BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has shared his score predictions for the opening round of fixtures across all twelve groups at the 2026 World Cup.
Sutton begins with the tournament opener, Mexico versus South Africa, and works through every group, including England’s clash with Croatia and holders Argentina against Algeria.
AI, using Microsoft Copilot Chat and having finished top of last season’s BBC Premier League Predictions League, is also making predictions alongside Sutton this time around.
Mexico host South Africa at the Azteca Stadium on Thursday 11 June, with Sutton predicting a narrow 1-0 home win, citing the co-hosts’ home advantage as the deciding factor.
He has expressed reservations about Mexico’s quality, noting that striker Raul Jimenez, who has rejoined Wolves from Fulham, is “not the player he was” at 35 years old.
South Africa’s only Premier League or Championship representative is Burnley striker Lyle Foster, with Sutton predicting the match will be close before Mexico’s home edge proves decisive.
England face Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June, with Sutton backing a 2-0 win, describing Croatia as “an ageing team, miles off where they were when they reached the final in 2018.”
Sutton is particularly enthused by England’s midfield, highlighting Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice as a particularly strong partnership heading into the tournament.
Argentina’s opening fixture against Algeria in Kansas City sees Sutton backing the holders 2-1, though he believes Lionel Messi’s performances, at 38 and in his sixth World Cup, will “probably decide how deep they go.”
One of the more eyebrow-raising predictions comes in Group I, where Sutton forecasts a 3-3 draw between France and Senegal, recalling that Senegal “famously beat France in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup and could catch them cold again.”
Norway face Iraq in Boston on Tuesday 16 June, with Sutton backing a commanding 4-0 win for the Scandinavians, expressing particular excitement about seeing Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland link up in attack.
Curacao, described by Sutton as “the smallest nation ever to make it to a World Cup” with a population of just 158,000, face Germany in Houston, with both Sutton and AI predicting the same 3-0 result in Germany’s favour.
Scotland’s opening Group C game against Haiti in Boston is one Sutton sees ending 2-1 to Steve Clarke’s side, though he warns against underestimating a Haiti team that includes Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor.
Sutton predicts Portugal will edge past DR Congo 2-1, praising their “eye-wateringly good” midfield featuring Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, while questioning how 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo fits into the overall setup.
