According to a report by BofA Global Research, France's national football team is favored to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 40% of surveyed respondents supporting them. The report, released on May 6, highlights the tournament's unprecedented scale, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and is expected to engage over 6 billion people. In contrast, AI models also predict Spain as a strong contender, indicating a potential final matchup between the two teams. The tournament could contribute approximately $41 billion to global GDP and create more than 800,000 jobs. Furthermore, online betting related to the event is projected to reach $5.9 billion in the US alone, a significant increase from the $1.8 billion during the 2022 Qatar World Cup. The report emphasizes that the 2026 World Cup will be the most connected and data-intensive sporting event, with the final match potentially consuming 7% of global internet traffic.