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Original guides and analysis for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — how the new 48-team format works, how our predictions are built, and in-depth looks at the contenders.
Explainers and analysis written by our team to help you get more out of the tournament — from the rules of the new format to the teams chasing the trophy.
The biggest World Cup ever rewrites the rulebook. Here is exactly how the new 48-team tournament is built — from the group draw to the brand-new Round of 32 and the maths behind the best third-placed teams.
Read guideEvery win probability on the site comes from one transparent statistical engine — Elo ratings feeding a Poisson goals model, simulated thousands of times over the real 2026 bracket. Here is how it works, and what the numbers do and don't mean.
Read guideThe reigning world champions arrive as one of the favourites again. We look at the squad carrying the torch from Qatar, the questions around an ageing core, and what the model makes of their hopes of a fourth star.
Read guideNo country has more World Cup titles, and none has waited longer for its next one. We assess Brazil's dazzling attack, the questions that keep undoing them in the knockouts, and how the model rates a sixth crown.
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