World Cup Betting

With the next World Cup heading to North American shores, it’s time to get excited about World Cup betting. 

Here at BettingOdds, we aim to make the punter’s life simpler. Our odds comparison tables make it easy to compare World Cup odds across all the most popular sportsbooks and betting markets, so that you can find the best site for your World Cup betting needs. Read on for everything you need to know about World Cup betting for the 2026 tournament. 

2026 World Cup Favorites

There’s a long way to go until the 2026 World Cup kicks off in the US, Canada and Mexico, but let’s take a look at the six current favorites according Draftkings’ World Cup odds. 

France (+500)

France have been the most revered side in international soccer for a number of years. They won their second World Cup crown in 2018 and finished runners-up four years later in Qatar. 

If he keeps his job between now and the start of the tournament – and there’s no reason to suggest he won’t – manager Didier Deschamps will have been in charge of Les Bleus for 14 years, providing continuity in style, selection and success. In PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, he has the world’s current best player, capable of dismantling any defense. 

Mbappe is well supported by a squad of stars, including Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, wingers Kinglsey Coman and Ousmane Dembele, and Lucas and Theo Hernandez.

Brazil (+600)

A conversation about potential World Cup winners isn’t complete without mentioning Brazil, although it’s a bit of a surprise seeing them so high up on the odds list. 

Since their 7-1 defeat at the hands of Germany in the 2014 semi-final, the five-time champions haven’t quite found their form at the World Cup. Star player Neymar has just suffered a serious injury playing for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, so there are question marks over whether he’ll even be in contention to feature in what will be the 31-year-old’s last World Cup. 

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior is probably Brazil’s best player these days – he’ll play an important role alongside team-mate Eder Militao, Barcelona’s Raphinha, and PSG’s Marquinhos.

England (+700)

Gareth Southgate has almost lifted the curse that’s starved England’s men’s soccer side of success since their only World Cup win in 1966, reaching a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and a Euros final in 2021. The Three Lions again find themselves with an embarrassment of riches and nothing to show for it, although that might be about to change. 

Captain Harry Kane is now comfortably England’s all-time record goalscorer, supported by a cast of world-class talent all over the pitch. That includes Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden; Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka; and Real Madrid’s superstar midfielder, Jude Bellingham. Surely Southgate can find the winning formula with these players at his disposal.

Spain (+1000)

These World Cup odds can be explained by the amount of exciting young talent currently coming through in Spain. Barcelona’s midfield pair of Gavi and Pedri are both 20 or younger, while team-mate Lamine Yamal became La Liga’s youngest ever goalscorer in 23/24 at just 16 years and 87 days. Throw in Ansu Fati (20) and Bryan Zaragoza (22), and it’s clear that Spain’s future is bright after a period of relative unsuccess. 

Manchester City’s Rodri and Atletico Madrid’s Alvaro Morata will be two of the more experienced heads by the time the World Cup comes round – a competition Spain have won only once, back in 2010.

Germany (+1000)

Germany is another European powerhouse with little success from recent tournaments. They’ve failed to qualify from the group stages at the last two World Cups, and sacked Hansi Flick in 2023 following a string of poor results, including back-to-back home defeats to Colombia and Japan. 

There’s plenty of time for new manager Julian Nagelsmann to turn it around, but there are serious concerns over the dynamism and energy of his ageing squad. Still, through young players like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, Germany will pose a threat to every team at the tournament. Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Gundogan are some of the other big names sure to play a major role.

Argentina (+1000)

Argentina are the current champions, winning their third World Cup in 2022. It was a pleasure to watch Lionel Messi exorcise the only demon of his illustrious career by winning soccer’s ultimate prize. He’ll probably be too old by the time the next tournament comes around, but if he continues his success in the MLS he might just be persuaded to stick around. 

Man City’s Julian Alvarez will be the star player by then alongside a number of other Premier League players, including Cristian Romero, Alexis Mac Allister, Emi Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho.

World Cup Betting Markets

You’ll find plenty of World Cup betting markets at all of our recommended sportsbooks. Before you sign up to a new site, use our comparison tables to find the best World Cup odds on your preferred betting markets. Here are some of the most popular.

Tournament Winner

Simply pick the country to win the World Cup in this market. Odds will fluctuate as soon as the first game kicks off – keep an eye on any price movements, particularly if you’re looking to back an underdog. 

Player Awards

At the end of every World Cup, four individual player awards are handed out: the golden boot, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer; the golden ball, awarded to the tournament’s best player; the golden glove, awarded to the best goalkeeper; and the best young player award. Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez, Emi Martinez and Lionel Messi picked up three of these awards in 2022; Kylian Mbappe was the only outlier, winning the golden boot. 

Moneyline

The moneyline refers to straightforward bets on the outcome of a match. For any given fixture, the odds will signify a favorite by prefixing the odds with a dash sign, and an underdog by prefixing their odds with a plus sign. The number that follows these signs indicates the amount that stands to be won based on a $100 stake. Here’s an example:

• Italy (-100) is playing Canada (+300) 
• A $100 wager on Italy to win would return $100, plus the $100 stake
• A $100 wager on Canada to win would return $300, plus the $100 stake

Parlays

For longer World Cup betting odds, consider placing parlays – a bet that rolls multiple selections into one bet slip, multiplying the odds of each selection together. For the parlay to be successful, every selection must win. Same-game parlays – which focus on multiple selections within the same game – weren’t commonly available at the majority of US online sportsbooks for a while, but leading brands have changed this in recent times. 

Correct Score

World Cups can be unpredictable, so picking the correct score at full-time is never easy. Before wagering in this market in the knockout rounds, check your betting site’s approach to matches won after extra-time. 

Goalscorer Markets

You can place bets on the players you think will score in any given match. Pre-match goalscorer markets cover both first goalscorers and anytime goalscorers, while in-play bettors can wager on the next goalscorer. 

Half-Time Result

If you’ve got an idea on how the game will start but you’re unsure about the final result, you can stick to your intuition and place a bet on the score at half-time. 

Totals

Statistics such as goals, corners, cards, shots and more are the target of a betting category known as totals or prop bets. You can hone in on stats for individual players, or look at the stats relating to the teams or game in question. Features like bet builders – available at all the best World Cup betting sites – allow for punters to create personalized bet slips that combine multiple stats predictions.

World Cup Betting Bonuses 

The best way of taking advantage of World Cup betting odds is to use a welcome bonus when you first sign up to a new sportsbook. This welcome package represents the peak of any betting site’s generosity, so it makes sense to put it to good use. Just look out for the associated terms and conditions before you commit to the offer. Here are some common types of betting bonuses.

Risk-Free Bets

BetMGM, FanDuel, PointsBet and other sites like to offer new customers risk-free bets – an insurance policy on your first wager up to a specified amount. For first-time depositors, figures can reach as high as $2,000, meaning any lost first bet up to that figure will be returned in the form of free bets. 

Bonus Bets

Other sportsbooks prefer to offer free bets to new customers, which are issued in exchange for a qualifying deposit and first wager. Bonus bet offers will be rife both during the World Cup and in the weeks and months leading up to the tournament. 

Parlay Insurance

Parlay fans will want to select a sports betting site that utilizes parlay insurance, where stakes are returned if one leg of the parlay doesn’t win. 

Odds Boosts

World Cup odds will be given a boost when sportsbooks would like to increase the amount of betting activity on a particular game or event. These boosts can offer great value, so keep an eye out for these promotions throughout the tournament. 

Responsible Gambling

The World Cup is a thrilling time to be a soccer fan, but it’s important to not get carried away. All forms of gambling can be incredibly addictive, so it’s vital that punters are aware of gambling’s harms and how to prevent them.

Only betting what you can afford to lose is a good place to start. Punters should also make use of on-site limiters, avoid the urge to chase losses, and only ever bet when sober. 

Responsible gambling is about following these rules and being aware of the warning signs of problem gambling. If you’d like more information on this, visit our dedicated responsible gambling page.

And if you, or someone you know, is suffering from a gambling addiction, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling on 1-800-GAMBLER or visit the website here.

Compare World Cup Odds and Sign Up

Make sure you revisit this page as the 2026 World Cup approaches, comparing our odds guides to find the best prices at all the best soccer betting sites. In the build-up and during the tournament itself, our team of experts will be providing expert analysis and betting tips on all the games. So find your site, click through, and pick up that crucial welcome bonus. 

Frequently Asked Questions