I’m just an ordinary player in the grand game of World Cup predictions — no coaching badges, no insider info, and absolutely no chance of getting a seat on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. But when it comes to World Cup wall charts, I’m a seasoned pro. So with the 2026 World Cup now creeping up on us — the first 48-team edition, hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States — I found myself digging back through old brackets. And one name kept popping up: Jamie Carragher.

Back in 2022, the Liverpool legend sat down with Jason Burt on the Telegraph’s YouTube channel and used their predictor tool to rank every group and call the knockout ties for Qatar 2022. I remember watching it and thinking, “Here we go, Carra’s about to put his neck on the line.” He didn’t disappoint. The groups were locked in, but the fun was in imagining how the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals might line up before the final on December 18. Wall charts were pinned up around the globe, and Carragher jumped on the bandwagon with both feet.

The section I saw didn’t include Group H, so I’ll leave that missing piece of the puzzle on the table. But the groups he did rank made for fascinating viewing. Here’s how Carragher called them:

Looking at that table now, in 2026, I can’t help but chuckle. Some of it aged like fine wine. Some of it aged like milk left out in the Doha sun. 😅

Take Group B. Carragher put England top and Wales second, with the USA third and Iran bottom. As an England fan, I’ll happily take the Three Lions topping the group every day of the week. But the USA? They were no mugs. And Wales? They had that emotional edge with Gareth Bale, but the States had youth and legs. Carra went with the Dragons; I had the Yanks. That’s the beauty of a predictor — everyone’s got a different gut feeling.

Group D was a proper eye-opener. Carragher ranked Denmark first, France second, Tunisia third and Australia fourth. On paper, that wasn’t mad. Denmark had been brilliant at Euro 2020, and Christian Eriksen’s return was a fairytale. But France had Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and a point to prove after a messy Euros. In the end, the Danes flopped, the Socceroos punched above their weight, and France topped the group. Carra’s bracket took a hit there. It just goes to show that form is temporary, but class — and Mbappé’s sprint speed — is permanent.

Group E was the so-called group of death, and Carragher went with Spain first, Germany second, Costa Rica third and Japan fourth. I remember thinking, “Japan fourth? That’s bold.” Japan had Takumi Minamino, Daichi Kamada and a habit of upsetting the big boys. Sure enough, the Samurai Blue topped the group in reality, Germany crashed out, and Costa Rica stunned everyone by beating Japan. Carragher wasn’t alone in underestimating Japan, but it’s a reminder: never sleep on the Asian sides.

Group F was another lesson. Carragher had Croatia first, Belgium second, Morocco third and Canada fourth. Morocco, of course, went on to win the group and reach the semi-finals. I’m not saying Carra should have seen that coming — nobody did — but it’s why I love the World Cup. The bracket is a blueprint, not a prophecy.

Group G? Fair play, Carra. Brazil first, Switzerland second, Cameroon third, Serbia fourth. That’s exactly how it finished. Nailed it. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, as the old saying goes. 😉

Now, with 2026 on the horizon, the whole game has changed. We’ve got 48 teams, three host nations, and a format that will make wall charts look like a spaghetti junction. The 2022 predictions are a fun time capsule, but they also remind me why I still do this every cycle. It’s not about being right. It’s about the debate, the banter, and the pure joy of pinning your colours to the mast.

So, Jamie Carragher, if you’re reading this: thanks for the memories. You got some right, some wrong, and some absolutely miles off. But you had a go, and that’s more than most. As for me, I’ll be back with my own 2026 bracket soon. And this time, I’m backing the underdogs. Well, maybe. Unless England finally bring it home. 🏆