The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11, with co-hosts Mexico facing South Africa. With a new 48-team format, predicting the tournament is tougher than ever. We used two leading football videogames—EA Sports FC 26 and Football Manager 26—to simulate the action.
Who Will Win the 2026 World Cup?
In our EA FC 26 simulation, Cristiano Ronaldo finally lifts the trophy as Portugal beats surprise finalists Austria 3-2 on penalties. However, in Football Manager 26, Ronaldo's side falls short. Instead, a Kylian Mbappe-led France thrashes Colombia 5-1 in the final.
How Did England Perform?
England's results are grim in both simulations. In EA FC 26, they are knocked out in the Second Round by Colombia, losing 3-0 after a disappointing group stage. In FM26, England stumbles through groups but reaches the semi-finals, where they lose 5-1 to France despite an early goal from Jude Bellingham.
Scotland's Return to the World Cup
EA FC 26 gives Scotland a humiliating 2-0 defeat to Haiti in their first match, leading to group-stage elimination. In FM26, Scotland wins 4-0 against Haiti, beats Morocco, and eliminates the Netherlands 3-1 before losing to Switzerland in the last 16.
Biggest Shocks
In EA FC 26, Austria's run to the final and Algeria's penalty shootout win over Spain stand out. FM26 throws chaos: Cape Verde beats Spain 3-1, Mexico finishes bottom of Group A, Ghana tops Group L, and South Korea eliminates Germany.
Best Players
EA FC 26's best player is Cristiano Ronaldo with five goals and an 8.1 average rating. In FM26, Kylian Mbappe wins the Golden Boot with 11 goals, an 8.76 rating, and a record hat-trick in two separate finals. FM26 also awards Antonio Nusa of Norway as best young player.
Host Nations
None of the hosts advance past the Round of 16. Mexico fails to progress from their group in EA FC 26, while Canada and the US are eliminated in the Second Round. In FM26, Mexico finishes last in Group A, Canada loses to Portugal in extra time, and the US falls to Belgium.
Best XI from Each Simulation
EA FC 26: Mike Maignan; Stefan Posch, Ruben Dias, David Alaba, Josko Gvardiol; Bruno Fernandes, Marcel Sabitzer, Federico Valverde; Cristiano Ronaldo, Darwin Nunez, Kylian Mbappe.
FM26: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Lucas Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Anthony Elanga, Kevin De Bruyne, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe; Omar Marmoush, Ousmane Dembele.
