2026 FIFA World Cup Prediction | Complete Edition

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup recently concluding, it only makes sense to compile my VERY early predictions for the following edition while it's still topical. How does this hold up now? Probably not great!

Way before almost anything relating to this tournament is set in stone, this prediction goes through not only the tournament itself and its eventual victor, but also the qualification process that leads up to the tournament, in order to TRY to make this prediction as accurate of a foresight as possible. Will it pay off? We'll see!

0:00 Introduction (Qualifying)
1:38 CONCACAF/North American Qualifying
5:00 CONMEBOL/South American Qualifying
6:38 UEFA/European Qualifying
12:26 AFC/Asian Qualifying
20:25 CAF/African Qualifying
27:23 OFC/Oceanian Qualifying
30:11 Play-off Round
32:05 Introduction (Group Draws)
34:26 Pot 1 Draws
38:46 Pot 2 Draws
43:20 Pot 3 Draws
48:00 Pot 4 Draws
52:23 Group Stage - Match Day 1
56:03 Group Stage - Match Day 2
59:33 Group Stage - Match Day 3
1:04:21 Knock-out Stages - Determining Matchups and Third Place Teams
1:06:29 Knock-out Stages - Round of 32 (SECTION MOSTLY MUTED FOR COPYRIGHT REASONS)
1:08:56 Knock-out Stages - Round of 16
1:10:28 Knock-out Stages - Quarter-Finals
1:11:17 Knock-out Stages - Semi-Finals
1:11:52 Knock-out Stages - 3rd Place Play-off + Final
1:12:27 Conclusion/Outro

Music/Excerpts (in order of appearance):

Sonic CD OST - Little Planet
Super Smash Bros. Melee OST - Fourside
Sonic CD OST - Palmtree Panic (Present)
Kirby and the Forgotten Land OST - A Trip to Alivel Mall
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST - Wild Woods
Sonic Mania OST - Oil Ocean Zone Act 1
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST - Dragon Driftway
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team OST - Dreamy Sandstorm
Sonic CD OST - Quartz Quadrant (Present)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate OST - Gang-Plank Galleon
Super Smash Bros. Melee OST - Brinstar
Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST - Digga-Leg
Super Mario 3D World OST - World Mushroom/Flower
Mario Kart DS OST - Rainbow Road
Sonic Mania OST - Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2
Kirby and the Forgotten Land OST - Northeast Frost Street
Kirby: Planet Robobot OST - Submarine Suburbs
Sonic Mania OST - Green Hill Zone Act 2
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST - Sunshine Airport
Celeste OST - Celestial Resort (Good Karma Mix)
Kirby and the Forgotten Land OST - Forgo's Treasures
Undertale OST - CORE (MUTED BETWEEN 1:06:33 - 1:08:19 FOR COPYRIGHT REASONS)
Sonic Mania OST - Metallic Madness Zone Act 2
Undertale OST - Death by Glamour