---
title: "Polling the World (Cup): Who Will Win in South Africa?"
description: "Of the 22 nations surveyed before the start of the soccer tournament, a plurality in 14 countries -- including every nation not picking its own country -- predicted that Brazil would win the 2010 World Cup."
date: "2010-06-14"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2010/06/14/polling-the-world-cup-who-will-win-in-south-africa/"
---

# Polling the World (Cup): Who Will Win in South Africa?

Of the 22 nations polled in this year’s Pew Global Attitudes survey — completed prior to the kickoff of the famous international soccer tournament — a plurality in 14 countries predicted that five-time champion Brazil would win the 2010 World Cup.This includes all 11 countries surveyed that are not participating in the soccer competition. The only publics who did not expect a Brazil victory chose their own country to leave South Africa victorious. As might be expected, Brazilians were the most confident in their team’s chances; three-quarters predicted their country would be the eventual victors. Self-confidence was also high in Spain, where 58% saw a Spanish victory in this year’s World Cup. A plurality of soccer fans in Argentina (43% saw victory for their country), Germany (36%), Nigeria (35%), France (24%), Mexico (23%), Britain (20% chose England) and the U.S (13%) foresaw a tournament win for their country. Still, Brazil was nearly as popular a pick in France (22%), Britain (18%) and the U.S. (12%) as was the home country. Brazil was also the overwhelming favorite in South Korea (43%) and China (31%). [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1630/obama-more-popular-abroad-global-american-image-benefit-22-nation-global-survey)