- 83 percent of Germans interested in football continue to follow the tournament
- France well ahead of Argentina, Spain, and England with a 35.7 percent chance of winning the title
- Fans also see France in the lead for the first time
Even after the German national team’s elimination, interest in the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains surprisingly high. More than four out of five Germans interested in football continue to follow the tournament. At the same time, France has emerged as the clear favorite to win the title in the eyes of fans. This is shown by a recent representative ONE8Y study commissioned by the Tipico Sports Data Center.
According to the study, 83.3 percent of Germans interested in football are still actively following the World Cup. Although this figure is below the level recorded before the Paraguay match (89 percent), the tournament remains relevant to the vast majority even without German participation.
France Rises to Become Fans’ Clear Favorite
The analyses carried out by the Tipico Sports Data Centre paint a clear picture: with a current probability of winning the title standing at 35.7 percent, France is the favourite to win the World Cup. Behind them – partly influenced by the tournament draw and the upcoming round of 32 – come Argentina (20 percent), Spain (11.1 percent) and England (10 percent).
At the same time, France has also risen significantly in the fans’ favourites’ ranking: currently, 35.4 percent of those surveyed expect ‘Les Bleus’ to win the title – an increase of 20 percentage points compared with the previous survey. Spain follows a long way behind in second place (9.3 percent), followed by Argentina (8.7 percent) and England (5.3 percent).
France has thus very clearly established itself at the top of the title race as the tournament has progressed, both in the analyses by the Tipico Sports Data Centre and in public perception, and goes into the decisive phase of a tournament that remains of great interest to German fans as the clear favourite.
About the ONE8Y Survey
The survey was conducted on June 30 and July 1, 2026, by the sports business and research consultancy ONE8Y on behalf of the Tipico Sports Data Center. The survey included n=1,102 football fans aged 16 to 69, and was representative of the general population according to the census in terms of age, gender, and region. For more information, visit www.one8y-db.com.
The Tipico Sports Data Center
The Tipico Sports Data Center continuously analyzes current and historical performance data. This includes tens of thousands of data points on sports competitions, teams, and players. Based on this, Tipico’s data experts calculate, among other things, the probabilities for the most important events in the upcoming matches of a Bundesliga matchday: final scores, number and timing of goals, goal scorers, and much more. Additionally, the Tipico Sports Data Center incorporates fan sentiment. This combination yields unique, data-driven insights into upcoming sporting events.
