Football fans' eyes are turning towards the two semi-final matches of the 2026 World Cup, after the quartet of France, Spain, England and Argentina qualified for the golden square.
The competition is heating up between France and Spain on one side, and England and Argentina on the other, to secure the two tickets to the final match.
Before the two matches kick off, AI predictions issued by the "Opta" platform, specialized in statistics and data analysis, revealed the percentages of the four teams in reaching the final and winning the title.
AI predictions for the 2026 World Cup semi-finals
According to the latest update from the supercomputer of "Opta" company, the French national team is the closest to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup final, with its chance of reaching the final match at 57.7%, ahead of its rival Spain which has a 42.3% chance.
In the other semi-final, the predictions give a slight advantage to the England national team, which has a 50.9% chance of reaching the final, compared to 49.1% for the Argentina national team, reflecting a great closeness between the two teams.
Who is closest to winning the title?
Opta's predictions are not limited to identifying the candidates for reaching the final, but also include the chances of winning the 2026 World Cup.
The predictions place the French national team at the top of the candidates to win the title with 34%, followed by the Spanish national team with 23.4%, then England with 21.9%, while Argentina comes fourth with 20.6%.
How are the predictions calculated?
The predictions of Opta company's supercomputer rely on thousands of simulations for each match, based on a wide range of data, including the strength of the teams, performance level in the tournament, recent results, and offensive and defensive statistics.
In addition to that, player evaluations and other factors influencing knockout matches are also added.
