Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, defeating France in the final on 18 December 2022.

Below is a forum-style, SEO-friendly “Quick Scoop” post shaped around the original question “who will win world cup 2022” (keeping it in the present tense because that is the search phrase people still use).

Who Will Win World Cup 2022?

Quick Scoop

Even though the tournament is over, the question “who will win World Cup 2022” is still a trending search because fans want to compare pre‑tournament predictions with what actually happened. Argentina ended up lifting the trophy, in one of the most dramatic finals in World Cup history.

What Actually Happened in Qatar 2022?

  • Argentina were crowned champions of the 2022 World Cup.
  • They beat France in the final, after an intense game that went to penalties.
  • Before the tournament, most prediction models and bookmakers had Brazil as the main favourite, with France, Argentina, Spain and England also in the top group of contenders.

This means the real winner (Argentina) was slightly against the consensus of the predictive models, which often rated Brazil higher.

Who Were the Favourites Before the World Cup?

Many fans asking “who will win World Cup 2022” were actually looking for pre‑tournament probabilities and expert forecasts.

AI and data models

Several data‑driven models tried to predict the outcome:

  • Stats Perform / Opta model (reported by BBC Sport) gave:
    • Brazil about a 16% chance to win.
    • Argentina about a 13% chance.
    • France around 12%.
    • Spain and England each around 9%.
  • Other analytic models and “supercomputers” similarly had Brazil or Argentina as the most likely winners, with France close behind.

Bookmakers and expert sites

  • Bookmakers across 2022 generally had Brazil as the shortest odds, followed by France, England, Spain, and Argentina in varying orders.
  • A survey of prediction tables collected by Topend Sports showed Brazil as the predicted winner in many models and betting markets, with Argentina usually expected to reach only the semi‑finals or to finish around third/fourth.

So, if you had asked strictly before kickoff “who will win World Cup 2022,” the safest data‑driven answer in 2022 would have been “Brazil are favourites, with Argentina and France close behind.”

How Did Reality Compare to the Predictions?

Here’s a compact look at pre‑tournament expectations vs what actually happened:

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Team Pre‑tournament status Outcome in Qatar 2022
Brazil Main favourite in many AI models and betting odds. Eliminated in the quarter‑finals by Croatia.
Argentina Second‑tier favourite (often 2nd–4th in probability tables). Won the World Cup, beating France in the final.
France Reigning champions, near the top in most prediction models. Reached the final and lost to Argentina.
Spain Among the top five favourites in several models. Knocked out in the last 16.
England Top‑five contender with around 8–9% win probability. Reached the quarter‑finals.
These differences are exactly why “who will win World Cup 2022” remains a popular phrase: fans like to revisit how close (or how wrong) the models and pundits were.

How Did Forums and Fans Talk About It?

On football forums and Reddit in 2022, there were long threads sharing AI‑model percentages and arguing about whether they “disrespected” smaller teams. Typical reactions included:

  • Jokes about how tiny probability values (0% or 0.01%) felt insulting to underdogs.
  • Debates over whether England were rated too high or too low by the models.
  • Country‑by‑country optimism—fans of Brazil, Argentina, France, England, and others all found reasons why “this time” would be their year.

“Brazil are clear favourites, but I’ve got a feeling about Argentina this time.” – A sentiment you could find often in comment sections and prediction videos around November 2022.

In hindsight, the fan narratives that backed Argentina and Lionel Messi turned out to align with the actual result, even though pure probability tables leaned slightly more toward Brazil.

If You’re Searching Today: What’s the Best Answer?

If someone types “who will win world cup 2022” now, the most complete, honest answer is:

  • The winner : Argentina.
  • The pre‑tournament favourites : Mostly Brazil, followed by Argentina and France according to major AI models and bookmakers.
  • The fan and forum debate : Split, but heavily focused on Brazil vs Argentina vs France, with lots of discussion about model percentages and “disrespect” to smaller nations.

From a storytelling angle, the tournament became the perfect underdog‑within‑the‑elite tale: a team that was nearly a favourite, but not quite number one in most models, rose above the probabilities and took the trophy.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.