How to bet on the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Best sportsbooks for World Cup betting

World Cup betting will once again be available for soccer fans and bettors when one of the biggest sports events on the planet returns in the summer of 2026. The latest edition of the soccer World Cup will have 48 teams, the most since the event began in 1930, with matches taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Here, we'll go over everything sports fans and bettors need to know for the 2026 FIFA World Cup betting, including which sportsbooks to go to in order to place wagers on the tournament.

Where to bet on the FIFA World Cup

Here's a look at the promotions bettors can take advantage of at top sports betting apps ahead of the World Cup.

While bettors might not be able to place wagers on individual games yet, World Cup futures markets are available, and you are able to bet on a team to win the competition. Argentina are the reigning champions, but Spain are the favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook as the reigning European Cup champions.

World Cup betting: How to bet on the 2026 World Cup

There are plenty of World Cup betting markets. Aside from betting on each individual match, bettors can also place wagers on which team will win their respective group, whether or not a team will advance from the group, and how far a team will go before being eliminated. 

Bettors can also wager on which teams will make a particular round, and these bets can usually be put together in parlays. There are also team props and player props for each game, as well as awards props for the entire tournament. The Golden Boot (top goalscorer), Golden Ball (best player) and Golden Glove (best goalkeeper) are popular awards to bet on.

Bet on the World Cup and more at Caesars Sportsbook:

World Cup promos

Sportsbooks will offer promos as the World Cup approaches. For new users, these offers might be similar to the standard sportsbook promos like getting bonus bets or profit boosts. For existing users, these might involve boosts for individual games, player props or same-game parlays instead of bonus bets.

Key World Cup betting terms to know

Soccer betting is fairly similar to other sports, but there are some key differences. The first is being able to bet on three different game outcomes. For example, if Argentina is playing Spain, a fan can bet on Argentina to win, Spain to win or the teams to draw. These markets are for regular time only, so you can still bet on a draw to occur in a knockout stage match. There are additional markets for which team will advance, and you can even bet on whether a team will advance in extra time or on penalty kicks.

Draw No Bet

The "draw no bet" and "double chance" markets are also important differences. A draw no bet wager means the bet is voided if the teams draw. For example, if you were to bet on Argentina to win against Spain and the teams draw, your bet would get refunded.

Double Chance 

This is different from double chance, where you wager on two different outcomes. For example, betting Argentina double chance against Spain would mean if Argentina wins or draws, your bet wins. You can also do a double chance for Argentina and Spain, meaning your bet would win as long as either team wins. You can bet goal spreads, totals, team props and player props in soccer as you would in any other sport.

At most sportsbooks, soccer odds are listed similarly to other sports. Sometimes, because a draw is possible, both teams might be plus-money to win a match. This is typically not the case in other sports, where the favorite is usually minus money to win. For example, in the hypothetical Argentina vs. Spain match, you might see odds listed as Argentina +115, Draw +245, Spain +120. In some situations, you might see "home" and "away" instead of the team names.

World Cup betting odds

As mentioned earlier, Spain are the favorites at DraftKings and other top sportsbooks to win the 2026 World Cup at +450 (wager $100 to win $450). 

England (+550) come into this competition after having a strong run of international results, finishing fourth at the 2018 World Cup and making the quarterfinals at the 2022 World Cup while also finishing second at the last two Euros. 2018 World Cup winners and 2022 World Cup runners-up France are +750 to win in 2026, as are Brazil. Defending World Cup champions Argentina are +800.

Portugal (+1100) and Germany (+1200) are next on the odds table for World Cup winners, and then there's a bit of a drop to the Netherlands (+2000). Having a few stars is important, which is why Norway (+2500) is higher than expected, thanks to the presence of Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. Belgium (+3000), an experienced group that has seen success at the last few Euro and World Cup tournaments, rounds out the top 10 on the odds ladder at DraftKings as of January.

Place your World Cup wagers at BetMGM:

Golden Boot odds

Kylian Mbappe, who scored four goals in France's 2018 World Cup campaign and then doubled that with eight goals in the 2022 World Cup, is the +600 favorite to be the top scorer in the 2026 World Cup. English striker Harry Kane, who led the 2018 World Cup with six goals, is behind Mbappe at +700. Lionel Messi (+1200), Haaland (+1400) and Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal (+1800) round out the top five. 

Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing in a historic sixth World Cup. If he scores a goal, he'll be the only player to score a goal in six different World Cup tournaments.

US men's national team

The host country will always garner additional attention, and when it comes to the 2026 World Cup, that interest will be heightened with the United States, which is one of three host nations along with Canada and Mexico. Team USA will attract a lot of betting activity and there are plenty of markets to target for bettors here. The US is +600 at DraftKings to win all its group stage games and +130 to win the group. The Americans are huge -575 favorites to advance out of the group. When it comes to the team's top goal scorer, Christian Pulisic (+225) and Folarin Balogun (+250) are both strong contenders. Pulisic has played in two World Cups but has only one goal to show for it, while Balogun has eight goals in 23 appearances for Team USA.

The Americans are +170 to be eliminated in the Round of 32 and +225 to be bounced in the Round of 16. They are +400 to be eliminated in the group stage. On the flip side, the USA is +5000 to win the World Cup, +2500 to reach the final and +1100 to reach the semifinal.

Bet on the World Cup at DraftKings:

World Cup format

Unlike previous editions, the 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams and one additional knockout round. There are 12 groups of four teams each and the top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the knockout stage.

The 12 teams that finish third in their respective groups will be organized together, with the best eight teams joining the other 24 to form the Round of 32. From there, it's the standard knockout stage, going from 32 to 16 to eight to four to two in the final.

Here's a look at how the groups have shaped up as of January, along with each team's odds to win the group via DraftKings. There are still some teams to be determined via qualification playoff pathways, which will be played in March. Teams in bold have already secured a spot in the group stage.

2026 World Cup groups

Groups with more than four teams await final qualifying via regional play-in games. When the World Cup starts, each group will have four teams. 

Group A - Mexico (+110), South Korea (+350), Denmark (+450), South Africa (+1200), Czech Republic (+1200), Ireland (+3500), North Macedonia (+10000)

Group B - Switzerland (+140), Italy (+230), Canada (+450), Wales (+1800), Bosnia (+1800), Qatar (+2500), Northern Ireland (+10000)

Group C - Brazil (-475), Morocco (+450), Scotland (+900), Haiti (+10000)

Group D - USA (+130), Paraguay (+300), Turkey (+500), Australia (+650), Slovakia (+750), Romania (+2000), Kosovo (+2000)

Group E - Germany (-340), Ecuador (+400), Ivory Coast (+700), Curacao (+13000)

Group F - Netherlands (-135), Japan (+320), Tunisia (+700), Poland (+900), Sweden (+1100), Ukraine (+1100), Albania (+3500)

Group G - Belgium (-250), Egypt (+450), Iran (+600), New Zealand (+2000)

Group H - Spain (-500), Uruguay (+400), Saudi Arabia (+1600), Cape Verde (+4000)

Group I - France (-200), Norway (+260), Senegal (+550), Iraq (+3500), Bolivia (+4000), Suriname (+10000)

Group J - Argentina (-340), Austria (+450), Algeria (+650), Jordan (+4000)

Group K - Portugal (-185), Colombia (+225), Congo (+700), Uzbekistan (+3000), Jamaica (+4000), New Caledonia (+10000)

Group L - England (-340), Croatia (+400), Ghana (+1000), Panama (+2500)

World Cup schedule and key dates

There will be World Cup playoff qualification games on March 26, with the winners advancing further in the playoff bracket for games on March 31. Those winners will be placed in the group stage.

The 2026 World Cup begins on June 11, 2026 with Mexico and South Africa playing in the opening game. This was also the opening match of the 2010 World Cup but South Africa was the host country in that instance. The sides played to a 1-1 draw in 2010. Here's a look at the full World Cup schedule.

Soccer betting markets

Soccer betting markets are similar to other sports, where you can bet on game results, spreads, totals, team props, player props, team futures and player futures. There are only a few key differences.

Betting on draws is an option in soccer, which isn't the case for most other sports. So, if you're betting the 3-way money line, note that you will not get your money back if the match ends in a tie. 

You can also bet the double chance, which involves taking two of the three potential results. The three-way money line markets (Team A, Draw, Team B) are for regular time only, so you can still bet on draws in knockout games. You can bet on teams to advance in extra time or in a penalty shootout. You can also make wagers in the "draw no bet" market, which voids your bet if the match ends in a draw.

Sign up for FanDuel and place your bets on the World Cup:

World Cup betting strategies

Historical performance

It's important to consider a team's current form when entering a World Cup, but team history is also a good indicator of how strong the program is. For example, Mexico made it out of the group stage in seven straight tournaments before being eliminated in the group stage in 2022. What is most likely to happen in 2026?

Look for underdogs

The level of competition across federations is vastly different, with the European and South American squads having a slight advantage in this regard. However, there are always some surprising moments at the World Cup. 

In 2022, Morocco made it all the way to the semifinal round after failing to qualify for four World Cups in a row and then getting bounced in the group stage in 2018. In 2014, Costa Rica surprised everyone to win Group D ahead of Uruguay, England and Italy in what was dubbed the "Group of Death," It's impossible to predict which team will break through, but putting some bets on teams with less shine to make it to the Round of 32 might be a prudent strategy. After all, a team can finish third in its group and still potentially make the knockout round.

Value on spreads instead of money line

With 48 teams in the group stage, there are bound to be some matchups which look lopsided on paper. It's best to bet the spread on those matchups when taking the favorite to extract more value rather than take the money line. You can also use the double chance market when a matchup pits two teams which are more even, which covers you for two of the three possible results. 

Typically, earlier World Cup games have slightly fewer goals as teams settle into the competition. Betting on Unders on Matchday 1 could be profitable, especially if the teams have stellar defensive records in their play leading up to the tournament. This can also be a good approach in the knockout games since teams don't want to be too aggressive and make a major mistake to potentially get bounced from the competition.

Get updated news on lineups, positions

When it comes to player props such as shots, goals, assists and corner kicks, it's best to check lineups before the match starts and factor in positions. Starters are more likely to register meaningful stats than substitutes, while forwards and midfielders are more likely to get shots, goals and assists over defenders.

Place your World Cup bets at bet365:

FAQ

When is the next World Cup?

The next World Cup is happening in 2026. It will start on June 11 with a group stage match when co-host Mexico takes on South Africa.

How do I bet on the World Cup?

You can bet on the World Cup at any sportsbook as long as markets are open. For the most part, futures betting is available much earlier than individual game betting. However, some sportsbooks do offer odds for select group stage games.

When was the first World Cup?

The first World Cup took place in 1930, hosted by Uruguay. The hosts ended up winning the competition, defeating Argentina in the final 4-2. The United States finished third at this event.

Who are the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup?

Spain, the reigning European champions, are the favorites at most sportsbooks to win the 2026 World Cup. They are +450 at DraftKings to win, ahead of England at +550.

Where can I bet on the 2026 World Cup?

You can bet on the World Cup at most top sportsbooks as long as you have an account.