EA’s Predictions: Five Consecutive World Cup Winners Accurately Forecasted

Before each World Cup, EA has taken the opportunity to simulate the entire tournament in its annual soccer game series to forecast the champion. Despite losing the official FIFA license, its predictions have remained impressively accurate, now boasting a streak of five consecutive correct forecasts.

Spain’s recent 1-0 win over Argentina, which secured the nation its second World Cup title, extends EA’s flawless prediction record to 16 years. Back in 2010, EA’s simulation accurately predicted Spain’s first victory. It followed up with correct calls for Germany in 2014, France in 2018, and Argentina in 2022.

Just days before the tournament kicked off on June 6, EA predicted Spain’s triumph. This marked the first World Cup forecast made after EA ended its partnership with FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup, and transitioned to publishing its annual series under the name EA Sports FC. The latest installment, EA Sports FC 26, features an unlicensed international tournament mode called The World’s Game, showcasing all the national teams and players from the actual World Cup.

This year, FIFA’s officially licensed competitor was a casual game streamed on Netflix, allowing players to use their smartphones as controllers.

EA’s prediction engine leverages a vast database of player attributes and team performance, running AI simulations for each match throughout the tournament, from the group stages to the knockout rounds. While EA conducts similar predictions for other sports in its lineup, such as the Super Bowl in the Madden series and the Stanley Cup in NHL games, those forecasts tend to be less accurate for some reason.