Fifa World Cup: Has Argentina’s chances of winning improved? Supercomputer says no
Holders are considered fourth-most-likely team among the quarter-finalists to win the tournament, though their betting odds remain unchanged
Defending champions Argentina have seen their chances of winning the Fifa World Cup drop further in the latest calculations by a supercomputer, and are now ranked fourth among the quarter-finalists as the final stages of the biggest football tournament in the world draw nearer.
Having won their third World Cup in Qatar four years ago, Argentina – the only South American team left in the current tournament – are ranked fourth of the remaining eight teams, with only a 15.93 per cent chance of winning.
They join three other European countries as the teams with a double-digit winning probability.
Opta Supercomputer conducted the calculations, with outright leader France leading the pack with a high 27.62 per cent. Spain followed in second place with a score of 21.54 per cent, while England overtook Argentina – compared with the previous rankings done before the round of 16 – with 17.06 per cent.
Norway, Morocco, Belgium and Switzerland filled the remaining places with maximum winning probabilities of just 6.50 per cent each.
“From their past two matches, Argentina’s standard was more or less like Cabo Verde and Egypt, if not worse; it’s normal for their winning probability to drop,” said one commentator.