World Cup 2026 Betting Guide: Top Sportsbooks, Odds & Favorites

The World Cup is coming to Canada! That’s right, in 2026, Canada will host the World Cup along with the United States and Mexico. It will be the first 48-team World Cup and a must-watch event for anyone interested in sports.

This guide will cover everything you need to know about World Cup 2026 betting, including the contenders, top sportsbooks, and more.

Top 10 World Cup Betting Sites

Before we can get into the main guide, I need to get some basic facts out of the way. Here are the main World Cup 2026 betting odds, markets, and other important details about the big tournament.

The World Cup betting odds represent two things: One, the teams’ chances of winning (according to the betting site), and two, how many people have a bet on a team to win. If a team is likely to win or if there are lots of bets on them to win, their odds will go down and vice versa.

For the host nations - Canada, Mexico, and the USA - Mexico is the favorite to win, but the USA will likely have the most bettors, making them the top contender in the odds.

Here are the current odds at Betovo Sportsbook:

The 2026 World Cup is the biggest in history with a staggering 48 teams in the competition. Like every other year, though, there are really only a few teams who can win it. Here are the main World Cup favorites for 2026. 

Argentina

After winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Argentina and Lionel Messi are one of the big favourites to win again in 2026. It will be difficult, with Messi being four years older and his teammates not progressing as expected. As long as he’s able to play, though, the betting sites will give La Albiceleste a good chance of winning the World Cup. 

France

France have made it to back-to-back World Cup finals. They won in 2018, beating Croatia, and fell to Argentina in 2022. Unlike Croatia and Argentina, though, France continues to churn out young talent to play alongside established stars like Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Barring some massive off-the-field drama, which is always possible with France,  Les Bleus should be one of the favorites. 

Spain

Spain under Luis de la Fuente at Euro 2024 showed the world that they were more than just pointless possession. They will get the chance to do it again in the US, Canada, and Mexico in 2026 led by rising stars Pedri, Lamin Yamal, Nico Williams, and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. 

England

England invented football, but they haven’t brought it home in a long time. Well, the men’s team at least. The Three Lions regularly have one of the most talented teams with stars like Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Cole Palmer. They also get plenty of support from English bettors, so they are often the favourites heading into tournaments. 

England also regularly disappoint. Will they again in 2026? That remains to be seen. 

Brazil

Brazil are the most successful team in World Cup history. They are the only nation to have played in all 22 World Cup tournaments and they have won it five times. That success is long in the past, though. O Seleção haven’t won since 2002 and will likely be without a generational star on the team for the first time in history if Neymar doesn’t play.

That said, Brazil are everyone’s second-favorite team, so they will probably be among the contenders according to the World Cup Betting odds in 2026. 

Germany

Brazil are the only country who have won more World Cups than Germany. And, like Brazil, Germany have underperformed at recent tournaments. Die Nationalelf have failed to make it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups and they don’t have the star power they used to. That said, Julian Nagelsmann is a good coach and they made it to the quarter-finals of the last Euros. 

Choosing the right sportsbook is one of the most crucial keys to success on your World Cup betting journey, and we’re here to help you find the sports betting site that fits your needs the best. Here’s a list and quick breakdown of our top 10 betting sites right now:

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.

There’s no guaranteed way to win money betting on the 2026 World Cup. However, there are some World Cup betting strategies you can use to increase your chances of winning or, at the very least, extend your bankroll for as long as possible.

Here are my top tips that you should keep in mind before you place your World Cup bets:

1. Research teams and players: You shouldn’t be placing bets if you don’t know anything about the teams or players. Even if you think you know some things, you go deeper and focus on recent form and how the team compares to their opponent’s squad. 
2. Bet with value, not emotion: The key to being a good sports bettor is finding value where others don’t see it. Do your best to avoid bias towards the favourites. If you can think logically and see through the hype, you will greatly increase your chances of winning. 
3. Understanding different betting markets: Every different betting market has a different set of variables that go into the odds and likelihoods of potential outcomes. The things that affect the over/under line don’t always affect the moneyline market. Understanding the nuances of each market will help you be able to identify good bets. 
4. Managing your bankroll: The best thing you can do to extend your bankroll is to actively manage it. This means making a budget, sticking to it, and keeping track of your wins and losses. 
5. Watch the live betting markets: Live betting odds don’t always reflect the status of a game. Keeping track of the live betting markets is a good way to spot high-value bets. 

Betting on Team Canada

As fun as the Canadian Men’s National Team are to support, Les Rouges are not one of the favourites heading into 2026. Most soccer betting sites have Canada right around the middle of the pack for World Cup betting odds.

With all this being said, Canada have some real star power that a lot of nations around them in the FIFA rankings don’t have. Most countries would kill to have players like Alphonso Davies and  Jonathan David in their ranks. This quality alone is probably enough to guarantee that Canada get out of the group stage. 

When you add to this star power the fact that Canada are co-hosts, our team here at Bettingtop10 think the Canucks have a chance of going further than many expect. It might be worth taking a punt on Canada making it to the Round of 16 or the quarter-finals.

The top World Cup 2026 betting sites will have special soccer betting bonuses and promos for the World Cup. For me, these offers can make or break a sportsbook during a major tournament. In other words, sports betting bonuses make it more valuable to play at one sportsbook over another. I’m always going to go where I can get the most value, and you should too. 

Here are some of the most common sportsbook bonuses for the 2026 World Cup:

• Boosted Bets: Wagers with enhanced odds for certain World Cup betting markets, such as a specific player to score or a team to win by more than one goal.  
• Free Bets if Your Team Scores/Concedes: These bonuses give you a free bet if certain conditions are met. A promo could give you a free $5 bet if you bet $20+ on a team to win and that team scores. Whether they actually win wouldn’t matter. 
• Single-bet Insurance: Sportsbooks know that no one likes to be on the wrong end of a bad beat. Single-bet insurance promos allow you to get your money back in certain situations. For example, if you bet on a team to win and they blow a two-goal lead or more.  
• Parlay Insurance: Parlays can have huge payouts, but they are risky. To minimise that risk, many sportsbooks allow you to get all or a portion of your bet back if just one of your parlay legs loses.
• Daily Missions: Sportsbooks will set out “missions” that reward free bets for wagering a certain amount of money on specific markets. These promos can be very valuable if you already planned on betting above the minimum needed for the mission anyways. 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be the biggest in history. It will be hosted across three countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will feature 48 different countries. The 2022 World Cup had just 32 teams and was hosted in Qatar, the smallest country ever to host the World Cup. 

Group Stage Format

With more teams in the tournament, FIFA had to change the format. Initially, they were going to have 16 groups of three teams. After the dramatic final group stage matches in 2022, though, Gianni Infantino made a U-turn and decided to keep the four-team group format. 

The 2026 World Cup will have 12 groups of four. Every team will play the other teams in their group once for a total of three games each. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the Round of 32. 

The group stage will start on June 11, 2026 and finish on June 27, 2026. This isn’t a lot of time to play 72 games, so teams won’t get a lot of rest and multiple group stage games will be played at the same time on the final day of each group. This is something to keep in mind when you place your World Cup bets.  

Knockout Stage Format:

The 2026 World Cup knockout stage will be a 32-team single-elimination tournament after the group stage. It will all start with the Round of 32 on June 28, 2026 and culminate with the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19, 2026. 

If a knockout match is tied at the end of regular time, it will go to extra time, and eventually penalties if the score is still level. This can influence live betting during a game and pre-match betting betting for the next match since a team will be more fatigued if they had to play extra time in their previous match. 

World Cup 2026 will be the 23rd World Cup. The World Cup in general is the biggest sporting spectacle in the world. It wasn’t always like that, though. The tournament started in 1930 by FIFA president Jules Rimet as an attempt to challenge the Olympics’ monopoly on international soccer competitions. [1] Not everyone was on board with this new competition. 

Even though Rimet and FIFA were based in France at the time, European teams especially weren’t interested in playing in the 1930 World Cup. It was hosted in Uruguay and several top European teams, including England, didn’t compete. 

Despite this rough start, the World Cup was a success. The next two editions were hosted in Europe, Italy and France, which added legitimacy to the competition. After WWII, England played in its first World Cup in 1950. Then, Pele’s Brazil in the 60s and 70s cemented the competition as the must-see event that it still is today.

World Cup All-Time Performance Table

Analysis & Insights 

As you can see from the table, Brazil have dominated the World Cup historically. They are the only team who have played in all 22 tournaments and only Germany has made more World Cup finals. However, the Seleção haven’t made it past the quarter-finals since 2002. 

Germany and Italy are in similar finals draughts. Both nations have four titles, but Germany haven’t made it out of the group stage since 2014. Italy haven’t even qualified for the World Cup since then. 

Argentina and France, the two other most successful teams in World Cup history, have done very well in recent years. France won the tournament in 2018 and made the final in 2022, where they lost to Argentina.

Betting on major events like the 2026 World Cup can make them more exciting and fun to watch. However, this can only happen if you gamble responsibly. 

You should always have a budget before you bet and never gamble more than you are willing to lose. It’s also important you practice healthy betting habits that promote safe gambling. I always recommend keeping track of your wins and losses. This helps you have a clear picture of your spending, which is important for deciding whether you need to stop.

My best piece of advice, though, is to bet with your head and not your emotions. Don’t place a bet without thinking it through and never chase losses with risky wagers. Additionally, don’t bet when you’re under the influence and can’t think clearly.

Overall, you should remember that sports betting is supposed to be fun, not a source of stress or income.

If sports betting ever stops feeling fun or if you feel you need help, there are organisations you can turn to for support.

• GamTalk
• ConnexOntario
• Responsible Gambling Council
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

In addition to these outside resources, many sportsbooks themselves have responsible gambling tools that I recommend you use. These include time, deposit, and loss limits.  You can also permanently close your account by signing up to a sportsbook’s self-exclusion list.

[1] https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Cup-football. Retrieved 31 July 2025.