2018 World Cup predictions

It’s funny to think that at the time of the last World Cup, this blog was just six months old. I can’t believe so much time has passed.

But here we are again! I’m looking forward to some great football – but while I will certainly be hoping that England do well, I’m feeling detached enough to not let it hurt if they fail to perform once again. By the time this season ended, I cared more about Liverpool being in the Champions League final, which proved particularly painful given that they lost due to their best player being injured and a couple of absolute clangers from the goalkeeper.

Back in 2016, after England pathetically lost to Iceland in the European Championship, I wrote a letter warning my 2018 self not to get their hopes up. I’m currently finding it easy to follow my past self’s advice. England’s matches in the last two years have tended to be the footballing equivalent of watching paint dry, and most of the players I used to get excited for have gone. However, we have been getting some positive results under Gareth Southgate, and pundits who know much more about these things than I appear to be cautiously optimistic that the team can at least put in a decent performance, even if nobody expects them to come close to winning the tournament.

So here are my current predictions, before the tournament begins:

Group A: Uruguay & Egypt (assuming Mo Salah is fit)
Group B: Spain & Portugal
Group C: France & Australia
Group D: Argentina & Croatia
Group E: Brazil & Switzerland
Group F: Germany & Mexico
Group G: Belgium & England
Group H: Colombia & Poland

2nd Round
Uruguay vs Portugal = Portugal
France vs Croatia = France
Brazil vs Mexico = Brazil
Belgium vs Poland = Belgium
Spain vs Egypt = Spain
Argentina vs Australia = Argentina
Germany vs Switzerland = Germany
Colombia vs England = England

Quarter Finals
Portugal vs France = France
Brazil vs Belgium = Brazil
Spain vs Argentina = Spain
Germany vs England = Germany

Semi Finals
France vs Brazil = France
Spain vs Germany = Spain

Playoff
Brazil vs Germany = Brazil

Final
France vs Spain = Spain

Have you made any predictions? Let me know in the comments!