Predictions

Every World Cup produces a race within the race. While national teams compete for football’s most prestigious trophy, the world’s best forwards battle for an individual prize that can define an entire tournament: the Golden Boot. Winning the Golden Boot requires far more than simply being a great striker. The eventual winner needs a favorable…

Predicting the winner of a World Cup more than a year before the final whistle may seem like an impossible task. Football is unpredictable by nature. Injuries happen. New stars emerge. Established teams decline. Unexpected nations rise. Yet every tournament has a group of contenders that separate themselves from the rest long before the opening…