Artificial intelligence sees Norway as strongest dark horse at World Cup

Norway tops the ranking of AI-identified dark horses for the 2026 World Cup with 548 mentions, according to an analysis by media monitoring and PR firm APA-Comm, released Monday.

Japan (547) and Morocco (529) follow closely behind, almost tied. Colombia (357) and Ecuador (288) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, with Austria sixth at 242 mentions.

For the study, leading AI models including ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Perplexity were presented with a catalog of 25 questions about potential dark horse teams every other day over a three-week period. Top favorites for the title were deliberately excluded.

The models regularly identify both Norway and Japan as teams with enough quality to surprise established football powerhouses. For Norway, responses focus primarily on the individual talent surrounding Erling Haaland and the team's strong qualifying campaign. Japan impresses the AI systems with its tactical discipline, technical skill and quick transitions.

Morocco also ranks highly. The current Africa Cup of Nations champion joins Norway and Japan at the top of the AI dark horse list for the 2026 World Cup.

According to APA-Comm, the results show that generative AI systems do not always paint a consistent picture, with their responses offering insights into which images, terms and weightings emerge — and how those shape the perception and prioritization of topics.

"AI results must always be viewed critically and contextualized, as AI systems are prone to hallucinations," the company said.