2026 World Cup Odds, Predictions, & Favourites

There’s no change among the World Cup odds favourites after the second day of action, with France and Spain cemented at the top of the leaderboard. 

England and Portugal are trading just in front of Argentina and Brazil. 

Brazil is the only one of the six favourites to have played thus far. It tied Morocco 1-1 in the only match of the group stage between teams ranked among the top 10 in the world. 

The USMNT saw its soccer odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook improve from +6600 to +3300 after an impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay in the Group D opener.

Germany and the Netherlands, receiving the seventh and eighth-shortest odds, respectively, play on Sunday. 

World Cup Odds 2026

Prediction: Who Will Win the 2026 World Cup?

I predict England will win the 2026 World Cup, and it’s my best bet. 

England arguably has the world’s best starting 11 and one of the deepest rosters in the tournament. 

A challenging Group L, which includes Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, will serve it well in the knockout stage.

2026 World Cup Favourites

The most surprising result of Saturday saw Australia beat Turkey 2-0. The Socceroos were sizable underdogs despite being ranked only four places below Turkey in the world rankings. 

Those world rankings shifted overnight, with Australia and Turkey changing places. Australia is now ranked 23rd and Turkey 27th. 

Australia is tied with Team USA at the top of Group D, entering the second round of fixtures. 

Morocco dominated Brazil in the early proceedings and got its just desserts, with an exceptionally taken opener by PSV Eindhoven’s Ismael Saibari. 

Brazil settled down afterwards, though, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior scoring the equalizer. Ranked seventh in the world, Morocco is among the best dark horses. 

Haiti, making its first appearance since the 1974 World Cup, played well in a losing cause as Scotland eked a 1-0 victory. 

Switzerland couldn’t find a second goal against Qatar, which cost the pre-tournament Group B favourites dearly. Qatar scored the equalizer in the 94th minute, changing the complexion of Canada’s group. 

Canada faces Qatar on June 18, while Switzerland plays Bosnia and Herzegovina.

England Faces Toughest Opener of Favourites 

England will play against 11th-ranked Croatia in its opener on June 17. On paper, that’s the most challenging opener of the five favourites. 

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has several options at most positions, but his best starting 11 is: Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Reece James, and Nico O’Reilly. 

That defensive contingent is arguably the team’s weakest area, with John Stone potentially replacing Guehi or Konsa at the spine of the team. 

Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Elliot Anderson will likely form the midfield quartet, with Barcelona teammates Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon battling for the left-winger role. 

All-time leading scorer and captain Harry Kane will spearhead the attack.  

Will Spain’s Lamine Yamal Win the Race Against Time? 

Co-favourite Spain’s star-studded lineup includes the injured Yamine Lamal. 

After injuring his hamstring on April 22 while playing for LaLiga’s Barcelona against Celta Vigo, Yamal is expected to be ready, at least in some capacity, for Spain’s June 15 opener against Cape Verde.

With minnows Cape Verde on tap, I don’t expect Spain to risk its wunderkind. He’ll be more likely to play a more substantial role in the second game against Saudi Arabia on June 21. 

Nico Williams, who also tweaked his hamstring, should be ready for Spain’s first group match.