Ladbrokes writers predict the 2026 World Cup

Cian

The way the seedings have been done for this tournament means Spain and France will likely face each other in the semi-finals, which gives a great opportunity for England to reach a second successive final, which I think they'll do for only the second time at a World Cup - but sadly they'll lose to Spain at the last hurdle once again.

Prediction: Spain vs England

Matt

Without studying all the various routes and permutations, I'm going to predict a Spain vs Argentina final, with Lionel Scaloni's reigning champions getting the chance to defend their crown. Having the threat of players like Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, and Lautaro Martinez - not to mention one of the world's best goalkeepers - means they'll be too strong for most teams, so they'll contribute to another memorable showpiece should they get there, even if I do think Spain's quality will ultimately get them over the line.

Prediction: Spain vs Argentina

Tom

France have reached the last two finals and I'm backing them to make a third in a row, beating Germany and Spain along the way. On the other side of the draw, England will have to get past Brazil and Argentina, which is where I think the advantage of having a world-class tactician like Tuchel comes in.

Prediction: England vs France

Harvey

I did a World Cup tournament predictor before doing this, and I had Portugal and France meeting in the final. I've spoken about France already, but when it comes to Portugal it's not hard to see why I'm tipping them to get to the final. Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Vitinha guided PSG to back-to-back Champions League wins, along with Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva who have won multiple Premier League titles. Cristiano Ronaldo will be more keen than anyone to bring the World Cup home to Portugal, with the footballing icon missing international football's biggest prize from his CV. 

Prediction: France vs Portugal

Cian

Harry Kane has enjoyed a sensational season for Bayern Munich with 60 goals and will be the main source of goals for England at this World Cup. Unlike at the Euros two years ago, Kane looks to be at peak fitness heading into this tournament and that's why he looks destined for a second World Cup Golden Boot, especially with Tuchel likely to take on more of an attacking approach with this England side.

Prediction: Harry Kane

Matt

With France likely to go deep into the tournament again, it's almost impossible to look past Kylian Mbappe for the World Cup Golden Boot, with that combination of pace and precision doing so much damage in the past. He's only a handful of goals away from breaking Miroslav Klose's all-time record (already!), and considering he bagged a hat-trick in the 2022 final, the big occasion clearly doesn't faze him - so I'm expecting another prolific World Cup from Mbappe.

Prediction: Kylian Mbappe

Tom

I'm going to agree with Cian and pick Harry Kane. England's hopes rest heavily on their captain and all-time top scorer, who already has one World Cup Golden Boot to his name. I've got the Three Lions to go all the way and Kane will play every game. With a Ballon D'Or in his sights, finishing top of the scoring charts at the biggest-ever World Cup would go a long way to achieving that.

Prediction: Harry Kane

Harvey

There are going to be more dead-rubber games at this summer's tournament due to the fact it's expanded to 48 nations. As such, I'm going slightly different with my top scorer pick and am selecting Julian Alvarez. I expect the Argentine to rotate with Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi, but he should feature in most games. With Argentina's easy group and Messi likely to be rested in the group stage, Alvarez has the chance to add a fair few to his tally early on.

Prediction: Julian Alvarez

Cian

Going along with my prediction of Spain to win it, I've selected Lamine Yamal as my Golden Ball winner at what will be his first World Cup. The Barcelona forward is still only 18 but is already the main man for club and country and a successful campaign in North America could well boost his Ballon d'Or hopes.

Prediction: Lamine Yamal

Matt

The Player of the Tournament Award is typically given to someone who reaches the final, and with Lamine Yamal spearheading Spain this summer, I'm being boring and predicting him to win the Golden Ball. I know he's the bookies' favourite, but he's such a joy to watch, with so much elegance, confidence, and impact in the biggest moments - all at just 18 years old. I think he has something of a headstart in this category already, and if Spain do well, it'll be because of him - so Yamal is my POTT.

Prediction: Lamine Yamal

Tom

With Harry Kane picking up the Golden Boot, I'm predicting his Bayern Munich teammate Michael Olise to win Player of the Tournament. Those two, along with Colombia's Luis Diaz, have formed Europe's most fearsome front three this year and all arrive in North America in sensational form. I think France will reach the final, and although plenty of attention will be on Mbappe, it could be Olise operating just behind him who is most influential and wins the Golden Ball. He should be playing for England though.

Prediction: Michael Olise

Harvey

Kylian Mbappe here. Sorry to be boring, but Mbappe winning the Player of the Tournament en route to winning his second World Cup is my prediction. Mbappe loves the World Cup, winning in his debut tournament in 2018, and scoring a hat-trick in the final as France narrowly missed out to Argentina on penalties. With a poor season for Real Madrid now in the rear-view mirror, Mbappe will be keen to put his nation on his back and deliver on the biggest stage once again, reminding fans that he remains one of the best players in the world.

Prediction: Kylian Mbappe

Cian

I'm not expecting France to win the World Cup but they will pick up an award in the form of a Golden Glove for Mike Maignan, who will help Les Bleus reach the latter stages with some solid displays in goal. He is the favourite to scoop up the award in the current betting market, and a big move could be in the offing for the AC Milan stopper if he lives up to the expectation.

Prediction: Mike Maignan

Matt

While I think a certain Argentinian goalkeeper's penalty heroics could get him into the conversation again, I'm actually going to pick Thibaut Courtois as this year's recipient, with the Belgium shot-stopper winning his second Golden Glove Award. If Belgium are to do well - which they have every chance of doing - then it will be largely thanks to their world-class goalkeeper, who I think could even go through the entirety of Group G without conceding a goal. 

Prediction: Thibaut Courtois

Tom

Continuing the theme of picking an English player for each award, I'm tipping Jordan Pickford to play a starring role in a triumphant summer for the Three Lions. England's defence may not be fully decided, but Pickford is the undisputed No1 keeper and has rarely let the national team down.

Prediction: Jordan Pickford

Harvey

Jordan Pickford has long been one of England's best players, and could arguably be one of the greatest goalkeepers the Three Lions have had in terms of performances. England should emerge victorious from their group with Ghana, Croatia and Panama, and could do with conceding very few goals. With a strong defence in front of him, boasting the likes of Reece James and Marc Guehi, expect England to be solid at the back.

Prediction: Jordan Pickford

Cian

It's their first World Cup in 52 years, but I think DR Congo might emerge as one of the surprise storylines from this tournament. With the likes of Noah Sadiki, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Yoane Wissa in their ranks, the squad isn't short of top-level talent, while qualifying out of Group K ahead Colombia and Uzbekistan looks very achievable. They will also hopefully have viral fan Patrice Lumumba supporting them from the stands, so it's hard not to get excited by the potential of a successful run for DR Congo.

Prediction: DR Congo

Matt

While I do think the favourites will dominate this World Cup, I can see Switzerland surprising a few people this summer, with a reasonably straightforward Group B giving them an excellent platform to go far into the knockouts. The experience of the likes of Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji coupled with the threat of Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye, and Noah Okafor strikes a nice balance, so I'm picking Murat Yakin's side as my dark horses.

Prediction: Switzerland

Tom

They're in a tough group with France and Senegal, but I fancy Norway to make a run at this World Cup. Erling Haaland is one of the biggest superstars at the tournament and he has Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard supplying him. They have reliable Premier League performers like Sander Berge and Kristoffer Ajer, with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Alexander Sorloth providing support for Haaland. 21-year-old winger Antonio Nusa is one to keep an eye on. There won't be many teams wanting to draw Norway in the knockouts.

Prediction: Norway

Harvey

 There's a lot of chatter about Norway heading into this year's World Cup, but it's actually their Group I opponents Senegal who I want to focus on. Heading into the World Cup off the back of the AFCON fiasco of a few months ago, I expect Senegal to attempt to show they belong on the world stage. With Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr on the wings, Senegal have the attacking quality to trouble anyone, as shown with their win against England last year.

Prediction: Senegal

Cian

I can't shake the feeling that DR Congo have a decent squad and could ruffle a few feathers by qualifying from Group K in one of the top-two spots. Noah Sadiki has just had an excellent season for Sunderland and I reckon he'll have some suitors at the end of this World Cup, with many big clubs crying out for a player who can boss the midfield.

Prediction: Noah Sadiki

Matt

Despite being drawn into a brutal group with Senegal, I'm looking forward to seeing Iliman Ndiaye attack the 2026 World Cup, with the Everton man quickly becoming one of my favourite players to watch. His combination of skill, tenacity, and footballing intelligence has seen him light up the Premier League in the last couple of seasons, and I'm expecting him to thrive against the likes of France and Norway this summer - potentially helping his country upset the odds in Group I.

Prediction: Iliman Ndiaye

Tom

As mentioned above, Norway's Antonio Nusa could be a breakout star in North America. The RB Leipzig winger has 8 goals in 23 caps already, and a deep run for Norway could see his reputation skyrocket. But I also want to take a slightly different angle, as one of the most fascinating storylines of this World Cup is what role Neymar will play for Brazil. Selected at the last minute by Carlo Ancelotti, it is surely the 34-year-old's last dance, with his form and fitness patchy to say the least over the last few years. There is no doubting his quality though, and even if he's unlikely to start, Neymar could still have one big moment left.

Prediction: Antonio Nusa / Neymar

Harvey

Donyell Malen struggled to nail down a starting spot at Aston Villa during the first half of the season, but enjoyed a new lease of life following his loan move to Roma in January, which has now been made permanent. During his six months in Italy, Malen played 18 Serie A games and scored 14 goals. With Memphis Depay no longer playing in Europe and Cody Gakpo not in the best form, expect Malen to lead the line for a Dutch side who, based on their previous World Cup showings, need to have a good tournament.

Prediction: Donyell Malen

Cian

I'm predicting another deep run for England at a major tournament, but sadly it's all going to end in tears again in the final as 60 years of hurt continues. That said, there'll be plenty of enjoyable moments - but probably also a fair share of meltdowns - along the way.

Prediction: England to reach the final

Matt

While England arrive as one of the favourites, I just can't see them going all the way, so I'm going to say the Three Lions reach the semi-final. I do think Thomas Tuchel is an excellent manager, but the squad depth concerns me, so getting past the final four seems slightly out of reach. England's starting XI is arguably as good as anyone's, but beneath that, I don't think they can compete with the very best.

Prediction: England to reach the semi-finals

Tom

It's coming home.

Prediction: England to win the World Cup

Harvey

I'm tipping the Three Lions to crash out at the semi-final stage. I actually don't think England are one of the four best nations heading into this summer's tournament, but their route to the latter stages could be pretty favourable. With Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold all left at home, I think Thomas Tuchel lacks the game-breaking match-winners in his squad to drag England to the final, and potentially even World Cup glory.

Prediction: England to reach the semi-finals

Cian

Brazil are the bookies' favourites to win Group C but I'm going to tip Morocco to beat them to top spot. The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals in 2022 and were retrospectively awarded the AFCON title this year and will fancy themselves to get the better of a Brazil squad which had some surprise names left out.

Prediction: Morocco to win Group C

Matt

My bold prediction is that the 2026 tournament will see a goalkeeper score at a World Cup for the very first time, with somebody writing their name into the history books with a late goal this summer. The entire tournament is going to be different, with more teams, more matches, and more chances for nations to play knockout football, so why can't a goalkeeper get in on the act? They always cause chaos when they go up for a set piece, and always think they have to be the hero, so this will finally be the year that it comes good.

Prediction: A goalkeeper to score at the World Cup

Tom

This is a fairly bold prediction, but I think we've stopped being surprised at anything that happens in America these days. Mauricio Pochettino is a coach with proven pedigree, and the USA have a solid midfield pairing of Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, with Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson at the back. Going forward, their hopes rest on 'Captain America' Christian Pulisic and former Arsenal man Folarin Balogun, so the quality is there. The US actually reached the semi-finals in the first ever World Cup in 1930, and a similar run here would see joyous scenes for the host nation. And if not, at least Trump would have a good nickname for Pochettino.

Prediction: USA to reach the semi-finals

Harvey

Sticking on the theme of England, I'm tipping Morgan Rogers to feature more than Jude Bellingham in the group stage of the tournament. Tuchel adores Rogers, so much so that he's chosen him over Bellingham in several of his matches since becoming manager. Bellingham is one of the best in the world on his day, but he has struggled for club and country in recent months. The Real Madrid man will be involved heavily in the latter stages, but don't discount Tuchel going with Rogers as his No10 for the start of the tournament.

Prediction: Rogers to start over Bellingham in the group stages

Head to our dedicated World Cup hub for plenty more content ahead of the tournament, such as our rundown of the odds for the outright winner, top goalscorer, Player of the Tournament and the Golden Glove.

You can also find in-depth previews for all the top teams, including England and Scotland, as well as a deep dive into each group and an ultimate World Cup preview and betting guide so you are fully clued up ahead of the action. You can also look at every player who will be at the World Cup with our confirmed squads article.

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All odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.

View the latest World Cup 2026 odds.