In less than five months, the biggest sporting event in the world will kick off. The edition of the World Cup starts in 2026, and we would want to look at the World Cup favorites.
World Cup Favorites
Certain teams are World Cup favorites for most football fans in almost every edition of the World Cup. Those are teams like Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Argentina.
Some other teams have recently started coming up, like France with their first World Cup title in 1998 and their recent win in 2018. Spain also won their first title in 2010, and some runner-ups like the Netherlands and Croatia.
If you are interested in World Cup 2022 betting, these are the teams most fans would be rooting for to win the World Cup.
Below is a table that contains the odds for the different teams competing at the World Cup.
| Team | |
|---|---|
| Brazil 5.50 | Ecuador 150.0 |
| France 6.50 | Mexico 150.0 |
| England 6.50 | Serbia 150.0 |
| Spain 9.0 | Canada 155.0 |
| Argentina 10.0 | Cameroon 200.0 |
| Germany 12.0 | Ghana 250.0 |
| Belgium 13.0 | Japan 250.0 |
| The Netherlands 13.0 | Morocco 250.0 |
| Portugal 13.0 | South Korea 250.0 |
| Denmark 29.10 | Saudi Arabia 260.0 |
| Croatia 51.0 | Qatar 350.0 |
| Uruguay 51.0 | Tunisia 350.0 |
| Senegal 81.0 | Iran 500.0 |
| Switzerland 81.0 | |
| USA 100.0 | |
| Poland 125.0 |
History of World Cup Favorites
This is the 22nd edition of the World Cup. There are just 13 teams that have played in the finals. The World Cup is generally dominated by two continents, South America and Europe.
In fact, the 13 finalists have come from both continents. We will look at the World Cup favorites by continent.
South America
South American teams just have two World Cup favorites, Brazil and Argentina, as they have won five and two titles, respectively. Uruguay may have won the first and fourth editions of the World Cup but have dropped down in the pecking order of international football.
So South America has nine World Cup trophies and five runners-up.
Europe
Europe has produced more champions in total, with the likes of Italy and Germany (previously West Germany) having produced four titles each.
France and Spain have also started their journey to becoming World Cup favorites. France’s golden generation won their first World Cup in 1998 World Cup on home soil.
The second golden generation won the last edition in 2018 in Russia, beating Croatia 4-2 in the finals. Spain has just won one World Cup title in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. England won their first and only World Cup title in 1966.
The Netherlands have been runners-up three times, a record only bettered by Germany’s four-time runners-up title. Other teams like Croatia and Belgium are also strong contenders due to the quality of players in their teams in various positions.
In recent times, most World Cup favorites have been European teams because of the competitiveness of the European leagues. The most competitive football is played in Europe, which has helped develop the strength and squad depth of most European national teams.
In total, Europe has produced 12 World Cup winners and 16 runners-up.
African Nations
African nations have had a hard time at the biggest international competition, always crashing out at the quarter-finals of World Cups. No African team has ever played in the semi-finals of a World Cup.
In fact, only three African teams have progressed to the quarter-finals of a World Cup, Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana came close to progressing to the semi-finals in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but lost 4-2 in penalties. This was more painful as they had the opportunity to go ahead when they got a penalty and missed it in extra time.
Hopefully, an African team, such as Cameroon, would get to the finals at this edition of the World Cup.
Asia and Oceania
Asian teams have been missing in action as far as international football is concerned.
The best position by an Asian team in a World Cup was in 2002 when South Korea was in 4th position. Asian teams are not normally World Cup favorites; rather, teams like Japan and South Korea always play the role of the underdogs.
North and Central America and the Caribbean
North America has also not had much luck in international football. Their major contenders from this region include Mexico and the US but without much success.
The best performance has come from the US, getting to the semi-finals in the first edition of the World Cup in 1930.
Top Favorites for the World Cup
Below is a list of the World Cup favorites for the World Cup.
- Brazil
- France
- England
- Spain
- Argentina
- Germany
- Belgium
- The Netherlands
- Portugal
Brazil (5.50)
This is the most successful team in World Cup history and goes into most competitions as favorites.
France (6.50)
France will go into the competition as favorites to defend the title they won in 2018 in Russia. But first, they would have to overcome the European winner’s curse, which started from them when they won their first World Cup on home soil in 1998.
And subsequently, Italy, Spain and Germany, which won in 2006, 2010, and 2014 were eliminated in the group stages of the next edition of the World Cup.
England (6.50)
England was runners-up in the just concluded Euros 2020 and will be going with their newfound confidence.
Even though they were World Cup winners in 1966 on home soil, they have not reached another final since then, and they would hope to change that.
England is generally regarded as the home of football, with the most popular league globally. Every strong national team has at least one player playing in the EPL, while every player on the English first team plays in England.
Argentina (10.0)
The Argentine team were runners-up in the 2014 World Cup after losing to Germany 1-0 in extra time. The last time they won the World Cup was in 1986 when the great Maradona took them all the way to win it.
Lionel Messi, a seven-time Ballon D’or winner, will hope to replicate that magic when they compete.
Germany (12.0)
Germany goes into World Cup as favorites, having won the World Cup in 2014 hosted by Brazil. They are also favorites because they have won over four World Cup titles.
They boast of being one of the complete teams at this World Cup as they have efficient players in every position.
Also, they have one of the best coaches in the world, Hansi Flick.
Portugal (13.0)
Portugal was the winner of the 2016 Euros due to the influence of their captain Cristiano Ronaldo. They are hoping to replicate the same results as this is likely his last international tournament at 37 years.
But notwithstanding, the Portugal team fields an all-around squad that will be hoping to win the trophy for the first time.
The Netherlands (13.0)
The Netherlands have been perennial runners-up and has gotten silverware three times in 1974, 1978 and 2010. Even with one of the strongest teams in history, the Dutch team have been unable to win the most coveted cup.
They will go into the next edition of the World Cup to change that. Hopefully, it will be their luck this time.
Belgium (13.0)
Currently, Belgium is one of the best teams in international football and was ranked first from 2018 to 2021. This current team is considered their golden generation because of the quality of players on the team.
Senegal (81.0)
Senegal has a lot of quality players available for the World Cup. And considering their current form after winning the African Cup of Nations, they are certainly World Cup favorites.
African nations have not had much luck with World Cup tournaments, but Senegal will hope to break that deadlock. They have a fighting chance with their rock of a captain Kalidou Koulibaly occupying in defence, Idrissa Gueye holding down the midfield, and Sadio Mane leading out front.
Top Underdogs for the World Cup
These are the underdogs that can cause an upset in the World Cup. These are teams that will most likely upset the big teams; going by squad quality, they don’t stand a chance with the World Cup favorites.
- Japan
- Croatia
- Uruguay
- Ghana
- South Korea
Croatia (51.0)
The Croatian team was the runner-up in the 2018 World Cup. They will enter the competition with the momentum of the previous edition. Moreover, they have an ageing squad and will hope to get the highest honour in international football.
Uruguay (51.0)
Uruguay was the World Cup titleholder in 1930 and 1950, but they have not been so lucky recently. However, we believe that the attacking force they field will be enough to cause problems for opposition teams.
Ghana (250.0)
The Ghanaian team is one of the most successful African nations at the World Cup. In fact, they defeated the Nigerian team, with players such as Kelechi Iheanacho, to qualify for the World Cup.
They came close to advancing to the semi-finals in 2010 but lost to Uruguay 4-2 on penalties.
South Korea (250.0)
This team finished 4th place in the 2002 World Cup in which they were co-hosts. South Korea got a history of causing upsets for the bigger team, especially in the group stages.
World Cup Favorites FAQ
We are at the end of the World Cup favorites. Here are some frequently asked questions about the World Cup.
The teams favoured to win the World Cup are the World Cup royalty: Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and the winners of the 2018 edition, France. But teams like Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain are also favorites.
France has the squad to win to World Cup but first, they have to overcome the winner’s curse which has plagued the last three winners of the World Cup. Italy, Spain and Germany, which won the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014, respectively, crashed out in the group stage of the next World Cup they participated in.
Yes, five African teams qualified for the 2022 World Cup: Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, and Cameroon have qualified.
Every major bookmaker offers odds on the games of the World Cup. So you can sign up at any bookmaker that is registered and licensed in Kenya and place bets on the group games, Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, final and even outrights on the World Cup. Some bookmakers where you can find World Cup betting offers are 22Bet, BetWinner, and Betway.
The favorite for this World Cup is Brazil, with a 5.50 odd for outright betting. Brazil has the team quality and mentality to overcome other challengers and come out on top. But some other contenders include France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
