FIFA Scandal & Women’s World Cup Odds

The most powerful man in soccer, Sepp Blatter, stepped down as FIFA president on Tuesday, one week after seven other FIFA officials were arrested on corruption charges and just four days after Blatter was re-elected for a fifth consecutive term (defeating Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein).

An investigation by The New York Times claimed that FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke was involved in a $10m payment over South Africa’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup, and rumor has it that Blatter is also under investigation by the FBI for corruption.

While the resignation of one man won’t fix all that ails soccer’s governing body, it does bode well for transparency going forward. It also removes a significant distraction from the soccer world prior to the 2015 Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to start this weekend in Canada and which Blatter had – just short days ago – been intent on attending.

Since Blatter is being investigated by the FBI – an American organization – it should be a little less surprising that he chose to resign prior to the Women’s World Cup; attending the tournament would bring him perilously close to the long arm of the Feds.

As we head into one of the most significant weekends in soccer history, let’s take a look at all the odds related to the FIFA scandal and the World Cup, which Team USA enters as favorites despite playing in a “group of death” in the opening round.

FIFA Scandal Odds:

Odds of being the next President of FIFA:

• Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein: 2/1
• Sepp Blatter (not a typo): 8/1
• Luis Figo: 8/1
• Jerome Champagne: 10/1
• Michael van Praag: 15/1
• David Ginola: 40/1
• Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah: 100/1
• Pele: 500/1
• Diego Maradona: 750/1
• Bill Clinton: 1000/1
• Tony Blair: 1000/1
• Vladimir Putin: 1000/1
• Roger Goodell: 10000/1
• A pile of money: OFF

Odds Sepp Blatter will attend any of the 2015 Women’s World Cup Games:

• Yes – 10/1
• No – 1/10

2015 Women’s World Cup Odds:

Odds to win the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• United States – 3/1
• Germany – 7/2
• France – 9/2
• Japan – 8/1
• Canada – 12/1
• Sweden – 15/1
• England – 20/1
• FIELD – 15/1

Odds of which “seeded” team will be eliminated from the 2015 Women’s World Cup first:

• Brazil – 3/1
• Canada – 3/1
• Japan – 4/1
• France – 5/1
• United States – 8/1
• Germany – 17/2

Odds to advance from Group A at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Canada – 1/20
• China – 1/6
• Netherlands – 1/3
• New Zealand – 5/4

Odds to advance from Group B at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Germany – 1/100
• Norway – 1/9
• Ivory Coast – 3/4
• Thailand – 4/3

Odds to advance from Group C at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Japan – 1/40
• Switzerland – 1/12
• Ecuador – 3/4
• Cameroon – 3/4

Odds to advance from Group D at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• United States – 1/50
• Sweden – 1/7
• Australia – 2/5
• Nigeria – 6/5

Odds to advance from Group E at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Brazil – 1/40
• Spain – 1/8
• South Korea – 1/3
• Costa Rica – 5/4

Odds to advance from Group F at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• France – 1/20
• England – 1/12
• Colombia – 2/3
• Mexico – 5/6

Odds of winning the Golden Ball (best player in the tournament) at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Marta (Brazil) – 5/1
• Alex Morgan (United States) – 5/1
• Abby Wambach (United States) – 6/1
• Hope Solo (United States) – 9/1
• Homare Sawa (Japan)  – 10/1
• Christine Sinclair (Canada) – 12/1
• Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands) – 12/1
• FIELD – 9/2

Odds of winning the Golden Boot (top goalscorer in the tournament) at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Marta (Brazil) – 6/1
• Abby Wambach (United States) – 6/1
• Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands) – 13/2
• Homare Sawa (Japan) – 8/1
• Célia Sasic (Germany) – 8/1
• Marie-Laure Delie (France) – 9/1
• Alex Morgan (United States) – 9/1
• Christine Sinclair (Canada) – 9/1
• Lotta Schelin (Sweden) – 10/1
• FIELD – 10/1

Over/Under Total Goals Allowed by Hope Solo at the 2015 Women’s World Cup: 6.5

Odds a U.S. player or opponent celebrates a goal at the 2015 Women’s World Cup by …

• removing shirt – 3/2
• doing a pre-rehearsed skit/dance – 1/1
• running to fans in stands – 1/4
• diving/sliding into corner flag – 1/4
• doing a flip, cartwheel or handstand – 1/2

Odds of which player scores the U.S. first goal at the 2015 Women’s World Cup:

• Abby Wambach – 5/2
• Alex Morgan – 3/1
• Christen Press – 4/1
• Sydney Leroux – 4/1
• FIELD – 8/1

Odds of the first U.S. goal at the 2015 Women’s World Cup being scored …

• on a crossing pass – 3/2
• on a corner kick – 6/1
• on a rebound – 8/1
• on a penalty kick – 12/1
• on a free kick – 20/1
• on an own goal – 50/1
• OTHER – 5/1

Odds of the first U.S. goal at the 2015 Women’s World Cup being scored with

• right foot/leg – 1/1
• left foot/leg – 5/2
• head – 4/1
• OTHER – 50/1

(Photo credit: Marcello Casal Jr./ABr (ABr) [CC BY 3.0 br (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)