How To Bet on the 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on Thursday June 11th, with the final set to take place at the MetLife Stadium in New York on Sunday July 19th. Below, we have detailed the best World Cup markets to bet on, as well as advice on how to pick your World Cup bets, and more.
What is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup is an international soccer tournament, with 48 nations taking part, and 104 games scheduled in total. The 2026 World Cup is the 23rd edition of the competition, that takes place every four years. The 2026 World Cup is hosted by three nations, USA, Canada, and Mexico.
How does the 2026 World Cup work?
The 2026 World Cup has a new format compared to the traditional layout of the tournament. For the first time in its history, the 2026 World Cup will feature 48 nations, as opposed to the traditional 32 nation format.
There is an initial group stage, with 12 groups, all made up of four teams. First and second place from each group will progress to the round of 32, as will the nine best third placed teams from across the groups. Then, the tournament enters its knockout stages, which features a round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
What are the groups at the 2026 World Cup?
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
Group B: Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
World Cup Betting Odds Explained
To select your soccer bets for the 2026 World Cup, it’s vital that you understand the difference between positive and negative odds, and what they mean.
What are positive odds?
Positive odds, displayed as +150 for example, mean that if you bet $100 on this selection and your bet wins, your profit will be $150, with the total return being $250 (including your $100 stake).
The higher the positive odds, the less likely your bet is to win. For example, France are one of the favorites to win the World Cup at around +550, while Croatia are an underdog at around +9000 on most US sportsbooks.
What are negative odds?
Contrary to positive odds, negative odds indicate that your selection has a strong chance of winning. Negative odds, displayed as -140 for example, mean that this is the amount you need to bet in order to make $100 profit, so it works slightly differently than positive odds. If you bet $140 on a World Cup selection at -140 and it wins, your profit will be $100, with the total return being $240.
The higher the negative odds, the more likely your bet is to win. For example, a selection priced at -900 means you must bet $900 in order to make $100 profit, while a selection priced at -200 means you only need to bet $200 in order to make $100 profit. The -900 selections is deemed by the sportsbook to be more likely to win, therefore you need to wager more to make $100 in profit.
Popular World Cup Betting Markets
There is a wide range of soccer betting markets and lines for the World Cup, including team markets and player props. Here is a breakdown of the most popular soccer markets to be on for the World Cup.
Moneyline
Moneyline betting is one of the most popular soccer markets to bet on. Moneyline betting is where you place a wager on the match result, traditionally from three outcomes; Team A to Win, Draw, Team B to Win. Moneyline betting is popular for both singles and parlays in soccer, and this market will be available for every game at the 2026 World Cup.
Totals
Totals betting in soccer is where you bet on a specific line to be met or not to be met, typically for goals, cards, or corners. An example of a totals bet in soccer is wagering on Over 2.5 Goals in Turkey v USA. You can bet on combined totals, including total match goals, as well as team totals, including USA total corners. You can also bet on unders, as well as overs, in totals betting. Again, totals bets for soccer are popular in singles, parlays, and more.
Spread
Spread betting is another excellent World Cup betting market, particularly with the number of mismatches in the group stage. Spread betting can help you get more competitive odds on short-priced favorites. A spread bet is when you bet on a soccer team to win with a goal advantage or disadvantage.
For example, USA might be +140 to win v Turkey, but +400 on the -1.5 spread market, meaning USA must win by two or more goals for the bet to win. Spread betting is also available for underdogs, for example, Haiti might be +900 to win v Brazil, but +200 on the +2.5 spread market, which could offer some value - this bet means that Haiti would need to lose by three or more goals for your bet to lose. World Cup spread betting is a popular market to use for parlays and single wagers.
Player Shots
Player shots is one of the most popular player prop markets to bet on in soccer, and is a strong market to wager on for the World Cup. Player shots markets are simple, individual players will be given shot lines, such as 1+ shots or 2+ shots, that you can bet on. Shot on target lines are also common, and can provide higher payouts. Player shots and shots on target markets are often combined into parlays or same-game parlays.
Anytime Goalscorer
Another popular soccer market for player prop betting is the anytime goalscorer market. The majority of sportsbooks offer the following goalscorer markets; anytime goalscorer, first goalscorer, last goalscorer, and to score 2+ goals. Goalscorer markets can provide high payouts, especially when combined into parlays or same-game parlays.
Futures Betting
A different method to betting on the World Cup is futures betting, which is a longer term betting approach compared to betting on specific games. Futures betting in soccer is where you can bet on outcomes at the end of a tournament like the World Cup, for example; World Cup winners and World Cup Golden Boot.
World Cup Winners
This is the most popular futures market for the World Cup, with the majority of US Sportsbooks, including BetFanatics, offering this market. The World Cup winner market will remain live throughout the tournament, with the current favorites being Spain, France, and England. Simply navigate to the World Cup winner futures market, select the nation you want to bet on and place your wager.
Golden Boot
The World Cup Golden Boot futures market is another popular soccer market to bet on. The Golden Boot is awarded to the highest goalscorer at the World Cup, with Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane the pre-tournament favorites. You can bet on the World Cup Golden Boot futures market pre-tournament and during the World Cup with BetFanatics.
Group Winners
There are 12 groups at the 2026 World Cup, each made up of four nations. Many sportsbooks, including BetFanatics, offer Group Winners futures markets for the World Cup. A popular method to bet on group winners is selecting nations to bet on in a futures parlay. Group winners odds will change during the tournament, as results shape each group.
World Cup Betting Tips & Research Advice
There is a wide range of markets to bet on during the World Cup, which have been analyzed above. Another key thing to consider is how you select your World Cup bets and the most important factors and statistics to analyze.
Team Form & Player Availability
The main point of research you should do before placing your World Cup soccer bets is on team and player form, as well as player availability and injury news. Wagering on international soccer can be difficult, as there is less team form to analyze compared to betting on domestic soccer. But, you can assess previous major tournaments, as well as World Cup Qualifying results.
The same applies to player stats, including shots, fouls, cards, and goalscoring data. One key area to keep up to date with is injury news and predicted teams for soccer betting. Always check player injury news before placing your World Cup player bets, to ensure your bet is likely to start the game.
Finding Value
Before placing your World Cup bets, it’s important to check the odds across various sportsbooks, to ensure you get the best value possible, and potentially a bigger payout. BetFanatics offers market leading odds for the World Cup, across team and player markets, as well as futures markets.
Best Sportsbooks for World Cup Betting
There is no shortage of US sportsbooks offering odds and markets for the World Cup. To assess which sportsbook to use for your World Cup betting, consider looking at what each sportsbooks new customer offer is, as well as existing customer promos, and how competitive their soccer odds are.
Choosing a Legal US Sportsbook
There are a wide range of US sportsbooks available to bet with for the 2026 World Cup, including BetFanatics. BetFanatics have a wide range of futures markets for the World Cup, including tournament winner, Golden Boot, and more. You can also bet on every single game at the World Cup with BetFanatics, with team and player markets available for all 104 games of the tournament. BetFanatics is a legal sportsbook in 22 US states.
2026 World Cup FAQs
When does the World Cup start?
The 2026 World Cup kicks-off on Thursday June 11th at 3pm (ET), as Mexico take on South Africa.
When is the 2026 World Cup final?
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled to take place on Sunday July 19th at 3pm (ET).
What nation has won the most World Cups?
Brazil have won more World Cups than any other nation, with five in total. Germany and Italy have won four each, and Argentina have won three.
What is the best bet for the 2026 World Cup?
The best bets to place for the 2026 World Cup are from futures markets, including World Cup winner and Golden Boot. These markets keep your bet alive for more than just one game, and can provide excellent value.
Can I bet on the 2026 World Cup with BetFanatics?
Yes, BetFanatics are offering a wide range of team and player markets for every game of the 2026 World Cup, as well as futures markets, including World Cup winner, Golden Boot, Group winner, and more.