Who are the 2026 World Cup winner favorites?
We’ve taken a good look around lots of
World Cup betting sites
to see who they think is going to win this year’s tournament. Here are the clear front-runners in most sportsbooks’ odds:
Spain
The Spanish team are many people’s favorites to win the 2026 World Cup as the side boasts a great balance of youthful talent and experience under head coach, Luis de la Fuente.
While there was some surprise to find that there aren’t any Real Madrid players in the squad, few can deny the dazzling promise shown by youngsters like Lamine Yamal and Pedri, alongside veterans like the Ballon D’Or winner, Rodri. They’re sure to top Group H and it would be a big surprise to see them miss the final.
France
After the heartache of their 2022 World Cup final defeat, France will be keen to make amends this time around. Much will depend on whether manager, Didier Deschamps, can get the talented but volatile French team to stick together.
Star players like Kylian Mbappé have had a mixed time in club football, but with the sheer talent of the squad including Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, it’s fair to say that France will most likely end up in the final again this time around.
England
Can England claim their first World Cup title since 1966? Lots of sportsbooks seem to think so, and much will rest on record goal-scorer, Harry Kane’s ability to lift the team to glory.
New manager, Thomas Tuchel, ruffled a few feathers with his squad selection that missed out players such as Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire. But there remains exceptionally talented stars like Jude Bellingham in the ranks, and England will be expected to make the semi-finals at least.
Argentina
All eyes will be on Lionel Messi as the legendary player makes his World Cup swansong, and the Argentine team will be looking to easily escape the relatively simple Group G and repeat their World Cup triumph of 2022.
Expect manager, Lionel Scaloni, to build the team around Messi’s formidable talents while managing his fitness concerns, and this means that there could be space for rising stars like Julian Alvarez to shine on the international stage.
Brazil
Some people may think that the Brazilian team is no longer a major force but the most successful World Cup team is always worth a closer look.
Head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, certainly has the experience of managing some of the larger egos in football, and it’ll be fascinating to see how he gets the best out of star players like Neymar and Vinicius Jr. They should make light work of Group C and after that, it’s anyone’s guess.
Portugal
Can Cristiano Ronaldo power his national team to glory once more? Some sportsbooks seem to think so, and the Portuguese team certainly have the talent elsewhere on the pitch with big-name players such as Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Vitinha in their ranks.
It’s expected that head coach, Roberto Martínez, will guide them to safety out of Group K, and we can expect Portugal to make the quarter-finals at least.
Dark horses to consider in your FIFA World Cup 2026 winner predictions
There are plenty of other teams who might not be among the clear favorites, but should do well at this year’s World Cup. Here are just a few of them:
Germany
The German national team have had a rotten record in tournament football over the past few years, with recent early exits in the Group Stages courtesy of teams like South Korea and Japan sticking in the mind. However, there are signs that Germany could be entering a new era under head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Much of this is down to the talents of star players like the midfielder Florian Wirtz and towering striker Nick Woltemade. While both players have struggled in the Premier League, they always seem to turn up on the national stage. Plus with the experience of modern-day legends like Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer, Germany should make light work of Group E and reach the quarter-finals at least.
Netherlands
The Dutch team have also been underperforming in recent years, but they will be coming to the 2026 with an extra dose of confidence. Much of this is down to the defensive stability of the team thanks to the combined experience of Virgil Van Dijk, Nathan Ake and Mickey van de Ven.
While the attack has been dented by the recent ACL injury to Xavi Simons, the talents of Memphis Depay and newcomers like Brian Brobbey should mean that the Netherlands escape the tricky Group F and after that, Ronald Koeman’s team could go far.
Belgium
While the ‘golden generation’ of Belgian football might have been and gone, there remains hope that the national team can still put in a decent performance at this year’s World Cup. Star players like Youri Tielemans have certainly been in dazzling form in the Premier League, while manager, Rudi Garcia, should provide the expertise required to get them out of Group G at least.
Other teams who’re doing OK in the odds include Japan, Uruguay, Mexico and Croatia. While there’s only a slender chance of any of these teams going all the way, it’s worth noting that Greece won the European Champions in 2004 at odds of +15,000.
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Who to avoid in your World Cup 2026 winner predictions
With a record 48 teams competing in the 2026 World Cup, it’s fair to say that most of them will be rank outsiders. This is especially true for some of the smaller nations like Curacao and Cape Verde who’d be very fortunate to pick up a point.
Other teams like Qatar, Haiti and Uzbekistan might hope to cause the occasional upset but even this seems very unlikely. Plus while many of us will be backing the USA to do well, they’re in a tough Group D with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, and would be very fortunate to make it through to the knock-out rounds, never mind the World Cup final.
World Cup winner odds
Here are the latest World Cup 2026 winner odds. As we already mentioned France and Spain are the current co-favorites at +475, meaning a $100 bet on either would win you $475. England and Brazil are close behind.
| Country |
Odds |
| France |
+475 |
| Spain |
+475 |
| England |
+700 |
| Brazil |
+850 |
| Argentina |
+900 |
| Portugal |
+1000 |
| Germany |
+1400 |
| Netherlands |
+2200 |
| Belgium |
+3500 |
Where to make your 2026 World Cup winner predictions
While everyone will have their own thoughts about who the best World Cup winner sportsbook is, we think that the following three betting sites are worth a look. After all, they are always in our shortlist of the
best betting sites in the US
and they’re sure to give you a great way to bet on the 2026 World Cup. We’ve also included a couple of social sportsbooks and a prediction markets site to add a little variety:
| Brand | Type of site | Predicted World Cup winner |
| FanDuel | Online sportsbook | Spain +450 |
| DraftKings | Online sportsbook | Spain +475 |
| BetMGM | Online sportsbook | France and Spain +450 |
| Legendz | Social sportsbook | Odds currently unavailable |
| Thrillz | Social sportsbook | Odds currently unavailable |
| Crypto.com | Prediction markets brand | France and Spain 19% chance of winning |
FanDuel – Nothing but quality 2026 World Cup winner odds here
FanDuel Pros & Cons
- Seamless integration of sportsbook and casino
- Diverse casino game selection
- Frequent promotions for both platforms
- User-friendly and responsive interface
- High playthrough requirements on bonuses
This is one of the market-leading sportsbooks in the US and it goes without saying that FanDuel can serve up some of the best odds for the 2026 World Cup winner. At the moment, the brand has Spain down as the clear favorites followed by France, England, Brazil and Argentina. Signing up here will get you a handy welcome offer that gives you $150 in bonus bets for winning your first bet of $5 or more, and everything else is as it should be at this trusted sports betting brand.
DraftKings – A great place for betting on the World Cup winner
DraftKings Pros & Cons
- Extensive daily fantasy integration
- Frequent promotions and bonus offers
- Highly competitive betting odds
- Wide variety of casino games
- High rollover requirements on bonuses
You can’t fault DraftKings for putting on a fast and fun way to bet on the World Cup winner. After all, you can sign up here from most states, download the excellent iOS or Android app, and then bet on this popular soccer market. DraftKings has Spain as the favorites at the moment, and you’ll find the usual candidates like France, England and Argentina after this. What’s notable is that this sportsbook has an outstanding welcome offer that will give you $200 in bonus bets just for making an opening bet of at least $5.
BetMGM – Get boosts on your World Cup winner odds here
BetMGM Pros & Cons
- Wide variety of betting options
- User-friendly mobile app interface
- Generous promotions for new users
- Extensive selection of casino games
- Limited availability in some states
So Legendz hasn’t actually put up its odds for the 2026 World Cup winner just yet, but it’s going to be fascinating to see what these odds are when they emerge. After all, this social sportsbook always matches what’s on at the best online sportsbooks, just that you bet socially on the odds with virtual currencies rather than your own cash. This means that you can do it for free and it won’t hurt too much should you get your prediction wrong. Note that there’s an exceptional welcome offer that’ll give you 500 Gold Coins and 3 Sweeps Coins to make a start on your World Cup bets.
Legendz – Check out this social sportsbook
Legendz: Pros and Cons
- Available in most US states
- User-friendly interface
- 24/7 live chat support
- Top sports coverage
- Can be tricky for new players
So Legendz hasn’t actually put up its odds for the 2026 World Cup winner just yet, but it’s going to be fascinating to see what these odds are when they emerge. After all, this social sportsbook always matches what’s on at the best online sportsbooks, just that you bet socially on the odds with virtual currencies rather than your own cash. This means that you can do it for free and it won’t hurt too much should you get your prediction wrong. Note that there’s an exceptional welcome offer that’ll give you 500 Gold Coins and 3 Sweeps Coins to make a start on your World Cup bets.
Thrillzz – Enjoy social betting for free here
Pros and Cons
- You get a very generous welcome bonus
- Real cash prizes can be won
- Covers a wide array of popular leagues and sports
- Easy-to-navigate mobile app for easy play
- No desktop site available
- Limited payment options
This is another social sportsbook that is a little late in terms of putting up its odds for this year’s World Cup winner. We’ll be sure to update this guide as and when Thrillzz updates its odds but they’re sure to be competitive and in line with what you get at all good sportsbooks. This is because the social betting site is keen to give you as realistic sports betting experience as possible, despite the fact that you are only making your predictions with virtual currencies. Sign up and get that welcome offer of 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and two Thrillzz Sweeps and give it a try.
Crypto.com: Pros and Cons
- Sports, elections, culture, and economics markets
- Low commission for trading
- Supports USD and cryptocurrency payments
- No crypto prediction markets
This is one of the new wave of prediction markets sites that are taking the US by storm. Here, you’ll be making your prediction by buying and trading event contracts on any selected outcome for the World Cup, with the market price directly reflecting the public’s sentiment towards who might have the highest chance of lifting the trophy in July. We checked out Crypto.com’s event contracts for the World Cup winner 2026 and found that France and Spain were joint favorites, followed by England and Argentina. Just so you know, it looks like customers at this site think that the US has a 3% chance of winning which is up there with Belgium and Morocco. Before you get too optimistic, you have to remember that it is the predictions of other customers who set the market price and implied probability. Still, for a fun way to predict the 2026 World Cup winner from all over the US, Crypto.com is hard to beat.
Sponsored by Crypto.com – Not investment advice. Trading prediction markets and crypto involves risk, including potential loss of your stake. Consider your risk tolerance before participating. Crypto.com connects U.S. users to CDNA (regulated by CFTC) for derivatives trading. CDNA membership required. Trading may not be suitable for all—you could lose your entire investment plus fees. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. This is not a solicitation or recommendation to trade.
Check Out the Latest World Cup News
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At first glance, Group G appears to be one of the weakest groups in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Belgium …
Group H appears to be one of the most straightforward groups in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At least on …
Group B may not feature one of the traditional World Cup favorites, but don’t mistake that for a lack of …
Pros and cons of betting on the 2026 World Cup winner
Obviously you’ll face many more ways to bet on the World Cup rather than just predicting who’ll win the overall tournament, so why should you try this bet? Well here are the main pros and cons of doing so:
Pros and Cons
- Make predictions through whole tournament
- Relatively few likely candidates
- Most promos should apply
- Market widely available
Walkthrough guide for using the best World Cup winner sportsbooks
Now you know who’s most likely to win the 2026 World Cup, you’ll be ready to place your bets. In which case, just follow these simple steps:
-
Hit any of the links for the approved online sportsbooks in the banners of this page to launch their site from your web browser
-
Register your account by adding in the required personal information into the registration form
-
Use any promo codes required to activate the
World Cup betting bonus
for new customers
-
Submit your application and then verify your identity by completing the KYC procedure
-
Log into your account and make an opening deposit via any of the accepted payment methods
-
Navigate to the sportsbook lobby and click on the Soccer tab
-
Hit the 2026 World Cup tab, then the Futures button and then the 2026 World Cup winner icon
-
Now tap on the odds for the team you think will win this year’s World Cup to have them added to your bet slip
-
Enter your betting stake, check your potential returns and submit your bet
Once you have done all of this, you should be able to sit back and watch the World Cup and see whether your bet has succeeded or failed.
Top tips for using World Cup winner betting sites
While it’s easy enough to make a prediction on who’ll win the 2026 World Cup, it’s not always easy to get right. So be sure to keep the following tips in mind:
🏆 Examine each team’s tournament path
Some teams will have a much easier pathway to the World Cup final. For example, Group F features the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden and Tunisia who are all reasonably solid teams, and it’s certainly a harder group than Group B which contains Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland. So look at the group stages and then plan the potential knock-out rounds after that to see who has fortune on their side in the World Cup draw.
🛡️ Note the defensive record
There’s a saying that, ‘Goals win games, defenses win championships,’ and this theory should be applied to your World Cup winner bets. So check out which goalkeepers are in the lead in the odds for
World Cup Golden Glove betting, and note how strong each team’s defence is in terms of clean sheets, goals conceded and so on.
⭐ Look out for key players
Certain players like Lionel Messi won’t just have short odds in the
World Cup Golden Boot betting, but they can also put in a tournament-winning performance. So see how star players like Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have been performing and note any injuries or suspensions that could disrupt your chosen team’s progress.
💰 Consider cashing out early
Note that many online sportsbooks will let you cash your bet out early. This means that you can retain a bit of your stake rather than losing the whole amount. Perfect for if your chosen team doesn’t appear to be performing as they should.
Finally, we just have to remind you of the importance of playing it safe when it comes to betting on the World Cup. While many of us would like the idea of the USA winning the tournament, there is very little chance of this happening. So instead, consider betting on one of the competition favorites and only do it with modest stakes that you don’t mind losing. This means that you should be able to enjoy the whole tournament without it being ruined by one team letting you down.
Conclusion – Get ready to use the best World Cup winner betting sites
By now you should have everything you need to make your predictions about who’ll be the FIFA World Cup winner and back it with a bet. Most people will be backing the likes of France or Spain, but you have to remember that sporting upsets happen all the time, and anyone from England and Argentina to Brazil and Germany are in with a chance.
All of this means that you will have to be careful about how you make your predictions, and apply your own limits accordingly. But for now, simply hit any of the links to our approved operators in the banners of this page to make your bets on who will win the 2026 World Cup.
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World Cup winner betting FAQ
🏆 Can I enjoy World Cup winner betting in my state?
Yes, it’s highly likely as online betting is currently available in well over 20 states across the nation. Check the banners on this page to see if you can use one of our recommended World Cup betting sites where you are.
Yes, you should be able to use most betting promos for betting on who’ll win this year’s World Cup. Just note that most of these deals will have tight time limits, so you’ll need to be careful about when you claim these deals.
💸 Can I bet on the 2026 World Cup winner for free?
Yes, you can do this at all good social sportsbooks, as they have to let you ‘bet’ with no purchase necessary. Just note that there isn’t any real money gambling at these sites as you’ll be using virtual currencies rather than your own cash.
⚽ What else can I bet on apart from the World Cup winner?
There are plenty more futures bets for things like
World Cup Young Player of the Year betting, as well as potentially hundreds of prematch and live bets for each game. Plenty of ways to stay fully entertained throughout the whole event.
🔒 Do I have to verify my account before betting on the World Cup winner?
Yes, as all legit online sportsbooks will have KYC procedures that must be observed before they let you make your deposits. So expect to have to verify your identity with some government-issued photo ID before you can make any World Cup bets.
