FIFA World Cup 2026 Odds: Spain Tabbed as Early Favorites

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is just under a year away, and Spain has been tabbed the early favorites ahead of other global powerhouses such as Brazil and Argentina.

Chris Vasile - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Chris Vasile • Betting Analyst
Jun 11, 2025 • 15:03 ET • 5 min read
Lamine Yamal of Spain during the UEFA Nations League final Portugal v. Spain.
Photo By - Imagn Images. Lamine Yamal of Spain during the UEFA Nations League final Portugal v. Spain.

With exactly one year to go until the world’s biggest sporting event kicks off, the FIFA World Cup 2026 odds are already heating up.

Defending champions Argentina will look to go back-to-back, but it’s Spain who have been tabbed as the early favorites to lift the trophy next summer.

From Europe’s elite to South America’s giants, the race for global supremacy is wide open.

FIFA World Cup odds 2026

Country bet365
Spain Spain +550
Brazil Brazil +600
France France +650
England England +700
Argentina Argentina +800
Germany Germany +1000
Portugal Portugal +1200
Netherlands Netherlands +2000
Italy Italy +2500
Belgium Belgium +3300
Uruguay Uruguay +4000
Colombia Colombia +5000
Norway Norway +5000
USA USA +5000
Croatia Croatia +6600
Denmark Denmark +6600
Mexico Mexico +6600
Morocco Morocco +10000
Japan Japan +10000
Paraguay Paraguay +10000
Serbia Serbia +10000
Switzerland Switzerland +10000
Canada Canada +15000

Odds as of 6-11.

FIFA World Cup 2026 favorites

Spain Spain

In my very honest, unbiased opinion as an Italian, the list of favorites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup should start and end with Spain. 

La Roja are the reigning European champions and, as we saw through their run to the Nations League final, are a team that can pick you apart in a hurry. 

They boast a deep, talented squad led by teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and a coach in Luis de la Fuente who demands an aggressive, possession-based style of play. 

With very little resistance in their World Cup qualifying group that starts for them in September, La Roja should be all systems go to make a deep run at next summer's tournament. 

Brazil Brazil

When the 2026 FIFA World Cup rolls around, it'll mark 24 years since Brazil last reached the pinnacle of the soccer world. 

To Brazilians, those 24 years feel like 100, and with no real direction, the Seleção may be looking at yet another tournament gone by the wayside. 

While they did qualify for the tournament, they sit fourth in CONMEBOL, and with no clear starting lineup, the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti is about the only thing to get excited about. 

Can the highly decorated manager pull the strings and get the most from his side? Only time will tell. 

France France

It's hard to find a reason to rule out France as World Cup winners, but I think the two teams below on this list should be rated slightly higher. 

Runners-up in Qatar just three years ago, much of the same core returns, including Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni. Add in the PSG duo who are currently in-form — Ousman Dembele and Desire Doue — and you have yourself a deep, talented roster. 

With Didier Deschamps still running a tight ship, the French will be a tough out in 2026. 

England England

There are always concerns with England ahead of a major international tournament, so don't read too much into what happens before then. 

This is a team littered with world-class players, led by Harry Kane, and one that, on its day, can bang in three or four goals with ease.

Some will be quick to point out a 1-0 win vs. lowly Andorra in qualifying as a reason why they can't be taken series, but to that I say, relax. 

England will find a way to make a deep run and have you believing for a second "football is coming home"

Argentina Argentina

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. 

That was certainly the case in Qatar, where Lionel Messi led his country to a memorable World Cup trophy. 

With this possibly being Messi's last World Cup, Argentina will be out for blood, looking to defend their crown. 

They've been dominant in qualifying and, as the reigning World Champs and winners of the past two Copa America tournaments, it would be foolish to rule them out. 

FIFA World Cup 2026 betting splits

365 Days from the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Spain is the most-bet tournament winner on ESPN BET with 15.1% of bets and 15.7% of handle.

2026 FIFA World Cup Winner

  • Spain – 15.1% of bets, 15.7% of handle
  • France – 15.6% of bets, 14.9% of handle
  • England – 11.8% of bets, 12.7% of handle
  • Germany – 6.2% of bets, 10.8% of handle
  • Portugal – 4.2% of bets, 9.8% of handle 

The U.S. (+5000) has 4.2% of bets and 4.4% of handle (9th most) while fellow hosts Mexico (+4000) has less than 1% of bets and 1.8% of handle (11th most) and Canada (+10000) has 1.1% of bets and less than 1% of handle (18th most).

Past winners of the FIFA World Cup

In the World Cup's 21-tournament history, 13 different countries have made the final, with eight different nations winning. Those eight are Brazil (5), Germany (4), Italy (4), Argentina (3), France (2), Uruguay (2), England, and Spain.

Year World Cup winners Runners-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

How to bet on the World Cup

The unrivaled excitement of the World Cup only comes once every four years, and it brings many first-time bettors to the sport. Learn everything you need to know about how to bet on soccer and the World Cup with our comprehensive guide tackling moneylines, spread, totals, and even Asian handicaps. 

FIFA World Cup futures odds

Betting on the outright winner of the FIFA World Cup is an extremely popular futures betting option, and odds usually come out soon after the previous World Cup winner is crowned. These odds will adjust based on how countries and players perform leading up to the World Cup. Sportsbooks will also adjust the soccer odds based on handle and liability with certain nations. Futures odds are displayed in list form, showing each option and its odds, most often ranked from best chances to win to worst. You will usually see a plus (+) sign in front of a team's futures odds, like this:

  • France +500

This means that on a $100 bet, you would stand to win $500 if France won the World Cup. As we get closer to the World Cup final or if one team has been extremely dominant, you might see a country with a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.

  • Brazil -110

This would mean that you have to bet $110 to win $100 on a Brazil World Cup victory. Above, we have posted the American odds for the FIFA World Cup. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool. 

World Cup trends

• A host country has won the World Cup five times.

• There has only been one back-to-back World Cup-winning nation in history. Brazil accomplished the feat in 1958 and 1962.

• No African or North American nation has ever played in a World Cup final.

• Prior to 2022, the World Cup had been won by a European nation in the previous four tournaments.

FIFA World Cup Odds FAQs

Pages related to this topic

Chris Vasile Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Chris Vasile has been in the betting industry for well over a decade honing his craft as a writer, editor and handicapper. A journalism graduate from Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, Chris has contributed betting and non-betting content for online publications such as ProSportsDaily and The Hockey Writers, in addition to Covers. With a keen interest in soccer, Chris has been featured on Covers' 'Before You Bet' and runs his own YouTube channel — Game Day Wagers.

When it comes to daily sports betting, his sportsbook of choice is bet365 for the plethora of markets and great UX. Chris' top sports betting advice is to stick to what you know. Being a jack of all trades and master of none is a quick way to bust the bankroll. Find one or two sports you can devote your time to and trust the process.

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