World Cup: Supercomputer predicts how England and Scotland fare in first games

World Cup 2026 has kicked off with Mexico and South Korea both winning their first games.

The co-hosts beat South Africa 2-0 at Estadio Azteca on Thursday in a crazy game that saw three red cards distributed in the second half.

South Korea came from behind to beat Czechia 2-1, with Oh Hyun-Gyu's winner coming in the 80th minute.

Scotland will kick off their their World Cup on Sunday when they play Haiti at Boston Stadium, while England will have to wait until Wednesday, when they play Croatia in Texas.

Spain come into the tournament as the favourites, but there will be several nations picturing their hands on the iconic trophy next month.

Scotland have never made it out of the group stage and are appearing at their first World Cup since 1998, with the possibility of history on the line across the next few weeks.

Supercomputer backs Scotland and England

Scotland beat Curacao and Bolivia in their final World Cup warm-ups, scoring eight goals across both games.

Steve Clarke's team have come on leaps and bounds in recent years, and will go into their opener against Haiti with confidence.

Their opponents are no pushovers, however. Wilson Isidor is the danger man, having scored six goals in the Premier League for Sunderland this season, and the likes of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Lenny Joseph are not be written off.

That being said, Opta's supercomputer has predicted a 59 per cent chance that Scotland will win the game, with Haiti only offered 19 per cent.

With a much stronger opponent in Croatia, England have been handed a smaller chance of winning their opener.

The supercomputer retains its backing of the Three Lions, handing them a 49.8 per cent chance of winning, but their opponents will be enthused by their own 26.2 per cent odds.

How to watch Scotland and England

Scotland's clash with Haiti on Sunday will be a late one for fans based in the UK.

Kick-off in Massachusetts is at 02:00 BST, with the match available on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and several other BBC platforms.

England on the other hand, will play their first game at 21:00 BST - slightly more manageable timing.

Thomas Tuchel's side will be live to watch on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.