
For a major tournament like the World Cup, you’ll see plenty of familiar betting markets along with some uncommon ones. Each market has its own quirks so let’s take a look at the most popular World Cup 2026 betting markets in detail.
Outright Winner
Betting who will win the World Cup is always one of the most popular markets. This is a simple bet. All you need to do is accurately predict the winner. What makes it complicated is that the favourites, i.e., the teams most likely to win, aren’t always worth betting on. On the other hand, the underdogs have no chance of winning.
The best outright winner wagers are on a dark horse with long shots, but not unrealistic chances of winning. Croatia were a good example of this at the 2022 World Cup.
Match Result (1X2)
Match result, or moneyline bets, are classic wagers on the outcome of a single match. You can bet on Team 1 to win, Team 2 to win, or on a draw. Whatever the case, if your prediction is right, you win. Keep in mind during the knockout rounds that match result bets only apply to the first 90 minutes. If a match goes to extra time, the result at full-time is usually what decides your bet.
Both Teams to Score (BTTS)
If you’re not sure who will win but think that there will be goals, you can bet on both teams to win. As long as both national teams in the game score a goal before the full-time whistle, you will win.
Over/Under Goals
Over/under bets are wagers on the number of goals in a game scored by both teams. They are something called totals bets because you wager on the total number of goals scored. Sportsbooks set a line and you wager whether the score will be over or under that line (e.g., over/under 2.5 goals).
Correct Score
If you’re confident that a game will end exactly 2-1, you can bet on it. The correct score market allows you to wager on the specific score of the game after 90 minutes. Payouts for this market are usually much higher than simple moneyline bets.
Top Goalscorer / Golden Boot
World Cup betting sites allow you to bet on all the major tournament award winners. The Golden Boot, the player who scores the most goals, is usually the most popular World Cup award to bet on and sure will be in 2026 too.
Stage of Elimination
While betting on which team will win the 2026 World Cup is the most popular futures betting market, you can also bet on at which stage a specific team will go out. For example, if you think Canada will make it out of the group stage, you can bet on Les Rouge to qualify for the Round of 32 or to be eliminated in that same round.
Live Betting
Live World Cup betting hasn’t always been easy in Canada because of the time difference between the host nation in Canada. With the World Cup being in North America in 2026, though, you can watch every game easily and bet on them while they’re live using our top sportsbooks.
Most of the same pre-match betting markets are available as live bets (e.g., moneyline, over/under, handicap, etc.). You will also find tons of fun new markets, like whether a team will score in the next five minutes.