Top 10 Predictions for 2016

As early as 2011, controversy has plagued the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar. The country’s bid was actually made much earlier than that though, and the win will make Qatar the first Arab state to host the World Cup. However, ongoing investigations into bribery surrounding the decision, along with the 2015 FIFA corruption case and work-related deaths in 2016, all point to the Middle Eastern country losing the prestigious honor this year.

It’s set to be a massive year at the movies, and the DC Extended Universe will likely wrest a lot of attention away from its Marvel counterparts. The likes of “Deadpool” and the third installment of “Captain America” will obviously fare well, but “Batman v Superman” will be the highest grossing movie of 2016, although we have a sneaking suspicion that it won’t live up to the hype. “Suicide Squad” is another that’ll earn incredible amounts of money, although it’s another in danger of being a major disappointment.

If you like to lay a little money on the sports scores, and even if you don’t, then here’s what will happen in American football, basketball and hockey. The Carolina Panthers will win Super Bowl 50; ESPN says Cardinals, and it is a close call, but we call Panthers. In the NBA, the championship is headed back to California for a second year running, in the hands of the Golden State Warriors. The biggest ‘shock’ will come with the Stanley Cup, however, where, for the first time since 1993, the colossal trophy will be won by a Canadian team.

Virtual reality is becoming more accessible by the day, and 2016 will see it enter into the family home more so than ever before. But for all the ground-breaking technology, there’s sure to be some bone-breaking injuries. The idea of VR is brilliant; strap on some goggles, glove up and transport yourself to all manner of alternative worlds, what could be cooler? But in actual reality, running around your front room in a high-tech blindfold is sure to end painfully on occasion. If you’re lucky enough to land a VR set this Christmas, then play safe!

He’s been hotly tipped on many an Oscar night before now, but 2016 could finally be Leonardo DiCaprio’s year. Previously nominated as best supporting actor for 1993’s “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” and best actor for 2004’s “The Aviator”, 2006’s “Blood Diamond” and 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”, it could be a case of fifth time lucky for Leo. In 2016, he’s expected to receive Academy praise for epic survival thriller, “The Revenant”. With Eddie Redmayne and Matt Damon likely to be his closest rivals, it’ll be a narrow win, but one that this guy probably deserves.

The Large Hadron Collider will continue its work in 2016, racing particles into each other at monumental speeds and seeing what happens. Aiming to further our understanding of fundamental science and physics, one of the machine’s main purposes is to investigate the properties of ‘dark matter’, a material that seems to account for a bit more than a quarter of the mass-energy in the entire universe. Any discoveries that are made could change our view of life forever, but the skeptics will always label the collider as manmade Armageddon waiting to happen. Let’s hope the latter holds off, for 2016 at least.

2015 saw Facebook regain the top spot in the social media wars, with Twitter falling behind a little. But don’t expect Twitter to settle for lower, particularly as it’s still one of the most used Internet services in the world. What it needs is a high profile business merger, the like of which Facebook is becoming increasingly famous for. And what better business partner in the Internet industry than Google? Google’s 2015 rebranding as Alphabet is a sure-fire statement of its multifaceted intent; it’s just a matter of time before Twitter gets on board.

Staying with tech, Apple shows no sign of loosening its grip on its many markets, and 2016 Apple products will surely only be bigger, better and bolder than anything else before. That’s why we’re predicting an iCar of some description. Electric, self-driving vehicles are inching ever closer to becoming a widespread reality, so we’re tipping Apple to wade into the race, and to win it. iCar will likely be controllable through your Apple Watch, phone or pad, and purchasable in a trendy collection of colors. We’re pre-empting a June 2016 release, with the super-spec iCar 6+ available by July…

He’s one of the most controversial figures in modern politics, and his brazen ideas have captured attention all over the globe. Donald Trump seems to run with the philosophy that ‘all publicity is good publicity’ as he continues to attack and discredit certain sections of society. His outrageous tactics could get him so far, but those of an anti-Trump persuasion can rest assured, as we’re predicting that he won’t make it to the White House. If, or when, Trump lands the Republican lead, the Democrats can count on at least one more term.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Jaime Lannister Will Die on ‘Game of Thrones’
Virgin Galactic Will Finally Fly
Europe Will End its Open Border Policy
Tutankhamun Research Will Change Our View on Human History
A New ‘Doctor Who’ Will Be Announced

In terms of space travel, Mars is the new moon, and NASA is headed there for one of its most ambitious missions ever in 2016. The InSight Lander is being sent to the Red Planet to study the core of one of our nearest neighbors. In a literal scratching below the planet’s surface, scientists hope that the trip will uncover even more significant findings than 2015’s ‘liquid water’ discovery. If there is life on Mars, then there’s a very real possibility that humans will make contact with it very soon. InSight should land on Mars in September, so watch this space!

Do you agree with our list? What do you think will happen? For more top 10s that tell the future published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com