How Does FIFA World Cup Work?
The FIFA World Cup is a recurring competition played every four years in a different country or multiple countries, depending on the organisation. Qualifying tournaments are played on every continent to determine the national teams that will be participating in the next World Cup.
The host country of the current tournament is the first participating country, as its national team is pre-qualified and doesn’t need to compete for its place in the main event. That means that the hosts of the World Cup 2026, Canada, Mexico and USA, already have spots in the main draw.
All 48 teams that qualify for the World Cup 2026 will be divided into 12 groups of four. In this new format, two best teams from each group will qualify for the round of 32, along with eight best third-placed teams. That’s where the knockout phase begins, and it all ends with the grand final that determines the World Cup winner.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifications
Qualifications start almost three years in advance of the event in the CONMEBOL zone, AFC and CAF, so the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup started in September 2023. The qualifications will decide which 45 teams will join the hosts in the main event.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has eight direct slots in the tournament, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has nine, and the South American Confederation (CONMEBOL) has six.
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has three spots, plus three hosts, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has one spot, and UEFA is the most numerous Confederation with 16 direct places.
Two more spots will be filled after the inter-confederation playoffs in March 2026.
Most Popular Betting Markets for World Cup Football Betting
Outright betting markets at football World Cup betting sites become available once we know the participating teams for the current event, and that’s when the qualifications are complete. You can then snatch some quite generous odds should you decide to make your predictions early on.
Here are some of the most popular betting markets for football World Cup betting:
Outright (Futures)
Once the outrights are available, you can start keeping track of how the odds are changing as the event approaches. If you feel confident in your predictions, you can bet on the tournament winner, top scorer, best player, or any other markets you enjoy betting on when doing your football World Cup betting.
Depending on your betting tactic, you can snatch the odds as soon as they appear, or you can wait a little longer and keep track of their movements as the event approaches, and you get more clarity on the teams and players’ shape.
Winner (Moneyline) Market
The winner market (also known as moneyline) is a very popular market for both single and accumulator bets. It allows you to predict the winner of the match or if the match will end in a draw. It is available outright for the group stage, once the match schedule is decided by the draw.
It is a popular market for major football tournaments, so you can use it for Euro Championship betting as well, for example.
Over/Under or Totals
Over/under or total is a goals market in football, allowing you to predict the number of goals you expect to be scored in a match. You are not guessing the exact number of goals in a match with this market, but whether the total number will be over or under a certain number.
For example, you can bet that the total number of goals in a match will be over three goals, or under 1.5 goals. This can be a tricky market, especially for the first round, as you don’t know the shape of the teams.
Player Markets
Player markets are connected to a player’s individual statistics. You can go on and predict how many goals a player will score in a match or in the whole tournament if it is available as an outright market.
You can also guess whether a player will receive a yellow card or a red one in a game or in the tournament. Check out the available player markets to decide if you are comfortable with betting on these when betting on the World Cup.
Result and Total
This market combines the winner with the number of goals scored in the match. For example, you can say that Team 1 will win the match and there will be more than three goals scored in the game.
The result market is also combined with the both-teams-to-score market, allowing you to use this combo market when you are confident that one team will win (or that the game will end in a draw) but that both teams will score at least one goal.
World Cup Football Betting Promotions
FIFA World Cup betting sites will not miss a chance to create special promotions for this major football event. Promotions are designed to attract bettors, but also to give them that something little extra when betting on these matches.
Regular bonus offers could be modified to give more for betting on World Cup, but sportsbooks often design special promotions for this event, just like they would do for betting on Copa America, especially in the South American countries.
Here are some examples of the bonuses you can use at World Cup football betting sites:
Welcome Bonuses
One part of the experience when signing up with a new sportsbook is its welcome bonus offer. These typically come in the form of a deposit match bonus to give you some extra funds for your bets. While the tournament lasts, the welcome bonus could give extra value for betting on it.
The best offers at the best football World Cup betting sites will be available for multiple deposit methods and have low wagering requirements for the bonus funds, so make sure to check the bonus terms and conditions before claiming it.
Free Bets
Sportsbooks sometimes give free bets as a part of the welcome bonus, but more often, it’s a promotion to reward players’ loyalty. They give bettors extra funds to use for their bets, whatever sport they enjoy betting on unless otherwise specified.
Free bets can typically be used for major football tournaments, and the World Cup shouldn’t be an exception.
Event-Specific Bonuses
If you enjoy claiming these special bonuses for betting on competitions that are popular with bettors, then you shouldn’t miss the ones designed for FIFA World Cup betting either. These promotions are active during the tournament, and allow you to bet on select markets for the given round.
Check out the offers regularly once the tournament is underway so you don’t miss getting some extra value for your money.
Cashback Bonuses
Cashback bonuses are always welcome as they give you a certain part of your stake back when your bet loses. Of course, the bigger the percentage of the cashback, the better, but the correct amount depends on the size of your stake.
The best football World Cup betting site for you will be the one that ticks most of the boxes for a good sportsbook, including offering the best promotions for you.
FIFA World Cup History and Popularity
The first football World Cup was played almost a century ago, in 1930, in Uruguay. The host nation was also the tournament winner, defeating Argentina 4–2 in the final. The US national team won the third place, with Yugoslavia claiming the fourth place.
There have been 22 editions of the World Cup so far, with the omittance of the 1942 and 1946 editions for obvious reasons. Here are some interesting facts about the tournament:
- Eight countries have won the FIFA World Cup so far: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France, Uruguay, England and Spain.
- Brazil is the only country that has played in every World Cup since 1930 and the one with the most titles, having won the tournament five times.
- It is estimated that five billion viewers watched or interacted with the 2022 World Cup.
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be hosted by three countries and the first one with 48 teams in the main tournament.
- The current trophy that is awarded to the winner was first awarded in 1974.
The World Cup is easily the most popular football tournament in the world, and there are plenty of FIFA betting sites where you can bet on the event. Check out the outright markets if you enjoy betting in advance, or you can maybe bet on the qualifiers, as there will be plenty of action before the tournament starts on 11 June 2026.
