The 2026 FIFA World Cup is well over a year away, and European qualifiers are still yet to get underway. But even still, the bookies have already outlined their favourites to reign supreme in North America next summer. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are the only teams guaranteed to be at the tournament thanks to their role as co-hosts, but plenty of others will be joining them. 45 others in fact.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is well over a year away, and European qualifiers are still yet to get underway. But even still, the bookies have already outlined their favourites to reign supreme in North America next summer. The United States, Mexico, and Canada are the only teams guaranteed to be at the tournament thanks to their role as co-hosts, but plenty of others will be joining them. 45 others in fact.
That's because next year's showpiece will see more teams than ever before competing. In recent years, the World Cup has had 32 teams qualify, split up into eight groups of four. Those quartets will remain, however, 48 teams will now be competing, resulting in almost double the amount of games than in previous years. That provides unprecedented opportunities to some of the planet's unheralded nations - especially in the CONCACAF and CAF regions - to reach the tournament, some for the first time.
But when it comes to the tournament's frontrunners, it's the usual suspects that the bookies expect to gun for the crown. Here are the way-too-early betting favourites to win next year's FIFA World Cup.
Online betting sites currently have three teams locked in as joint favourites. One of them is France, with websites offering sports betting online pricing them at 6/1 to claim the crown. And judging by their recent performances on the grandest stage, it's clear to see why. Les Bleus have reached the final of the last two World Cups, winning the first against Croatia in Moscow in 2018, before losing to Lionel Messi's Argentina in Qatar four years later.
Didier Deschamps' side is stacked with talent, with his captain Kylian Mbappe arguably the best player on the planet. The current Real Madrid hitman has returned to his brilliant best after a shaky start to life in the Spanish capital, and he looks set to power Los Blancos to both the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League crowns. But it is at the World Cup in which the former Paris Saint-Germain man shines brightest.
In Russia back in 2018, the teenager announced his arrival to the world in a scintillating fashion. He netted four goals including one in the final to help his side to the title, as well as securing the young player of the tournament award. In 2022, he had matured and he led France as their talisman.
Mbappe finished the tournament as the top scorer with eight goals, including a stunning hat trick against Argentina in the Lusail showpiece. He is already the sixth top scorer in the tournament's history, and four more in North America will see him match Miroslav Klose's record of 16. If that wasn't enough, his four goals across two finals is the most of anybody, and he will be aiming to reach the big game for a third successive time in 2026.
Spain has dominated the beautiful game in recent years, and they too are priced as a 6/1 joint-favourite. After ruling over football with an iron fist on the back of Xavi, Iniesta, and the tiki-taka style of play between 2008 and 2012, La Roja became the team to beat. The world eventually caught up, and the Spanish were knocked off their perch, but a decade later they are looking fearsome once more.
Last summer, Luis de la Fuente's men surprisingly won UEFA Euro 2024. Not many had considered them favourites before the tournament got underway, but once the action kicked off, it became clear that they provided a genuine threat to the rest of the continent. Led by young wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, the Spaniards beat Italy, Germany, France, and eventually England en route to winning the trophy for a record fourth time.
But that wasn't the only tournament they won in 2024. Spain also romped to an Olympic Gold Medal at last summer's Paris games, Their young side was led by 21-year-old midfielder Fermin Lopez and Rayo Vallecano's 24-year-old striker Sergio Camello - both of whom bagged braces in the final against hosts France - proved that while the present is certainly bright, the future is even brighter. Will that culminate with a second World Cup crown next summer? The bookies certainly seem to think so.
Perhaps the most surprising of our three joint favourites is Brazil. Once the envy of the footballing world, the Selecao have fallen dramatically since their last global triumph back in 2002. Since Ronaldo's goals powered them to victory against Germany in Yokohama, the Brazilians have made it past the quarterfinals just once, and that ended with a 7-1 drubbing against the Germans on home turf in Rio de Janeiro in one of the most shocking moments in World Cup history.
In each of the last two tournaments, Brazil has been dumped out in the last eight. In Qatar, they were dispatched by Croatia on penalties in yet another almighty upset. Now, things have gone from bad to worse, and their talisman Neymar is now looking past his best. That's when he's on the pitch rather than in the treatment room, anyway.
Their performance at last year's Copa America set alarm bells ringing. The Selecao were sent packing at the quarter-final stage once again, this time losing on penalties to Uruguay after winning just one of their three group games. Their performances in qualifying for the World Cup have also left a lot to be desired, with Brazil currently lying down in fifth place after losing to the likes of Paraguay and Colombia.
That should still be enough to qualify, but it would take an almighty turnaround for new manager Dorival Junior if his side is to emerge as world champions for a record-extending sixth time in MetLife Stadium next July.
