Alan Shearer and Micah Richards are among 27 celebrities picking who will win the World Cup.
The World Cup kicks off in North America this week with a record 48 teams all aiming for football’s biggest prize. The tournament will feature 104 matches across three countries over 39 days. The very first game happens in Mexico on Thursday night, where the hosts face South Africa—a repeat of the opening match from 2014.
Spain are the early favorites to win, with strong teams like France, England, and Argentina also in the mix. But that’s the magic of the World Cup—every one of the 48 teams dreams of lifting the trophy in New Jersey on July 19.
SPORTbible asked 27 celebrities who they think will win the 2026 World Cup. Many showed support for their own countries, including 2002 winner Cafu and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, who both picked Brazil to make history with a sixth win.
F1 stars George Russell and Arvid Lindblad, along with KSI, Danny Aarons, Ollie Bearman, and basketball star Wendell Carter Jr., are all backing England to “bring it home.” Former players Wayne Rooney, James Milner, David James, and current player Noni Madueke agree. But BBC experts Micah Richards and Alan Shearer picked differently—Richards chose Spain, while Shearer believes France will take the trophy because of their amazing forwards.
Other stars like Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon, Isack Hadjar, and Robert Pires also put their money on France. Max Verstappen said he’d love the Netherlands to win but expects France to come out on top. Bastian Schweinsteiger feels the same, saying France has the strongest team and predicting Germany will reach the quarters or semis.
Basketball player Moritz Wagner cheered for Germany, while American WWE star Jade Cargill believes the USA could win on home ground. Angry Ginge backed Spain thanks to the talent of Lamine Yamal.
Jaylen Wells was the only celeb to pick Argentina to keep their title, and WWE’s Drew McIntyre hopes Scotland can make history by getting past the group stages.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino played it safe, saying one of the usual strong teams will probably win, and F1 driver Liam Lawson was honest, admitting he has no clue who will take the trophy. Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard was brutally honest too—he chose Belgium but didn’t think England had much chance, predicting maybe a quarter-final exit.
Here’s the full list of celebrity picks:
– Argentina: Jaylen Wells
– Belgium: Eden Hazard
– Brazil: Cafu, Gabriel Martinelli
– England: George Russell, Wayne Rooney, KSI, Noni Madueke, James Milner, Wendell Carter Jr, Ollie Bearman, Danny Aarons, David James, Arvid Lindblad
– France: Charles Leclerc, Robert Pires, Alan Shearer, Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon, Isack Hadjar, Bastian Schweinsteiger
– Germany: Moritz Wagner
– Scotland: Drew McIntyre
– Spain: Angry Ginge, Micah Richards
– USA: Jade Cargill
No matter who you’re rooting for, the 2026 World Cup promises to be an exciting ride!