World Cup 2026 Odds & Betting Guide: Favorites, Futures & FAQ

2026 World Cup odds are officially live at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, as the wait for the most popular sporting event in the world is almost over. 

The FIFA World Cup will return to American soil in 2026, making the United States the host country for the first time since 1994. USA will be joined by neighboring countries Canada and Mexico as hosts, marking just the second time in history that more than one country will be hosting the event (Japan & South Korea in 2002).

World Cup 2026 odds are already in high demand, and the tournament will be the main betting event of the summer. As we inch closer to kickoff, Hard Rock Bet will provide you with the latest odds, qualifier updates, popular markets, and World Cup soccer betting tips for all of the action.

2026 World Cup Odds to Lift the Trophy

While the tournament won’t officially begin until June 11, the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy is already underway, with national teams continuing to vie for their spots during the latest qualifying rounds (more on those shortly). 

At Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, we’re tracking the early favorites and potential dark horses. Spain, a youthful team led by rising superstar Lamine Yamal, leads the pack with the shortest odds on the board. They are followed by England, 2018 World Cup winner and 2022 runner-up France, and five-time winner Brazil.

Argentina, fresh off its 2022 World Cup victory in Qatar, are also strong contenders despite waiting on Lionel Messi’s decision to play in what would be his final World Cup. Messi’s longtime rival and counterpart, Cristiano Ronaldo, is already confirmed to be participating for Portugal, who currently sits right behind Argentina in terms of odds to win.

And don’t forget to keep an eye on the host nations – USA, Mexico, and Canada – any of which could make a surprise underdog run with the help of home-field advantage.

What is the FIFA World Cup?

For those that may not be familiar with the FIFA World Cup, let us explain.

The FIFA World Cup is soccer’s biggest stage, where national teams battle every four years for global supremacy. 

For the very first time in the event’s history, the 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams, up from 32, opening the door for more nations and potential surprises. Hosted throughout North America, this tournament also marks the first time ever that three countries will share hosting duties.

That means primetime matches in familiar time zones for U.S. sports bettors, with games taking place at iconic venues like Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and MetLife Stadium in New York – are you excited yet?

2026 World Cup Qualification

The 2026 World Cup qualifiers are happening as we speak, featuring an extended qualifying period for the largest World Cup field yet.

Host nations always receive an automatic World Cup bid to compete in the group stage, while the rest of the world’s national teams must earn their places through regional qualifying tournaments run by their respective confederations.

Once regional qualifying and the UEFA playoffs conclude, six teams from different confederations will advance to the FIFA World Cup 26 Playoff Tournament, an inter-confederation playoff held in March 2026. There, they will compete for the final two spots at the World Cup.

Automatic qualifiers:

• 🇺🇸USA
• 🇨🇦Canada
• 🇲🇽Mexico

Qualifying leagues/confederations:

• AFC (Asia): 8 direct slots & 1 play-off slot
• CAF (Africa): 9 direct slots & 1 play-off slot
• CONCACAF (North Central America & Caribbean): 6 direct slots (3 to hosts) & 2 play-off slots
• CONMEBOL (South America): 6 direct slots & 1 play-off slot
• OFC (Oceania): 1 direct slot & 1 play-off slot
• UEFA (Europe): 16 direct slots (12 group winners & 4 UEFA play-off slots)

World play-off qualifiers

Among the six total play-off slots awarded, two of those six teams will end up making the final field of 48. The play-offs are set to take place on March 26 and March 31 of 2026 at two separate venues in Mexico, featuring the following nations:

• 🇮🇶Iraq (AFC)
• 🇨🇩DR Congo (CAF)
• 🇯🇲Jamaica (CONCACAF)
• 🇸🇷Suriname (CONCACAF)
• 🇧🇴Bolivia (CONMEBOL)
• 🇳🇨New Caledonia (OFC)

UEFA play-off qualifiers

While each of the other five confederations will have at least one nation battling it out for a play-off slot, UEFA does things a bit differently. As the world’s premier confederation for international soccer, UEFA will get a total of four play-off qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, in addition to its 12 auto-qualifiers.

The following 16 nations will also compete on March 26 and March 31 for the opportunity to punch their tickets:

• 🇮🇹 Italy
• 🇩🇰 Denmark
• 🇹🇷 Turkey
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine
• 🇵🇱 Poland
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales
• 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
• 🇸🇰 Slovakia
• 🇮🇪 Ireland
• 🇦🇱 Albania
• 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 🇽🇰 Kosovo
• 🇸🇪 Sweden
• 🇷🇴 Romania
• 🇲🇰 North Macedonia
• 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland

2026 World Cup Draw Results & Official Groups

The 2026 World Cup Draw took place on Friday, December 5th in Washington D.C.

To organize the expanded 48-team field, FIFA separated all qualified nations (including play-off hopefuls) into four seeding pots, each determined by the FIFA World Rankings and overall team strength. Pot 1 contained the highest-ranked teams – including the host nations – while Pots 2, 3, and 4 included progressively lower-ranked sides.

Once the pots were finalized, teams were randomly drawn one by one into 12 groups, labeled Group A through Group L, with the standard rule that no group could contain more than one team from the same confederation (with the exception of Europe, which is allowed two due to having 16 total teams). Here are the results:

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
🇲🇽 Mexico	🇨🇦 Canada	🇧🇷 Brazil	🇺🇸 United States
🇿🇦 South Africa	UEFA Path A Winner	🇲🇦 Morocco	🇵🇾 Paraguay
🇰🇷 South Korea	🇶🇦 Qatar	🇭🇹 Haiti	🇦🇺 Australia
UEFA Path D Winner	🇨🇭 Switzerland	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland	UEFA Path C Winner

Group E	Group F	Group G	Group H
🇩🇪 Germany	🇳🇱 Netherlands	🇧🇪 Belgium	🇪🇸 Spain
🇨🇼 Curacao	🇯🇵 Japan	🇪🇬 Egypt	🇨🇻 Cape Verde
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast	UEFA Path B Winner	🇮🇷 Iran	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🇪🇨 Ecuador	🇹🇳 Tunisia	🇳🇿 New Zealand	🇺🇾 Uruguay

Group I	Group J	Group K	Group L
🇫🇷 France	🇦🇷 Argentina	🇵🇹 Portugal	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England
🇸🇳 Senegal	🇩🇿 Algeria	IC Path 1 Winner	🇭🇷 Croatia
IC Path 2 Winner	🇦🇹 Austria	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	🇬🇭 Ghana
🇳🇴 Norway	🇯🇴 Jordan	🇨🇴 Colombia	🇵🇦 Panama

Popular World Cup Betting Markets

Here’s a closer look at some of the different types of World Cup bets you will find once the tournament finally kicks off. 

World Cup Futures

Futures bets let you predict tournament outcomes long before the event has begun. The most popular market here is typically outright winner, but you can also bet on which teams will advance from each group, reach the final, or which player will claim the Golden Boot (most goals).

These bets often come with higher odds the sooner you snag them, making it worthwhile to get in early if you have a hunch that a long-shot can make a run.

Here are some of the more notable World Cup futures you will find at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:

• World Cup Winner: Pick which nation you think will lift the trophy at the end of the tournament.
• To Reach the Final: Bet on which team you believe will make it all the way to the championship match, regardless of whether they win it.
• Group Winner: Choose which country you think will finish atop its group after all three group stage matches.
• To Qualify From Group: Wager on whether a team will advance out of its group and into the knockout stage.
• Stage of Elimination: Predict how far a particular team will go: group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, runners-up, or champion.
• Top Goalscorer (Golden Boot): Back the player you think will score the most goals over the course of the tournament.
• Player Awards: Bet on who will win individual honors such as the Golden Ball (best player), Golden Glove (top goalkeeper), or Young Player Award (best player under 21).

World Cup Match Betting

For immediate action, individual match betting is where it’s at. The most common is the three-way moneyline: you either pick Team A to win, Team B to win, or a Draw. Remember, draws are common in soccer, especially during the group stage.

Spread betting in soccer usually involves a goal handicap, such as a team favored by -1.5 goals. That means they need to win by two or more goals for your bet to cash. 

You can also bet on Total Goals (also known as the Over/Under), predicting whether the combined score will be over or under a set number, typically around 2.5 or 3.5 goals.

World Cup Props & Specials

If you’re looking to go beyond standard bets like moneylines or totals, World Cup prop betting opens up an entirely new way to play.

Game props let you wager on specific events during a match, not just the final outcome. In other words, think beyond the winner: Who will score first? Will both teams find the net? What’s the exact final score? Team props, on the other hand, cover bets that include corners earned, clean sheets or just about any other statistic that is specific to one team in a match.

Meanwhile, player prop bets focus on individual player stats such as goals, assists, and shots on target.

Here are some common player props that you can wager on at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:

• First Goalscorer: Bet on which player will score the first goal of the match – a high-risk, high-reward market that often comes with longer odds.
• Anytime Goalscorer: Wager on whether a player will score at any point during the match.
• Player Goals (O/U): Bet on how many total goals a player will score in the match, often set at 0.5, or 1.5 for superstars.
• Player Shots on Target (O/U): Predict how many shots on goal a specific player will register.
• Player Assists (O/U): Wager on whether a player will set up teammates for goals and exceed their posted assist line.
• Player to Score 2+ or 3+ Goals: Back a player to score a brace (2+ goals) or a hat trick (3+), another high-upside market that can come with big payouts if it hits.

Whether you’re betting on how many goals Kylian Mbappé will score or how many saves Alisson Becker will make, World Cup props make every shot, pass, and set piece on the pitch that much more important.

Live Betting on the World Cup

Live betting on the World Cup (also known as in-play betting) allows users to place wagers during the game, while action is taking place on the field. 

Odds update as quickly as the ball moves, and Hard Rock Bet’s advanced live betting lobby offers soccer bettors a variety of ways to engage and adjust to the game in real time. Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook lets you bet on live lines for everything from the next goal scorer to total goals, and more.

2026 World Cup Betting at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook

Make no mistake about it, Hard Rock Bet is your go-to sportsbook for the 2026 World Cup. You’ll find extensive markets for every player, team, or match in the app or on our website. Easily compare odds and build custom parlays across different games or even other sports.

The event is set to be massive, bringing together the sport’s top teams on North American soil. Whether you’re riding with favorites like Spain and Brazil or spotting value in an underdog run, Hard Rock Bet has it all covered. Get ready for a summer of non-stop soccer and betting.

What’s more, every 2026 World Cup wager that you place will earn you Unity Points through the Unity by Hard Rock rewards program – redeemable at Hard Rock properties nationwide. Here’s how to get started.

How to bet on the 2026 World Cup at Hard Rock Bet

Placing 2026 World Cup bets at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook only takes a few minutes. Here’s how to get started:

• Step 1: Click on the Discover tab on the Hard Rock Bet Sportbook app or website.
• Step 2: Choose Soccer to browse the available soccer leagues and events.
• Step 3: Scroll down to International – 2026 World Cup.
• Step 4: Click on any matchup to view its complete menu of betting markets.
• Step 5: Once you’ve found a market and are ready to placed a wager, select it and add to your bet slip.
• Step 6: Enter how much you want to risk or win, make sure to review all of the details, and lock in your bet.

Previous World Cup Winners

Year	World Cup Winner	Runner-Up
2022	🇦🇷Argentina	🇫🇷France
2018	🇫🇷France	🇭🇷Croatia
2014	🇩🇪Germany	🇦🇷Argentina
2010	🇪🇸Spain	🇳🇱Netherlands
2006	🇮🇹Italy	🇫🇷France
2002	🇧🇷Brazil	🇩🇪Germany
1998	🇫🇷France	🇧🇷Brazil
1994	🇧🇷Brazil	🇮🇹Italy
1990	🇩🇪West Germany	🇦🇷Argentina
1986	🇦🇷Argentina	🇩🇪West Germany
1982	🇮🇹Italy	🇩🇪West Germany
1978	🇦🇷Argentina	🇳🇱Netherlands
1974	🇩🇪West Germany	🇳🇱Netherlands
1970	🇧🇷Brazil	🇮🇹Italy
1966	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England	🇩🇪West Germany
1962	🇧🇷Brazil	🇨🇿Czechoslovakia
1958	🇧🇷Brazil	🇸🇪Sweden
1954	🇩🇪West Germany	🇭🇺Hungary
1950	🇺🇾Uruguay	🇧🇷Brazil
1938	🇮🇹Italy	🇭🇺Hungary
1934	🇮🇹Italy	🇨🇿Czechoslovakia
1930	🇺🇾Uruguay	🇦🇷Argentina

World Cup betting FAQs

Below we’ve put together some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding soccer betting and soccer odds.