
The World Cup favourites, very simply, are who the bookmakers consider to be favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026. They’re the team most likely to emerge victorious from the finals as undisputed champions of international football.
Not only is it great entertainment, but predicting the winner of the World Cup is one of the most interesting and potentially rewarding betting markets in any sporting calendar year.
Here, we’re going to provide a look at the top World Cup favourites as of right now, so you can get an overview of the available markets.
Below are the favourites to win the World Cup 2026 at the time of writing based on the current World Cup odds.
Do note, these do not necessarily reflect our opinion and are likely to change as the tournament goes on. Nonetheless, they provide an insight into popular expert opinion. So, who are the favourites for the World Cup 2026?
Spain did not have the best of tournaments in Qatar 2022. They made it out of the Group Stages, but they were dumped out in the Round of 16 as they lost on penalties to Morocco. Since then, they have won the European Championships with a 2-1 win over England, so they are expected to do well in Canada, Mexico and the United States. With Lamine Yamal, they have a matchwinner in their ranks just like Argentina have with Lionel Messi.
England are always seen as one of the favourites to win a major competition, but they always fail to get the job done. They have not won the World Cup since 1966 and have been beaten in the last two finals of the Euros. Will 2026 finally be their time to shine? With the likes of Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, they have the players to go far in this tournament, but can they win it?
Argentina are the current World Cup champions after beating France in a thrilling final in 2022. Lionel Messi is still regarded as one of the best players to have played the game, but Argentina will not be able to rely on him forever.
France last won the World Cup in 2018 when they defeated Croatia 4-2 in Russia. They almost made it back to back successes as they went down on penalties to Argentina. They will be eager to amend that loss by winning the trophy for a third time.
Below is a list of countries that online betting site BetMGM believe will do well at the Canada, Mexico and USA World Cup 2026.
| Country | Winner Odds (BetMGM) | Top 2 Odds (BetMGM) |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 9/2 | 6/4 |
| England | 11/2 | 2/1 |
| France | 7/1 | 5/2 |
| Argentina | 8/1 | 3/1 |
| Brazil | 8/1 | 3/1 |
| Portugal | 11/1 | 5/1 |
| Germany | 12/1 | 11/2 |
| Netherlands | 20/1 | 9/1 |
| Norway | 28/1 | 14/1 |
| Colombia | 40/1 | 20/1 |
When it comes to deciding who to back as favourites to win the World Cup, we’d say it comes down to two major considerations. The first is whether you actually think one of the top teams we’ve discussed will win.
If you don’t, then unless you’re content to simply back a team for entertainment value or to support your personal FIFA World Cup 2026 favourites, then we’d suggest looking at lower ranked teams. Your pick will surely be among them and you’ll get better odds.
If, however, the World Cup favourites in order above do make sense to you – and you think that one of those four will emerge victorious – then it comes down to whether or not you think the odds offer good value. They very likely will, as at early stages, even the top teams provide decent returns. Just make sure you’re using a quality bookmaker to get the best deal for World Cup betting.
The fact is, bookmakers offer many of their best deals during a tournament like this, making most World Cup favourites worth at least considering – as long as you utilise the top recommended sportsbooks.
Even the shortest odds can give reasonable returns and if you disagree with the top picks, even better. The teams not on the favourites list will provide even better value markets if you think your predictions can beat the bookies. Anyone who wishes to back a team to win the World Cup should easily find betting markets to their liking.
+18 | Please gamble responsibly | Commercial content | T&Cs apply GambleAware.com