There are only 70 days to go until Mexico and South Africa kick off the biggest show in world sport. And now that it is known which teams have been able to acquire the ticket for the big event, the Opta supercomputer has distributed luck. And it seems that, if it were up to technology, the Spanish team should not do badly.
Despite losing the number one spot in the FIFA rankings to France in the match against Egypt, Spain is still the favourite to lift the title in the United States with a 15.83% chance.
Tech favorites
After Luis de la Fuente’s team, the next on this list is France, the number one team. Les Bleus have a 12.77% chance of being world champions in what would be their third consecutive final.
England and Argentina follow the French, both with more than 10%. The reigning champions are not favourites to retain the crown they won at Qatar 2022. Completing the top five is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, who Opta gives a 6.92% chance of lifting their first World Cup. Brazil and Germany drop out of the top five, finishing sixth and seventh respectively.
It should be remembered that, in this edition also, the best eight third-placed teams will go through. It will be difficult to see a big team eliminated at the first hurdle. Even so, there will be fierce competition to be one of the eight nations that will take their place in the round of 16 as third in their group.
And this is what Opta says about the third-placed teams: South Korea, Iran, Australia, Austria, Ivory Coast, Sweden, Ghana and Qatar would be the last to join the knockout rounds
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