with underdog victories.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia surprised by defeating Argentina, the eventual champions, 2-1 in the group stage. In 2002, Senegal’s victory over France was significant, resonating deeply in Senegal and its diaspora due to the colonial history. That year, co-host South Korea also created an upset by defeating Italy with a “golden goal” in extra time, making it to the semi-finals.

While it can be tempting to look back at historical upsets, the unpredictability of the World Cup means that predicting outcomes often seems futile. Despite this, following the success of our Premier League predictions series by The Athletic’s Oliver Kay, we are once again taking on the challenge for each World Cup matchday.

Throughout the tournament, my colleague Andy Jones and I, Elias Burke, will provide expertise to enhance your understanding of games, offering predictions, player highlights, reasons to watch, and the risk level for each match.

During the Premier League season, Andy covers Liverpool, gaining insights into elite competition, while I focus on Tottenham Hotspur, dealing with a different set of challenges. We closely follow international football, equipping us for this World Cup endeavor.

The Athletic’s subscribers, who previously participated in our Premier League series, will join us again for the World Cup predictions. Alongside us are young Wilf, who performed well in the previous series, and a new algorithm, ‘Algo’, making its debut. Also joining is Stanley, a young whippet making his first attempt at predictions.

If you’d like to be a guest subscriber, follow the instructions in the article. This World Cup series will be similar to the Premier League one but with slight differences. We will predict match outcomes instead of specific scorelines. Correct outcomes earn points, tracked on a leaderboard by percentage.

We also offer an interactive Soccer Pick’ems feature for personal picks. With input from experts from all 48 nations at this World Cup, we provide insights into team talent and form going into each match.

World Cup veterans know that big surprises are inevitable, challenging seemingly straightforward predictions. As long as we outperform the algorithm, I’m satisfied. Enjoy the tournament and good luck!