By Front Office Sports
Posted June 9, 2026
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Big Kickoff in USA, Canada, and Mexico
WORLD CUP BETTING PREVIEW
The biggest-ever FIFA men’s World Cup is just days away.
It’s also the largest sports-betting event in the world—and that was before the expanded tournament. The 2026 edition features 48 teams and 104 matches across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—up from 64 in 2022. No sporting event attracts more recreational and patriotic betting action.
More eyes will be on this World Cup than ever before—and certainly in the U.S., which last hosted the tournament in 1994. Front Office Sports and BetMGM take you through the big kickoff.
Which Host Will Go the Furthest?
The three cohosts begin the tournament in mixed form. This is particularly the case for the U.S. It fell 2–0 to Portugal and took a 5–2 drubbing to Belgium in its March games. The USMNT is on an eight-straight losing streak to European nations, and hasn’t beaten a squad from the continent since 2002, a run of 10 World Cup matches.
The U.S. opened at +1800 to win the tournament. It’s now widened to +5000. But there are signs for cautious optimism. In November, the U.S. thrashed Uruguay 5–1, then 15th in FIFA’s rankings—the best performance of the Mauricio Pochettino era. More pertinently, it’s recently beaten two of its opponents in Group D: Australia and Paraguay, both by a 2–1 scoreline.
This might be why bettors—and USMNT fans—are seemingly confident the cohost will at least make it out of a competitive group that also includes Turkey, its poor record against UEFA opponents notwithstanding. At BetMGM, it’s +138 to win Group D, with four times as many bets to finish top of its group as any other team at the tournament.
Favorites and Dark Horses
Spain, the 2010 winner, is the current favorite to win the whole tournament. Odds are now at +450 to regain the trophy after opening at +1000—the biggest drop of all 48 teams. It leads BetMGM wagering for total tickets (17.2%) and handle (25.4%).
With a forward line stacked with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, fans are also rushing to bet that France will win its third World Cup. Its line movement has shortened from +600 to +500.
For the popular England squad, the Three Lions’ odds have remained steady at +700. Brazil has seen their odds shorten to +800 from +1400. The top six is rounded off by Argentina: Its odds have stayed consistent at +900.
The Golden Boot Race
Mbappé’s last World Cup game was the 2022 final, during which he scored a hat trick. The 27-year-old has already scored 12 goals in 14 games, as many as the legendary Pelé, in just two tournaments. That, alongside France’s expected deep run, explains why the Real Madrid star is the standout bettors’ favorite to retain his Golden Boot as top scorer: 34.6% of the handle at BetMGM.
England captain and 2018 Golden Boot winner Harry Kane is next. He also has the third-most tickets at 12.6%. Third is Lamine Yamal is next, at 12.1%—that’s despite his odds widening from +1200 to +2000. The 18-year-old phenom will be playing at his first World Cup, but was the star of Spain’s UEFA Euro 2024 win. La Roja has a favorable group, and plays +100000 outsiders Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in its first two games—meaning the Yamal could lead the Golden Boot race early.
Also notable is Norway’s Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker, making his World Cup debut, has 10.5% of tickets and 7.7% of the handle. And U.S. star Christian Pulisic has the shortest odds of the three hosts, at +5000.
While the World Cup often generates soccer’s next superstar, this tournament is set to be a major changing of the guard—both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could be playing their final tournament matches. The Portugal captain, the only player to score at five World Cups, edges the Argentina legend on tickets and overall handle, yet is priced at +2200 compared to Messi’s +1200.
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Tickets
Handle
Most-Bet Tickets vs. Most-Bet Handle
Most-Bet Tickets vs. Most-Bet Handle
11.9%
#3
16.0%
#2
17.2%
#1
ENGLAND
FRANCE
SPAIN
22.0%
FRANCE
#2
25.4%
SPAIN
#1
10.8%
PORTUGAL
#3
*Data provided by
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*Data provided by
COHOSTS ODDS MOVEMENT
USA
+1800
Opening
+5000
Current
Canada
+5000
Opening
+15000
Current
Mexico
+4000
Opening
+6600
Current
Canada, 30th in the FIFA rankings, has the lowest odds of the host nations to win the tournament. Its chances have lengthened from +5000 to +15000. While lifting the trophy on July 19 is unlikely, Jesse Marsch’s side isn’t an easy game—it’s lost just once in 17 games since March of last year. Ontario has also seen the most tickets of any jurisdiction in which BetMGM operates. Given only 0.8% of all tickets are for a Canadian World Cup win, it points to the province’s diaspora effect—home to major soccer fans.
Mexico has the greatest pedigree of the three cohosts and is the current Concacaf Gold Cup and Nations League holder. Yet it is a +6600 long shot to win the World Cup. That’s despite a potentially more favorable run in the knockouts—unlike the U.S. and Canada, its route as group winner would be playing a third-placed team in the round of 32.
Elsewhere, Norway’s odds have moved from +5000 to +3300—despite not playing in an international tournament since 2000, and a challenging group that includes France and Senegal. Japan’s odds have halved, from +10000. Morocco, semifinalist at the 2022 World Cup, has shortened from +6600 to +4000.
Lamine Yamal
+1200
Opening
+2000
Current
#1
#2
#3
Top scorer odds movement
*Data provided by
Harry Kane
+700
Opening
+650
Current
Kylian Mbappé
+600
Opening
+550
Current
The World Cup always has surprises in store, which shock fans and move betting lines. When the action opens June 11, it could be anyone’s game. For U.S. fans, the USMNT will kick off its World Cup the next day versus Paraguay, and BetMGM will be giving away $500,000 in bonus bets for each USA goal scored during the tournament.
