⚽ World Cup Predictions 2026: Odds, Expert Picks & Best Bets for Every Match
There has never been a World Cup like this one with 48 teams converging onto three host nations for 104 matches to determine the best soccer power in the world - and we're covering every one with our World Cup predictions for this summer's tournament.
The action starts today with Mexico hosting South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City (3 p.m. ET, FOX) before South Korea and Czechia face off tonight at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara (10 p.m. ET, FS1). Below, we've gathered the latest World Cup odds with our expert picks and best bets for every match and the tournament as a whole.
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📊 Live World Cup odds 2026
Latest World Cup odds shown live via our best World Cup betting sites.
🏆 Who will win the World Cup 2026?
Spain is the betting favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, but our soccer expert Andrew Reid says France is the best value to win it all. Here's what he says in his France World Cup preview about why he's bullish on this team's chances of reaching the final:
"It's not just that France has the best attacking team in the world, averaging 2.19 xG per game during the 2026 UEFA qualifiers; the defense is also incredibly difficult to break down, allowing just five goals across all eight games. Superstar Kylian Mbappe is the favorite to be the top goal scorer in the World Cup - you don't reach that level without a deep run."
We also simulated all 104 matches with our World Cup AI predictions, which identified Spain as the best value in the field to hoist the trophy in July.
📅 World Cup predictions today
See all of our experts' soccer picks and the latest World Cup odds and favorites.
The tournament kicks off today with two Group A games, which we break down in full with our World Cup predictions today:
💰 More World Cup picks & best bets
Our soccer writer Gary Pearson has been monitoring the World Cup futures market for months and broke down his three best bets to lock in before the action gets underway:
- England to reach the quarterfinals (-125): England owns the third-shortest title odds and has reached the last four in four straight major tournaments.
- Switzerland to win Group B (-135): Pearson says Switzerland is a class above an injury-hit Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina in its group.
- South Africa to finish bottom of Group A (-110): In a group with Mexico, South Korea, and Czechia, wins will be tough to come by for South Africa.
⚽ World Cup group predictions
Follow all of our expert soccer betting analysis for the 2026 World Cup.
Reid broke down all 12 groups ahead of World Cup 2026 with his analysis of every team and best bet in the group stage market. We've also linked to his detailed team guides for the top soccer nations in this year's 48-team field:
- Group A preview: Czechia, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea
- Group B preview: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C preview: Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Scotland
- Group D preview: Australia, Paraguay, Turkey, United States
- Group E preview: Curaçao, Ecuador, Germany, Ivory Coast
- Group F preview: Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G preview: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H preview: Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Uruguay
- Group I preview: France, Iraq, Norway, Senegal
- Group J preview: Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Jordan
- Group K preview: Colombia, DR Congo, Portugal, Uzbekistan
- Group L preview: Croatia, England, Ghana, Panama
For more on every team, Reid details the full World Cup rosters for all 48 national teams, while our soccer expert Jeremy Vernon dove into the history of every competing nation for one number to know for every team.
🥇 Who will win World Cup awards?
Ahead of the first match, we broke down each of the major World Cup award markets with odds analysis and our best bet to win the award:
- Golden Boot odds & predictions: Kylian Mbappé is favored in this market, but Pearson sees value in another former winner on a goal-scoring tear this season.
- Golden Ball odds & predictions: Spain's Lamine Yamal has been first or second in this market all week, and Reid is playing it safe by backing with the young star.
- Golden Glove odds & predictions: In the tightest race of the three, Vernon sees value in Spain's Unai Simón to overtake the favorites in a crowded market.
🥅 How to bet both teams to score (BTTS) at World Cup
Both teams to score (BTTS) is one of the most popular betting markets in soccer and at the World Cup, but the math changes dramatically from league play to the world stage. Vernon dives into the numbers in his comprehensive guide on how to bet BTTS at the World Cup - studying over 7,000 matches and every World Cup match since 2002 to explain the best ways to attack this prop betting market.
⛰️ How to bet altitude at World Cup
Plenty has been made about the altitude at two of Mexico's highest elevation venues in Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) and Estadio Akron (Guadalajara), but how does it actually impact the athletes playing at those stadiums? I broke down how to bet on altitude at the World Cup, including the science behind playing at elevation and whether Mexico is worth backing in the futures market behind its home-field advantage.
❓ World Cup predictions FAQ
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup?
Spain is the betting favorite with +460 odds to win the World Cup, just ahead of France and England.
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The tournament runs June 11 to July 19, opening with Mexico vs. South Africa in Mexico City and ending with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup?
There are a record 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup, drawn into 12 groups of four. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-place teams advance to the Round of 32.
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