The 2026 World Cup is just a few days away, the bookmakers are already ready with their wide range of markets, and we’re on the hunt for the best outright bets to take advantage of.
The options are endless, ranging from markets on which team will win the tournament or at least reach the final, to options on the exact round in which a given country will be eliminated, as well as markets for each group and individual players.
It’s impossible to cover every available market, but MrFixitsTips has found a few great options that are worth checking out.
World Cup outright betting tips: Who lifts the trophy?
World Cup outright winner: Spain
One could make an argument in favour of each of the main favourites, and picking the outright winner definitely feels like a gamble this time.
France and Spain are the top favourites among all bookmakers, followed by England, Brazil, and Argentina. Each of these teams is packed with stars, but they also have clear weaknesses that could hold them back.
The reigning European champions, Spain, however, look like the team that must be beaten for the others to have a chance. If we recall the tournament two years ago, La Roja defeated most of the current favourites on their way to the trophy, and since then, they have only seemed to get stronger.
Outright winner odds:
Spain – 9/2
France – 5/1
England – 6/1
Brazil – 8/1
Argentina – 8/1
Portugal – 10/1
World Cup top goalscorer: Harry Kane
Most of Europe’s top scorers will be playing in this World Cup, but playing for your national team isn’t the same as playing at the club level. That’s why we wouldn’t take a chance on big names like Erling Haaland, who aren’t lucky enough to have a strong national team and aren’t expected to go very far.
Kylian Mbappe was the top scorer at the last World Cup with eight goals in seven matches, followed by Lionel Messi with seven goals in seven matches.
Sure, both will score more goals, but we think this could be Harry Kane’s tournament. The Englishman scored 61 goals in 51 matches during the 2025/26 season.
Top goalscorer odds:
Kylian Mbappe – 6/1
Harry Kane – 7/1
Lionel Messi – 12/1
Erling Haaland – 14/1
Mikel Oyarzabal – 14/1
Lamine Yamal – 16/1
World Cup outright group winners: Switzerland, Netherlands, Portugal
In most groups, there’s a clear favourite, so it’s pointless to bet on them unless you’re planning something big with lots of selections. However, there are a few groups where the odds aren’t bad, namely:
- Group B: Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group K: Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan
Surprises are always possible, especially in Group F, which includes Japan, but we believe all three favorites will finish at the top of their groups.
Switzerland and the Netherlands are both available at 18/25, while bookmakers are offering odds of around 9/20 on Portugal.
2026 World Cup England odds
For the first time in quite a while, England look like a team that can compete for everything, and bookmakers consider them one of the three top favourites. Let’s take a look at the odds for England on the main markets and some less conventional markets:
- England to win outright: 6/1
- England to win Group L: 3/10
- England to reach quarter-final: 4/5
- England to reach semi-final: 7/4
- England to reach final: 3/1
- England to be the highest-scoring team: 8/1
2026 World Cup outright tips to watch out for
The wide variety of markets offers countless opportunities, and it’s certainly possible to miss out on some good options. Below, we’ve listed a few bets that we think are worth considering.
- To reach Round of 16: Netherlands – 18/25
- To reach Round of 16: Belgium – 18/25
- To reach quarter-final: Spain – 18/25
- To finish bottom of Group B: Qatar – 1/2
- To finish bottom of Group K: Uzbekistan 18/25
- France top team goalscorer: Kylian Mbappe – 13/20
- Over 1.5 player total goals: Bruno Fernandes 9/10
- Spain team total goals: Over 12.5 – 13/20
World Cup 2022 Coverage
- What's coming up? View a list of upcoming World Cup Fixtures.
- Missed a match? Check out our World Cup Results for all the latest full-time goals.
- Think you know who will win outright? Then View our World Cup Odds comparison tables from top UK bookmakers.
- Betting Offer: We have collected world cup betting offers all in one place so you don't have to.
- Group by Group Betting Tips; Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E, Group F, Group G, Group H.
- World Cup Betting Tips; Golden Boot, Golden Glove, Group Stage Acca, Dark Horses and Outright Winners
- Highbet: Sportsbook and online casino with 30+ sports, 100's of betting markets and competitive betting odds.
Vladislav has been professionally engaged in freelance journalism for seven years and has worked with numerous leading sports publications. A football and martial arts fanatic, he spent years training in both disciplines before turning to writing.
GambleAware