2026 FIFA World Cup: Betting Odds and Overview
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will make history as the first edition hosted by three different countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Additionally, it will be the largest-ever tournament, featuring 48 teams from six confederations.
📍 Host countries |
▶️ USA, Mexico, Canada |
📆 Dates |
▶️ June–July 2026 |
🏬 Cities |
▶️ 16 |
🏟 Stadiums |
▶️ 16 |
🌏 Teams |
▶️ 48 |
⚽️ Matches |
▶️ 80 |
🏆 Defending champion |
▶️ Argentina |
2026 FIFA World Cup: Host Cities and Stadiums
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will be played across 16 cities in North America, divided among the three host nations. The United States will host matches in 11 cities, Mexico in three, and Canada in two. While the US (1994) and Mexico (1970, 1986) have previously hosted the tournament, Canada will do so for the first time. Notably, Mexico will become the first country ever to host three World Cups.
Host Cities
To ensure balanced distribution, organisers have split the tournament across three regions: West, Central, and East.
West
Vancouver (Canada)
Seattle (USA)
Los Angeles (USA)
San Francisco (USA)
Guadalajara (Mexico)
Central
Kansas City (USA)
Dallas (USA)
Houston (USA)
Atlanta (USA)
Mexico City (Mexico)
Monterrey (Mexico)
East
Mexico City is the only capital among the three host nations to feature as a World Cup venue. Ottawa and Washington D.C. were omitted due to stadium capacity and infrastructure concerns, respectively. This is only the third time in World Cup history (after Bonn in 1974 and Tokyo in 2002) that a host nation’s capital will not stage a match.
Stadiums
A total of 15 stadiums will be hosting FIFA World Cup matches for the first time. The legendary Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will be the only venue to have hosted previous tournaments (1970 and 1986), including two finals. It remains the largest stadium among the 2026 venues, with a capacity of 87,523.
Stadium | City | State/Province | Capacity |
Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | Ciudad de México | 87 523 |
MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford (New York) | New Jersey | 82 500 |
AT&T Stadium | Arlington (Dallas) | Texas | 80 000 |
Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City | Kansas | 76 416 |
NRG Stadium | Houston | Texas | 72 220 |
Lumen Field | Seattle | Washington | 72 000 |
Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta | Georgia | 71 000 |
SoFi Stadium | Inglewood (Los Angeles) | California | 70 240 |
Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 69 796 |
Levi's Stadium | Santa Clara (San Francisco) | California | 68 500 |
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough (Boston) | Massachusetts | 65 878 |
Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens (Miami) | Florida | 65 326 |
BC Place | Vancouver | British Columbia | 54 500 |
Estadio BBVA | Guadalupe | Nuevo León | 53 500 |
Estadio Akron | Zapopan (Guadalajara) | Jalisco | 49 850 |
BMO Field | Toronto | Ontario | 45 500 |
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA.
2026 FIFA World Cup Tournament Format
The 2026 edition will introduce a major format change, making it different from previous tournaments:
48 teams split into 16 groups (A–P)
3 teams per group
Top 2 teams advance to the Round of 32
All group matches will be played in the same venue
However, it is possible to hold the group stage according to the following format:
48 teams split into 12 groups of 4
Top 2 teams from each group qualify
Best 8 third-placed teams also advance
The final format will be confirmed in 2023.
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
As the host nations, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will automatically qualify, meaning they will not participate in the qualification process. The remaining 43 direct qualification spots will be distributed among FIFA's confederations, while two additional places will be decided via intercontinental playoffs.
The intercontinental playoffs will include one team from each confederation (except UEFA) and one extra team from CONCACAF as the host region.
The quotas for the final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been allocated the following way:
Confederations | Continent | Quota for the World Cup | Contenders | Qualifiers Dates |
UEFA | Europe | 16 | 55 | March 2025 – March 2026 |
CAF | Africa | 9 | 52 | November 2023 – March 2025 |
AFC | Asia | 8 | 47 | October 2023 – November 2025 |
CONCACAF | North and Central America | 3 by qualifying, 3 as hosts | 35 | September 2023 – March 2025 |
CONMEBOL | South America | 6 | 10 | June 12 2023 – November 2025 |
OFC | Oceania | 1 | 11 | September 2024 – March 2025 |
World Cup 2026 Winner Odds
Despite being more than three years away, top bookmakers have already released odds for the tournament winner.
World Cup odds to win
🇫🇷 France
France are considered the primary favourites for the 2026 World Cup. Didier Deschamps has extended his contract until the tournament and aims to leave on a high note. Under his leadership, the team won the 2018 World Cup and finished runners-up in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties in a legendary final.
France are undergoing a squad transition, with rising stars like Aurélien Tchouaméni, Marcus Thuram, Eduardo Camavinga, Jules Koundé, and Theo Hernández taking centre stage. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has retired, but Kylian Mbappé, the Golden Boot winner of 2022, will remain the focal point as he chases a second World Cup title.
🇧🇷 Brazil
Brazil were eliminated from the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-finals, falling to Croatia on penalties. They featured an exciting young squad, but they fell short of expectations. Manager Adenor Bacchi “Tite” stepped down under heavy scrutiny.
Brazil boast an impressive attacking arsenal: Richarlison de Andrade, Raphinha Belloli, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, and Neymar Júnior. They also conceded just five goals in 17 qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. Historically, North America has been a lucky region for Brazil, as they won two of the three previous World Cups hosted in this part of the world.
Spain
Spain's young squad fell short in Qatar, but they have their best years ahead. Many of Spain’s key players had no prior World Cup experience, which played a role in their shock elimination against Morocco. With Luis Enrique stepping down and Sergio Busquets retiring, the team is set for a new chapter. If they learn from their mistakes, they could be serious contenders in 2026.
🏴 England
England always enter the tournament as one of the favourites, but they haven't won the World Cup since 1966. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals by France (1:2) in Qatar but were seen as genuine title contenders.
Gareth Southgate has assembled a talented young squad featuring Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden, all of whom should be at their peak by 2026.
🇦🇷 Argentina
The defending champions cannot be overlooked. The big question is whether Lionel Messi will still be part of the squad in 2026. Regardless, Argentina proved they are not a one-man team in Qatar.
With players like Emiliano Martínez (heroic goalkeeper), Julián Álvarez (third top scorer in 2022), and a strong midfield core of Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister, and Rodrigo De Paul, Argentina remain a force to be reckoned with. If their young talent continues to develop, back-to-back World Cup victories could be possible.
