2026 World Cup: Forecaster who predicted last three winners tips Netherlands to win

The Netherlands have been tipped to emerge as surprise winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by a market strategist who claims to have correctly predicted the winners of the last three editions of the tournament.

Joachim Klement, a strategist at investment banking firm Panmure Liberum, predicted that the Dutch national team would defeat Portugal in the final of this summer’s Mundial, despite the Oranje not being among the bookmakers’ favourites.

Klement said his forecast is based on a statistical model that combines several socioeconomic and sporting factors, including GDP per capita, population size, climate conditions, host-country advantage and FIFA ranking points.

According to him, the model explains about 55 per cent of World Cup success, while the remaining 45 per cent is attributed to luck and unpredictable events during the tournament.

The strategist claimed his model successfully predicted Germany’s triumph in 2014, France’s victory in 2018 and Argentina’s success at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In another bold prediction, Klement said Japan could eliminate Brazil in the round of 32, describing the potential upset as one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to feature fierce competition among football powerhouses, with defending champions Argentina, France, Brazil, England and Spain all tipped as strong contenders for the title.