Even without the official FIFA World Cup license, EA Sports continues its long‑standing tradition of forecasting the tournament’s champion.
Earlier this week, the company shared a graphic on its EA Sports FC X account, revealing its 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup prediction as the event kicks off.
Following its usual methodology, EA ran exhaustive simulations of every group‑stage match, then extended those results into the knockout rounds to arrive at a final forecast.
The outcome? The simulation indicates that Spain will lift the trophy for the second time in history, matching their 2010 triumph.
In the midst of a World Cup season that no longer falls under EA’s official licensing, the publisher’s latest claim has sparked debate among fans and pundits alike.
What sets EA’s assertion apart is its uncanny track record: the company has correctly forecasted the champion of the last four tournaments, from Argentina in 2022 to France in 2018, Germany in 2014, and Spain in 2010.
With Spain poised to defend its title, the stakes have never been higher. A victory would extend Spain’s impressive streak, while a loss would abruptly end a historic run, making EA’s latest prediction a focal point for both excitement and scrutiny.
After a streak of four consecutive predictions, the simulation was run once more to determine the next champion. The latest forecast points to a Spanish team, hinting at a potential surprise in the upcoming tournament.
EA Sports has historically struggled to forecast the outcomes of major sporting events outside of its own Madden series. Over the past fifteen Super Bowls, the publisher’s predictions have landed correctly only eight times.
However, the company achieved an impressive feat with Super Bowl 49, accurately naming both the victor and the final score. EA’s prediction matched reality when the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28‑24, mirroring the exact scoreline the publisher had projected.
In contrast, EA’s track record with the NHL Stanley Cup has been markedly less successful, failing to predict a winner for fourteen consecutive years. Unlike the World Cup, where predictions are often made before the season starts, the Super Bowl forecasts rely solely on the outcome of a single decisive game, making accurate predictions considerably more challenging.
Even after losing the official World Cup licence, EA has seized the moment to launch a fresh update for EA Sports FC 26, titled The World’s Game.
The patch introduces an International Tournament mode that mirrors the real‑life competition’s group stages, complete with newly licensed national squads.
News Source: VGC
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