Football.ua team checks their 2026 World Cup predictions: who got it right and who missed?

Before the 2026 World Cup kicked off, our journalists tried to foresee the big storylines: the champion, the disappointments, the surprise packages, the top scorer, and the best player. The 48-team format delivered plenty of drama, and now it's time to review the accuracy of our forecasts. Winner Illia Navrotskyi, Oleksii Ivanchenko, and Andrii Vovk correctly predicted Spain as champions, though after the Cape Verde match they might have had doubts. The farthest off were Hlib Andrusenko (Germany) and Artem Androsian (Portugal). Germany was let down by Julian Nagelsmann's tactical genius, while Portugal relied on a star-studded midfield that failed to deliver. Biggest disappointment Most predictions here were on point. Mykola Baletskyi foresaw Cristiano Ronaldo's struggles - and he indeed failed to shine. Danylo Vereitin pointed to Belgium's troubles - they barely escaped the group stage. Artem Androsian and Andrii Vovk chose England, who won bronze but never impressed with their play. Illia Navrotskyi picked the Netherlands - their early exit was so quick it almost went unnoticed. Marko Rudyk and Oleksii Ivanchenko correctly called Brazil's failure - knocked out in the round of 16. Hlib Andrusenko expected France to flop, but they were considered favorites; the loss to Spain broke their morale, and the third-place finish felt like a letdown. Vasyl Voitiuk cleverly chose the tournament organization - impossible to please everyone. Surprise team Nearly every side mentioned lived up to expectations. The best calls: Artem Androsian (Egypt), Hlib Andrusenko and Oleksii Ivanchenko (both Norway). Egypt reached the round of 16 and almost knocked out Argentina; Norway cruised to the quarterfinals after beating Brazil. Top scorer Final tally: Kylian Mbappé - 10 goals (predicted by Baletskyi, Navrotskyi, Voitiuk, Vereitin, Vovk). Harry Kane - 6 goals (Rudyk, Ivanchenko, Andrusenko). Mikel Oyarzabal - 5 goals (Androsian). Nobody predicted Messi's 8 or Haaland's 7. Best player Vasyl Voitiuk was the most accurate: Mbappé became top scorer and set a record for most goals in a single World Cup. Also worth highlighting Michael Olise - the pick of Mykola Baletskyi and Oleksii Ivanchenko. The Frenchman broke Pelé's record for assists at a single World Cup and emerged as one of France's key figures. Share your impressions in the comments - did your predictions come true?