How to bet on 2026 FIFA World Cup: Best sportsbooks for World Cup betting ahead of Friday's draw
The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place Friday, Dec. 5 where the groups will be determined for the summer event
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada, making it the first World Cup ever to be hosted by three nations. It is also the first World Cup with 12 groups and 48 teams in the group stage. The draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Friday, Dec. 5 where the teams will be slotted into their groups for the competition. Ahead of Friday's draw, here's a look at how sports fans interested in soccer betting and World Cup betting can get an early edge with the latest promotions at top sportsbooks.
Where to bet on the FIFA World Cup
Sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365 are offering users bonus bets once they make their first wager, with bet365 offering $200 in bonus bets regardless of the outcome of the wager. DraftKings is offering the same amount but the user's first bet must win. FanDuel has the same condition as DraftKings but is only giving out $150 in bonus bets.
BetMGM and Fanatics are offering bonus bets as well through a different way. BetMGM is giving users bonus bets back if their qualifying wager loses, with users eligible to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets. Fanatics is giving out up to $2,000 in FanCash, though the promotion requires users to make bets over several days to accumulate the full amount.
Caesars Sportsbook is offering profit boosts instead of bonus bets, giving users 20 100% profit boosts when they wager $1 or more.
Even though the World Cup won't start for months, futures markets for the competition are available at these sportsbooks. Some promotions require a user's wager to settle within a certain timeframe, meaning those World Cup futures bets likely won't apply to the promotion offers.
How to bet on the 2026 World Cup
At the moment, users can only bet on the 2026 World Cup winner and select other futures markets, such as "team to reach final, semifinal, quarterfinal, etc." and some top goalscorer markets. The draw will likely have some impact on these markets, especially World Cup futures. For example, reigning European champions Spain are the +450 favorites to win the 2026 World Cup at DraftKings. However, if they get drawn into a tough opening group, those odds will change because it'll be harder for them to progress through to the knockout stage. Here's a look at how the draw will work.
There are four pots (Pot 1, Pot 2, Pot 3, Pot 4) featuring 12 teams in each pot. Each team in Pot 1 will be randomly assigned a group (A-L). This will continue with the teams in Pots 2-4. The co-hosts will all be drawn into different groups and in principle, two teams from the same confederation will not be placed in the same group with the exception of UEFA. No more than two UEFA teams can be in the same group.
There is also a ranking system used to place teams to attempt to ensure some balance in the knockout stage. For example, the highest ranked team in the FIFA rankings and second ranked team in the FIFA rankings will be placed on opposite sides of the bracket to ensure they wouldn't meet before the final if they won their respective groups, even if the draw doesn't slot them in those particular groups. This is also done with the third and fourth ranked teams. A detailed breakdown of all the draw rules can be found on FIFA's official website.
World Cup promos
Ahead of the 2026 event, sportsbooks will offer promotions for new and existing users. These could include making a first bet on a World Cup winner or profit boosts on certain matches, especially those involving the co-hosts. There could also be bonus bet promotions involving goalscorers, group winners and correctly predicting all the knockout teams. Those offers will be live as the World Cup gets closer.
Soccer betting markets
In World Cup betting, you can bet on three different game outcomes in the group stage. You can bet on either team to win, or for the match to end in a draw. You can also bet on a "double chance", which involves picking two of the three sides, or a "draw no bet" which means you take one team to win and get your bet refunded in the instance the match ends in a draw. This is somewhat different from other sports, where ties rarely occur or are not a possible result. Note these outcomes are for regular time only, as you can wager on teams to win in extra time or penalties once the tournament reaches the knockout stage. You can also pick on a team to "advance", meaning if that team moves on to the next round in whatever fashion, your bet would win.
There are also player and team prop markets in soccer betting, similar to other sports. These involve goalscorers, players to assist, shots on target and corner kicks. There are even markets for total team shots, fouls, yellow cards and corner kicks.
Key World Cup betting terms to know
Knowing the three-way money line (Team A, draw, Team B), the draw no bet and double chance markets is important when it comes to soccer betting and World Cup betting. Soccer odds will typically be listed in the following format: Team A (odds), draw (odds), Team B (odds). In some cases, the sportsbooks will designate a "home" team and the format might be changed to Home, draw, Away instead of actually using the team names.
World Cup betting strategies
In most World Cups, you can expect the favorites to advance out of the group stage. However, there are always some surprises and since there is more variance with only three group stage games being played, there's value on picking some underdogs. In fact, you would likely only need one or two upsets to occur to make up for betting on a handful of underdogs. Betting on heavy favorites is usually a good strategy, and looking at team history is a good place to start. For example, Mexico did not missed a knockout round at a World Cup for seven straight editions before missing out in 2022. What is most likely to happen in 2026? The United States has not made the semifinal round ever in World Cup history. What is most likely to happen in 2026?
You can also look at starting lineups when determining which player props to bet. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to play in this World Cup and despite their advanced age, both should be pivotal in their team's success. Are Messi and Ronaldo likely to keep up their stellar production at the international level?
In general, betting on the favorites to win and advance to the knockout round is a sound strategy at the World Cup. However, it is still worth picking a few upsets here and there since they do occur quite regularly and can offer substantial payouts.
Latest World Cup betting odds
Spain are the favorites to win it all at most sportsbooks (+450 at DraftKings, +410 at FanDuel, +400 at Caesars) and this makes sense as they are the reigning European champions. England are next up at +600 at DraftKings, followed by France (+700), Brazil (+800) and reigning World Cup champions Argentina (+800). The United States and Mexico have the best odds of any co-host to win the trophy (+8000 each) while Canada is +25000.
World Cup key dates and schedule
The World Cup draw, which slots teams into groups, will take place on Friday, Dec. 5. Some teams will be decided by the inter-confederation playoffs, which will take place March 26 and March 31 in Mexico. For now, these will be placeholder spots in the draw.
The group stage begins on June 11 and will last until June 27. The first knockout matches will happen on June 28. The quarterfinal round will begin on July 9 and the semifinals will be played on July 14 and July 15. The third-place match will take place on July 18 and the final will be held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium.
World Cup format
This World Cup will follow a slightly different format due to the additional teams. A whopping 48 teams will be placed in 12 groups, and the top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the knockout round. The 12 teams which finish third will be ranked separately and the eight highest teams from that ranking will also advance, which means 32 teams will make the knockout round. From there, we will go from 32 to 16 to eight to four to two to one.
FAQ
When is the next World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
How do I bet on the World Cup?
World Cup betting can be done at any of the top sportsbooks, with several likely offering promotions ahead of the event.
When was the first World Cup?
The first World Cup was played in 1930 and the hosts Uruguay defeated Argentina in the final.
Who are the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup?
Spain are the favorites at most sportsbooks to win the 2026 World Cup, followed by England, France, Brazil and Argentina.
Where can I bet on the 2026 World Cup?
Those interested in soccer betting and World Cup betting can do so at top sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, bet365 and Fanatics Sportsbook.
