2026 World Cup Betting Odds, Tips & Predictions

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The 2026 World Cup will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July 2026. In this article we would like to give you a taste of the big event and present the best bets and odds for the 2026 World Cup.

Who is the favorite at the 2026 World Cup? Where will the 2026 World Cup be held? Who will be the 2026 World Champion and what are the best 2026 World Cup betting strategies?

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Table of contents


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Introduction

After the World Cups 2018 and 2022 were heavily criticized for being awarded to Russia and Qatar, this time football fans can look forward to a World Cup final that will focus less on politics and more on sport. The 23rd World Cup will be held in June and July 2026 in the US, Canada and Mexico.

For the first time, 48 nations will compete at a World Cup, battling it out in twelve groups of four during the group stage. This means that instead of 64 games, a total of 104 matches will be played, so that the tournament will also last about a week longer than previous tournaments.  The final of the 2026 World Cup will take place on the 19th of July. The date of the opening match has yet to be determined.

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Fun fact: 2026 will not only be the first World Cup with 48 participants, it will also be the first tournament to be held in three nations. The opening day is scheduled to feature matches in all three countries.


Infobox

Name2026 FIFA World Cup
Host countriesUSA, Canada, Mexico
Teams48
Opening matchJune 2026 TBD
Final game19th of July 2026
Number of games104
Defending championArgentina

2026 World Cup odds

Shortly after the World Cup in Qatar, the bookmakers published the 2026 World Cup odds. In the following paragraphs, we analyze the favorites of the tournament and provide you with our World Cup 2026 betting tips:

World Cup Odds Bet365
The 2026 World Cup odds from one of our top bookmakers Bet365

Although the defending champions from Argentina are among the wider circle of favorites for the 2026 World Cup, they have significantly higher odds than France. Bet365 also rates Brazil and England stronger than the reigning world champions. Spain and Germany are also considered to have good chances.


2026 World Cup favorites

Who will become the 2026 World Cup winner? Let’s take a closer look at the big favorites to win the 2026 World Cup. There is plenty of time before the tournament starts, which brings risks on the one hand, but also opportunities on the other. The odds of the 2026 World Cup long-term bets will change frequently, so the opportunity is there for all sports bettors to predict these movements through detailed research and analysis of the team squads.

Betting tip: When it comes to long-term bets, where the event is still several years in the future, it is particularly important to look at the age structure of the squad and get an idea of how the team is going to develop in the upcoming years. Will key players retire and promising talents move up?

The 2026 World Cup top favorite France:

There is a good reason why France are the big favorites among the best bookmakers. Unlike some other nations, where top performers such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo will either no longer be playing at all, or at least will no longer be able to carry their team as they did in the past, the Équipe tricolore’s many top performers will be at a great age.

French superstar Kylian Mbappé will be only 27 years old by the time the tournament kicks off and is not expected to have lost any of his speed and dynamics. The same applies to key players such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, Theo Hernández, Eduardo Camavinga, Dayot Upamecano and Randal Kolo Muani.

Only centre-forward Olivier Giroud will be out of the squad. Antoine Griezmann will be 35 years old at the start of the tournament, and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to keep up his extremely run-intensive and team-serving style of play.

There is another factor at play with the French team. Apart from Brazil, there is hardly another nation that constantly produces so many young talents. So it wouldn’t be surprising if, when the tournament starts, new talents are added to the already very strong squad, who can’t even be considered yet.

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Betting pick: France to win the 2026 World Cup @5.50 / Bet365: Given the excellent age structure in the squad, France is a hot bet to win the 2023 World Cup. However, we would recommend to NOT place a bet on the Équipe tricolore, as the odds are very low and will certainly not go down any further.

If you want to wager on France to win the 2026 World Cup, wait until the start of the tournament to see if the odds change in your favour.

In football, there are favorites to win the World Cup, and in sports betting there are users who can expect a positive return in the long term. Our betting tool Overlyzer can help you increase your profit margin.

Brazil at the 2026 World Cup: Will the Seleção win title number 6?

No other national team in the world has been more successful than the Seleção. The Brazilian selection has won the World Cup five times, but has been waiting for a World Cup title for more than 20 years, since the last time they triumphed was in 2002. At the last World Cup in Qatar, they were surprisingly beaten by Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Brazil has some key young players in its ranks who can even improve by the time the 2026 World Cup comes around. In contrast to the French team, however, there are still a few star players who have already retired or for whom it remains to be seen how they will cope with their advanced age.

Thiago Silva and Dani Alves, for example, are two players who announced their retirement immediately after the World Cup exit. Neymar and Casemiro will be 34 years old at the 2026 World Cup, and especially Neymar, who thrived on his explosive dribbling, will have to wait and see to what extent he will still be a valuable asset in 2026.

Nevertheless, there are some young players in the squad who are already among the best players in the world and who can become even better by the time the finals come around. We are talking about Vinicius Junior, who was only 22 years old in Qatar and has incredible potential. The same goes for Rodrygo and Antony.

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Betting pick: Brazil will be world champions @7.00 / Bet365: As expected, Brazil have low odds and in view of the age structure, which is not entirely optimal, we do not currently recommend a long-term bet on the five-time world champions, especially as there has been a change with regard to the coach, as Tite, who was well-liked by the team, drew the consequences and resigned after the World Cup exit in Qatar.

Of course, Brazil will still have some exceptional players in the squad for the 2026 World Cup – but this also applies to other teams that offer more tempting odds.

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England at the 2026 World Cup – is Football coming home this time?

The Three Lions have been waiting much longer than the Brazilian national team to win a title. The last and so far only triumph came at the 1966 World Cup at home when England defeated the Germans in extra time in a historic encounter. However, there is every reason to believe that the English will really shine at the 2026 finals, as the national team will hardly lose any key players and some top talents will be at a great age.

Let’s have a look first at those players who could be replaced for that World Cup. The two right-backs Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier could take part in the 2026 World Cup, but could also easily be replaced by Reece James or Trent Alexander-Arnold. Jordan Henderson is another candidate who might be too old by the time the finals come around.

On the plus side, young players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount and Declan Rice will be in their prime at the 2026 World Cup. But also, veterans like Harry Kane, John Stones and Jack Grealish will still be at an age where they can still contribute much to their team.

In addition, some young talents like Harvey Elliott, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, or even lesser-known promises like Jobe Bellingham and Samuel Iling-Junior could play their way into the limelight by the 2026 finals and offer the team boss additional options.

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Betting pick: Bet England will be World Champions @9.00 / Bet365: The bet that England will be World Champions looks more to our liking based on the current odds. If England perform well in the months leading up to the tournament, we can expect hype to build around the team given the strength of their squad, and we can imagine the odds dropping even further before the tournament begins.

In this respect, it would be well worth considering placing a World Cup 2026 long-term bet on England.

The only thing that speaks against this bet is the fact that the English national team often threw away its temper in the decisive phases of World Cups. But if you pick the Three Lions at these attractive odds, you can still hedge your bets against the respective opponents from the semi-final onwards, for example. England do not necessarily have to become world champions for this bet to be profitable.

Argentina at the 2026 World Cup: How strong are the title holders?

Lionel Messi currently wants to leave a back door for himself. “Because of my age, it will be difficult to play in 2026,” says the Argentine superstar. At the very least, it is safe to assume that if, contrary to expectations, Messi does take part in the 2026 World Cup, he will not strengthen the Argentine national team in the way he did at the tournament in Qatar. Nicolás Otamendi and Ángel Di María are two other key players who cannot be counted on because of their age.

Apart from that, there are definitely some players who can do even better at the World Cup finals. Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez, for example, are two young talents who have already won a World Cup title and will once again be key players at the upcoming finals.

With Alexis Mac Allister, the two centre backs Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martínez and striker Lautaro Martínez, there are also numerous experienced players who will, however, still be under 30 years old at the 2026 World Cup finals. It will also be interesting to see if there are any new talents who will strengthen the team until 2026 – Facundo Buonanotte, for example, would be one such candidate.

Argentina Flag

Betting pick: Argentina will be World Champions @10.00 / Bet365: Lionel Messi crowned his unique career with the last World Cup title.

We do not think that the Argentine national team will defend the title, as its star player will most likely be gone or will be at an age where even Messi can no longer be expected to perform miracles.

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Spain at the 2026 World Cup: Gambling on tomorrow’s stars?

The Spanish national team can be expected to undergo a radical change. Since the World Cup title in 2010, things have not gone according to plan for the football nation that has been so accustomed to success. In 2014, they were eliminated in the group stage, and at the last two World Cups in Russia and Qatar, they were defeated in the round of the last 16. Since their last World Cup title, Spain have not won a single knockout match at a World Cup.

Spain will, however, have an interesting squad to draw on at the upcoming World Cup. The goalkeepers Unai Simón, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Robert Sanchez and David Raya will all be between 29 and 31 years old and will provide a lot of experience. At right back, the young talents Carmona or Porro could replace the established players Carvajal and Azpilicueta, who, however, can still fancy their chances of a place in the squad.

Aymeric Laporte and Pau Torres could become a strong duo in centre back and Alejandro Balde could replace Jordi Alba at left back. Rodri will follow in Busquets’ footsteps in central defensive midfield, with the greatest hopes surely resting on Gavi and Pedri, who have plenty of time to improve between now and the World Cup and will shape the Spanish midfield in the years to come.

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Betting pick: Spain will be World Champions @10.00 / Bet365: Spanish fans expect their team to improve significantly at the 2026 World Cup compared to recent finals. A long-term bet on Spain at the 2026 World Cup is intriguing if you believe in the positive development of the young midfielders Gavi and Pedri.

Will these two huge talents be among the best midfielders in the world in 2026 and can they launch a new Spanish era? If so, then a long-term bet on Spain is an interesting consideration.

Like Pedri, Gavi is a Barcelona youth player. Here we see his first steps as a young player with the Catalans.

Germany at the 2026 World Cup: No ‘summer fairy tale’ in store for us

After winning the 2010 World Cup, Spain has not been able to repeat its strong performance at World Cups. But Germany can also tell you a thing or two about this. After their World Cup success in 2014, they were eliminated in the group stage in both of the two subsequent tournaments! Should the fans of the German national team hope that everything will be better in 2026? Let’s take a look at the German squad for the 2026 World Cup.

While Manuel Neuer is no longer likely to be an option in 2026 due to his age, Marc-André ter Stegen will probably be the number one. A big doubt will remain on the right side of defence, where no player of Philipp Lahm’s quality can be found. Ridle Baku could potentially solve the problems on the right side of defence.

Some key players like Antonio Rüdiger, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka will be over 30 years old, but will probably still be part of the team’s core. While the development of these players is already complete, hopefuls such as Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and especially Youssoufa Moukoko and Karim Adeyemi still have potential for improvement.

Germany Flag

Betting pick Germany will be World Champions @11.00 / Bet365: Will Germany win the 2026 World Cup? After the tumultuous years, this would be a big surprise, especially since, in contrast to other nations such as Spain, there is unlikely to be a major upheaval and some of the top performers of recent years are not getting any younger.

We currently advise against a long-term bet on world champions Germany.


The best underdog bets at the 2026 World Cup

Is there a profitable 2026 World Cup underdog betting tip? We would like to recommend a betting tip that revolves primarily around an exceptional player.

Will Norway become world champion with Erling Haaland?

Erling Haaland at the 2026 World Cup. If Norway qualifies for the finals, we will be able to watch the centre forward for the first time at a World Cup.

No other player has developed so well in recent years. The forward has broken one record after another and is also proving his scoring prowess in the Norwegian national team. Haaland is extremely difficult to defend against and single-handedly wins games at both club and national team level. The Norwegian also has an incredible mentality and willpower, so we can really look forward to his performances at the World Cup.

Players such as Ryan Giggs (Wales), George Best (Northern Ireland) and George Weah (Liberia) have already established that individual star players cannot lead their country to the title of world champion on their own. However, the Norwegian national team has gained enormously in quality in recent years, and not only because of Haaland.

With the attacking midfielder Martin Ødegaard, there is another world-class player in the squad who can provide his teammates with perfect assists. With Mohamed Elyounoussi, Sander Berge, Fredrik Aursnes there are certainly other interesting players in the squad, but in comparison with the two top performers, they are clearly falling behind.

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Underdog betting pick Norway will be world champions @67.00 / Bet365: One or two world-class players alone will probably not be enough to land the big coup.

A bet on Norway could nevertheless be interesting because the odds could well fall in the course of the tournament and you can therefore pay out the betting slip early with a profit. However, we would not bet large amounts on the underdog.

Erling Haaland took the Premier League by storm! It only took him 13 games to score his first 20 goals in the English league!

The best betting sites and odds for World Cup 2026 bets

All the bookmakers we review in our big betting sites test are also great for placing wagers on the 2026 World Cup. In addition to a generous payout ratio and high reputability, you will also find many World Cup 2026 bonus offers and odds boosts as the tournament draws closer.

Bet365, one of our test winners, is our top recommendation for betting on the 2026 World Cup. This English bookmaker enjoys an excellent reputation and offers first-class odds and a variety of special bets, especially for major events such as World Cups.

It is to be expected that Bet365 will offer attractive bonus programs and promotions during the World Cup finals, as we saw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, for example. We expect some free bets, generous accumulators for accumulator bets (up to 75% odds bonus!) and a payout ratio of over 95%.  This applies to both new customers and existing customers for the most part.

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The best World Cup 2026 betting strategy

Which types of bets are particularly suitable for major events such as World Cups? We would like to give you an idea of the best types of bets for the 2026 World Cup:

Long-term bets: As long as the teams and the group matches have not yet been determined, long-term bets are our only choice. In this article we already introduced you to the favorites and underdogs of the 2026 World Cup. Choose a bookmaker that offers a cashout option on your bet – this way you can already collect a profit if the odds of your team change due to a favorable squad development.

– Over bets: At the last World Cup, we favoured under bets rather than over bets. This time you should consider over-betting on certain pairings. Since 48 instead of 32 countries are taking part in this tournament, there will also be teams that are somewhat lower-ranked in terms of quality. Here, the top teams will want to improve their goal difference during the group stage. So handicap bets or even asian handicaps could be the right choice in such cases!

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48 teams, 104 matches: The 2026 World Cup format

In the past decades, one could follow a distinct tendency at world cups. The number of teams in the field has grown and the number of matches has increased as a result. The 2026 World Cup will also be bigger than its predecessors, because 48 teams will be competing for the World Cup title, which is why some media are already talking about the XXL World Cup.

In 2017, it was announced that the 48 teams would compete in 16 groups of three, but since the danger of match-fixing was deemed too great, it was finally decided to have twelve groups of four.

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In addition to the twelve group winners and the twelve runners-up, the eight best third-placed teams will also qualify for the knockout round. This means that for the first time there will be a round of 32 at a World Cup!

As a result, the number of World Cup matches will increase from a total of 80 to 104. The future world champion will play eight games instead of seven until he can lift the trophy into the night sky. This also increases the duration of the tournament, which will last 40 days, about one week longer than before.

With the increase in the number of participants, the starting places for the individual continental confederations were also increased:

ConfederationNumber of member statesStarting places (incl. host countries)Number of additional starting places
UEFA (Europe)55163
CONMEBOL (South America1061.5
CONCACAF (North Central America & Caribbean)3562.5
CAF (Africa)5495
AFC (Asia)4683.5
OFC (Oceania)1110.5

At first glance, you can see that the African confederation is the biggest winner of the increase in the number of participants. Until now, it was very difficult for an African country to qualify for a world championship, but this should fundamentally change now.

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World Cup 2026 Stadiums & Venues

In total, 41 cities with 45 stadiums in the USA, Canada and Mexico applied to host the event. In June 2022, FIFA announced the final selection of 16 host cities.

Here are the 16 stadiums, arranged by capacity in the list below:

CountryCity/RegionStadiumCapacityFun Fact
MexicoMexico CityEstadio Azteca87.523Rich in history: In all of Central and South America, there is no bigger football stadium than the Aztec Stadium at this point in time. Both Pele (1970) and Maradona (1986) won a World Cup at this memorable venue.
USANew York/New JerseyMetLife Stadium82.000Quite expensive: With construction costs of 1.6 billion dollars, MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010, was the most expensive stadium in the USA to date.
USADallasAT&T Stadium80.000100,000: The capacity of the Dallas Cowboys’ venue, built in 2009, can be expanded to 100,000 spectators, making it the largest stadium in the NFL.
USAKansas CityArrowhead Stadium76.416Noisy: With a volume of 137.5 dB, the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs broke the Guinness Book of Records on 13 October 2013. In the same year, however, the record was smashed by the Seattle Seahawk supporters.
USAHoustonNRG Stadium72.220Comeback: On the 5th of February 2017, the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl with 34:28 in this stadium. What made this special was that the Patriots recovered from a 3:28 disadvantage and also won the first game in the history of the Super Bowl that went into overtime.
USAAtlantaMercedes-Benz Stadium71.000The Temple of Sport: Architect Bill Johnson explained that the round opening in the roof was inspired by the Roman Pantheon.
USALos AngelesSoFI Stadium70.240Break the bank: He who has, has: At a cost of around 5 billion dollars, the SoFi Stadium is the most expensive stadium in the world. The financial enterprise SoFi paid around 625 million dollars for the naming rights for 20 years.
USAPhiladelphiaLincoln Financial Field69.796Fly away: With its wing-like canopies, the design of the home of the Philadelphia Eagles is intended to resemble the eagle that gives the team its name.
USASeattleLuman Field69.000Seismological tests: During several Seahawks games, the shaking in the stadium resulting from the enthusiastic fans was recorded by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
USASan Francisco Bay AreaLevi’s Stadium68.500Sustainable: Since July 2016, 40 different crops have been grown on the roof of the stadium and used for food served during matches.
USABostonGillette Stadium65.878Equivalent to 1,700 37″ televisions: Gillette Stadium has the largest outdoor HDTV video screen in an NFL stadium.
USAMiamiHard Rock Stadium64.767Let’s rock: In August 2016, the Hard Rock Cafe Group secured the naming rights to the stadium for 18 years for a sum of 250 million dollars.
CanadaVancouverBC Place54.500Weather-proof: BC Place was the first roofed stadium to be built in Canada.
MexicoMonterreyEstadio BBVA53.500Pricey but fancy: The Estadio BBVA, which opened in 2015, was the most expensive stadium in Mexico at the time
MexicoGuadalajaraEstadio Akron49.850A test of patience: Due to financial problems, it took a whopping six years before the stadium could be unveiled in 2010.
CanadaTorontoBMO Field45.736Site doesn´t matter: The smallest stadium at this World Cup has a capacity of just under 31,000 spectators, but will be expanded by around 15,000 seats for the finals.

Previous World Cup tournaments

Here we present all previous World Cups in chronological order:

YearHostWinnerScoreRunner-upFun Facts
1930UruguayUruguay4-2ArgentinaThe first World Cup goal ever was scored by Frenchman Lucien Laurent. The Peruvian Placido Galindo, on the other hand, was the first player to be excluded.
1934ItalyItaly2-1 (a.e.t.)CzechoslovakiaAt the age of 28, referee Ivan Eklind is still the youngest World Cup referee to officiate a final. No one will ever challenge him for this record.
1938FranceItaly4-2HungaryErnest Wilimowski from Poland scored four goals in the match against Brazil, but his team still lost 5-6.
1950BrazilUruguay*BrazilThe match between Brazil and Uruguay was officially attended by 173,850 spectators. Unofficial sources report 200,000 fans. Either way, it is the most attended match in World Cup history
1954SwitzerlandGermany3-2HungaryAustria’s 7-5 win over Switzerland is still the highest-scoring match at a World Cup to date
1958SwedenBrazil5-2SwedenJust Fontaine scored 13 goals. A record that still stands today.
1962ChileBrazil3-1CzechoslovakiaBrazil is still only the second team after Italy (1934 & 1938) to defend its title four years later.
1966EnglandEngland4-2 (a.e.t.)GermanyThere was a lot of discussion in Germany about the Wembley goal. The ball was probably never behind the goal line.
1970MexicoBrazil4-1ItalyThis was the first World Cup in which live images could be sent in colour via satellite to a global television audience.
1974GermanyGermany2-1NetherlandsHaitian Ernst Jean-Joseph became the first player to fail a World Cup doping test
1978ArgentinaArgentina3-1 (a.e.t.)NetherlandsBerti Vogts said about the Argentine dictatorship: “Argentina is a country where order reigns. I haven’t seen a single political prisoner.”
1982SpainItaly3-1GermanyHungary’s Laszlo Kiss scored a hat-trick as a substitute. It took him only seven minutes to score three goals against El Salvador.
1986MexicoArgentina3-2GermanyMaradona not only scored a goal with his hand in the quarter-final, but also scored the goal of the century when he dribbled around 60 metres before he put the ball in the net.
1990ItalyGermany1-0ArgentinaGermany goalkeeper Bodo Illgner became the first keeper not to concede a goal in a World Cup final.
1994USABrazil3-2 (a.e.t & penalties)ItalyRoger Milla became the oldest World Cup goal scorer of all time at 42 years and 39 days.
1998FranceFrance3-0BrazilGermany sent a team with an average age of 31 years and 345 days onto the pitch against Iran.
2002South Korea/JapanBrazil2-0GermanyHakan Sükur scored the fastest World Cup goal of all time in the match against South Korea. He needed 10.89 seconds for his opener.
2006GermanyItaly5-3 (a.e.t & penalties)FranceZinedine Zidane leaves the football world behind with a headbutt
2010South AfricaSpain1-0 (a.e.t.)NetherlandsIn the final, eight Dutch players received a yellow card and another even a combined yellow and red card. Five Spaniards also earned a yellow card.
2014BrazilGermany1-0 (a.e.t.)ArgentinaFor the first time, a European team won a World Cup tournament in South America.
2018RussiaFrance4-2CroatiaYoung at heart: Goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary broke the record as the oldest player at a World Cup: The Egyptian was 45 years and 161 days old when he played.
2022QatarArgentina4-2 (a.e.t & penalties)FranceCristiano Ronaldo is the first player to score in five World Cups.
*In 1950, the World Cup took place without a real final game. Uruguay won 2-1 against Brazil on the last matchday to secure the title.


World Cup records and statistics

  • Most World Cup titles: Brazil holds the record with five World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).
  • Most World Cup participations: Brazil is the only country to have participated in every World Cup since the tournament began in 1930. Up until the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, the South Americans took part in 22 tournaments.
  • The longest period between two titles: Italy won a World Cup for the second time in 1938 and had to wait a whole 44 years until the next title in 1982.
  • The longest period between two appearances: Wales qualified for a World Cup in 1958 and then had to wait a whopping 64 years before competing again in 2022.
  • Most goals scored by one player in one tournament: Just Fontaine from France holds the record with 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup. He has a goal average of 2.17 goals per World Cup match.
  • Most assists by a player in a tournament: Pele contributed six assists at the 1970 World Cup.
  • Most goals scored by one player in all tournaments: Former German international Miroslav Klose holds the record with 16 goals in the tournaments between 2002 and 2014. It took him 24 games to score 16 goals, giving him a goal average of 0.67 goals per game.
  • Most assists by a player in any tournament: Pele contributed 10 assists between 1958 and 1970.
  • Fastest goal: Hakan Şükür from Turkey scored a goal in the 11th second of the match against South Korea at the 2002 World Cup.
  • The player with the most World Cup titles: Brazilian Pele is the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970)
  • The youngest player to play in a World Cup: when Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside came on against Yugoslavia in 1982, he was only 17 years and 249 days old.
  • The oldest player at a World Cup: Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary was already 45 years and 161 days old when he played against Saudi Arabia at the 2018 World Cup.
  • Most goals in a World Cup match: Russia’s Oleg Salenko scored five goals against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup.
  • Scored in most tournaments: Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to score at least one goal in five different World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).
  • The youngest World Cup goal scorer: Pele scored a goal against Sweden in the 1958 World Cup and was only 17 years and 39 days old at the time.
  • The oldest World Cup goal scorer: Roger Milla enchanted the hearts of all football fans at the 1994 World Cup. He was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored his last goal against Russia.
  • The highest victory in a World Cup match: Hungary won 10-1 against El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup. The Magyars also won 9-0 against South Korea at the 1954 World Cup. Yugoslavia also achieved the same result against Zaire at the 1974 World Cup.
  • Most goals scored in a World Cup final: Brazil won the 1958 World Cup final against Sweden 5-2 and twelve years later they beat Italy 4-1. France also achieved a three-goal difference at the 1998 World Cup, when they won the final against Brazil 3-0.
  • Most goals in a World Cup match: The Austrian national team beat the hosts Switzerland 7-5 in the “Battle of Lausanne” in 1954.
  • Most goals in a World Cup: Hungary scored a whopping 27 goals in the 1954 World Cup and thus holds the record for the most goals in a World Cup. No team has scored 20 goals or more since the 1958 World Cup, when France scored 23.
  • The World Cup with the highest goal average: in 1954, an incredible 5.38 goals were scored per game. This is a record that will never be reached again without massive rule changes.
  • The World Cup with the lowest goal average: In the 1990 World Cup, only 2.21 goals were scored per game.

Questions and answers about the 2026 World Cup

Where will the 2026 World Cup take place?

The 23rd World Cup will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Which countries bid for the 2026 World Cup?

Morocco fought to the end to host the World Cup, but the USA, Canada and Mexico came out on top against the North Africans.

When was the 2026 World Cup awarded?

On 13 June 2018, one day before the opening match of the World Cup in Russia, it was announced that the 2026 World Cup would be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The vote was quite unambiguous with 134:65.

When will the 2026 World Cup be held?

The 2026 World Cup will take place in June and July 2026. The final round will last around 40 days and the final will be played on 19 July 2026.

When will the final of the 2026 World Cup take place?

The final of the 2026 World Cup will take place on the 19th of July 2026. 

Who will win the 2026 World Cup?

According to our bookmaker test winner Bet365, France is currently the biggest favorite to win the World Cup. However, the Brazilian and English national teams are also considered to have good chances.

How many teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup?

For the first time, 48 teams will compete in a World Cup.

How many stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup?

More than 40 stadiums applied, in the end 16 remained. Eleven stadiums are in the USA, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

Who is the best bookmaker for the 2026 World Cup?

Our test winner Bet365 is an excellent choice for World Cup betting. In addition to a generous payout ratio, you can also find interesting bonus offers for new and existing customers.

Which bets can be placed on the 2026 World Cup?

At major events such as World and European Championships, a variety of special bets are available in addition to the regular bets. Whether over/under, live or pregame, combined, system bets or long-term bets – all types of bets will be available. So, you will be able to place any type of bet at the 2026 World Cup.

Who won the World Cup last time?

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Lionel Messi and the Argentinian national team beat France in the final. The decision was only made in a penalty shoot-out, which the Argentinians won 4:2.

Which team owns the record for the most World Cup titles?

Brazil was the only nation to win the World Cup five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).

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