The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to deliver exactly the kind of blockbuster matchup that prediction market degens live for. Spanish football analyst Julio Maldonado has publicly backed England to dominate Argentina in a potential semi-final clash, adding fuel to what’s already one of the most heated rivalries in international football.

His take on Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is spicier still: the England star “will not move much” against Argentina.

The 2026 tournament, hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, is the first expanded World Cup featuring 48 teams. England and Argentina are both regarded as significant contenders for this tournament, which makes any pundit prediction about their potential matchup immediately relevant to anyone holding positions in World Cup outcome markets.