Chris Sutton is betting on South Korea to win the 2026 World Cup, with Mexico as runners-up and the Czech Republic pipping South Africa to third place. The BBC Sport football expert, who will predict all 104 games in the tournament, has already lodged his forecasts for the opening group matches — and has company this time in the shape of artificial intelligence.
AI, which won last season's BBC Premier League Predictions League, is attempting to repeat its success on the international stage using Microsoft Copilot Chat. A new BBC predictor game also invites readers to pick winners or draws from every fixture, challenging both Sutton and the machine.
“Chris Sutton predicts South Korea to win 2026 World Cup; AI joins BBC predictions.”
Sutton will be at the Azteca Stadium for the tournament opener between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa on 11 June — but he is not expecting fireworks from the hosts. 'They don't have many players from Europe's top five leagues,' he said, adding that Mexico feel 'a bit mediocre going forward'. The onus falls on Raul Jimenez, who has just rejoined Wolves from Fulham, but at 35 'he is not the player he was'. South Africa, whose only Premier League or Championship player is Burnley striker Lyle Foster, may keep it close, but Sutton expects Mexico's home advantage to give them the edge.
The first game the following day pits South Korea against the Czech Republic in Guadalajara. Captain Son Heung-min is at his fourth World Cup, while Paris St-Germain's Lee Kang-in should also shine. The Czechs are 'pragmatic' and 'resilient', Sutton said, and he can see them earning a point.
Later on 12 June, Canada host Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto. Bosnia's Edin Dzeko is still leading the line at 40, but their focus is more on defence. Canada, also co-hosts, will play with 'high intensity' under Jesse Marsch. Right-back Alistair Johnston, whom Sutton knows from Celtic, will play in the Premier League one day — a remarkable return after missing most of the season with a hamstring injury. Another Canada defender, Nice centre-back Moise Bombito, was not covered further in Sutton's analysis.
With 98 more games to predict, the battle between human instinct and machine learning is only just beginning. Sutton has already placed his bets: South Korea to lift the trophy, Mexico as runners-up, and the Czech Republic to finish third ahead of South Africa.