Odds Tracker
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will take place in USA, Mexico and Canada and betting interest is high as the globe’s best footballing nations compete to be crowned world champions. Our World Cup odds page offers the latest odds and a detailed odds history, showing how each participant’s chances have been rated by the bookies in the build-up to the tournament.
Live Odds and Best Odds by Bookmakers:
We also track the following betting markets – take a look to see current odds and trends over time:
Market movements
How the outright market has moved after matchday 1
Matchday 1 is now complete, and the outright picture has reshaped around the pre-tournament top tier:
- England firmed up sharply after a convincing 4-2 win over Croatia. Two goals from Kane plus efforts from Bellingham and Rashford answered the depth question that hung over the squad pre-tournament. England remain the third-favourite behind Spain and France.
- Brazil has drifted after their 1-1 draw with Morocco. Group C is now wide open and Brazil’s path to the final has lengthened.
- Portugal joins the “dropped points” group after being held 1-1 by DR Congo. Cristiano Ronaldo’s side now need a bigger Group K finish than they would have planned for; Colombia’s 2-0 over Uzbekistan means Group K could yet flip.
- France confirmed as second favourite after a 3-1 win over Senegal in what was the toughest group on paper. Price largely held.
- Argentina a comfortable third after a 3-0 over Algeria. Defending champions look composed; price firmed.
- USA shortened materially from around 50/1 to around 33/1 after the 4-1 win over Paraguay. Host advantage looks real.
- Germany trimmed after the 7-1 Curaçao win. Multiple Germany players on the Golden Boot leaderboard.
- Norway in the dark-horse conversation after 4-1 over Iraq with a Haaland brace. Haaland now joint-leader of the Golden Boot race alongside Kane.
- Spain still to be tested — Cape Verde was Monday’s opener; the real test comes against Uruguay in matchday 2.
For the latest group standings see our groups page; for the full fixture list with UK kick-off times see our fixtures page. The Golden Boot market — now jointly led by Haaland and Kane on two goals each — is on the top scorer odds page. Editor predictions across every market on our predictions hub; tournament-specific sign-up offers on the World Cup free bets hub.
Best UK prices move regularly during the tournament; see the toplist above and the operator tables below for the live picture.
The Outright Favourites
Who Are the Favourites to Win the 2026 World Cup?
Euro 2024 champions and the market leaders going into 2026. Luis de la Fuente’s side have been the most cohesive international team on the planet for two years running, with Rodri anchoring a midfield built around Pedri, Fabián Ruiz and the generational Lamine Yamal. Spain’s short-passing game travels well, and they’ve historically thrived in warm-weather tournaments — a key factor given the summer heat forecast across US host cities. The only caveat is squad depth at centre-forward: a Yamal injury scare earlier this year briefly moved the market, and any setback to Yamal or Nico Williams would force a rethink.
Back-to-back finalists in 2018 and 2022, France still boast the most frightening forward line in the draw: Mbappé, Dembélé, Doué and Barcola, with Saliba and Upamecano now established at the back. The Kanté–Tchouaméni–Camavinga midfield gives tactical flexibility most rivals can’t match. At 5/1, France are arguably the best-priced of the “big five” given their tournament pedigree.
Thomas Tuchel’s reign has tightened what was already the deepest attacking squad in world football. England’s World Cup 2026 odds make them the third favourite and the shortest-priced Three Lions outright in modern memory. The combination of Bellingham, Saka, Foden, Rice, Palmer and a fit Harry Kane gives England genuine match-winners in every third. Concerns remain over the goalkeeper position and centre-back pairing, but the 48-team format — with an easier route to the last 16 — arguably suits a squad that tends to grow into tournaments.
A rebuild under Carlo Ancelotti has stabilised what was a chaotic qualifying campaign. Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo, Raphinha and Estêvão provide ruthless pace; the question is whether Ancelotti can construct a midfield that controls knockout games. Brazil haven’t reached a World Cup semi-final since 2014 — punters should weigh that pattern against the brand name.
Defending champions, with Lionel Messi expected to feature in what will almost certainly be his final World Cup. Lionel Scaloni’s squad remains close to the Qatar 2022 blueprint, but the spine is visibly ageing. Lautaro Martínez, Julián Álvarez and Alexis Mac Allister keep Argentina competitive, but back-to-back World Cups is a feat only achieved once since 1970.
World Cup 2026 Dark Horses & Value Bets
With Roberto Martínez, a settled Bernardo Silva-led midfield, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão and the breakout class of João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos, Portugal are the obvious each-way play. Cristiano Ronaldo’s final tournament adds motivation and noise, but it’s the supporting cast that makes the price attractive.
Under Julian Nagelsmann, Germany have rediscovered shape and identity. Wirtz, Musiala, Kimmich and a reinforced defence mean anyone writing them off after 2018 and 2022 risks missing a price.
Erling Haaland finally leads Norway at a major tournament. Partner him with Martin Ødegaard and Antonio Nusa, and the Scandinavians are the most exciting dark horse on the board. The draw will matter — but 25/1 for a team with two of the world’s 15 best players is the kind of number worth a small outright stake.
Should You Back England at the 2026 World Cup?
For UK punters, this is the question that actually matters.
The case for England at 6/1:
- Deepest attacking squad of any nation at the tournament
- 48-team format means a softer last-16 fixture than in recent cycles
- Tuchel has genuine knockout pedigree (2021 Champions League)
- No Euros hangover — England weren’t European champions in 2024
The case against:
- Goalkeeper uncertainty post-Pickford
- Historically slow tournament starters
- Heat in US venues could sap an intense pressing style
Verdict: 6/1 is a fair price — not value, but not a trap. Punters chasing bigger returns should pair a small England stake with a dark horse like Norway or Portugal.
How the 2026 World Cup Format Changes the Betting
The 2026 tournament is the first with 48 teams, 12 groups of four, and a round of 32. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams progress. What that means for outright bettors:
- A longer path to the final — one more knockout round to navigate.
- More variance in the early knockouts — third-placed qualifiers create unpredictable last-32 ties.
- Heat and altitude matter — matches in Mexico City and Guadalajara are at altitude; Dallas, Houston and Miami will be brutally hot.
- Travel is a real factor — teams based on the US East Coast will have a physical edge over those shuttling between regions.
World Cup 2026 Key Dates (UK Time)
- Opening match: Thursday 11 June 2026, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Group stage: 11–27 June 2026
- Round of 32: 28 June – 3 July 2026
- Round of 16: 4–7 July 2026
- Quarter-finals: 9–11 July 2026
- Semi-finals: 14–15 July 2026
- Third-place play-off: 18 July 2026
- Final: Sunday 19 July 2026, MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
Most UK kick-off times will fall between 5pm and 1am BST — ideal for British viewers.
How to Bet on the World Cup 2026 Winner
- Compare outright odds across multiple UK bookmakers — a 1-point difference on a 10/1 shot is a 10% edge.
- Back each-way where available — many bookmakers pay a place on outrights (typically 1/4 odds, top 2 or top 4).
- Use Best Odds Guaranteed and enhanced price boosts on your preferred pick.
- Hedge strategically — pair a favourite with a 25/1+ dark horse rather than stacking two short prices.
- Watch for injury and team news before the opening match — markets routinely overreact.
- Stake sensibly — outrights tie up your money for five weeks.
Always gamble responsibly. 18+ only. If gambling is affecting you, visit BeGambleAware.
Pair your outright bet with our editor’s picks across every market — see our full World Cup 2026 predictions covering top scorer, dark horse, group winners and the final scoreline. To fund the bet with bookmaker bonus money, see our World Cup 2026 free bets page — every UK bookmaker’s tournament-specific offer, ranked by value.
About the data
We monitor trends in odds on key markets of interest by tracking a range of UK and international bookmakers. The update frequency varies, but is clearly shown on all our tables and charts. After fetching odds direct from bookies, we convert them to implied probability to make them easier to manage (read more on implied probability and converting from fractional to % probability). We then take the mean average implied probability to get a consensus view across the betting industry. This average implied probability is what we show on our charts and tables.
Previous Winners
Previous FIFA World Cup Winners:
| Team |
Winner |
Runner Up |
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Argentina |
France |
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France |
Croatia |
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Germany |
Argentina |
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Spain |
Netherlands |
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Italy |
France |
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Brazil |
Germany |
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France |
Brazil |
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Brazil |
Italy |
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West Germany |
Argentina |
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Argentina |
West Germany |
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Italy |
West Germany |
