How World Cup Betting Works

The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams, making this summer’s event the largest international team-sports competition in history.

The 50% increase in teams from the usual 32 to the 48-team format changes a lot. Not only is the group stage expanded, but there is an extra round in the knockout stage.

What does this mean for bettors, or even casual viewers, of the sport? Let’s break it down.

Betting odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook's World Cup odds and are subject to change after this article is published.

How to bet on the 2026 World Cup.

World Cup Betting: How It Works and What You Need to Know

What is the Group Stage?

Like many other prominent international competitions, the World Cup utilizes the group stage and knockout stage format. Each team is assigned to a group and plays a round robin against the other group members. At the end of group play, the worst teams go home while the best are seeded for a single-elimination tournament, also called the knockout rounds.

The points system in the World Cup remains the same as it has always been: 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw. Do not confuse the term "points" with the term "goals." Goals are when a team puts the ball in the net. Points are what separate teams inside the group standings.

In lieu of betting on individual matches, World Cup fans can place wagers on their team to advance past the group stage or to win their group. For example, USA is a heavy favorite in the (-600) to (-700) range to advance into the knockout stage and is just above even money to win Group D.

How many teams are in each group at the World Cup? When expanding the World Cup to 48 teams, FIFA originally pitched the idea of 16 groups of 3 teams each, with the top-2 teams in each group advancing to the knockout round, but decided against it. Tournament organizers decided, instead, on 12 groups of 4 with the top-2 teams in each group advancing to an all-new Round of 32 along with the 8 best 3rd-place teams. A group size of 4 is familiar to World Cup fans, but a safety net for 3rd-place teams is not.

Many anticipate seeing a conservative, draw-friendly approach toward the end of the group stage due to this rule change. Data from similar tournaments around the world suggests that the new third-place rule could increase group-stage draws in a team's final game by as much as 33% over previous World Cups. We'll definitely expand on how this impacts the 1x2 odds in our World Cup Betting Trends section, below.

An expanded 48-team field means more mismatches, as we see with the likes of the Spain-Cape Verde and Germany-Curacao matches in the tournament’s opening week. More matches also mean more travel and wear on the players. This World Cup has venues spanning from Los Angeles to Mexico City to New Jersey. Teams will cross time zones and climates, and those surviving until the end will play 8 matches in 5 weeks. Depth is more important at the 2026 World Cup than in any Cup in history.

How are the groups selected in the World Cup? The FIFA World Rankings are used to separate all qualifying teams into 4 pots (A, B, C, D). Pot A holds the best teams, B the next-best 12, and so on. The 3 host nations (USA, Mexico, Canada) are placed in Pot A as a little home-team sweetener. Tournament organizers then randomly select 1 team from each pot to create a group. Team USA is in Group D alongside Turkey, Paraguay, and Australia.

With only 3 group-stage matches to separate teams in the standings, there are always a bevy of ties to sort out who advances to the knockout stage from those getting back on the plane. Don't be the guy who bets on his team to win the group and then doesn't understand the tiebreaking scenarios at the World Cup. Read up on them here and know what you're talking about this summer.

World Cup 2026 Group Tie Breakers

With two-thirds of the field, including 8 third-place group finishers, advancing to the knockout stage, the 2026 World Cup will likely require the use of many tiebreakers.

Let's first examine the World Cup tiebreakers for when 2 teams are tied with the same number of points within a group:

• Head-to-head result
• Goal differential in group matches
• Total goals scored in group matches
• Fair play score in group matches
• FIFA World Rankings
• Previous editions of FIFA World Rankings

Two-team ties within the group go to whichever team won the head-to-head matchup. If a draw occurred, then goal differential in the group stage and total goals scored are invoked. Still tied? It's rare, but this is where we get into the weeds of comparing soccer teams.

2026 will be the 3rd World Cup in which a team's fair play score is used as one of the tiebreakers. Each team's fair play score begins at 0 and sees a single point deducted for each yellow card, 3 points deducted for an indirect red card, 4 points deducted for a direct red card, and 5 points deducted for a direct red card after a yellow.

The fair play score is buried deep in the list of World Cup tiebreakers, and yet it entered the equation immediately in 2018, at its debut Cup. Japan and Senegal were deadlocked in head-to-head result, goal differential, and total goals scored in group play that year, with Japan getting the nod due to a cleaner fair play score.

If the fair play scores between 2 teams are even, then we entered uncharted territory by invoking the latest FIFA World Rankings to break the tie. Whichever team is ranked higher by FIFA moves on. On the off chance the FIFA World Rankings are identical (it's a points-based system, so it's possible), the previous version of the rankings will be used, going back one by one until the tie is broken. That would sure be a lame way to eliminate someone from the World Cup.

Multi-Way Group Ties at the World Cup

3 or 4-team tiebreakers within the group are extremely rare but can happen in draw-heavy environments. In case of a multi-way tie, the procedure to sort teams is as follows:

• Points in matches between the tied teams
• Goal differential in matches between the tied teams
• Total goals scored in matches between the tied teams

These 3 criteria are the first level of multi-team World Cup tiebreakers. If 2 or more teams are tied for the lead at any step, the tiebreaker then resets back to the top between those teams. If ties still remain, we proceed to the next level of tiebreakers:

• Goal differential in group matches
• Total goals scored in group matches

Once again, we move to the next level only if ties remain between 2 or more teams:

• Fair play score in group matches
• FIFA World Rankings
• Previous editions of FIFA World Rankings

Third-Place Tiebreaker at 2026 World Cup

There will almost certainly be ties in points among the 3rd-place group finishers vying for one of the last spots in the Round of 32, but these tiebreakers tend to be easier to resolve thanks to a lack of shared opponents. Each team involved in these 3rd-place tiebreaker scenarios will be from separate groups.

The tiebreaker procedure for 3rd-place teams is as follows:

• Total points in group matches
• Goal differential in group matches
• Total goals scored in group matches
• Fair play score in group matches
• FIFA World Rankings
• Previous editions of FIFA World Rankings

Core in-Game Betting Markets at the World Cup

Moneyline markets at the World Cup are 3-way markets, often called the 1x2. This is the biggest difference between soccer and the four main American sports will encounter when placing wagers on soccer this summer.

The "1" is the odds of the first team winning in full time, the "x" is the odds of a draw after full time, and the "2" is the odds of the second team winning in full time. The win occurring in full time is an important distinction. Full time is the 90-minute game plus any stoppage time added by the referee. Extra time (which is what the soccer world calls overtime) and penalty shootouts do not matter to the 1x2 bettor.

There is no extra time in the group stage at the World Cup, but bettors must understand this rule once the knockout stage begins. Say USA plays to a 2-2 draw with England in full time of the quarterfinals and goes on to win 3-2 in extra time. The "x" bet of the 1x2 would be graded the winner because the result was 2-2 at full time.

Because of this third option, the draw, favorites often carry better prices than they would in American sports. A heavy favorite might be priced at (-150) instead of (-300) because a draw is a live outcome. Plus-money favorites can occur in soccer, too, in contests predicted to be close.

Totals in soccer are low, commonly set at 2.5 goals.

Frequently Asked Questions About World Cup Betting

What is the most popular World Cup bet?

Outright winner (who lifts the trophy) is the most popular single futures market. Match-by-match, the moneyline is the most popular individual game bet, followed by total goals over/under.

Does a draw count in World Cup match betting?

Yes, in group stage betting, all three outcomes — home win, draw, away win — are valid results. In knockout stage betting, most markets apply to 90 minutes only, meaning a draw after 90 minutes is a valid result even if extra time and penalties determine the actual winner. Always check FanDuel's market description.

What happens to my bet if a match goes to extra time?

If you bet on a team to "win" the match on FanDuel and the game ends in a draw after 90 minutes, your bet typically loses (for moneyline bets) or voids (for draw no bet markets). The "to advance" market covers extra time and penalties and is a separate bet type.

When is the 2026 World Cup Final?

The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Who is the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup?

Spain leads the betting board at +450 on FanDuel Sportsbook, followed by France at +550 and England at +650.

Who is defending champion at the 2026 World Cup?

Argentina are the defending champions, having won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in a penalty shootout against France.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.