Brazil to win 2014 World Cup by beating Argentina in final, says Goldman Sachs

US banking giant Goldman Sachs has reportedly predicted that hosts Brazil will win the 2014 FIFA World Cup by beating Argentina 3-1 in the final.

A detailed analysis from economists at the banking firm also foresaw that England will finish third in Group D, marking the end of their tournament, with Italy and Uruguay progressing to the knockout round.

According to The Guardian, Goldman used a model based on each team's track record and characteristics to predict that Brazil would emerge as the clear favourite, with a 48.5 probability of winning in Rio, followed by Argentina, adding that Spain is expected to be knocked out in the semifinals alongside Germany.

The Goldman report said that England just has a 1.4 percent chance of winning the tournament as it has suffered almost 50 years of continual disappointment since its sole World Cup victory in 1966, adding that the team adds up to less than the sum of its parts despite having top names like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, and Joe Hart.

However, the report mentioned that England's probable failure at the 2014 World Cup might have a silver lining as the UK economy tends to do better when England's football team is doing worse.