Bet on FIFA World Cup at KY Sportsbooks

The afterglow of Lionel Messi and Argentina‘s recent FIFA World Cup victory in Qatar lingers, but it’s time to consider bets for the 2026 event in North America. Hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, most matches (including the quarterfinals through the final) will take place on U.S. soil.

The qualification process continues, but the host countries are assured participation. Legally authorized U.S. sportsbooks will soon offer 2026 FIFA World Cup futures markets, enabling wagers on these and other potential contenders.

Meanwhile, in Kentucky, you’ll find attractive 2026 World Cup odds and diverse betting options at legal and regulated online sportsbooks.

2026 World Cup odds

As soon as the 2026 FIFA World Cup futures markets become available, stay tuned for the latest odds in this space. When they arrive, you can click on any odds you see to visit the corresponding sportsbook.

Wager on the U.S. Men’s National Team at the World Cup

The United States Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) has secured its spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as co-hosts. Although they may not be the favorites, the home-field advantage could influence World Cup futures odds. But there’s more to the team than being automatic qualifiers.

The U.S. team advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, ultimately losing 3-1 to the Netherlands. By reaching the knockout stage in four of their last five World Cup appearances, the USMNT demonstrated competitiveness on the international stage. That makes for an interesting possibility when placing your World Cup 2026 bets at legal and regulated sports betting sites in Kentucky.

How to bet on World Cup soccer odds

There is plenty of time to start preparing to bet on World Cup 2026 odds, which you can do by following these steps.

  • Choose a legal sportsbook: Select a reputable and licensed sportsbook available in your jurisdiction. Research online reviews and ensure the platform complies with local regulations.
  • Create an account: Sign up on the sportsbook’s website or mobile app by providing the required personal information and verifying your identity.
  • Deposit funds: Add money to your account using one of the available deposit methods, such as credit/debit cards, e-wallets or bank transfers.
  • Explore betting options: Browse the sportsbook for 2026 World Cup betting odds, which will include futures markets, group stage matches, knockout rounds, and other betting options like prop bets and live betting.
  • Place your bets: Choose the type of bet you want to make, such as moneyline, point spread, or over/under. Select the team or outcome you want to wager on and enter the stake amount. Confirm your bet and keep track of the results.
  • Withdraw winnings: If your bet is successful, you can withdraw your winnings by following the sportsbook’s withdrawal process, which may include verifying your identity and selecting a withdrawal method.

What bet types will I find for the World Cup 2026?

When it comes to betting on the World Cup, your first option will always be to bet on the winner. Sportsbooks provide championship odds for each anticipated World Cup team, adjusting the odds throughout the qualification process, lead-up to the event, and during the tournament.

To win, you simply pick a team at the posted odds, and if they claim the trophy, you receive payment based on those odds, regardless of any subsequent changes, which usually occur in the form of odds shifts. The further from the event, the longer the odds for top favorites, meaning early World Cup bets can yield higher returns if successful.

Once the World Cup starts, you can bet on group wins, advancing to knockout stages, overall victories, and individual matches. A typical World Cup soccer group stage moneyline, which is a three-way moneyline that includes ties as an option, might appear as follows at BetMGM KY Sportsbook or Caesars Kentucky:

  • USMNT Win: +200
  • Draw: +250
  • Mexico Win: +225

Other bet types you’ll commonly come across include:

  • Double Chance: Bet two of three possible moneyline outcomes at reduced odds.
  • Cards/Corners: Wager on the number of red/yellow cards or corners in a match.
  • GG/NG Betting: Bet on a scoreless draw (NG) or both teams scoring at least once (GG).
  • Live Odds: Place bets on standard FIFA World Cup odds and more during matches.

How do teams qualify for the World Cup?

Teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup through a series of regional competitions organized by their respective football confederations. There are six confederations, each with its own qualification process, and the number of spots allocated to each confederation depends on its historical performance and size.

  • Asian Football Confederation (AFC): Teams from Asia participate in multiple rounds of group stages and knockout rounds to secure one of the allocated spots for the World Cup.
  • Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF): African teams compete in a series of preliminary rounds, group stages, and knockout rounds to qualify for the available spots in the World Cup.
  • Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF): Teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean go through multiple rounds of group stages and knockout rounds to earn a place in the World Cup.
  • Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL): South American teams play a round-robin home-and-away league format, with the top teams directly qualifying for the World Cup and others participating in intercontinental playoffs.
  • Oceania Football Confederation (OFC): Oceanian teams compete in preliminary rounds and group stages, with the top team participating in an intercontinental playoff to secure a spot in the World Cup.
  • Union of European Football Associations (UEFA): European teams go through group stages and playoff rounds, with the top teams from each group and the best-performing runners-up qualifying for the World Cup.

In addition to the teams that qualify through their confederations, the host country (or countries, in case of joint hosting) automatically qualifies for the tournament. All three host countries for 2026 have been given automatic entry, and three other CONCACAF teams will qualify.

How many teams play in the World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams, an increase from the previous 32-team format. This field will consist of the host countries—the US, Canada, and Mexico—and 45 other national teams from various regions worldwide.

When and where is the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted across North America in various locations. You will find games being played throughout Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

2026 FIFA World Cup

  • Hosts: Canada, Mexico, and the United States
  • Dates: June and July 2026
  • Teams/Format: 48 Teams, 16 groups of three, top two teams from each advance to the knockout stage beginning with a Round of 32.
  • US Broadcast Rights: Fox
  • Venues: 
    • Atlanta
    • Boston
    • Dallas
    • Guadalajara
    • Houston
    • Kansas City
    • Los Angeles
    • Mexico City
    • Miami
    • Monterrey
    • New York
    • Philadelphia
    • San Francisco
    • Seattle
    • Toronto
    • Vancouver

How does the World Cup work?

The FIFA World Cup is the foremost international soccer tournament held every four years, featuring national teams from across the globe. The competition consists of two main stages: the group stage and the knockout stage.

  • Group stage: For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature 48 teams, the participating teams will be divided into 16 groups of three teams each. In this stage, every team plays in a round-robin format against the other two teams in their group. The teams receive points based on their match results: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.
  • Knockout stage: After the group stage, the top two teams from each group (a total of 32) will advance to the knockout stage. This stage consists of a single-elimination tournament format, including the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. In the knockout stage, each match must have a winner. If the match is tied after 90 minutes of regular play, two 15-minute extra-time periods are played. A penalty shootout is held to determine the winner if the score remains level after extra time.

In addition to these stages, there is a third-place playoff match between the two losing teams from the semifinals.

The team that wins the final match is crowned the FIFA World Cup champion, and the tournament concludes with a closing ceremony.

World Cup 2026 betting favorites

Certain countries will always be in the discussion when favorites are brought up. Below, we highlight four teams we expect will compete for the championship at the 2026 World Cup:

  • France: Runner-up in 2022, France boasts some of the best talent in Europe, especially in Kylian Mbappé, who will be only 27 years old come the 2026 tournament.
  • Portugal: Will we see Cristiano Ronaldo one more time? If not, we have Goncalo Ramos stepping up to fill those rather large shoes. He’ll be fun to watch.
  • Brazil: Some people say Mbappé is the best player in the world. Vinicius Junior has a thing or two he’d like to say about that. Let’s hope Brazil and France meet up in 2026.
  • England: They were young in 2022 and are expected to be tough defenders as veterans in 2026, but the concerns about their ability to score could be valid.

World Cup betting tips

We have two tips we feel are essential when betting on the World Cup.

  • History speaks for itself: No team that doesn’t hail from Europe or South America has ever hoisted the World Cup championship trophy. Why? Because those regions are soccer-obsessed and will always put the game ahead of others as their national favorites. Teams like the U.S. or Japan may field competitive programs, but until soccer is their primary sport, there is only a little hope for a dominant performance on the World Cup stage.
  • No repeats: Only one team has ever gone back-to-back as World Cup champions, which was in 1958 and 1962 when Brazil managed the feat. They also won twice in three straight finals appearances from 1994 through 2002, though they didn’t repeat as title holders.

Why? Since the tournament is held every four years, the team and talent can change drastically from cup to cup. There will always be repeat competitors, as we mentioned above, but it will be rare for another back-to-back to happen in the World Cup, thanks to the immense talent of every nation that qualifies.