Guardian football writers have made their predictions for the 2026 World Cup in North America, with Spain emerging as the most popular choice to lift the trophy. Several writers used the newspaper's interactive Bracketology tool to simulate the tournament, with Spain frequently beating Portugal or France in the final. Alexander Abnos noted that despite 20 different simulations, Spain always won. Others, including Nick Ames and David Hytner, backed France to triumph over Argentina or Spain.
England also received support, with Bryan Armen Graham predicting they would beat France, citing their depth, managerial strength and experience from recent tournaments. Paul MacInnes forecast an England-Spain final with Spain winning, expressing optimism despite England's poor form. Harry Kane was widely tipped to win the Golden Boot, with writers pointing to his reliability and favourable group-stage fixtures. Kylian Mbappé was also a popular choice, with Bryan Armen Graham noting no player has ever won the Golden Boot twice.
Other Golden Boot contenders included Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal, Japan's Ayase Ueda and Norway's Erling Haaland, despite Haaland's team possibly not advancing far. The tournament will feature 48 teams for the first time, with matches played across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Key storylines include the emergence of teenage stars like Lamine Yamal and the potential for a Spain-Argentina final featuring Lionel Messi.
