⚽ World Cup Betting Markets 2026: What Can You Bet on at World Cup?
The most popular sports event is on the horizon as we explore the World Cup 2026 betting markets, offering insight about what you can bet and how best to place those wagers.
There are a ton of betting markets you can sink your teeth into now and in the lead-up to the 48-team event, which kicks off on June 11. Find out which ones will appeal most, so you can start planning your World Cup 2026 betting strategy.
⚽ World Cup 2026 betting markets
The number of World Cup betting markets is about as extensive as the number of participants in the newly expanded 2026 event. Most of the markets are already open, while some will become available when the World Cup starts (June 11).
Let's roll through the markets you can bet on at the best sports betting sites now, from futures bets to top goal scorer and group winner, to which teams will advance into the knockout stages.
🏆 World Cup winner
Also known as World Cup futures bets, this market is where you select which team you think will win the World Cup. You can make your pick now, well in advance of the tournament, or during the event.
However, keep in mind that the chance of odds getting worse is higher as the tournament progresses. I have backed England as my World Cup 2026 futures bet. The Three Lions' odds are +600, which are the second-shortest odds to win. That means only one team (Spain) are more likely to win it all.
I'm placing a 5-unit bet ($50) on England to win. A winning $10 bet would profit $6, so my $50 bet will yield a $30 profit.
I recommend selecting a team that is among the World Cup favorite odds as history has provided repeated examples of why they make the best World Cup futures picks.
💡 World Cup futures betting tip
It won't matter much whether you make your futures bet now or just before the World Cup starts. The odds will start seeing significant movement once the tournament is underway. Until then, very little odds movement is expected.
🦶 Golden Boot (top goal scorer)
Select who you think will score the most goals. I recommend my top goal-scorer pick in the World Cup predictions.
If more than one player finishes on the top of the goal-scorer table, ties are broken by the following criteria in the order listed:
- Number of assists recorded in the tournament
- If still tied, the player with the fewest number of minutes played at the World Cup wins the Golden Boot
- If a dead heat still exists, the Golden Boot will be shared between those tied in all other categories
2026 World Cup Golden Boot odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappe | France | +650 |
| Harry Kane | England | +750 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | +1400 |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | +1600 |
| Lamine Yamal | Spain | +1800 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | +2200 |
💡 Golden Boot/top goal-scorer betting tip
Make sure you believe your choice to win the Golden Boot will advance deep into the latter stages. It's crucial that your pick will still be playing beyond the quarterfinals. Preferably, he will be the primary goal scorer of the winning team.
🥅 Team top goal scorer
You're betting on who you think will be the top goal scorer of a participating team or teams at the World Cup. You can think of it as picking a Golden Boot winner for each team.
For example, Lionel Messi is Argentina's betting favorite to finish with the most goals (+130). Forward Lautaro Martinez is the second-most likely, with +380 odds. Despite his age (38), I would back Messi. Not only does he take the team's penalties, but he's also responsible for every free kick in a scoring position.
He finished one goal behind Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe at the 2022 World Cup, and he almost always increases his level in big moments.
💡 Team top goal scorer tip
Make sure to pick a player who always starts and is rarely substituted. It's also a good idea to back a player who takes the team's penalties, as that usually increases the practical likelihood of your bet cashing.
In addition, try pick a player from a team who you think will dominate in the group stage.
🆚 Group winner
Picking a group winner is as straightforward as it sounds. You'll choose one team to top its respective group at the end of the three-game round robin.
If the team you select finishes on top of the group after three matches, your bet will cash. Tiebreakers apply to teams that finish level on points after the group stage.
The best example for World Cup 2026 is the Netherlands to top Group F (-125). Among the betting favorites to win the World Cup, the Netherlands is in a group with Japan, Tunisia, and Albania, Poland, Sweden, or Ukraine.
While nothing is a shoo-in, Holland is the cream of the crop, and its -125 odds offer good value for the higher probability bet (55.56%).
💡 Group winner tip
Oftentimes, the best choice to win the group is the betting favorite. Take a look at how that team has fared in previous World Cup group stages and in the qualifying campaign that secured their World Cup 2026 involvement.
However, some teams are too heavily favored. Avoid those teams (Spain), as the short odds (-450) don't offer enough value or potential return.
✅ Qualify from group
In the qualify-from-group market, you need to select one of the two, possibly three, teams that advance from each group into the knockout phase. The top two teams from each group qualify automatically, along with the eight best third-place teams.
The number of teams advancing to the knockout stage at the 2026 World Cup has increased from 16 to 32. While the 16-team increase provides a better chance for the team(s) you back to progress, the odds to do so will be adjusted accordingly.
💡 Qualify from group tip
The juice won't be worth the squeeze for most betting favorites as their odds will be way too short to elicit any value.
For example, Brazil's odds to advance from Group C are -5000. You'll want to either back the second-best team in the group or find a viable option that could finish second or secure one of the eight best third-place finishes.
➡️ Reach a certain round
If you think Spain might not win, but will at least reach the final, you can lock it in. Do you believe in England but not enough to back it to win the World Cup? You can bet on the Three Lions to make the quarterfinal, semifinal, or final.
If you bet England to make the final and it wins the World Cup, your bet cashes anyway. You can bet on each team's stage of elimination, like predicting Team USA will bow out in the Round of 32 or Round of 16.
💡 Reach a certain round tip
I like this market when I understand a team's ceiling and its ability to reach the cap.
For example, I'm confident in Team USA's chances of advancing to the knockout stage and winning in the Round of 32. However, I don't believe the team is good enough to go beyond the Round of 16. I would bet USA to be eliminated in the Round of 16 (+280).
💰 Match betting
For each World Cup match, there are three principal betting markets: Total goals (Over/Under), spread, and moneyline.
Total (Over/Under)
| Teams | Over/Under | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| France | O2.5 (-136) | 57.63% |
| Senegal | U2.5 (+112) | 47.17% |
The total is where you bet Over or Under the amount of goals that will be scored. For example, when France faces Senegal, the total number of goals is set at 2.5. You can bet Over, which means the game must have at least three goals, or Under, meaning the game must have 2 goals or fewer.
The odds for the Over are -136, and +112 for the Under. A winning $10 bet on the Over (-136) would yield a $7.35 profit, while a successful $10 bet on the Under (+112) would profit $11.20.
Spread
The spread is where you bet on the winning or losing margin. The spread for France vs. Senegal is:
| Teams | Spread |
|---|---|
| France | -1.5 (+118) |
| Senegal | +1.5 (-150) |
Backing betting favorite France -1.5 means you require France to win by 2 goals or more for your bet to cash. A winning $10 bet would profit $11.80.
If you bet on underdog Senegal +1.5, the Senegalese must lose by one goal, tie, or win the game. As long as they don't lose by 2 goals or more, your bet will cash. A winning $10 bet at -150 odds would yield a $6.67 profit.
Moneyline
| Teams | Moneyline | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| France | -250 | 71.43% |
| Senegal | +700 | 12.5% |
Moneyline bets consist of simply betting on the winner of any given match. You'll notice the odds yield lower profits for betting favorites and higher profits for underdogs.
However, keep in mind that underdogs, especially in the early rounds of the tournament, are less likely to win. France is the -250 moneyline betting favorite against Senegal. That means that you'd have to place a $250 bet to profit $100 ($2.50 on a $10 bet).
Senegal, meanwhile, is the +700 moneyline underdog. If you bet on Senegal and it wins, you'll earn a $700 profit on a $100 wager ($70 on a $10 bet).
📈 Live betting
When the tournament gets underway, you can make bets on games that are in progress. The list of options is extensive, including moneyline, spread, Over/Under, goal-scorer props, and more.
This market is an excellent way for you to show your soccer expertise as you get a feel for how each match is transpiring. You can utilize trends that have developed throughout the tournament to inform your in-game picks or mix that knowledge with your intuition and gut feel.
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