Spain have emerged as the leading favourites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to predictions generated by the Opta Supercomputer.

The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, promises to be historic as it marks the first World Cup featuring an expanded 48-team format.

Set to begin on 11 June and conclude on 19 July, the competition will include 12 groups of four teams and a record 104 matches, with the final scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, United States.

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Ahead of the global showpiece, Opta's Supercomputer conducted 10,000 tournament simulations to assess each nation's chances of lifting football's most coveted trophy.

Spain emerged as the strongest contender, winning 16.1 per cent of the simulations.

The European champions were followed closely by France, England and defending champions Argentina, each securing victory in more than 10 per cent of the projected outcomes.

Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium completed the top ten favourites.

The rankings underline the dominance of Europe and South America in global football, with traditional heavyweights continuing to command the greatest confidence from predictive models.

Interestingly, the host nations -- the United States, Mexico and Canada -- were considered unlikely to mount serious title challenges based on the simulations.

While supercomputer projections offer statistical insight, World Cup history has repeatedly shown that football's biggest tournament often delivers surprises.