Tomorrow the 4 years of waiting is finally over and the greatest show in football gets underway. It’s fair to say I’m excited for this World Cup, and I think it could be one of the best ever.
There are so many teams in the tournament with the chance to do well. The top four of Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany will probably produce the winners, but there’s a multitude of other teams that could easily reach the semis and make for some interesting and exciting games.
My sweepstake team may be Brazil, but I’m standing by my prediction of last December and reckon that Spain will be the winners of this year’s World Cup. They are still a strong side and I think their experience of going the distance in major championships time and again over recent years will see them through. Brazil’s young team will have so much expectation and pressure from the home fans at the latter stages of the tournament and I see that hurting them up against good opposition.
Here are my predictions for every single match of the World Cup, including how I think it’ll happen:
Group A
| Brazil | 2-1 | Croatia |
| Mexico | 2-0 | Cameroon |
| Brazil | 2-0 | Mexico |
| Cameroon | 0-2 | Croatia |
| Cameroon | 0-2 | Brazil |
| Croatia | 2-1 | Mexico |
| Group A | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Croatia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Mexico | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 0 |
Group B
| Spain | 2-1 | Netherlands |
| Chile | 2-0 | Australia |
| Australia | 0-2 | Netherlands |
| Spain | 1-0 | Chile |
| Australia | 0-3 | Spain |
| Netherlands | 1-1 | Chile |
| Group B | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Chile | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0 |
Group C
| Colombia | 3-1 | Greece |
| Ivory Coast | 1-0 | Japan |
| Colombia | 3-2 | Ivory Coast |
| Japan | 0-1 | Greece |
| Greece | 1-1 | Ivory Coast |
| Japan | 0-3 | Colombia |
| Group C | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Colombia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Ivory Coast | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Greece | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
Group D
| Uruguay | 2-0 | Costa Rica |
| England | 1-1 | Italy |
| England | 2-2 | Uruguay |
| Italy | 2-0 | Costa Rica |
| England | 3-0 | Costa Rica |
| Uruguay | 2-1 | Italy |
| Group D | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Uruguay | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| England | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Costa Rica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 0 |
Group E
| Switzerland | 2-1 | Ecuador |
| France | 2-0 | Honduras |
| France | 2-1 | Switzerland |
| Honduras | 1-2 | Ecuador |
| Ecuador | 1-2 | France |
| Honduras | 1-1 | Switzerland |
| Group E | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Ecuador | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
| Honduras | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
Group F
| Argentina | 2-1 | Bosnia |
| Iran | 0-1 | Nigeria |
| Argentina | 4-1 | Iran |
| Nigeria | 1-2 | Bosnia |
| Bosnia | 2-1 | Iran |
| Nigeria | 1-2 | Argentina |
| Group F | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Argentina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Bosnia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| Iran | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
Group G
| Germany | 2-2 | Portugal |
| Ghana | 1-1 | USA |
| Germany | 2-0 | Ghana |
| USA | 1-2 | Portugal |
| Portugal | 3-1 | Ghana |
| USA | 1-3 | Germany |
| Group G | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Portugal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| USA | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 1 |
| Ghana | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
Group H
| Russia | 2-1 | South Korea |
| Belgium | 3-0 | Algeria |
| Belgium | 2-1 | Russia |
| South Korea | 0-0 | Algeria |
| Algeria | 1-1 | Russia |
| South Korea | 0-3 | Belgium |
| Group H | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Belgium | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| Russia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Algeria | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 2 |
| South Korea | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 1 |