Brazil is getting more support from the world’s biggest banks — to win the World Cup.
UBS picked host country Brazil as the odds-on favorite to win the soccer tournament, which starts Thursday.
While the Swiss bank is picking the legendary squad to win, it isn’t as sure as the bankers at Goldman Sachs — which issued a report on the World Cup last week.
UBS said Brazil has a 30 percent chance of winning — Goldman put the odds of Brazil hoisting the trophy at 46.5 percent.
Argentina is the No. 2 pick for both banks.
Andreas Hoefert, UBS’ chief economist and regional chief investment officer in Europe, who wrote the 18-page report, cautioned that during the 2010 tournament, his predictions lost to that of Paul, a German octopus that correctly predicted the winning teams through the finals.
“Under-performing a mollusk was humbling to say the least,” he said.
Hoefert goes on to say that, while he isn’t a fulltime soccer fan, he correctly predicted Italy to win in 2006. Spain won the 2010 championship.