World Cup Betting for 2026

An expanded World Cup is coming to North America in the summer of 2026.

The tournament has grown to 48 nations who will play 104 matches from June 11 to July 19, and it’s sure to draw billions of eyes around the world.

It’s also sure to be one of the most bet on events of the year, and we have everything you’d need to know to prepare for that.

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2026 World Cup Format & Venue Guide

The US, Canada and Mexico are combining to host the 2026 World Cup, with 16 venues spread throughout the three countries.

And with a new, expanded format, there’s a lot to cover – both in terms of land and information.

The Path to the World Cup Final

With 16 more teams, the road to the final of the World Cup, which will be played July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is expanded.

• Group Play
• Round of 32
• Round of 16
• Quarterfinals
• Semifinals
• Final

The Round of 32 is new, as that used to be the total number of teams in the field. Now teams will have to navigate an extra knockout game.

World Cup Host Cities

Here’s a look at the 16 cities that will host World Cup games:

• Toronto
• Vancouver
• Guadalajara
• Mexico City
• Monterrey
• Atlanta
• Boston
• Dallas
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York/New Jersey
• Philadelphia
• Seattle
• San Francisco Bay Area

This tournament is going to be played in June and July, so it will be hot everywhere, but some places – Miami, Houston, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey – are going to be next level. Expect heat breaks to be added at those sites, but make sure to take that heat into consideration when placing your bets.

Atlanta will also be steamy, but Mercedes Benz Stadium isn’t open air. NRG Stadium in Houston can also close its roof.

Mexico City’s elevation is also something to consider, as Estadio Azteca is located at an altitude of 7,200 feet.

Automatic Qualifying Teams

The three host nations each received an automatic bid into the field. The US Men’s National Team is in Group D, Mexico is in Group A and Canada is in Group B.

Here are their schedules (all times ET):

• USA: Vs. Paraguay, 9 p.m. June 12 at Los Angeles; Vs. Australia, 3 p.m., June 19 at Seattle; Vs. TBD, 10 p.m., June 25 at Los Angeles
• Mexico: Vs. South Africa, 3 p.m., June 11 at Mexico City; Vs. Korea Republic, 9 p.m. June 18 at Guadalajara; Vs. TBD, 9 p.m., June 24 at Mexico City
• Canada: Vs. TBD, 3 p.m., June 12 at Toronto; Vs. Qatar, 6 p.m., June 18 at Vancouver; Vs. Switzerland, 3 p.m., June 24 at Vancouver

World Cup Betting Markets

At SBD, we have you completely covered when it comes to betting on the World Cup.

World Cup Futures Tracker

You can place a futures bet on the winner of the 2026 World Cup, and we are tracking the odds as they change at our World Cup odds tracker.

Here’s a snapshot of where they stand ahead of the tournament at theScore Bet:

The Golden Boot Race

Betting on who will be the top goalscorer in the 2026 World Cup is another futures bet you can make at top-rated sports betting apps.

View the full breakdown of Golden Boot odds for the 2026 World Cup on our page, where we sort through the favorites like Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal, and highlight some darkhorses, like Raphinha.

Group of Death Odds

Take a look at our World Cup Betting Guide to find all the bets you can make on the tournament, which go well beyond moneylines and spreads.

You can bet on group winners, including this year’s Group of Death, which has been pegged as Group L by pundits. England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama are in the group, with the English favored to come out of it. Croatia and Ghana figure to battle for the second ticket to the knockouts, while Panama will make it difficult on them all.

Groups A & B are the tightest based on odds, with Mexico favored to win Group A, but at +110, with UEFA Path D winner (likely Denmark) not far behind at +180. UEFA Path A Winner (likely Italy) is favored to win Group B, despite not even being in the field yet, with the Swiss at +140 and Canada at +550.

World Cup FAQs