Sutton Predicts Norway to Shock Brazil in World Cup Last-16, Backs Morocco and France to Advance

sources football expert Chris Sutton has released his predictions for the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, and he is backing a major upset in the Brazil-Norway tie. Sutton, who correctly called 13 of the 16 Round of 32 matches, sees Norway knocking out the five-time champions on penalties after a 2-2 draw. He pointed to Brazil’s midfield vulnerability, exposed by Japan in the previous round, and the threat of Erling Haaland against a Brazilian defense anchored by Arsenal’s Gabriel. “I think everyone is looking forward to seeing Gabriel renew his rivalry with Haaland on an international stage, but I don’t see him keeping Haaland quiet,” Sutton wrote. He also tipped Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland as the potential shootout hero. In Philadelphia, Sutton predicts a dominant France side will thrash Paraguay 5-0, with Kylian Mbappé running riot. He noted that Paraguay’s elimination of Germany was impressive but that France poses a far tougher challenge. “If France score early, Paraguay could feel the full force of their attack,” he said. Sutton also backed Morocco to beat Canada 2-0 in Houston, despite Canada’s spirited run under Jesse Marsch. He believes Morocco have the quality to go deep in the tournament, possibly even win it. For the Mexico-England clash at the Azteca Stadium, Sutton highlighted England’s late arrival and the difficulty of playing at altitude. He analyzed home advantage but did not offer a specific scoreline in the available material. Overall, users remain ahead in the prediction competition with a 70% accuracy rate, while Sutton sits at 61% and AI at 63%.