World Cup Bold Predictions: Best Players, Storylines And Who’ll Win It All

We all remember, nearly four years ago, when Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup trophy high into the sky in Qatar. A crowning moment for one of the game’s legends. Now, it’s time once again to clear the calendars. We’re in store for 39 days of drama as the World Cup begins across three countries and culminates with the final on July 19. That gives us one last time to make some picks on which players will shine, what to expect and, yes, decide who we expect to lift the trophy this time around. Q: What’s One Bold World Cup Prediction? Doug McIntyre: I’ve said it before, so I’ll say it again: The U.S. men’s national team reaches the semifinals. I know. It’s a long shot. But there is something special about playing on home soil, and for all the hand-wringing about how the World Cup co-hosts were outclassed by Belgium and Portugal in March, its last two pre-tourney tune-ups — a win over African powerhouse Senegal and a narrow loss to Germany in a match the Americans flat-out dominated for long stretches — were the players’ best performances under coach Mauricio Pochettino so far. Something is brewing here. Add in the favorable draw the U.S. got as a seed and the power of the public behind it, and I think, with a little luck, it’s capable of matching what countries like South Korea (2002), Türkiye (2002) and Morocco (2022) have done at other World Cups this century. Laken Litman: On the flip side of Doug, I think the U.S. will be eliminated following the Round of 16. This team so badly wants to advance further than it ever has before, but there are too many glaring issues, starting with the back line and inexperience in goal. So it seems hard to comprehend that the Americans will get much further than they did four years ago. Luis Miguel Echegaray: Japan will earn a semifinal spot for the first time in its history. This team has never gone further than the round of 16, but its trajectory continues to rise, and I have been waxing lyrical about Hajime Moriyasu’s side for a long time. Japan is a cohesive, technically gifted unit, unafraid of anyone. I think at this World Cup, Samurai Blue will create havoc in a group they can most definitely top. Brian Sciaretta: Canada goes to the quarterfinals. The 2022 World Cup was disappointing for Canada, but the team has been steadily improving under American manager Jesse Marsch. The semifinal run in the 2024 Copa América was an important sign of progress for this team. Even with star forward Alphonso Davies questionable at the start of the tournament, Canada still has enough talent to win games. On top of a team that plays hard under Marsch, Canada could benefit from playing on home soil as one of the tournament’s co-hosts. Q: Who Is Your Pick To Win The Golden Ball (Most Outstanding Player)? Matteo Bonetti: He was electrifying in the 2022 World Cup and was so close to tasting glory. This time around, he leads a France team that is a tournament favorite along with Spain. He’ll be looking to turn the page after a tumultuous campaign with Real Madrid that was marred by intense scrutiny over the lack of major trophies. Still, he scored 42 goals in 44 games with his club side. Not bad. Echegaray: If we are to believe Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, the 18-year-old phenom from Barcelona should be fit enough to see minutes in the opener against Cape Verde after recovering from a hamstring injury. And I think once he enters the pitch, he won’t look back and will deliver everything we have all come to expect. McIntyre: Still only 18, he’s arguably the best player in the world as it is. He’s also expected to be healthy by the time Spain kicks off its World Cup campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15. We saw his ability to rise to the occasion in a major tournament at 16; that spectacular goal in the Euro 2024 semis was the difference between Spain and France, putting the team on course to defeat England in the final. Now, he gets to perform on the biggest stage for the first time. Barring an injury setback, he has the ability and mentality to make an even bigger impact this summer. Litman: De la Fuente has said that the 18-year-old superstar will be ready for their opener vs. Cape Verde on June 15, but we’ll see. Even so, whenever he returns to the pitch, there is no doubt that he’ll light this summer’s tournament on fire (as long as he doesn’t experience any setbacks). Sciaretta: At long last, Haaland will get to play in a major international tournament with Norway. It is hard to see anyone at the World Cup more motivated than him. Haaland has been one of the best forwards of his generation, but to win a Golden Boot or Golden Ball, a player needs to go far. Fortunately, Norway has a solid supporting cast that includes Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Sørloth and Antonio Nusa. A full-strength Norwegian team can go far, and Haaland has all the ability to thrive this summer. The biggest concern, however, is the heat. Q: Who Is Your Pick To Win The Golden Boot (Most Goals Scored)? Bonetti: The England star comes into this tournament as the most in-form and clinical finisher in the world. The prolific season he just had in the Bundesliga defies footballing logic. The reality of this 48-team World Cup is that he’ll be facing some weak defenses throughout the tournament. All he needs is a sliver of space and the ball is in. Echegaray: Everything goes through the English captain to the point that I think his teammates are often overly reliant on him. As a result, he will have multiple opportunities to score. This is a group (Croatia, Ghana and Panama) that is doable without being stepped over, but Kane — who won the Golden Boot in 2018 — will do it again as he enters Ballon d’Or territory. All he needs is to take the Three Lions to the promised land. Sciaretta: While Kane is the popular pick, I am going with Oyarzabal, who has been in absolutely terrific form with Spain. He enters the tournament having scored in six straight games for the national team. In 2025 and 2026, Oyarzabal has 12 goals in 12 games. This Spanish team has the ability to make a deep run at the World Cup, which should give Oyarzabal plenty of games to score. McIntyre: As prolific a scorer as the French superstar has been at club level, Mbappé always takes it to another level on the global stage. He was already one of the best World Cup players ever at age 23, having scored four times as a teenager as Les Bleus won the title in 2018, then followed that up with eight four years later — including a hat trick in the final — to win the Golden Boot in a losing effort in Qatar. Mbappé’s goals-per-game average of .86 is tied with the legendary Pelé for the highest in tournament history for anyone who’s played more than 10 matches. He also plays on a better team than Kane, meaning he should be in the tournament longer and hasn’t even hit his prime. This one’s a no-brainer for me. Litman: It doesn’t even matter how his club season ended; Mbappé will turn it on at the World Cup. How could anyone forget his hat trick in the 2022 World Cup final (even though France still lost to Argentina)? He’s magic on the world’s biggest stage and even if some are sour on Les Bleus right now, Mbappé will probably change those opinions ASAP. Q: Who Is Your Pick To Win The Golden Glove (Best Goalkeeper)? Sciaretta: Spain should feel confident heading into this tournament as the team has quality options in every position, including in goal, where Unai Simón has been stellar in recent years, winning the UEFA Nations League in 2022-23 and Euro 2024, where he turned in first-rate performances. He has just too much momentum to not be the favorite. Echegaray: You have to be pretty special to keep David Raya out of goal. As Luis De La Fuente’s first choice, he is magnificent in two categories: shot-stopping and distribution. Spain’s winnable group and a predicted deep run should make the Athletic Club stopper my frontrunner for the award. Litman: He’s undeniable and playing for the best team in the tournament. He’s not new to performing on the big stage, coming off masterclasses at both the Nations League and Euro 2024. This is Spain’s time, and he’ll be a major reason why. Bonetti: One of the best keepers in the world, the France No. 1 is up there with German legend Manuel Neuer as the best in his position with the ball at his feet. He also has world-class reflexes and elite athleticism in goal. Add to that an imposing French defensive wall in front of him, and I can’t see “Magic Mike” conceding too much during the tournament. McIntyre: Again, individual awards tend to go to players on teams that make deep runs, and after reaching consecutive finals at the last two World Cups, most expect France to reach at least the semis this time around. That will be in no small part due to the AC Milan man if it happens. As stellar a career as former keeper Hugo Lloris was, Maignan is an upgrade. He might already be the world’s best keeper, and I look forward to seeing him prove it in front of a global audience this summer. Q: What’s A World Cup Storyline To Keep An Eye On? Sciaretta: American public enthusiasm. When the United States was announced as one of the co-hosts of the tournament and the country where most games would be played, there was talk about whether this would take the sport to the next level in the USA. The 1994 edition was a big success, and it was the first exposure to the game for many in the country. But now there have been at least two generations who have grown up with the sport in the mainstream. How will the country this time embrace the tournament? How will they embrace the U.S. team? Will this tournament lay the foundation for continued growth? Will more kids be inspired to play? Will the public watch the game not as a novelty but with more technical sophistication? Echegaray: Brazil’s quest for a sixth star. The five-time World Cup champions have been underwhelming in recent years, including qualifiers, but there’s something about manager Carlo Ancelotti that’s beginning to turn me into a believer. Can Brazil end its 24-year drought and win a sixth title? I’ll be there on Saturday for its group-stage opener against Morocco. Excited to see how this team begins its tournament against a strong opponent. Bonetti: Aging legends. The most recognizable players at this World Cup are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. All three are in the twilight of their career. Will they deliver? Messi looks the most poised to help Argentina win. Debates are raging in Portugal about whether Ronaldo should even start. Meanwhile, Neymar is banged up and wasn’t expected to play more than a rotation role anyway. McIntyre: The other host nations. In the U.S., it’s easy to forget that we’re sharing this World Cup with our neighbors, Canada and Mexico. The U.S. is hosting 75 percent of the games, including every knockout match after the round of 16 — including the final that will be just outside New York. But Mexico City’s iconic stadium will become the first venue to host games at a third World Cup and first since 1986, which was also the last time El Tri reached the quarterfinals. Canada will make some history of its own the next day, when it stages a match at the planet’s biggest event for the first time. The Reds scored their first World Cup goal four years ago in Qatar. Starting in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada will be aiming for its first win. Litman: Water breaks. It’s totally understandable why FIFA has implemented the new rule, especially during a World Cup in the U.S. in the middle of summer. However, the break can be used as a competitive advantage, and teams can change their tactics and coaches can talk to players when they’d otherwise have to wait until halftime. Some coaches have been critical about how this disrupts the flow of the game by essentially turning the halves into quarters like basketball or football. Q: Who’s A Breakout World Cup Player To Watch? Echegaray: The 17-year-old Mexican teenager will make history when/if he enters the pitch against South Africa and will become the youngest member of El Tri to ever feature at a World Cup. But he is more than appearance records. Mora, reportedly wanted by major European clubs such as Real Madrid, could be the game changer Mexico desperately needs in order to break the curse of the ‘quinto partido.’ He is recuperating from a hamstring injury, so hopefully he will be 100 percent to go. Bonetti: While Yulee, Florida, isn’t exactly a hotbed for soccer talent, it’s where the Ivorian-born 19-year-old winger started his footballing journey. He’s since moved across the pond to the Bundesliga, where he’s had a breakout season at RB Leipzig. With 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, he had an impressive campaign. He’ll be a player that a lot of fans learn about very quickly. McIntyre: As the team’s best player not named Alphonso Davies or Jonathan David, Koné is quietly coming off a terrific season for Sassuolo in Italy’s Serie A. If Canada is to win its first World Cup game ever this summer and then qualify for the knockout stage — coach Jesse Marsch’s stated goal — expect the Ivory Coast-born, Montreal-raised Koné to play a central role. Sciaretta: The 18-year-old holding midfielder is one of the most talented teenagers at this World Cup. Born in France, Bouaddi previously represented French youth teams but made the switch to represent Morocco just last month. He has already featured recently in key World Cup tune-ups and looks as if he could start or at least play a lot in the group stage games. Bouaddi has had a meteoric rise at club level with Lille, playing first-team games since he was 16 and starting in a win over Real Madrid in the Champions League on his 17th birthday. It is only a matter of time before he is playing for an elite club and Bouaddi is going to be a key part of Morocco’s midfield for years to come. Litman: We don’t know whether he’ll be starting for the U.S. yet, but we do know that manager Mauricio Pochettino loves the midfielder and what he brings to this team. He’s got that grit and passion Pochettino looks for, and he’s excellent when it comes to set pieces. He’ll almost certainly be in position to give the U.S. an edge with his delivery at some very important moment during this tournament. Q: Aside from Messi and Ronaldo, Who Else Are We Excited To See? Echegaray: Let me explain one thing everyone should know about Colombia at this World Cup: Due to the tremendous support in the U.S., Los Cafeteros will feel very much like the home team when they play, and I think the skinny, lightning-strike Díaz has the chance to light it up at this tournament. I talked to Lucho back in December, and he told me he has never felt freer to be his own self on the pitch. The stage is set for him to continue this feeling. Litman: This is his moment, and he knows it. At this point, Pulisic has long been the face of the team, but this World Cup on home soil has everything at stake for him and his legacy. Thankfully for the Americans, he seems to have found his form after the last two friendlies. Can he keep it going and lead the USA to glory? Sciaretta: The Hershey, Pennsylvania, native carries with him the hopes of the co-host nation. He is the most accomplished American player ever at the club level, and he can be the driving force that energizes the country to rally behind the national team. The caveat, of course, is that he has struggled to score in 2026. It wasn’t until May 31 in a friendly against Senegal that he finally found the back of the net in this calendar year. If he plays well, the U.S. team plays well and that could bring a lot of energy to this World Cup. McIntyre: Although we’ve seen for a few years now just how special the youngster is, this will be his first World Cup. And with all respect to the Euros, it’s on this stage where stars can truly become icons. Yamal and Mbappé are the obvious successors to Messi and Ronaldo, but the former has already done it all at the World Cup. Now, the latter will get his chance. I’m fascinated to see if he can take his game to another level still. Bonetti: How is it possible that defenders know exactly what he’s trying to do, but they can’t stop it? When he gets the ball, Olise always cuts it onto his left foot and tries the top post curler. We can see it coming. The defender knows it’s coming. It doesn’t matter. Olise finds angles and corridors to the goal that shouldn’t be there. He’s a magician with the ball, and he’ll continue his world-class Bayern Munich form. Q: Make Your Pick! The World Cup Winner Will Be ___. Echegaray: I am going to echo the Euros from 2024 and naively predict that England will make the final against Spain. But on this occasion, I am going to act even more foolishly and proclaim that it is indeed … [don’t say it, LME] … without a doubt [stop it right now] … coming home. I’ll get my coat. Bonetti: I will counter that naivety about England bringing it home with a more realistic scenario: France is getting it done. Les Bleus have a bitter taste from the 2022 final in Qatar. The squad is stacked across the board. The attacking talent is outrageous. As an Italian, I’ll never say “Allez Les Bleus,” but I’ll happily pat myself on the back when it’s all said and done. McIntyre: As much as I’d love to see a new country like Portugal win it all — and it could — for the first time, Spain and France are the best two teams in the competition for me by some distance. But don’t sleep on Argentina, though; having witnessed it win the World Cup and Copa América in person over the last four years, I’ve seen up close how tough it is to eliminate. Playing in the U.S. should also be an advantage for Messi & Co., because they won’t suffer from the heat the way their European counterparts — England especially — might. Litman: I like Spain over Argentina. Four years ago, we got Lionel Messi vs. Kylian Mbappé. This time, I think we’ll get Messi (who will be 39 years old by the time the World Cup final arrives) vs. Lamine Yamal (who will have just turned 19). Sciaretta: I wish I could go out on a limb, but I cannot. In the end, talent will prevail, and I also have Spain but over France in a close final. There are fun long-shot picks, like Norway, but the depth isn’t there. There is the appeal of Argentina and Messi, but the team is relying too much on the 2022 players, who are now older. Spain is the best team and France has the most talent. It would be a great final.