World Cup Predictions for 7/6/26

I got absolutely cooked yesterday by Brazil – I was very confident in that spot for them and I was totally wrong. The first time I’ve really been dead wrong all tournament. I really didn’t understand the game plan to concede possession to a worse team, but that’s sports now we have a chance to bounce–back today! 

 

Spain vs Portugal 

Score Prediction: Spain 2, Portugal 0 

 

I don’t know if it’s a bad omen or not, but this is another spot where I’m very confident that the favorite is going to win. I’ve said all tournament that Ronaldo has been hindering this team, and that point stands. Portugal struggled to convert with him on the field – and it’s telling that his replacement scored the winning goal over Croatia. You can get away with this vs worse competition, but Spain is a sleeping giant who is the second best team in this competition in my opinion after France. Spain is not as dominant as they were when they won the European Championship in 2024, but they are still on another level from most teams and have yet to concede a goal. They struggled to finish chances in the 2022 World Cup, and swapping out Alvaro Morata for Mikel Oyarzabal has done wonders up top. Portugal has the midfield to be dominant, but they are held back over and over by Ronaldo and I just can’t back a team like that to make a legitimate run in this tournament. I expect these weaknesses to exposed against the quality of a team like Spain. 

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USA vs Belgium

Score Prediction: USA 2, Belgium 1 

 

Shockwaves hit social media timelines on Sunday afternoon when it was announced that Folarin Balogun’s red card punishment would be “suspended” thus allowing him to take the field in this match. It’s tough to overstate how important that news was. I was in on the USA to advance here regardless, but the margins are going to be slim as the USA looks to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002. This is the USA’s golden generation of players and they have a chance to avenge not only the loss to Belgium in the 2014 World Cup, but all of the failures of past USMNT’s. This Belgian side is ripe for the taking – they have conceded over 5.0 xG through their matches thus far and by all accounts should have been eliminated by Senegal. A true number nine was the missing piece for the USA in 2022 and they have more than found that with Flo. I expect him to find the back of the net once again against this leaky Belgian defense and you can queue the controversy after it happens.