The World Cup 2026 is just around the corner and the European domestic leagues will soon be coming to a close. These last few months of domestic football will give bettors a good idea of which players are going into the tournament in hot form and will potentially lead their country to victory.
As it stands, the current favourites to win the World Cup 2026 are Spain with odds of around 5/1, followed by England at 6/1, Argentina and France both at 8/1. While outsiders have never won a shock World Cup, there have been plenty of surprise teams to reach the later stages. For example, Croatia reached the final in the 2018 World Cup against the odds before losing to winners France.
In-Form Teams
Looking at the qualifying form, England and Norway from the European qualifying groups achieved a 100% record, while France and Spain won five and drew one of their six fixtures.
From the South America qualifiers, Argentina topped the table while Brazil experienced a poor run but still managed to make the cut. Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay all finished above Brazil in the table, although goal difference was all that separated them from the two teams above them.
The bookmakers have put Netherlands as far out as 25/1 to win the World Cup 2026 and they had an impressive qualification run. They also have what many perceive to be an easier group, with fixtures against Algeria, Japan and a playoff winner still to be confirmed.
If you are looking to bet on an outsider, Netherlands could be a good team to back and you can find the betting sites with the best and highest odds here – https://www.sportal.se/odds/.
Norway have also shown great form, largely down to the prolific Erling Haaland, who scored 16 goals in eight qualifiers. While people might be considering betting on him for the Golden Boot, it is worth noting that Norway has a fairly tricky group to navigate. They play two-time World Cup winners France and recent AFCON winners Senegal, plus a playoff winner.
In-Form Players
The European domestic goalscoring charts are being led by Harry Kane (England), Kylian Mbappe (France), Erling Haaland (Norway) and the lesser expected Igor Thiago (Brazil). Thiago is yet to be capped for Brazil but has earned himself a call up for the upcoming friendlies.
Kane and Mbappe are understandably current favourites to win the Golden Boot, with odds for both at around 7/1. However, if you are looking for larger odds, Spain’s Yamal could be a good choice at around 15/1 or Brazil’s Raphina at 33/1. Another outsider option is Hugo Ekitike who has put himself in contention for a squad place after an impressive breakout season with Liverpool, with odds of over 50/1.
The World Cup 2026 kicks off on 11 June and it is the perfect time to check how players are looking going into title races and Champions League knockout phases to decide who you want to back for success.
