Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye believes France will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He picked Les Bleus as his champions after Germany was knocked out by Paraguay in the round of 32, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Okoye's prediction looks more solid now that France reached the semi-finals. They did this by beating Morocco in Thursday's quarter-final at Gillette Stadium in Boston.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper from Udinese made his prediction during the Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture Show at Paris Fashion Week. He spoke with Dazed while sitting next to American rapper Cardi B.
When asked about his favorites for the World Cup trophy, Okoye said he initially supported Germany. But after their elimination, he switched his support to France.
“I was rooting for Germany, but, unfortunately, we are out already, so I think I’ll go with France,” the Nigerian international said.
Okoye’s prediction matters more as France continues to shine in the tournament. Les Bleus went through the group stage with a perfect nine points. They won against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway before defeating Sweden in the Round of 32, Paraguay in the Round of 16, and Morocco in the quarter-finals to reach the last four.
Germany had a rough tournament. They started strong with wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast. But they lost to Ecuador in their last group match and were knocked out on penalties by Paraguay in the Round of 32.
Nigeria missed out on the expanded 48-team World Cup after failing to qualify during the African qualifiers.
France is on track to win their third FIFA World Cup title. They previously won in 1998 and 2018 and were runners-up to Argentina in the 2022 tournament.
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