World Cup 2026 Predictions: Odds, Tournament Favorites & Champion Picks

The FIFA World Cup begins play on Thursday with a record field of 48 nations, and a record number of host countries and cities. This will be the World Cup with more matches than ever, and Team USA has hopes to make history.

The USA men's national team will play on Friday at 9 p.m. ET against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium. That game will start the Americans' efforts to do something they've never done: reach the semifinals in the modern era.

(Photo by Cui Nan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

But much can happen in a hotly contested tournament that will play out over 39 days in cities ranging from New York to Toronto to Miami to Guadalajara to Mexico City to Seattle to Los Angeles to Vancouver, and elsewhere.

If you've never committed to watching the World Cup, this is the year to do so. The matches will be played out in North America in iconic cities and in front of millions of fans from across the world. No sporting event can match the passion of this one.

See our betting apps for World Cup soccer.

Favorites to win 2026 FIFA World Cup

Here are the 10 top favorites to win the World Cup, plus Team USA:

Odds via FanDuel

• Spain ... +450
• France ... +500
• England ... +700
• Portugal ... +850
• Brazil ... +850
• Argentina ... +1000
• Germany ... +1300
• Netherlands ... +1600
• Belgium ... +2200
• Norway ... +3300
• United States ... +5000

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Tournament Winner Predictions and Best Bets

Picking the champion has never been more difficult. There is no clear favorite entering the tournament. Spain or France are the picks of many experts, but those same experts must admit that Portugal and England are capable of being the last nation standing.

2026 World Cup Winner: Portugal +800

The Portuguese are a stacked roster. You know how confident you feel when you have a superstar player? Team Portugal has three: three of the greatest players on the planet. Remember these names: Nuno Mendes, João Neves, and Vitinha. An argument can be made that those three players belong in the top 10 in the world.

Don't forget Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, he's 41 years old this time around, but Ronaldo still has world-class skills, and his 143 goals are an international play record.

Group K play will be a breeze for Portugal: among their three opponents, only Columbia (+4000) will probably have a chance to even put a goal on the board. Portugal has also been formidable in recent international play: Team Portugal is 7-1-3 in its last 11 international games heading into a friendly to be played on Wednesday.

Longshot Bet: Netherlands +1600

The Dutch received a great draw for group play: in the batch with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia. The Tunisians are 1500-to-1 (+150000) to win the World Cup, according to soccer betting apps. The Japanese have an unproven roster compared to prior appearances in this tournament. And the Swedes are listed at 200-to-1 (+2000) odds.

The Oranje would likely need to vanquish Spain and Portugal in the semifinals and/or final. But, the Netherlands have a defense-first, keep-away approach that often keeps the outcome in doubt. Team Netherlands has reached the World Cup Finals three times, but never won.

How to watch the World Cup

With an expansion from 32 to 48 teams, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have a record 104 matches. All that soccer will need many stations to broadcast the action. That's why no fewer than seven channels are offering games.

• FOX (cable and over-the-air TV)
• FS1 (cable)
• FOX ONE (streaming)
• Peacock (streaming)
• Universo (cable)
• Tubi (free streaming)
• Telemundo (Spanish-speaking on cable)

If you're watching on a cable provider, you will see many of the matches on one of the FOX channels listed above. Spanish-speaking fans will see games on Telemundo, which is available on most cable lineups. FOX ONE and Peacock are available as streaming services, and Universo (also owned by NBC) is on most large cable channel packages, as well as satellite providers, Hulu TV, and YouTube TV.

Because the World Cup will be played in North America, game times will be convenient for American audiences, with times in Eastern Central, Mountain, and Pacific timezones.