Sutton backs France as standout threat in World Cup last-32 predictions

Chris Sutton’s last-32 predictions make France look like the side he sees as hardest to stop, with the BBC pundit forecasting a 4-0 win over Sweden. His picks are opinion-based forecasts, not match results, and include several calls for potential upsets in the first knockout round.

Among the headline selections, Sutton tips Japan to eliminate Brazil 2-1, Morocco to beat the Netherlands 3-1, Senegal to defeat Belgium 3-1, and Canada to see off South Africa 3-0. He also expects England to get past DR Congo 2-1 in Atlanta, while predicting Mexico to edge Ecuador 1-0 and the USA to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0.

The BBC piece also compares Sutton’s record with AI predictions generated through Microsoft Copilot Chat and picks from users of the broadcaster’s predictor game. After the latest group-stage set referenced, users were reported to be ahead overall, with 48 correct selections from the tournament matches covered so far, compared with 43 for AI and 41 for Sutton.

For editors, the strongest angle is not that these forecasts should be treated as guidance, but that the knockout bracket is being framed around France’s firepower, England’s need to avoid complacency, and a wider pattern of users outperforming both expert and AI predictions so far.