England head into the World Cup as one of the favourites to lift the iconic trophy in July’s final in New York.
But according to a World Cup Supercomputer, the Three Lions’ latest quest to add a second star to their shirts is set to end in the most heartbreaking way possible.
The FindSisterSites Supercomputer has predicted that England will navigate their way to the final, only to see their hopes cruelly dashed by France in extra-time in the final.
Thomas Tuchel’s men are forecast to start their World Cup journey with a 1-1 draw against Croatia, followed by 3-0 and 2-0 wins over Ghana and Panama respectively.
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This would see England finish their group stage campaign on seven points, topping Group L ahead of Croatia on goal difference.
Uzbekistan would await in the Round of 32, who are predicted to be dispatched comfortably courtesy of a 3-0 triumph.
England would then have the unenviable task of travelling to Mexico City to take on Mexico in what would essentially be an away game for Tuchel’s side in the Round of 16.
However, England are tipped to prevail at the iconic Estadio Azteca with a narrow 2-1 victory over El Tri.
This would set up a blockbuster showdown with Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil in what would be a repeat of the infamous quarter-final meeting between the two sides at the 2002 World Cup.
But unlike the events in Japan on that ill-fated day, England are predicted to overcome the South American giants with a 4-3 win on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra-time.
England would then renew their bitter rivalry with Argentina in the semi-finals, which would be the first time the two sides have met in a competitive game since 2002.
A nervy 1-0 win for England is predicted by the Supercomputer, ending Argentina’s reign as World Champions.
And so to the final on July 19, where England are projected to play France for a shot at World Cup immortality.
A 2-1 victory for Didier Deschamps’ wily Les Bleus side is forecast, ensuring England’s wait to end 60 years of pain rolls over for another four years at the very least.
Supercomputer’s England prediction
Group stage
- England 1-1 Croatia
- England 3-0 Ghana
- England 2-0 Panama
Round of 32
- England 3-0 Uzbekistan
Round of 16
- England 2-1 Mexico
Quarter-final
- England 2-2 Brazil (4-3 on penalties)
Semi-final
- England 1-0 Argentina
Final
- England 1-2 France (AET)
What else has the Supercomputer predicted?
Scotland, meanwhile, are predicted to endure a miserable time at their first World Cup since 1998.
Steve Clarke’s men are projected to crash out in the group stage following defeats to Brazil and Morocco, with victory over Haiti not enough to see them advance to the knockouts as one of the eight best third-placed sides.
The United States, under the guidance of former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, are predicted to enjoy a strong summer in front of their home crowd before bowing out at the quarter-final stage to Spain.
France’s victorious campaign could well be spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, who has been installed by the Supercomputer as the favourite to claim the Golden Boot.
Such an eventuality would see Mbappe become the first player in World Cup history to win multiple Golden Boot awards, given the Real Madrid superstar topped the scoring charts four years ago in Qatar.
Harry Kane is the second favourite to add to his Golden Boot from the 2018 World Cup, while Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland round out the top six.
Supercomputer – each team’s chance of winning
- France – 14.2%
- Argentina – 12.8%
- Brazil – 11.5%
- England – 10.9%
- Spain – 9.2%
- Portugal – 8.5%
- Germany – 7.1%
- Netherlands – 6.4%
- United States – 3.5%
- Belgium – 2.8%
- Mexico – 2.1%
- Colombia – 1.8%
- Uruguay – 1.3%
- Croatia – 1.1%
- Morocco – 1%
- Switzerland – 0.9%
- Japan – 0.8%
- Canada – 0.6%
- Norway – 0.5%
- Austria – 0.4%
- Ecuador – 0.4%
- Turkiye – 0.3%
- South Korea – 0.3%
- Senegal – 0.3%
- Ivory Coast – 0.2%
- Sweden – 0.2%
- Egypt – 0.15%
- Iran – 0.15%
- Australia – 0.1%
- Czechia – 0.1%
- Algeria – 0.1%
- Ghana – 0.1%
- Scotland – 0.05%
- Saudi Arabia – 0.05%
- Uzebekistan – 0.03%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – 0.03%
- South Africa – 0.01%
- Paraguay – 0.01%
- DR Congo – 0.01%
- Panama – 0.01%
- Tunisia – 0.01%
- New Zealand – 0.01%
- Qatar – 0.01%
- Iraq – 0.01%
- Jordan – 0.01%
- Cape Verde – 0.01%
- Haiti – 0.01%
- Curacao – 0.01%
How does the Supercomputer work?
The Supercomputer makes its predictions by estimating the outcome of each game based on a team’s current strength.
The metrics for this include form, position in the FIFA World Rankings and market odds.
The machine simulates the tournament 10,000 times and produces an average to rule out anomalous results.