A statistics team led by Achim Zeileis ran 100,000 simulations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and produced win probabilities led by Spain at 14.5 percent, followed by England and France at 12.4 percent each. Supported claims derive exclusively from the Times of India; several additional details about Spain's path and roster remain unverified. Perspectives differ on whether the results reflect structural advantages, measurable performance, or limits of simulation methods.