67th-Ranked Cabo Verde Held Spain to a 0-0 Draw, and SB Nation Readers Are Already Sweating Their World Cup Picks

Alright, fam, listen up! The World Cup 2026 just kicked off, and if you, like us at Seattle On Tap, jumped into the SB Nation Reacts predictions, you might wanna sit down. We asked you which nation would win it all and who'd snag the Golden Ball, and the results are in. Based on what we've seen just a few days into the tournament, it's probably a good thing this whole thing is purely for bragging rights, not actual cash. Because, whew, some of these early picks are looking rough.

Spain Stumbles, and Our Brackets Are in Shambles

So, who was the top pick among The Liverpool Offside readers to win the whole dang World Cup? That'd be Spain. And get this, they were the overall winner across the entire SB Nation network too, a consensus favorite! Sounds good, right? Well, if you were busy watching our beloved Seahawks or Kraken, you might've missed it, but Spain just got held to a shocking 0-0 draw by none other than 67th-ranked Cabo Verde. Yeah, you read that right. The team everyone picked to hoist the trophy couldn't even put one in the net against the 67th-best team. Talk about an early gut punch! Our TLO readers also had France as their second choice with 31% of the vote, which was way more bullish than the 23% network-wide. And for third, TLO readers leaned Brazil, while the network had Argentina. Hopefully, those French and Brazilian picks are holding up better for y'all.

Golden Ball Goes "Other," Smart Money?

Now, onto the Golden Ball, for the top scorer. This is where things get even more interesting. About a third of The Liverpool Offside readers took the "other" route. And honestly? That might just be the smartest play right now. Sure, most folks probably figure Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe are the most likely contenders, but when "everyone else" is an option, that's a whole lot of talent to consider. Across the entire network, the top three named players for the Golden Ball were exactly what you'd expect: England's Kane, France's Mbappe, and Barcelona and Spain's Lamine Yamal. But here's the kicker, SB Nation readers as a whole were more confident one of those three would win, with "other" coming in a distant fourth for them. Our TLO crew, though, definitely spread the love a bit more. So, there you have it, folks. Early World Cup action is already throwing curveballs, and our predictions are taking a beating. Let's hope everyone had a blast with this, even if our bragging rights are taking a hit. Maybe we'll get a few more chances to prove our clairvoyance before the tournament wraps up. Stay tuned, and Go Hawks!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.