Qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is fully underway after the European confederation joined the party in March.
Seven teams have already secured a place in the tournament and another 41 will be determined over the next 12 months.
With that in mind, read on as we look at the latest outright betting for the World Cup, before previewing what promises to be a thrilling celebration of international football.
World Cup 2026 – Outright Betting
Sports bettors worldwide will be in their element next year, with the revamped World Cup offering significantly more betting opportunities than previous editions.
FIFA’s decision to increase the number of teams from 32 to 48 has ramped up the number of games, which provides punters with even more chances to bet.
Many bettors will visit https://www.legalsportsreport.com/sweepstakes-casinos/ ahead of the World Cup in the hope of securing bonuses and prize redemptions.
They will subsequently switch their attention to the World Cup and the plethora of markets on offer at online sportsbooks. Here are the latest outright odds:
- Spain – 7.00
- France – 7.00
- Brazil – 7.00
- England – 8.00
- Argentina – 11.00
- Germany – 11.00
- Portugal – 17.00
- Netherlands – 21.00
- Italy – 21.00
- Uruguay – 34.00
- Belgium – 34.00
- Colombia – 41.00
- United States – 51.00
- Mexico – 67.00
- Croatia – 67.00
- Denmark – 67.00
- Norway – 67.00
- Bar – 101.00
World Cup 2026 – Schedule
The schedule for the 2026 World Cup is as follows:
- June 11-27 – Group stage
- June 28 – July 3 – Round of 32
- July 4-7 – Round of 16
- July 9-11 – Quarter-finals
- July 14-15 – Semi-finals
- July 18 – Third-place play-off
- July 19 – Final
World Cup 2026 – Teams
FIFA has allocated the 48 places at the 2026 World Cup as follows:
- UEFA (Europe) – 16 teams
- CAF (Africa) – 9 teams
- AFC (Asian) – 8 teams (Qualified: Japan, Iran)
- CONMEBOL (South America) – 6 teams – (Qualified: Argentina)
- CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) – 6 teams (Qualified: United States, Canada, Mexico)
- OFC (Oceania) – 1 team (Qualified: New Zealand)
Another two qualify via intercontinental play-offs featuring teams from every confederation apart from Europe.
World Cup 2026 – Betting Preview
The outright World Cup betting market will undoubtedly be one of the most popular with punters and picking a winner is no easy task.
France finished runners-up in 2022 and have been well-backed to go one better this time around. However, several other teams have the potential to be dangerous.
They include reigning champions Argentina, who booked their place in the tournament with an impressive 4-1 demolition of rivals Brazil in Buenos Aries.
England will also be popular with sports bettors, but their previous track record of failure at major tournaments makes them a risky wagering proposition.
Spain and Germany are the two teams who are worth focusing on in the outright market, and slight preference is for the former.
They have both recently made it through to the semi-finals of the Nations League to cement their status as two of the top teams in Europe.
Spain were impressive winners of the 2024 European Championship and look a good bet at odds of 7.00 to double up by winning the World Cup next year.
Germany could be dangerous and are well worth checking out in the ‘reach the final’ market, but may ultimately come up short in their quest to win the tournament.