🌎 Canada, Mexico & United States
Predictions, odds and tips for every group and the road to the final
Written by: Phil Blackwell • Last updated: 16 June 2026
All odds correct as of 16 June 2026 (11:21 BST)
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Spain to lift trophy
The reigning European Champions look to light up North America.
Harry Kane
A Golden Boot could clinch the Ballon d’Or for Kane after a 58-goal season.
Lamine Yamal
Can the Spanish star win his second major tournament in two years?
Spain & Kane
Our two top picks combined in a high value double. Plus it rhymes, which is a bonus.
No
Six of the seven tournament favourites have lifted the famous trophy before.
Spain & Argentina
The reigning World Champions versus the European Champions.
Quarter-Final
A tough side of the draw awaits for Tuchel’s men even if they win Group L.
Winner
England should walk Group L if they overcome Croatia in their first game.
Seven
Three Lions rarely equals three wins in World Cup group stages.
⭐️ We’ve partnered with the UK’s best betting sites to provide the latest odds and offers for your summer football bets. We update and verify all odds daily to provide you with the most up-to-date World Cup tips online.
Place your bets on the 2026 World Cup with the help of our betting tips and predictions.
Our World Cup betting guide focuses on outright betting markets, from the eventual winner and Golden Boot, to group-by-group and England-specific predictions.
View our top selected World Cup betting tips, free bets offers and daily specials above, or scroll down to view our full guide.
The 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June and is the first iteration of the tournament to feature 48 teams, up from 32 in 2022.
The football showcase is being played in 16 locations throughout the USA, Canada and Mexico, before returning to New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for the final on 19 July.
An increase in countries means an increase in knockout rounds, adding an extra stage of jeopardy for the top two finishers of 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams. That’s right, the majority of nations (65%) will make it through to the knockouts in 2026.
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Whether you’re planning to binge four games per day or sticking solely to those before midnight, the World Cup group stage will serve up 72 matches to enjoy.
Here’s our must watch match-ups for the first two weeks of the tournament, including kick-off times (UK BST) and details of which channel to tune in to.
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Group I · 16 June · MetLife Stadium
Two countries with a shared history on and off the pitch.
BBC / BBC iPlayer
• 20:00 KO
Group L · 17 June · Dallas
England begin their campaign with a repeat of the 2018 semi-final.
ITV / ITVX
• 21:00 KO
Group J · 17 June · Kansas City
Your first chance to see the reigning World Champions in 2026.
ITV / ITVX
• 02:00 KO
Group I · 26 June · Boston
Mbappe and Haaland meet in the World Cup for the first time.
ITV / ITVX
• 20:00 KO
Group H · 27 June · Guadalajara
The European champions take on Uruguay in perhaps their hardest Group H challenge.
ITV / ITVX
• 01:00 KO
Group H · 28 June · Miami
Tune in for the very first senior match between the two countries.
BBC / BBC iPlayer
• 00:30 KO
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Here are our outright picks for the 2026 World Cup, with odds updated daily across our trusted sports betting site partners. Click the buttons to back our selections.
🔍 Behind the buttons
All odds in this section are sourced from Midnite and Betfred. Clicking a button will take you to a landing page for one of these brands. Midnite (42647) & Betfred (39544) are trusted UK-licensed operators, verified by WFW Bet.
Outright Winner
5/1 (6.00)
The Euro 2024 champions have arguably the deepest squad in the tournament. Luis de la Fuente is blessed with an embarrassment of riches in almost every position, but they’ll likely need to beat France in a blockbuster semi-final to reach the final.
Golden Boot
13/2 (7.50)
Assuming Thomas Tuchel doesn’t cave to pundit pressure to replace the nation’s greatest ever goal-scorer with Olly Watkins, Harry Kane is a top prospect for the 2026 Golden Boot.
Coming off the back of a sensational 58 goal season with Bayern Munich, Kane will be champing at the bit to face defenders from Panama and Ghana in the World Cup group stage.
Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and we expect him to do the same in 2026.
Golden Ball
8/1 (9.00)
Lamine Yamal was the creative force behind Spain’s Euro 2024 win, scoring a brilliant goal against France in the semi-final at the age of just 16 years and 362 days.
Now aged 18 at the start of this tournament, Yamal is primed to take the field as the standout player in the standout team. He picked up a hamstring injury in April but has been back training on grass since early May.
The Golden Ball tends to go to the best player on a team that reaches the final. If Spain pick up the trophy as we predict, Yamal should follow. It’s a risk given his injury, but the value prices that in.
To reach the final
14/1 (15.00)
The convoluted new 48 team format works to protect the bigger nations for longer and will separate the main contenders until at least the quarter-finals.
Spain and Argentina will qualify from their respective groups on opposite sides of the draw, setting up a mouth-watering final on 19 July.
Spain’s biggest challenge could come against France in the semis while Argentina’s path could cross both Brazil and England on the way to New Jersey.
First time winner
2/5 (1.40) 🔻
Spain, France, Argentina and Brazil are all previous winners and all realistic contenders in 2026. Norway (Haaland) and Morocco are dark horses, but neither has the squad depth to win seven knockout games.
We recommend sticking with the established powers for tournament outrights. The World Cup is hard to win and they are favourites for a reason. Despite being heavily odds-against, you can still find some value in the first-time winner market if you bet confidently.
Spain & Kane
The reigning European Champions & Europe’s most prolific goalscorer. It should be priced short, but it’s 40/1!
England look to shake off their reputation of nearly men as take to the field in North America.
The Three Lions finished runners-up at the last two European Championships and as World Cup semi-finalists in 2018.
The cautious approach of Gareth Southgate may now be in the past, but to lift the trophy in 2026, Thomas Tuchel will have to break a pattern that’s persisted since the very first tournament in 1930.
No foreign manager has ever led another nation to a World Cup win. Could that be about to change?
England KO'd in QF
Winning their group puts England on course to face Brazil in the quarter-final, just like in 2002…
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England’s toughest test in Group L comes against an aging Croatian team led by 40 year old veteran, Luka Modrić.
Numbers in the group are made up by Ghana and Panama, providing Harry Kane with an early opportunity to get ahead in the race for the Golden Boot
England really should qualify with three wins and nine points, but this is England and nothing is ever that easy. We predict they’ll draw one game (probably against Croatia), win two and comfortably top the group.
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Kick-off (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 17 June | England vs Croatia | Dallas | 21:00 |
| Tue 23 June | England vs Ghana | Boston | 21:00 |
| Sat 27 June | England vs Panama | New Jersey | 22:00 |
Winning Group L would give England a fairly easy passage to the quarter-final, although a possible last-16 tie against co-hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca is no walkover.
Assuming the Three Lions don’t fold like a fajita, Tuchel’s men will likely face Brazil in the first World Cup encounter between the pair since Ronaldinho lobbed David Seaman in 2002.
Barring a penalty shootout win against Colombia in 2018, England’s record against South American opposition in World Cup knockouts is poor. Even if they did somehow beat Brazil, they’d probably face defending champions Argentina in the semi.
Finishing second in Group L would change England’s path dramatically, potentially leading to a run of Colombia (R32), Spain (R16), Belgium (QF) and France (SF).
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 July | Round of 32 | 3rd from E/H/I/J/K | Atlanta | WIN |
| Mon 6 July | Round of 16 | Mexico | Mexico City | WIN |
| Sat 11 July | Quarter-final | Brazil | Miami | OUT |
| Wed 15 July | Semi-final | Argentina | Atlanta | — |
| Sun 19 July | Final | Spain | New Jersey | — |
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Find our top England World Cup betting tips in the table below and claim the latest odds at PlayZee by clicking the blue buttons.
| Market | WFW Pick | Bet |
|---|---|---|
| Group winner | Yes | Bet @ 1/3 |
| Exact group points | 7 (W2 D1) | Bet @ 2/1 |
| Top England scorer | Harry Kane | Bet @ 8/15 |
| Stage of elimination | Quarter-final (vs Brazil) | Bet @ 16/5 |
| Eliminated by penalty shootout | No | Bet @ 1/6 |
There’s no shortage of groups in the 2026 World Cup and you can bet on every one of them.
View our predictions for the winners and runners-up of each group and load up straight forecast bets at the odds displayed.
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All odds in this section are sourced from Playzee Clicking a button will take you to the Playzee landing. Playzee is a trusted UK-licensed operator (52894), verified by WFW Bet.
Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Czechia
Winner: 🇲🇽 Mexico
Runner-up: 🇰🇷 South Korea
☀️ Straight Forecast
5/6 (1.83)
Canada, Bosnia & Herz., Qatar, Switzerland
Winner: 🇨🇭 Switzerland
Runner-up: 🇨🇦 Canada
☀️ Straight Forecast
12/5 (3.4) ▲
Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Winner: 🇧🇷 Brazil
Runner-up: 🇲🇦 Morocco
☀️ Straight Forecast
6/5 (2.20)
USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Winner: 🇺🇸 USA
Runner-up: 🇹🇷 Turkey
☀️ Straight Forecast
11/1 (12.0) ▲
Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Winner: 🇩🇪 Germany
Runner-up: 🇪🇨 Ecuador
☀️ Straight Forecast
11/1 (12.0)
Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Winner: 🇳🇱 Netherlands
Runner-up: 🇯🇵 Japan
☀️ Straight Forecast
12/5 (3.4) ▲
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Winner: 🇧🇪 Belgium
Runner-up: 🇪🇬 Egypt
☀️ Straight Forecast
6/4 (2.50) 🔻
Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Winner: 🇪🇸 Spain
Runner-up: 🇺🇾 Uruguay
☀️ Straight Forecast
6/5 (2.20) ▲
France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Winner: 🇫🇷 France
Runner-up: 🇳🇴 Norway
☀️ Straight Forecast
6/4 (2.5) ▲
Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Winner: 🇦🇷 Argentina
Runner-up: 🇦🇹 Austria
☀️ Straight Forecast
11/8 (2.38) ▲
Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan
Winner: 🇵🇹 Portugal
Runner-up: 🇨🇴 Colombia
☀️ Straight Forecast
6/5 (2.20)
England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Winner: 🏴 England
Runner-up: 🇭🇷 Croatia
☀️ Straight Forecast
19/20 (1.95)
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The four top-ranked teams were separated into distinct quadrants before the start of the tournament, essentially guaranteeing they’ll be kept apart until the later knockout rounds.
If all four win their groups, Spain and Argentina, and France and England, can only meet in the final. Here’s how the two sides of the draw look based on our group predictions above.
| Round | England’s Quadrant | Argentina’s Quadrant |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | England vs 3rd from E/H/I/J/K | Argentina vs Uruguay |
| Round of 16 | England vs Mexico | Argentina vs Switzerland |
| Quarter-final | England vs Brazil | Argentina vs Germany |
| Semi-final | Argentina vs Brazil (our pick: Argentina) | |
| Round | Spain’s Quadrant | France’s Quadrant |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Spain vs Austria | France vs 3rd place team |
| Round of 16 | Spain vs Croatia/Colombia | France vs Ecuador/Norway |
| Quarter-final | Spain vs Portugal | France vs Netherlands/Japan |
| Semi-final | Spain vs France (our pick: Spain) | |
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Whoever wins the semi-final between Spain and France will be heavy favourites to lift the trophy.
Argentina’s path through Germany or the USA on the first side of the draw is more favourable, albeit still more difficult than they’d like.
Could we be setup for a final of reigning World Champions versus reigning European Champions? We think so.
| Side 1 Winner | vs | Side 2 Winner | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | vs | Spain | Spain Win |
Argentina will be battle-hardened after a tougher route through side one of the draw, but we believe Spain’s attacking depth across Yamal, Olmo, Nico Williams and Oyarzabal will be too much.
We’re backing Spain to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium in a high-scoring but dominant victory.
If unlike Fifa, you like to keep everything in one place, we’ve outlined our top 2026 World Cup Betting Tips in one place below.
Click through to place your bets using a free bets offer from our verified partner bookmakers.
🔍 Behind the buttons
All odds in this section are sourced from QuinnBet and Betfred. Clicking a button will take you to a landing page for one of these brands. QuinnBet (61011) & Betfred (39544) are trusted UK-licensed operators, verified by WFW Bet.
| Market | WFW Pick | Why | Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Country | Spain | The reigning European Champions look to light up North America with a wealth of attacking talent. | Bet @ 9/2 |
| Winning Continent | UEFA (Europe) | Six of the last eight World Cups won by European nations. Spain, France and England all in contention. | Bet @ 2/7 |
| Golden Ball | Lamine Yamal | Assuming he’s clear of his April hamstring injury, Yamal will be at the heart of Spain’s attack. | Bet @ 8/1 |
| Golden Glove | Unai Simón (Spain) | Three of last four Golden Glove winners have come from the winning team. Simón started all six qualifiers, conceding just two goals. | Bet @ 9/2 |
| To Reach Semi-Final (🔥 Acca @ Betfred) | Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil | Four strongest squads, all in separate quadrants with clear paths to the last four. | Bet @ 63/1 |
| To Reach Quarter-Final (🔥 Acca @ Betfred) | + England, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands | All group winners with favourable R32 and R16 draws. | Bet @ 271/1 |
| Finalists | Spain & Argentina | Covers both sides of the draw. One of these two will be in the final. | Bet @ 14/1 |
| Straight Forecast | Spain 1st, Argentina 2nd | We predict Spain to beat France in SF, Argentina beat Brazil in SF. Spain’s squad depth edges the final. | Bet @ 25/1 |
| Top UEFA Team | Spain | Aligns with our outright pick. France are the main threat but Spain’s Euro 2024 pedigree tips it. | Bet @ 11/4 |
| Top CONMEBOL Team | Argentina | Defending champions. Brazil’s form has been inconsistent. | Bet @ 6/4 |
| Top CONCACAF Team | Mexico | Home advantage with huge fanbase across US stadiums. Strongest CONCACAF squad. | Bet @ 5/4 |
| Top CAF Team | Morocco | 2022 semi-finalists with a squad that’s only improved. More than enough quality to progress from Group C. | Bet @ 11/8 |
| Top AFC Team | South Korea | Son Heung-min leads the strongest Asian side. Group A is more favourable than Japan’s Group F. | Bet @ 5/1 |
| Highest Scoring Team | Germany | Germany will face one of the weakest teams in the tournament when they play Curaçao in Group E. | Bet @ 11/10 |
| Highest Scoring Group | Group C | Brazil and Morocco will score freely against Haiti, plus Scotland’s open style means goals at both ends. | Bet @ 33/1 |
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Every day of the tournament we’ll be bringing you our top bet builder tips for a selected match.
View today’s World Cup Bet Builder below and click to place your bet at Midnite.
France will dominate possession and territory against Senegal, giving their attacking players plenty of opportunities. Desire Doue has been electric for PSG this season and loves driving at defenders from wide areas. Two or more shots on target is well within range against a Senegalese side that will sit deep and invite pressure.
Michael Olise is our pick for a goal. He’s been one of the most clinical forwards in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, alongside Harry Kane, and will likely start in a free role behind Mbappe. Tournament openers tend to suit technical players who thrive in space and Olise will get plenty of it.
El Hadji Malick Diouf will be tasked with tracking France’s wide attackers and the physical demands of that job against this level of opposition make a booking very likely.
Looking for a special bet worth of the occasion? Here’s out favourite 2026 World Cup outright specials available at our trusted betting partners.
World Cup Special
The 41-year old has looked more of a burden than bright spark in 2026.
🚀 4/1 (5.00) – Parimatch
World Cup Special
Relies on Haiti being the punching bag everyone expects them to be.
🚀 6/4 (2.50) – QuinnBet
World Cup Special
Kane has already scored a whopping 70 goals for club & country in 2025/26.
🚀 7/1 (8.00) – QuinnBet
World Cup Special
One benefit of a questionable defence is the goalkeeper gets a chance to shine.
🚀 17/2 (9.50) – QuinnBet
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2026 is the 23rd edition of the World Cup wince Uruguay won the inaugural competition 96 years ago in 1930.
View our table of tournament winners below and learn new World Cup trivia for your next pub quiz night.
| Country | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 5 | 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 |
| Germany | 4 | 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014 |
| Italy | 4 | 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1978, 1986, 2022 |
| France | 2 | 1998, 2018 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 1930, 1950 |
| England | 1 | 1966 |
| Spain | 1 | 2010 |
Dilution of quality?
The World Cup has expanded from 32 teams for the first time since 1998. It features 104 matches across 39 days, with a new Round of 32 knockout stage.
Canada, Mexico & US
The first World Cup hosted by three countries. Mexico become the first nation to host or co-host three times (1970, 1986, 2026).
Most World Cup goals (16)
Germany’s Klose holds the record with 16 World Cup goals across four tournaments (2002-2014). Both Lionel Messi (14) and Kylian Mbappé (12) are on the chase.
No back-to-back wins since 1962
Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, beating France in the final on penalties. No team has successfully defended the title since Brazil in 1962.
Last appearance in 2014
Italy failed to qualify for the third consecutive World Cup after losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalties in the UEFA playoff final.
From Cape Verde to Curaçao
The 2026 World Cup will be broadcast free-to-air across the BBC and ITV in the UK.
You can follow the action live on television or online via BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
The BBC website contains a full list of all matches across the two networks, as well as details of how to listen on radio and BBC Sounds.
Got questions about the 2026 World Cup? Here’s everything you need to know.
The 2026 World Cup is taking place from 11 June to 19 July 2026, hosted across the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The 2026 World Cup Final will take place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday 19 July.
48 teams, up from 32. Countries are split into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-placed teams (32 teams total in the R32).
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama. England play Croatia on 17 June, Ghana on 23 June and Panama on 27 June.
Spain are the bookmakers’ favourites, followed by France, England, Brazil and Argentina. Spain won Euro 2024 and have the deepest squad in the tournament.
You can bet on the World Cup with any UKGC-licensed bookmaker, either in-store or online.
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