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With the FIFA World Cup just two months away, sportsbooks have released betting odds for the highlight of the sporting calendar. Here is a look at which early World Cup betting odds offer the best value and the variety of markets currently available.
Understanding World Cup betting value
When starting in sports betting, it is a good idea to find wagers that offer “value.” At its most basic level, a value bet is one where a bettor finds an edge over a sportsbook. This involves looking for odds that represent a higher probability of winning than the price offered by the sportsbook suggests.
To find value, research is vital. This helps identify bets that have a better chance of winning than the oddsmakers believe. With this in mind, here are the top World Cup value bets based on current early odds.
Top value picks for the 2026 World Cup
A wide range of outright, or futures, betting markets are available at most sportsbooks. The most popular is the outright winner market.
Spain is currently the favorite to win the tournament for the second time. Since lifting the World Cup in 2010, Spain has won the European Championship twice—including the 2024 tournament—as well as the 2023 Nations League. There is star quality throughout the squad, though injury doubts regarding midfielder Rodri are a concern.
Spain’s potential route to the final is favorable, and most operators have priced the team at around +500.
Among the other favorites are France, England, and Brazil. Brazil is not the side it once was and may find it difficult to progress to the latter stages. England remains a perennial “nearly-man” that tends to struggle when facing elite opposition.
Our prediction: France wins the World Cup. The squad oozes talent, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Rayan Cherki serving as three standout names. They will look to erase the memories of the 2022 final and lift the trophy for the third time.
Most sportsbooks have early odds of around +550 for France, which presents better value than the price available for the favorite.
Finding value in World Cup group markets
Another popular choice for bettors is group betting, where you wager on which team will win its group before the knockout stages. Some operators also provide group forecast bets, allowing you to wager on which teams will finish in first and second place.
For this pick, we are looking at Group C. Brazil is the clear favorite, but its odds of around -370 to win the group offer no value.
Instead, we are predicting Morocco to win Group C. Odds of around +425 at many sportsbooks are extremely attractive. At the time of writing, Morocco had not been beaten since August 2025, winning 20 and drawing five of its previous 25 matches.
While the World Cup presents a tougher challenge than recent fixtures, Morocco enters the tournament having won the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2025 Arab Cup. The team also broke the record for most consecutive international wins and reached the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.
Golden Boot predictions: Best value goalscorer
When approaching the top goalscorer market, it is important to consider how far a team is likely to progress. The further a team goes, the more opportunities a player has to find the net.
Players like Kylian Mbappe (+600) and Harry Kane (+700) are favorites because France and England are likely to reach the latter stages.
However, our value pick is Erling Haaland of Norway. Priced at around +1400, Haaland is in imperious form for club and country. Norway is expected to reach the knockout stages—we predict at least a quarterfinal appearance—and if it does, Haaland will almost certainly be the man providing the goals.
Other value markets
Other futures markets that can offer value include:
- Stage of Elimination
- To Reach the Semifinals
- To Reach the Quarterfinals
- Team Top Goalscorer
