As shocks continue to rattle the knockout stages of the World Cup's last 32, the biggest surprise may be off the pitch: economist and football forecaster Joachim Klement has failed to predict the winning nation for the first time in four men's tournaments. Klement's model had correctly forecast Germany (2014), France (2018), and Argentina (2022) as champions, but his streak ended when Ronald Koeman's Netherlands side bowed out early.
Dutch Exit in Penalties
The Netherlands looked strong after topping Group F with a 5-1 thrashing of Sweden, but they fell to Morocco in a penalty shootout, with several poor spot-kicks sealing their fate. Klement admitted on his investment blog: "Eventually, after 12 years and being lucky in three World Cups, I ran out of luck. I set out to prove that economic models are not as accurate as many people believe and finally, I was proven right."
Additional Prediction Fails
Klement's model also predicted Japan would eliminate Brazil, but Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time goal saved the Seleçao, prompting Neymar to taunt the forecaster on X: "Mr Joachim Klement … Please try again in the next World Cup." Klement responded by backing Brazil, saying "after last night I dare to believe as well." However, his earlier prediction that Germany would reach the last 16 may worry Brazil fans ahead of their match against Norway.
