Football Analytics Site Predicts Spain as Top Favorite for 2026 World Cup; Croatia Ranked Ninth

As the 2026 World Cup is set to begin, the analytics site Football Meets Data has published its final predictions, identifying the 13 teams with the highest probability of lifting the trophy on July 19.

Spain leads the pack of favorites, with France, England, Argentina, and Brazil rounding out the top five. These projections are based on extensive data analysis and simulations, offering a data-driven outlook on the tournament's potential outcome.

Croatia is positioned at ninth place in the rankings, with a 2% or greater chance of winning. This places them behind teams like Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands, but ahead of Norway, Belgium, Colombia, and Morocco.

The platform shared its latest update on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Last update before the ball starts rolling later tonight. Here are the 13 teams with 2% or more to win the trophy on 19 July. All probabilities and projections available in our simulator."

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Last update before the ball starts rolling later tonight. Here are the 13 teams with 2% or more to win the trophy on 19 July. All probabilities and projections available in our simulator