World Cup 2026: AI picks the results of the entire tournament

· Yahoo Sports

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest edition of the tournament yet, as 48 countries will compete to win the quadrennial global soccer competition.

Visit esporist.org for more information.

Fans have had plenty of time to sort through the new tournament format, which will feature 12 groups of four teams and a round of 32 instead of the previously customary eight groups of four teams and a 16-team knockout bracket.

But how will artificial intelligence assess the expanded World Cup field? USA TODAY Sports decided to explore that question and used AI chatbot Microsoft Copilot to simulate the entire tournament.

Copilot was fed the following prompts to generate its projected tournament results:

  • Can you predict the results of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup?
  • Please build a full Round of 32 bracket and predict every knockout stage result based on the teams you have advancing.

Copilot initially had trouble interpreting the first prompt, as it started by using the 2022 World Cup field instead of the 48 teams involved in the 2026 tournament. This wasn't a major surprise, as some Large Language Models (LLMs) struggle to keep up with the latest sports news and updates.

When Copilot produced an error, it was simply prompted to correct its mistake. The chatbot had no issues projecting the results of the tournament once it was able to correctly identify the actual 48-team field.

Who does Copilot AI think will win the 2026 World Cup? Below is a look at the chatbot's simulation, including projections for all 12 groups and score predictions for each knockout round game.

AI predicts entire 2026 World Cup

* Denotes advancing team.

Group A

  1. Mexico*
  2. South Korea*
  3. Czechia*
  4. South Africa

Analysis: Copilot thinks Mexico will "benefit massively" from playing at home and at a higher altitude. It also likes South Korea's "pace" and noted they should edge Czechia, which "lacks firepower," to earn the group's No. 2 spot.

Group B

  1. Switzerland*
  2. Canada*
  3. Bosnia and Herzegovina*
  4. Qatar

Analysis: Switzerland has "tournament consistency," which Copilot likes. The AI chatbot also likes Canada's "athleticism and home support" and believes Bosnia and Herzegovina "has enough talent" to compete for a best-third spot.

Group C

  1. Brazil*
  2. Morocco*
  3. Scotland*
  4. Haiti

Analysis: Copilot expects Brazil's attacking depth to "overwhelm" the rest of Group C. It also said that Morocco has "strong knockout DNA" because of its elite defense while opining that Scotland should be "competitive" despite lacking top-end attacking talent.

Group D

  1. USA*
  2. Turkey*
  3. Australia*
  4. Paraguay

Analysis: USMNT fans, rejoice! Copilot called the USA "the strongest squad in the group" and believes the team will benefit from playing at home. It also has Turkey and Australia advancing based on their "technical quality" and "discipline," respectively.

Group E

  1. Germany*
  2. Ecuador*
  3. Ivory Coast*
  4. Curacao

Analysis: Copilot expects Germany to "control games comfortably." It also likes Ecuador's "youth and pace" while noting that Ivory Coast has high upside but is "inconsistent."

Group F

  1. Netherlands*
  2. Japan*
  3. Sweden*
  4. Tunisia

Analysis: Copilot actually believes this will be the "tightest group." The chatbot has the Netherlands winning the group with Japan and Sweden engaging in a close battle for second place. Ultimately, it has Sweden "narrowly missing automatic qualification" but still making it through to the round of 32.

Group G

  1. Belgium*
  2. Egypt*
  3. Iran*
  4. New Zealand

Analysis: Copilot is confident in Belgium's attacking talent and also believes that Mohamed Salah will help Egypt to earn automatic qualification in this group. The chatbot also has Iran advancing behind its "disciplined and tough defense."

Group H

  1. Spain*
  2. Uruguay*
  3. Saudi Arabia
  4. Cape Verde

Analysis: Copilot expects Spain to be tough to beat with its "possession-heavy" style and it also likes Uruguay's physicality. While the chatbot expects Saudi Arabia to be "competitive," it has them missing out on the round of 32.

Group I

  1. France*
  2. Norway*
  3. Senegal*
  4. Iraq

Analysis: France "is among the best teams globally," in the opinion of Copilot. That's why the chatbot has France winning the difficult-looking Group I. It also believes Erling Haaland will help clinch Norway a spot in the knockout round while Senegal is "strong" but will teeter on the edge because of the strength of Group I.

Group J

  1. Argentina*
  2. Austria*
  3. Algeria
  4. Jordan

Analysis: Copilot is trusting Argentina's experience but also noted Austria is "underrated tactically." The chatbot has Algeria's "inconsistency" keeping the country out of the round of 32 while it acknowledged Jordan "faces a steep climb" in its World Cup debut.

Group K

  1. Portugal*
  2. Colombia*
  3. DR Congo
  4. Uzbekistan

Analysis: Portugal is one of the World Cup's "best-balanced squads," in Copilot's estimation. It also lauded Colombia's technical strength as giving the edge over the Congo and tournament newcomer Uzbekistan.

Group L

  1. England*
  2. Croatia*
  3. Ghana
  4. Panama

Analysis: Copilot likes England's depth and referred to it as "overwhelming." It also believes Croatia remains "tactically elite," which should help it emerge from the difficult Group L. Perhaps the most surprising of the chatbot's predictions is that Ghana won't make it through to the round of 32.

Knockout Stage

Below is a look at Copilot's projected knockout stage bracket, and how it believes each single-elimination round will play out.

Round of 32

  • Mexico vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Mexico wins 2-1
  • Brazil vs. Turkey – Brazil wins 3-1
  • Germany vs. Australia – Germany wins 2-0
  • Belgium vs. Japan – Japan wins 2-1
  • Switzerland vs. Czechia – Switzerland wins 1-0
  • USA vs. Scotland – USA wins 2-0
  • Netherlands vs. Egypt – Netherlands wins 2-1
  • Spain vs. Ivory Coast – Spain wins 2-0
  • France vs. Iran – France wins 3-0
  • Argentina vs. Sweden – Argentina wins 2-1
  • Portugal vs. Senegal – Portugal wins 2-1
  • England vs. DR Congo – England wins 3-0
  • South Korea vs. Canada – Canada wins 2-1
  • Morocco vs. Ecuador – Morocco wins 1-0
  • Norway vs. Colombia – Norway wins 2-1
  • Uruguay vs. Croatia – Uruguay wins 1-0

Round of 16

  • Mexico vs. Brazil – Brazil wins 2-1
  • Germany vs. Japan – Germany wins 2-1
  • Switzerland vs. USA – USA wins 2-1
  • Netherlands vs. Spain – Spain wins 2-1
  • France vs. Argentina – France wins 3-2
  • Portugal vs. England – England wins 2-1
  • Canada vs. Morocco – Morocco wins 1-0
  • Norway vs. Uruguay – Uruguay wins 2-1

Quarterfinals

  • Brazil vs. Germany – Brazil wins 2-1
  • USA vs. Spain – Spain wins 2-0
  • France vs. England – France wins 2-1
  • Morocco vs. Uruguay – Morocco wins 1-0

Semifinals

  • Brazil vs. Spain – Brazil wins 3-2
  • France vs. Morocco – France wins 2-0

Third-place match

  • Spain 2, Morocco 1

Copilot believes Spain's "attacking quality shows" against Morocco and that Spain will be able to control the clock with its possession-heavy play.

World Cup Final

  • France 3, Brazil 2

Copilot has France beating Brazil in a thrilling World Cup final thanks to the team's "elite depth, tournament experience and tactical flexibility." The chatbot also opined that the World Cup win – which would be France's second in the last three tournaments – would establish Les Bleus as the "defining team of the era."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will win 2026 World Cup? AI picks results of entire tournament

Read full story at source