News Focus
- The 2026 World Cup will expand to 48 teams, making the Round of 16 the second knockout stage after a new Round of 32
- France and Spain top the odds board as strong favourites to advance past the group phase and first knockout round
- All three host nations—USA, Mexico and Canada—are priced favourably to reach the last 16
- Bookmakers give shorter odds to European and South American powers compared to African and Asian sides
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will introduce a new format with 48 nations competing. This means the Round of 16 will now serve as the second phase of the knockout rounds, following a newly created Round of 32.
France lead the betting at -450. A $10 stake would return $12.22. The 2018 champions have reached the final in two of the last three tournaments. They last failed to progress from the group stage in 2010.
Spain follow closely behind at -390. La Roja won the trophy in 2010 but suffered early exits in recent editions. They fell at the Round of 16 in both 2018 and 2022, and crashed out in the group phase in 2014.
Other major football nations also feature prominently in the markets. England stand at -360, while Germany are priced at -280. Brazil and Portugal both sit at -270, with Belgium at -260. World Cup holders Argentina are listed at -200.
The three host countries receive strong backing from the bookmakers. Mexico are priced at -155, the USA at -130, and Canada at +100. El Tri have a difficult history at this stage, having lost in the Round of 16 in seven consecutive tournaments between 1994 and 2018. They failed to qualify for the knockouts entirely in 2022.
The USA reached the Round of 16 in 2022 and also in 2010 and 2014, though they missed the 2018 finals in Russia. Canada face the biggest challenge, having never won or drawn a World Cup match in their history.
Switzerland (-165), the Netherlands (-145) and Colombia (-120) appear further down the list, while nations such as Morocco (+125), Croatia (+130) and Japan (+180) face longer odds to reach the last 16.