The 2018 World Cup begins Thursday, as host Russia takes on Saudi Arabia.
Over the next month, the field of 32 will dwindle down to two for the final on July 15 in Moscow.
Before the World Cup begins, SBI Soccer’s editors took their best shot at predicting what will happen over the next month.
Below is a look at our group and knockout stage predictions, as well as who will win individual honors.
Golden Boot
Ives Galarcep: Gabriel Jesus
Ryan Tolmich: Harry Kane
Joe Hojnacki: Antoine Griezmann
Joe Tansey: Timo Werner
Larry Henry: Cristiano Ronaldo
Golden Ball
Ives Galarcep: Neymar
Ryan Tolmich: Neymar
Joe Hojnacki: Neymar
Joe Tansey: Toni Kroos
Larry Henry: Thomas Muller
Young Player of the Tournament
Ives Galarcep: Gabriel Jesus
Ryan Tolmich: Gabriel Jesus
Joe Hojnacki: Gabriel Jesus
Joe Tansey: Ousmane Dembele
Larry Henry: Marcus Rashford
Group Predictions
(In order of finish)
Group A
Ives Galarcep: URUGUAY, EGYPT, Russia, Saudi Arabia
Ryan Tolmich: URUGAY, EGYPT, Russia, Saudi Arabia
Joe Hojnacki: URUGAY, RUSSIA, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Joe Tansey: URUGUAY, EGYPT, Russia, Saudi Arabia
Larry Henry: URUGUAY, RUSSIA, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Group B
Ives Galarcep: SPAIN, PORTUGAL, Morocco, Iran
Ryan Tolmich: SPAIN, PORTUGAL, Morocco, Iran
Joe Hojnacki: SPAIN, PORTUGAL, Morocco, Iran
Joe Tansey: SPAIN, PORTUGAL, Iran, Morocco
Larry Henry: SPAIN, PORTUGAL, Iran, Morocco
Group C
Ives Galarcep: FRANCE, PERU, Denmark, Australia
Ryan Tolmich: FRANCE, PERU, Denmark, Australia
Joe Hojnacki: FRANCE, PERU, Denmark, Australia
Joe Tansey: FRANCE, DENMARK, Peru, Australia
Larry Henry: FRANCE, DENMARK, Peru, Australia
Group D
Ives Galarcep: ARGENTINA, CROATIA, Iceland, Nigeria
Ryan Tolmich: ARGENTINA, CROATIA, Nigeria, Iceland
Joe Hojnacki: ARGENTINA, CROATIA, Iceland, Nigeria
Joe Tansey: ARGENTINA, CROATIA, Iceland, Nigeria
Larry Henry: CROATIA, ARGENTINA, Iceland, Nigeria
Group E
Ives Galarcep: BRAZIL, COSTA RICA, Serbia, Switzerland
Ryan Tolmich: BRAZIL, COSTA RICA, Serbia, Switzerland
Joe Hojnacki: BRAZIL, SWITZERLAND, Costa Rica, Serbia
Joe Tansey: COSTA RICA, BRAZIL, Switzerland, Serbia
Larry Henry: BRAZIL, SERBIA, Costa Rica, Switzerland
Group F
Ives Galarcep: GERMANY, MEXICO, Sweden, South Korea
Ryan Tolmich: GERMANY, MEXICO, Sweden, South Korea
Joe Hojnacki: GERMANY, MEXICO, South Korea, Sweden
Joe Tansey: GERMANY, MEXICO, Sweden, South Korea
Larry Henry: GERMANY, MEXICO, Sweden, South Korea
Group G
Ives Galarcep: BELGIUM, ENGLAND, Tunisia, Panama
Ryan Tolmich: ENGLAND, BELGIUM, Tunisia, Panama
Joe Hojnacki: BELGIUM, ENGLAND, Tunisia, Panama
Joe Tansey: BELGIUM, ENGLAND, Tunisia, Panama
Larry Henry: BELGIUM, ENGLAND, Tunisia, Panama
Group H
Ives Galarcep: POLAND, COLOMBIA, Senegal, Japan
Ryan Tolmich: COLOMBIA, POLAND, Senegal, Japan
Joe Hojnacki: COLOMBIA, POLAND, Japan, Senegal
Joe Tansey: POLAND, SENEGAL, Colombia, Japan
Larry Henry:COLOMBIA, POLAND, Senegal, Japan
Round of 16 Predictions
IVES GALARCEP
France over Croatia
Uruguay over Portugal
Argentina over Peru
Spain over Egypt
Brazil over Mexico
Belgium over Colombia
Germany over Costa Rica
England over Poland
RYAN TOLMICH
Uruguay over Portugal
France over Croatia
Brazil over Mexico
England over Poland
Spain over Egypt
Argentina over Peru
Germany over Serbia
Belgium over Colombia
JOE HOJNACKI
Uruguay over Portugal
France over Croatia
Brazil over Mexico
Belgium over Poland
Spain over Russia
Argentina over Peru
Germany over Switzerland
England over Colombia
France over Argentina
Portugal over Uruguay
Spain over Russia
Croatia over Denmark
Brazil over Mexico
Belgium over Poland
Germany over Serbia
Quarterfinals
Germany over England
Germany over England
i like your picks, ives, all the way to spain gloriously winning it all. =D
except costa rica in group e finishing second (or first!). do you guys have some special info about costa rica? i will have to re-read your group e preview. but it doesn’t matter, i think germany would beat any of costa rica, serbia or switzerland, yes? so i like your whole bracket.
fivethirtyeight’s wc predictions (just for comparison):
2018 World Cup Predictions
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2018-world-cup-predictions/
No one mentioned Messi or Argentina in the entire prediction?
Can’t speak for the others, but for me Messi’s absence is much more about his teammates than about him. Here’s hoping he carries them, but it will be tough.
We are going to see something exceptional this world cup!!!!
Romelu Lukaku England ??????? Manchester United
Eden Hazard (captain) England ??????? Chelsea
Michy Batshuayi Germany ?? Borussia Dortmund
Kevin De Bruyne England ??????? Manchester City -STANDOUT PLAYER RUSSIA 2018 WC
Adnan Januzaj Spain ?? Real Sociedad
Vincent Kompany England ??????? Manchester City
Jan Vertonghen England ??????? Tottenham Hotspur
GK Thibaut Courtois England ??????? Chelsea
GK Simon Mignolet England ??????? Liverpool
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I think we are going to have a shocker this year ……BELGIUM ??!!!!!!
I like Belgium but the draw is not favorable, a quarterfinal against either Germany or Brazil. Their backline is pretty old even if their forwards and De Bruyne are very good. Midfield outside DeBruyne all had less than outstanding seasons. I mean Januzaj had fewer goals in his first season with Sunderland than Jozy did (come on had to put that out there I know Adnan isn’t a striker and didn’t play the whole season and he had 5 with ManU, but he was released to make room for some 17-year-old American kid at Dortmund). Would like to see Belgium get to the semis or finals because it would mean Brazil or Germany one of the two favorites were out.
I hope Iceland wins their group as they were so much fun to watch at the Euros. Sad Wales isn’t in it…