Using data from previous tournaments and qualifying, we’ve tasked our model with creating some World Cup AI predictions with correct score picks on every match at this summer’s tournament.
Our AI predictor combines data from qualifying matches, previous World Cups, bookmakers and more to determine the most likely correct score outcome from the game.
As the tournament progresses, the model will focus more heavily on the games that have already taken place within the tournament and it will look beyond results to input shot, possession and general match momentum data to see where value may lie.
Spain vs Cape Verde
Spain are short enough in the match-result market to make the direction of the prediction straightforward, but I would not push the scoreline quite as far as 4-0 or 5-0. Their recent profile is excellent: 7 wins and 1 draw, more than three goals per match, only 0.50 conceded, and five clean sheets. That supports a win-to-nil, especially with over 2.5 goals strongly favoured and BTTS No shorter than Yes.
The reason I prefer 3-0 over a bigger number is Cape Verde’s own form. They are not arriving as a soft outsider, with 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in the sample, five clean sheets, and a strong qualifying rhythm. Spain’s technical control should eventually wear them down, but Cape Verde’s organisation makes me lean toward Spain scoring steadily rather than running completely wild. The nearest alternatives are 2-0 if Cape Verde hold the first hour, or 4-0 if Spain score early.
AI prediction: Spain 3-0 Cape Verde
Get the Squawka Bet team’s Spain vs Cape Verde tips and predictions here.
Belgium vs Egypt
Belgium are the rightful favourites, but the market does not quite price this as a walkover. Their attacking numbers are strong, with 5 wins, 3 draws and no defeats in the recent sample, plus a very high scoring rate helped by results like 7-0 against Liechtenstein and 4-2 away to Wales. Egypt, though, bring a much tighter defensive profile than Belgium’s weaker qualifying opponents, so this feels more like controlled superiority than a high-margin rout.
The shortest correct scores cluster around 1-0, 1-1, 2-0 and 2-1, and I prefer 2-0 because it balances Belgium’s attacking ceiling with Egypt’s tendency toward low-event matches. Egypt’s recent sample showed only 1.00 goal scored per match, three blanks, and four clean sheets, while BTTS No is a slight market lean. A 1-0 would be the safer low-risk score, but Belgium have enough creators and late-game threat to add a second once Egypt have to open up.
AI prediction: Belgium 2-0 Egypt
Get the Squawka Bet team’s Belgium vs Egypt tips and predictions here.
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
Uruguay are clear favourites, but this is not a fixture I would attack through a big win. The odds make 1-0 and 2-0 the two leading Uruguay-side correct-score options, while the totals market leans toward a relatively contained match. That fits Uruguay’s recent competitive pattern: their late CONMEBOL qualifying run included several low-scoring results, including 0-0 draws with Paraguay, Venezuela and Ecuador, plus a 1-1 draw in Brazil.
Saudi Arabia’s numbers also push me toward a narrow Uruguay win rather than a shootout. Their recent sample showed only 0.88 goals per match, four failures to score, and five clean sheets, which is a strange but very under-friendly combination. Uruguay have the stronger individual quality and should control more of the dangerous territory, but Saudi Arabia can make games awkward and slow. 1-0 is therefore my main score, with 2-0 the upgrade if Uruguay convert early.
AI prediction: Saudi Arabia 0-1 Uruguay
Get the Squawka Bet team’s Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay tips and predictions here
Iran vs New Zealand
Iran are favourites, but the pricing is cautious, and that matters. The market has 1-0 as the shortest correct score, with 1-1, 0-0 and 2-0 close enough to show that bookmakers expect a tight game rather than a dominant Iran performance. Iran’s recent sample was solid at 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat, with just over two goals scored per match, but they also had two blanks and were not priced like a team expected to run away with this.
New Zealand’s OFC qualifying numbers were spectacular, including heavy wins over Tahiti, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji, followed by a 3-0 final win over New Caledonia. The problem is translation: Iran represent a much higher defensive and physical level than New Zealand faced in Oceania. I respect New Zealand enough not to choose 2-0 or 3-0 as the main lean, but Iran’s edge in tournament toughness and the under 2.5 market point me to 1-0 Iran.
AI prediction: Iran 1-0 New Zealand
Get the Squawka Bet team’s Iran vs New Zealand tips and predictions here
| Our AI Model’s Prediction | Actual full-time result |
|---|---|
| Mexico 1-0 South Africa | Mexico 2-0 South Africa |
| South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic | South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic |
| Canada 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina | Canada 1-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| USA 1-0 Paraguay | USA 4-1 Paraguay |
| Qatar 0-3 Switzerland | Qatar 1-1 Switzerland |
| Brazil 1-1 Morocco | Brazil 1-1 Morocco |
| Haiti 1-2 Scotland | Haiti 0-1 Scotland |
| Australia 1-2 Turkey | Australia 2-0 Turkey |
| Germany 4-0 Curacao | Germany 7-1 Curacao |
| Netherlands 2-1 Japan | Netherlands 2-2 Japan |
| Ivory Coast 0-1 Ecuador | Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador |
| Sweden 1-1 Tunisia | Sweden 5-1 Tunisia |
| Spain 3-0 Cape Verde | |
| Belgium 2-0 Egypt | |
| Saudi Arabia 0-1 Uruguay | |
| Iran 1-0 New Zealand |
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