Can we predict World Cup results by combining the best of people and technology?
To predict the results of Oranje’s World Cup matches, we conducted interviews with three experts to gather their insights, and translated them into AI prompts. Each expert has a unique perspective on the World Cup and Oranje. Whose prompt will best predict Oranje’s results: former Dutch international player and national team coach Frank de Boer, Oranje fan Léon Zaal, or PwC data expert Zulikah?
This leaves us wanting more: Oranje beats Sweden! The squad and fans had hoped for this, as had our experts. Football legend Frank de Boer, Oranje fan Léon, and PwC's data expert Zulikah all predicted a Dutch victory based on their personal AI prompts. Consequently, all three of them got the predictions right in our experiment and scored points as well.
In the meantime, their predictions are becoming increasingly sharp. Their prompts are continuously adapting based on new data and insights: tech-driven, people-empowered. Because ultimately, the strength lies not only in the technology, but in the value we bring.
Frank de Boer
Former international player
and national team coach
Léon
The Oranje fan
Zulikah Latief
PwC data expert
Expert prompts that predict the exact final score are awarded 5 points. Getting the wrong score but the correct overall result (win, draw, or loss) earns 3 points. Zero points are awarded for predictions that get both the score and overall result wrong. Scores are based on predictions from PwC AI system submitted on June 15, 2026.
Please note that the predictions are AI-generated. Due to variations in AI models, the predictions by Frank, Zulikah, and Léon may differ per user and over time.
Will years of experience, a tactics board, and a deep understanding of the game help accurately predict match outcomes?
Will data, models, insights, and a healthy dose of human nuance win the day?
Frank de Boer lives and breathes Oranje. In 1998, he captained one of the strongest squads in Dutch football history. As assistant national team coach in 2010, he came within a whisker of becoming world champion in South Africa. And in 2021, he was head coach for a major tournament. As a player, he neutralised countless attacking players, and as a coach, he analysed hundreds of opponents. Few people understand better what qualities are indispensable for a team competing for the world title.
AI-generated prediction of the PwC AI system (as of June 21, 2026).
Frank de Boer looks at Oranje from his unique perspective as a former international player and national team coach. He focuses on team tactics, whether the squad functions as a cohesive unit, and how set pieces can make all the difference.
Please note that the predictions are AI-generated. Due to variations in AI models, the predictions by Frank, Zulikah, and Léon may differ according to user and over time.
A true Oranje football fan.
Léon has had Oranje fever since he was a boy. He never misses a single match. On the rare occasions he’s not at the stadium, dressed head to toe in orange and cheering from the stands, he’ll be watching at home in a living room festooned with orange decorations. Léon can’t wait for the World Cup to begin, and he’s convinced we’ll be world champions.
AI-generated prediction of the PwC AI system (as of June 21, 2026).
Léon looks at the match as a fan, focusing on recent results, Oranje’s attacking threat, and the support of the fans.
Please note that the predictions are AI-generated. Due to variations in AI models, the predictions by Frank, Zulikah, and Léon may differ per user and over time.
Zulikah looks at the game differently from football experts. She may not know everything about tactics and form—far from it—but she knows a lot about turning raw data into well-grounded predictions. While Oranje fan Léon is guided by emotion and Frank by his years of experience in professional football, Zulikah always follows the data.
With a background in computer science and a master’s degree in AI, Zulikah chooses to rely on what is measurable, reproducible, and explainable, rather than intuition. In her world, how a match plays out doesn’t come down to a single truth—it’s determined by a complex interplay of hundreds of factors.
AI-generated prediction of the PwC AI system (as of June 21, 2026).
Zulikah bases her prediction primarily on data, statistics, and measurable performance to arrive at a well-founded and explainable outcome.
Please note that the predictions are AI-generated. Due to variations in AI models, the predictions by Frank, Zulikah, and Léon may differ per user and over time.