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Home/ Pre-Teen Genius/ Predict the World Cup/ 8. Predict the matches
🔮 Lesson 8 of 9

Predict The Matches

🕒 About 10 minutes ⚽ Real matches, really today 🤖 Meet the AI predictor 🔒 First name only

This is the fun part. You have learned seven real tricks that scouts and computers use. Now it's time to use them for real. Today, the World Cup 2026 quarterfinals are being played, actual matches, actual teams, with real stats. Check the numbers, ask a basic AI what it thinks, then make your own picks!

Four real matches, today

The World Cup started with 48 teams. Match after match, teams got knocked out, until only 8 were left. Today, those 8 teams play in 4 matches called the quarterfinals. Win, and you move on. Lose, and you go home.

🏆
New Word! Quarterfinal

A quarterfinal is one of the last 8 matches in a tournament. Win your quarterfinal, and you're getting close to the trophy.

Use what you learned

You don't have to be a computer to make a good prediction, but you can think like one! Which team is stronger? Who is playing at home? Has a team been winning a lot lately? Every match below shows you real stats, plus a basic AI you can ask. Pick a match, think it through, and lock in your answer.

🤖
New Word! Model

A model is a set of math rules a computer follows to make a guess, built from real patterns it has seen before. The Guessing Line, the Confidence-O-Meter, and the Decision Tree are all models you already built. The AI below uses a tiny model too!

🧠 Try this

Before you pick, check the real stats, then press "Ask the AI." Would the Guessing Line, the Confidence-O-Meter, or the Yes/No questions have given you the same answer? You don't need to do any real maths, just think about which game this feels most like. Then write down which one you used!

Your Turn Lock In Your Picks 🔮

Pick as many or as few matches as you like. You only need to fill in a match if you want to guess it.

Quarterfinal 1

Today · 4:00 PM ET · Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

📊 Real stats
#2France's world ranking
VS
#13Morocco's world ranking

Smaller number = ranked higher in the world!

🔮 Try this before you pick
🤖
Ask the AI

This button opens Bing's AI Soccer Simulator, a real AI tool that tries to predict the World Cup, in a new tab. It's a separate website, not part of The Genius Project, so explore it with a grown-up. Use what it says alongside the real stats above and your own gut feeling, it's a helper, not the answer.

🤖 Ask the AI ↗

👉 Now it's your turn! Who do YOU think wins? Try not to let your favourite team trick you, a good scout picks with their head, not just their heart.

VS

Now guess the final score. Type how many goals each team will score.

:
Quarterfinal 2

Today · 3:00 PM ET · SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

📊 Real stats
#3Spain's world ranking
VS
#9Belgium's world ranking

Smaller number = ranked higher in the world!

🔮 Try this before you pick
🤖
Ask the AI

This button opens Bing's AI Soccer Simulator, a real AI tool that tries to predict the World Cup, in a new tab. It's a separate website, not part of The Genius Project, so explore it with a grown-up. Use what it says alongside the real stats above and your own gut feeling, it's a helper, not the answer.

🤖 Ask the AI ↗

👉 Now it's your turn! Who do YOU think wins? Try not to let your favourite team trick you, a good scout picks with their head, not just their heart.

VS

Now guess the final score. Type how many goals each team will score.

:
Quarterfinal 3

Today · 5:00 PM ET · Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

📊 Real stats
#35Norway's world ranking
VS
#4England's world ranking

Smaller number = ranked higher in the world!

🔮 Try this before you pick
🤖
Ask the AI

This button opens Bing's AI Soccer Simulator, a real AI tool that tries to predict the World Cup, in a new tab. It's a separate website, not part of The Genius Project, so explore it with a grown-up. Use what it says alongside the real stats above and your own gut feeling, it's a helper, not the answer.

🤖 Ask the AI ↗

👉 Now it's your turn! Who do YOU think wins? Try not to let your favourite team trick you, a good scout picks with their head, not just their heart.

VS

Now guess the final score. Type how many goals each team will score.

:
Quarterfinal 4

Today · 9:00 PM ET · Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO

📊 Real stats
#1Argentina's world ranking
VS
#19Switzerland's world ranking

Smaller number = ranked higher in the world!

🔮 Try this before you pick
🤖
Ask the AI

This button opens Bing's AI Soccer Simulator, a real AI tool that tries to predict the World Cup, in a new tab. It's a separate website, not part of The Genius Project, so explore it with a grown-up. Use what it says alongside the real stats above and your own gut feeling, it's a helper, not the answer.

🤖 Ask the AI ↗

👉 Now it's your turn! Who do YOU think wins? Try not to let your favourite team trick you, a good scout picks with their head, not just their heart.

VS

Now guess the final score. Type how many goals each team will score.

:
Bonus pick: who lifts the trophy on July 19?

We don't know the final matchups yet, so just pick your favourite from the 8 teams left. Here are their real stats to help you decide.

🔒⚽

Your picks are locked in!

Come back after the Final on July 19 to see how you did. Ask a friend to play too and compare your picks.

🧠 What you just did
  • You made real predictions about real matches, just like the scouts you learned about.
  • You checked real stats and asked a basic AI model for its opinion before deciding.
  • Guessing is more fun when you think it through first, instead of picking at random.
  • Even the best computer models are sometimes wrong. That's okay! Predicting is a skill you get better at with practice.

🎮 3D Vox game: Champion Parade

You trained all week. Now beat the CHAMPION patterns: longer, trickier, faster. Predict the next bird like a true genius!

One lesson left: the quiz and your certificate!