France the team to beat? Chris Sutton's predictions for last-32 matches
BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton gives his predictions for the last-32 ties at the 2026 World Cup, including England against DR Congo.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"They will be back to full strength here and we know how this game will pan out - Paraguay will defend deep and it will be up to Germany to break them down."
— Chris Sutton , Athlete
Key People
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager and former player, currently the head coach of Brazil's national team.
Chris Sutton is a former English professional footballer and current sports commentator.
Jesse Marsch is the head coach of the Canadian national football team.
Julien Nagelsmann is a professional football manager known for his innovative coaching strategies.
All Coverage
BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton gives his predictions for the last-32 ties at the 2026 World Cup, including England against DR Congo.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Chris Sutton's World Cup quarter-final predictions
BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton gives his predictions for the quarter-final ties at the 2026 World Cup, including England against Norway.
July 8, 2026 at 10:34 PMFrance cruise into semi-finals - could this be the best Les Bleus ever?
World Cup winners in 1998 and 2018, France have created another special team and in beating Morocco showed why they are favourites to win the 2026 competition.
July 10, 2026 at 12:43 AMBig stars and old rivals - what to expect in semi-finals
France face Spain and England take on Argentina in heavyweight World Cup semi-final meetings - here's what to expect from the last four.
July 12, 2026 at 12:29 PMDeschamps predicts 'spectacular' France v Spain semi-final
France boss Didier Deschamps is predicting a "spectacular" semi-final when his exciting side take on Spain in a heavyweight World Cup showdown in Dallas.
July 14, 2026 at 12:10 AMFrance into semi-finals after comfortable win over Morocco
Kylian Mbappe scores his eighth goal of this World Cup to make up for an earlier penalty miss with Ousmane Dembele adding a second as France prove too good for Morocco and move into the semi-finals.
July 9, 2026 at 10:49 PMFear factor to the fore as France march into semi-finals - Reuters
Fear factor to the fore as France march into semi-finals Reuters
July 9, 2026 at 11:06 PM