Following on from our asking AI to predict the 2026 World Cup group stages, we asked it to consider the rest of the tournament.
The results were certainly interesting, with several big nations crashing out early and a final that makes the mouth water with possibilities.
Here’s all the results that AI thinks will happen this summer in United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Round of 32
- South Korea 1-2 Canada
- Germany 2-0 Scotland
- Netherlands 2-1 Morocco
- Brazil 2-1 Japan
- France 2-0 Sweden
- Ecuador 1-2 Norway (AET)
- Mexico 2-1 Ivory Coast (After penalties)
- England 2-0 Algeria
- United States 2-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Belgium 2-1 Czech Republic
- Colombia 1-2 Croatia (After penalties)
- Spain 2-0 Austria
- Switzerland 1-0 Iran
- Argentina 2-1 Uruguay
- Portugal 2-1 Senegal (AET)
- Turkey 2-1 Egypt
The predicted winners from this round are therefore Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, France, Norway, Mexico, England, United States, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Switzerland, Argentina, Portugal and Turkey. The most notable eliminations would be Morocco, Japan, Uruguay and Senegal, all of whom would be capable of winning knockout matches but are placed into difficult sections of the projected bracket.
Round of 16
- Germany 1-2 France (After penalties)
- Canada 1-2 Netherlands
- Brazil 3-1 Norway
- Mexico 1-2 England
- Croatia 1-2 Spain
- United States 1-2 Belgium (AET)
- Argentina 2-0 Turkey
- Switzerland 1-2 Portugal
The projected quarter-finalists are France, Netherlands, Brazil, England, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and Portugal. The most notable eliminations at this stage would be Germany, Croatia and the United States, with Germany and the United States both going out in extra time or penalties. The bracket would also leave a particularly strong quarter-final field, with no clear soft route remaining for any of the surviving favourites.
Quarter-final
- France 2-1 Netherlands
- Spain 2-1 Belgium
- Brazil 2-1 England (After penalties)
- Argentina 2-1 Portugal (AET)
The projected semi-finalists are therefore France, Spain, Brazil and Argentina. On this bracket, France would meet Spain in one semi-final, while Brazil would face Argentina in the other. That would leave a final four made up entirely of former or current elite tournament powers, with England, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands all eliminated in narrow quarter-final defeats.
Semi-final
- France 1-2 Spain (AET)
- Brazil 1-2 Argentina
The projected final is therefore Spain vs Argentina, while the third-place match would be France vs Brazil. On this bracket, Spain’s run would include wins over Croatia, Belgium, France and potentially Argentina if they complete the job in the final, while Argentina would have come through an extremely demanding sequence featuring Uruguay, Turkey, Portugal and Brazil.
Final
- Spain 2-1 Argentina
Spain 2-1 Argentina is the projected final result, making Spain the predicted 2026 World Cup champions in this forecast. Argentina would be extremely difficult to break down, particularly because of their experience, defensive discipline and ability to manage the emotional rhythm of major knockout matches. They are projected to score and keep the contest live deep into the second half.
Spain, however, are the narrow pick because their tournament profile in this bracket is built on control, pressing and sustained territorial dominance. Against Argentina, that should matter. Spain’s ability to circulate the ball under pressure, press immediately after losing possession and force opponents into long defensive phases gives them the clearest route to creating repeated chances. Argentina would have the better moments in transition, but Spain are forecast to have the stronger overall balance across the match.
The decisive factor is likely to be Spain’s capacity to keep Argentina defending for extended spells. If the match becomes open and emotional, Argentina can win it; if Spain impose tempo and turn possession into pressure, they have the better platform. This prediction leans towards the latter, with Spain scoring the decisive goal late in normal time rather than needing extra time.
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