World Cup 2026 Betting Tips: Outright Winners, Surprise Package & Golden Boot

Tue, Jan 21, 2025
by CapperTek

For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the 2026 event will be hosted by three nations - the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The number of participants will also increase from the traditional 32 teams to 48 as part of FIFA’s plans to capitalise on the growing football market worldwide.

The World Cup is the most watched competition in the football calendar, so you can expect a massive surge in betting activity as we draw closer to the showpiece.

Read on as we look at the early contenders for the coveted World Cup title, before identifying a team who could be a surprise package. We also look at some Golden Boot contenders.

World Cup 2026 - Outright Winners

Argentina will fight tooth and nail to defend their crown even though talisman Lionel Messi remains coy on his potential involvement at the showpiece tournament.

Bookmakers rate the reigning champions as 11.00 shots to become the first team to defend the title since Brazil achieved the feat 1962.

Brazil been massively disappointing at the World Cup in recent years. They have not reached the final since claiming their fifth World Cup title in 2002.

Neymar is determined to follow in Messi’s footsteps by winning the World Cup, and Brazil’s 7.00 odds of success boost confidence, but it’ll be far from a cakewalk.

Spain’s success at the 2024 European Championship has automatically established them as one of the early favourites with the bookies to win the World Cup at odds of 7.00.

Euro 2024 finalists England will also be in the mix after parting ways with Gareth Southgate. With Thomas Tuchel in charge, plenty of punters will be willing to back them next year.

Perennial challengers France should be in the thick of things as they strive to make up for their gut-wrenching defeat to Argentina in Qatar.

With long-serving manager Didier Deschamps also stepping down after the showpiece, getting his hands on a second World Cup title would be the perfect send-off.

World Cup 2026 - Surprise Package

While fans around the world were treated to showpiece final between two big teams at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the rise of the underdogs added an exciting twist to the tale.

Every World Cup tournament delivers shocks, and the upcoming instalment should be no different, especially with more teams handed a chance to compete with the global elites.

Underdogs will be queuing up to make history on the big stage, and one of the teams that could raise eyebrows in North America is New Zealand.

The Kiwis are on course to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and will be determined to leave a lasting impression.

New Zealand typically don’t fare well against the elites. However, they will be an exciting betting option for Kiwi punters, especially given their excellent recent form.

New Zealand bettors will be clamouring to find the best betting sites bonuses to back the team on a game-by-game basis when they confirm their spot in the showpiece.

Making it to the group stage is an achievement, but there’s an air of optimism that the All Whites could defy the odds by reaching the knockout phase, especially if they land a favourable draw.

World Cup 2026 Golden Boot

Real Madrid and France superstar Kylian Mbappe left Qatar with the Golden Boot after netting eight goals in the tournament, including a sensational hat-trick in the final.

He became only the second player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick in the final after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966, so it is hard to look beyond him when predicting who will win the Golden Boot.

Mbappe may be hugging the spotlight when the World Cup rolls around, but there are other strikers to keep an eye out for as potential Golden Boot winners - not least Erling Braut Haaland.

Aside from his ridiculous goal hauls for Manchester City, the Norwegian striker also knows how to score for his country and was in outstanding form in the Nations League.

He netted seven times in six games during the recent tournament. If Norway book a spot in the World Cup, Haaland will be a sizeable problem for most defences.

Swedish duo Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak are also right up there with some of the most lethal finishers in Europe and they could be serious contenders for the Golden Boot.