World Cup 2026 betting guide
World Cup betting is available now, with the biggest football tournament also drawing some of the biggest punters. FIFA World Cup ’26 betting opened before the conclusion of the last event, with Brazil, Spain and Germany opening favourite. Spain has since emerged as a clear frontrunner to win the tournamemt, with France, Brazil and England seemingly their biggest threats. The Football World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada is due to begin on June 11, 2026. Read on to learn about World Cup betting sites and apps, football wagering strategy, WC odds and of course, insight into who is in the box seat to win the World Cup.
World Cup betting news 2026
FIFA World Cup previews
FIFA World Cup 26 betting
Welcome to the big show. The biggest stand-alone sporting event in the world.
Not to mention far and away the biggest sports betting event. Tens of billions of dollars turned over, through legal and illegal means, in the space of a month on 104 matches in host nations USA, Mexico and Canada, involving the 48 qualified teams.
The previous World Cup in Qatar in 2026 was a smash hit, with Argentina emerging as the champions. They are again among the favourites for World Cup 2026, along with the samba superstars of Brazil, Germany and Spain.
With the World Cup expanding from 32 to 48 teams, FIFA World Cup 2026 looms as a great one of for educated punters, with, as we have seen in the cricket World Cup, blowouts common and betting opportunities galore.
Our football experts at the World Gambling List aim to keep you abreast of important events and news that will affect the odds and chances of each team in the lead-up to the tournament, which starts in Moscow in mid-June.
World Cup winner odds
- 🇪🇸 Spain – 5.50
- 🇫🇷 France – 6.00
- 🏴 England – 6.50
- 🇧🇷 Brazil – 9.00
- 🇦🇷 Argentina – 9.50
- 🇩🇪 Germany – 13.00
- 🇵🇹 Portugal – 13.00
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands – 19.00
- 🇧🇪 Belgium – 21.00
- 🇳🇴 Norway – 23.00
- 🇨🇴 Colombia – 46.00
- 🇲🇦 Morocco – 46.00
- 🇯🇵 Japan – 61.00
- 🇺🇸 USA – 61.00
- 🇲🇽 Mexico – 76.00
- 🇨🇭Switzerland – 76.00
- 🇺🇾 Uruguay – 76.00
- 🇭🇷 Croatia – 91.00
- 🇪🇨 Ecuador – 91.00
- 🇸🇳 Senegal – 91.00
- 🇸🇪 Sweden – 91.00
- 🏴 Scotland – 101.00
- 🇦🇹 Austria – 126.00
- 🇵🇾 Paraguay – 126.00
- 🇹🇷 Turkiye – 126.00
- 🇨🇦 Canada – 226.00
- 🇨🇿 Czechia – 276.00
- 🇪🇬 Egypt – 276.00
- 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast – 276.00
- 🇩🇿 Algeria – 376.00
- 🇬🇭 Ghana – 376.00
- 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina – 476.00
- 🇮🇷 Iran – 476.00
- 🇰🇷 South Korea – 476.00
- 🇹🇳 Tunisia – 476.00
- 🇦🇺 Australia – 501.00
- 🇨🇻 Cape Verde – 501.00
- 🇨🇼 Curacao – 501.00
- 🇨🇩 DR Congo – 501.00
- 🇭🇹 Haiti – 501.00
- 🇮🇶 Iraq – 501.00
- 🇯🇴 Jordan – 501.00
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand – 501.00
- 🇵🇦 Panama – 501.00
- 🇶🇦 Qatar – 501.00
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia – 501.00
- 🇿🇦 South Africa – 501.00
- 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan – 501.00
Quick links
Quick guide to World Cup 2026
- First match: Thursday, June 11: Mexico v South Africa, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.
- World Cup final: Sunday, 19 July 2026, New Jersey Stadium
- Defending champions: Argentina (defeated France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final at Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar).
- The draw: The 2026 World Cup Finals will be staged across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, broken down as below.
- United States (11): Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle
- Mexico (3): Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
- Canada (2): Toronto, Vancouver
World Cup Groups 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the biggest expansion in tournament history, growing from 32 teams to 48 nations and increasing the number of groups from eight to 12. The expanded format will also see the tournament rise from 64 matches to 104 games, creating a longer competition and significantly more opportunities for global audiences, broadcasters and betting markets.
Group A
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- 🇰🇷 South Korea
Winner Play-Off D
Group D
- 🇺🇸 United States
- 🇵🇾 Paraguay
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇹🇷 Turkey
Group G
- 🇧🇪 Belgium
- 🇪🇬 Egypt
- 🇮🇷 Iran
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Group J
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- 🇩🇿 Algeria
- 🇦🇹 Austria
- 🇯🇴 Jordan
Group B
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Winner Play-Off A
- 🇶🇦 Qatar
- 🇨🇭Switzerland
Group E
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇨🇼 Curaçao
- 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
- 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Group H
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇨🇻 Cape Verde
- 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
- 🇺🇾 Uruguay
Group K
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Winner Play-Off 1
- 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
- 🇨🇴 Colombia
Group C
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇲🇦 Morocco
- 🇭🇹 Haiti
- 🏴 Scotland
Group F
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Winner Play-Off B
- 🇹🇳 Tunisia
Group I
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇸🇳 Senegal
- Winner Play-Off 2
- 🇳🇴 Norway
Group L
- 🏴 England
- 🇭🇷 Croatia
- 🇬🇭 Ghana
- 🇵🇦 Panama
World Cup Qualifying groups
The draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers was decided on December 13, 2024, with qualifying matches set to kick off in 2025.
The qualifying groups fell like this for the Qatar World Cup:
- Pot 1: Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Croatia, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria
- Pot 2: Ukraine, Sweden, Turkiye, Wales, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Czechia, Norway
- Pot 3: Scotland, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Albania, North Macedonia, Georgia, Finland, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel
- Pot 4: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Kosovo, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Lithuania
- Pot 5: Moldova, Malta, Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino
Top FIFA World Cup betting sites
The best FIFA World Cup betting sites are determined by your location and the laws you are living under. For instance, Australian betting sites are perfectly legal and you can safely wager on the World Cup, with this situation mirrored in many football-playing nations.
Where FIFA World Cup betting can be confusing is when you are located in a country with murky gambling laws, like New Zealand or Canada, which allow their residents to wager with international betting sites.
Canadians for instance, with the exception of Ontario residents, are free to bet with most betting sites globally, including major names like Betway, William Hill and bet365. Ontario has regulated sports betting and has its own options for World Cup betting.
Regulated operators like the top United Kingdom betting sites will accept millions of GBP worth of bets on the World Cup, and will cater to the event accordingly, with things like bonus bet offers and free bet deals ramping up as the tournament draws closer.
Top FIFA World Cup betting apps
Betway review
Sunbet.co.za review & sign up bonus 2026
The most common way people will bet on the FIFA World Cup is via betting apps, with these likely the no.1 way people wager on sports in 2026. The most common FIFA World Cup betting apps come on Android, iOS and increasingly Huawei smartphones and tablets.
Android betting apps can be downloaded directly from online bookmakers or via Google Play, with what is open to you, largely depending on your location and the laws you live under. For instance, regulated gambling markets, like the United Kingdom and Australia, allow betting apps in Google Play, while many Asian countries, where sports betting is frowned upon, will not allow them.
iOS betting apps can only be downloaded directly from the App Store in most cases, with no third-party or non-market apps available on Apple smartphones and tablets. But if you are in a country with regulated sports betting, you will find betting apps in the App Store, with this including many countries with strong interest in the football world cup. There is a slight caveat to this, with Apple allowing side-loading or alternative apps in some EU markets, in accordance with DMA rules.
Huawei devices continue to support betting apps, particularly through AppGallery and direct APK downloads. Older Huawei devices still operate with broader Android compatibility, while newer models rely more heavily on Huawei’s own mobile ecosystem following restrictions on Google Mobile Services.
Result of past World Cups
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Score | Host nation/s | Top scorer/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | – | – | USA/Can/Mexico | – |
| 2022 | Argentina | France | 3-3, Argentina won 4-2 on penalties | Qatar | Kylian Mbappe (France) 8 |
| 2018 | France | Croatia | 4-2 | Russia | Harry Kane (England) 6 |
| 2014 | Germany | Argentina | 1-0 | Brazil | James Rodríguez (Colombia) 6 |
| 2010 | Spain | Netherlands | 1-0 | South Africa | Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Thomas Müller (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) 5 |
| 2006 | Italy | France | 1-1, then Italy d France 5-3 on penalties | Germany | Miroslav Klose (Germany) 5 |
| 2002 | Brazil | Germany | 2-0 | Japan / S. Korea | Ronaldo (Brazil) 8 |
| 1998 | France | Brazil | 3-0 | France | Davor Šuker (Croatia) 6 |
| 1994 | Brazil | Italy | 0-0, then Brazil d Italy 3-2 on penalties | US | Oleg Salenko (Russia), Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria) 6 |
| 1990 | Germany | Argentina | 1-0 | Italy | Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) 6 |
| 1986 | Argentina | Germany | 3-2 | Mexico | Gary Lineker (England) 6 |
| 1982 | Italy | Germany | 3-1 | Spain | Paolo Rossi (Italy) 6 |
| 1978 | Argentina | Holland | 3-1 | Argentina | Mario Kempes (Argentina) 6 |
| 1974 | Germany | Holland | 2-1 | Germany | Grzegorz Lato (Poland) 7 |
| 1970 | Brazil | Italy | 4-1 | Mexico | Gerd Müller (West Germany) 10 |
| 1966 | England | Germany | 4-2 | England | Eusébio (Portugal) 9 |
| 1962 | Brazil | Czechoslovakia | 3-1 | Chile | Flórián Albert (Hungary), Garrincha (Brazil), Valentin Ivanov (Soviet Union), Dražan Jerković (Yugoslavia), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Vavá (Brazil) 4 |
| 1958 | Brazil | Sweden | 5-2 | Sweden | Just Fontaine (France) 13 |
| 1954 | Germany | Hungary | 3-2 | Switzerland | Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) 11 |
| 1950 | Uruguay | Brazil | 2-1 | Brazil | Ademir (Brazil) 8 |
| 1946 | not held | ||||
| 1942 | not held | ||||
| 1938 | Italy | Hungary | 4-2 | France | Leônidas (Brazil) 7 |
| 1934 | Italy | Czechoslovakia | 2-1 | Italy | Oldřich Nejedlý (Czechoslovakia) 5 |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Argentina | 4-2 | Uruguay | Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) 8 |
World rankings for the 48 World Cup teams
(As at May 19, 2026)
- France – 1877.32
- Spain – 1876.40
- Argentina – 1874.81
- England – 1825.97
- Portugal – 1763.83
- Brazil – 1761.16
- Netherlands – 1752.44
- Morocco – 1738.12
- Belgium – 1736.38
- Germany – 1714.05
- Croatia – 1701.77
- Uruguay – 1694.31
- Colombia – 1687.90
- United States – 1678.55
- Mexico – 1669.12
- Japan – 1652.80
- Switzerland – 1648.44
- Iran – 1637.51
- Denmark – 1629.92
- Senegal – 1618.40
- South Korea – 1604.22
- Australia – 1588.63
- Austria – 1577.98
- Ecuador – 1569.34
- Paraguay – 1557.02
- Türkiye – 1554.21
- Egypt – 1546.85
- Canada – 1538.76
- Norway – 1527.41
- Algeria – 1514.63
- Czechia – 1506.20
- Tunisia – 1501.28
- Scotland – 1496.77
- Côte d’Ivoire – 1489.91
- Saudi Arabia – 1478.04
- Ghana – 1455.22
- Uzbekistan – 1448.67
- South Africa – 1439.81
- Panama – 1428.74
- Qatar – 1416.55
- Cape Verde – 1407.19
- Iraq (50) – 1399.11
- DR Congo (51) – 1396.82
- Bosnia and Herzegovina (60) – 1371.04
- Sweden (61) – 1368.55
- Curacao (82) – 1299.74
- Haiti (83) – 1294.31
- New Zealand (85) – 1287.42
World Cup history (1930-2026)
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest and most prestigious tournament in world football, with the event first staged in 1930 FIFA World Cup and held every four years ever since, except during World War II. By the time the 2026 tournament kicks off across United States, Canada and Mexico, there will have been 23 editions of the tournament.
No nation has dominated the World Cup more than Brazil, who have won the trophy five times. The Brazilians lifted the cup in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, with legendary players such as Pelé, Romário and Ronaldo Nazário defining different eras of dominance.
Germany and Italy sit next with four titles each, while Argentina has won three World Cups, including the dramatic 2022 triumph inspired by Lionel Messi. France and Uruguay have each won twice, while England and Spain have each won once.
South America and Europe have completely dominated the competition historically. No African, Asian, North American or Oceanian nation has ever won the FIFA World Cup. The closest an African side has come was Morocco reaching the semi-finals in 2022, becoming the first African nation to achieve the feat. Before that, Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 all reached the quarter-finals.
For North America, the best modern performances have come from United States, Mexico and Canada, but none have seriously challenged for the title in the modern era. The United States did finish third in the inaugural 1930 World Cup.
When it comes to goalscoring, no player in history has scored more World Cup goals than Miroslav Klose, who netted 16 goals across four tournaments for Germany. He overtook Brazil icon Ronaldo at the 2014 World Cup. Messi, meanwhile, holds the record for the most World Cup appearances and became the face of the modern era after finally winning the trophy in Qatar.
Other legendary World Cup scorers include Just Fontaine, who remarkably scored 13 goals in a single tournament in 1958 — still a World Cup record — alongside Pelé, Gerd Müller and Kylian Mbappé, who is already climbing the all-time charts heading into 2026.