2026 World Cup Odds: Who Will Take the Trophy?

World Cup 2026 Winner Odds

Our Top Pick: France

When analyzing the current World Cup winner odds, France stands out as the best choice. It collected maximum points in a tricky group, before breezing past Sweden in the round of 32 and edging out Paraguay in the round of 16. With Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise all impressing in attack, France has the firepower to beat any other team in the competition.

Top World Cup 2026 Contender Breakdown:

• France (+180): France has extraordinary strength in depth throughout its roster, and in Didier Deschamps it has a manager who knows what it takes to move through tournaments. It is the sportsbooks’ favorite to lift the trophy at the time of writing.

• Spain (+370): Spain won Euro 2024 in style and has some excellent players in its squad, none more so than the teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. It has not been as eye-catching so far this summer, but Spain has yet to concede a goal.

• Argentina (+430): The defending champion is aiming to make it back-to-back World Cup triumphs. Lionel Messi has been excellent up to now and Argentina has a settled side full of players who know each other well.

• England (+550): England has made huge strides over the last eight years, and it is now looking to take the final step by winning a major trophy. It had a mixed group stage, but England delivered a tremendous display to beat Mexico 3-2 last time out.

Odds to Reach World Cup Final

In the table below you will find the latest betting odds for reaching the final, which take team strength and the bracket into account.

World Cup 2026 Underdogs to Reach Final Breakdown

Now, we have already analyzed the top contenders, so let's look at some World Cup teams that can surprise us and may actually reach the final..

• Norway: Norway stunned five-time world champion Brazil in the round of 16, advancing to the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time in its history. With Erling Haaland up front, it has a chance against anyone left in the competition.

• Morocco: Morocco finished fourth at World Cup 2022 and it is one win away from another semi-final. The Atlas Lions have impressed over the last few weeks, but France is the toughest possible opponent in the last eight.

• Switzerland: Switzerland edged out Colombia in the round of 16, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. It is the underdog against defending champion Argentina this weekend, but Murat Yakin’s side has quality in its ranks.

• Belgium: Belgium rode its luck against Senegal, coming from behind to win 3-2 in the last 32. But it thumped the USA 4-1 earlier this week and is growing into the tournament. Spain is a tough test up next, though.

Dark Horse World Cup Betting Odds

Our Top Dark Horse Pick: Belgium

In any comprehensive set of World Cup 2026 predictions, finding a high-value dark horse is essential. Belgium is our selection in the World Cup odds 2026. It took a couple of games for the Red Devils to click early on, but the 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand was impressive. It was poor for much of the last-32 tie against Senegal but mounted a stunning comeback to win 3-2, before thrashing the USA 4-1. It is the underdog against Spain in the last eight but should not be written off.

Keep an Eye On:

• Colombia: Colombia played some lovely soccer in the group stage, where it beat Uzbekistan and DR Congo before tying with Portugal. It then knocked out Ghana and Switzerland in the first two knockout rounds, with Colombia manager Nestor Lorenzo now plotting the downfall of his native Argentina.

World Cup Prediction Markets

All of these World Cup predictions (and more) are also available on prediction markets.

Prediction markets are platforms where you buy and sell shares on the outcome of future events. Instead of betting against a traditional sportsbook, you trade directly against other users. The price of a share shows how likely the market thinks that event is to happen. Prices usually range from 1 cent to 99 cents. If your prediction is right, your share becomes worth 1 dollar. If your prediction is wrong, your share becomes worth 0 dollars.

Top US prediction markets include Kalshi, Polymarket, and Crypto.com. They have multiple options for the World Cup. This means you can trade on who will win the entire tournament, who will win individual matches, or which teams will advance out of the group stage. Additionally, these platforms offer unique predictions that you cannot find at regular sportsbooks, giving you the ability to trade on highly specific tournament scenarios or niche player milestones.

These platforms are available in most US states. They are a good alternative to get action on the games if sportsbooks are not legal in your state.

Here is what the World Cup winner predictions look like according to users trading on the Kalshi prediction market:

2026 World Soccer Cup Winner

2026

• 40%
• 19%
• 17%
• 16%
• 6%

Source: Kalshi. Data is automatically updated according to market conditions.

Who Were the World Cup 2022 Winners?

Argentina was the winner of the World Cup 2022. The Albiceleste lost their first match of the tournament, suffering a shock 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia. They proceeded to beat Mexico and Poland to finish top of their group, before eliminating Australia in the round of 16.

Argentina overcame the Netherlands on penalties in the quarter-finals and then beat Croatia 3-0 in the last four. A 2-2 draw after extra time in the final against France led to another shoot-out, which Lionel Scaloni’s side won 4-2.

France topped their group ahead of Australia, Tunisia, and Denmark. A 3-1 victory over Poland preceded a 2-1 defeat of England, before les Bleus booked their spot in the final with a 2-0 triumph over Morocco in the semis.

Which Teams Have Been Most Successful at the World Cup?

Who Will Host the 2026 World Cup?

In June 2018, the USA, Canada, and Mexico were named hosts of World Cup 2026. They received 134 votes, while the rival bid from Morocco got 65. There were three abstentions and one non-vote.

FIFA had previously banned co-hosts after the World Cup 2002, which took place in Japan and South Korea. However, the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams necessitated a review of that policy.

Sixteen host cities have been chosen for World Cup 2026: two in Canada, three in Mexico, and eleven in the USA.

This is the fourth time the World Cup will be hosted in the region. Mexico staged the competition in 1970 and 1986, while the USA won the rights in 1994.

How Will the World Cup 2026 Work?

World Cup 2026 will be the first edition to feature 48 teams. Because of this, it also includes a special new World Cup 48-team bracket pairing. Those sides will be divided into 12 groups of four, and the top two in each section will advance to the knockout stage along with the eight third-place finishers with the best records.

A round of 32 will then follow, before the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off and final. The total number of games will rise from 64 to 104, and the finalists will end up playing one more match than they did in the 32-team tournaments from 1998 to 2022.

To seamlessly accommodate these additional knockout rounds, the World Cup schedule has been stretched across an extended 39-day window.

Will the USA Be in the 2026 World Cup?

The three co-hosts, the USA, Mexico and Canada, automatically qualified for World Cup 2026. The USMNT will be hoping to reach the knockout phase of the tournament for a second edition in a row, having reached the round of 16 in 2022. With matches spread across North America,

How to Watch World Cup 2026 on TV

• Dates: June 11, 2026 - July 19, 2026

• Location: USA, Mexico, and Canada

• How to Watch: Fox Sports, Telemundo