All You Need To Know For The 2026 World Cup - The World’s Greatest Stage

The 2026 World Cup is on its way, with the hype only getting louder and louder, day by day. Multiple teams have qualified, new kits have been released and there is more to come. 

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, which occurs every 4 years and first began back in 1930. Notably, the 2026 tournament will be primarily hosted in the United States with some matches held in Mexico and Canada. The competition is managed by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and consists of a new format, where 48 nations compete for the golden World Cup trophy.

How Is The World Cup Set Up?

There are 48 teams that are only qualified after competing in regional matches, that way the World Cup will only provide the best nations from across the globe, and the crowned winners will be rightfully given the name “World Champions”, giving fans the ultimate viewing experience. 

The World Cup is set up in 3 stages:

• Qualifiers: Ends March 31, 2026
• Group Stage: June 11 - 27
• Knockout Stage: June 28 - July 19 

The World Cup itself starts in the Group Stage, where there are 12 groups of 4 teams. Each team will face each other once. The top 2 in each group will advance, with the 8 best third placed teams progressing just behind them. 

Group Stage: 

• Match 1: June 11 - 17
• Match 2: June 18 - 23
• Match 3: June 24 - 27

After the Group Stage, the teams move to the first round of the Knockout Stage; Round of 32. The teams that finished first place in the Group Stage, will go up against opponents that placed either second or third from another group. The 2 teams play one game to decide who advances to the Round of 16. The process continues until there is one remaining team undefeated, ultimately given the title of “World Champions”.

Knockout Stage:

• Round of 32: June 28 - July 3
• Round of 16: July 4 - 7
• Quarter-finals: July 9 - 11
• Semi-finals: July 14 - 15
• Third place playoff: July 18
• Final: July 19

Who Has Qualified So Far?

So far, only 28 of the 48 teams have qualified so far, due to the different number of teams that each regional qualifiers contain.

AFC (Asian Football Confederation): 8/8 teams qualified

• Australia
• Iran
• Japan
• Jordan
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Uzbekistan

CAF (Confederation of African Football): 9/9 teams qualified 

• Algeria
• Cape Verde
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Ivory Coast
• Morocco
• Senegal
• South Africa
• Tunisia

CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football): 6/6 teams qualified

• Canada
• Mexico 
• United States
• Panama
• Curaçao
• Haiti

CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation): 6/6 teams qualified 

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Paraguay
• Uruguay

OFC (Oceania Football Confederation): 1/1 team qualified 

• New Zealand

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations): 12/16 teams qualified

• Austria
• Belgium
• Croatia
• England
• France
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Scotland
• Spain
• Switzerland

Look Out For These Favorites

Based on recent form and history, there are always favorites to win the competition. There are 5 strong contenders:

• Argentina (previous World Cup winners)
• England (Euro 2024 finalist)
• France (finalist of the last World Cup)
• Portugal (won the latest Nations League)
• Spain (won Euro 2024 and Nations League finalist)

However, there are other consistently strong teams such as Brazil, Germany, and Netherlands but they haven’t been as strong as the other 5.

Each tournament has an underdog to go far into the competition. A few underrated teams that could go far: 

• Belgium
• Colombia
• Croatia 
• Japan
• Morocco
• Norway

The World Cup is the stage to make a name for yourself and have an everlasting presence for the rest of history. It’s an opportunity that forces players to elevate themselves. A few players to look out for:

• Lionel Messi (Argentina) 
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
• Kylian Mbappe (France)
• Harry Kane (England)
• Lamine Yamal (Spain)
• Erling Haaland (Norway)
• Jamal Musiala (Germany)
• Vinicius Jr. (Brazil)
• Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

Historically, there aren’t many different winners of the World Cup. Only European and South American teams have ever won the competition. This is why favorites tend to be similar each year, but the game is unpredictable at times. Here are the previous winners:

• Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
• Germany (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
• Italy (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
• Argentina (1978, 1986, 2022)
• France (1998, 2018)
• Uruguay (1930, 1950)
• Spain (2010)
• England (1966)

On Bitsler you’ll discover pre-match and live betting options for all fixtures. To view the latest in play odds, simply log in while a match is underway and find the match in the Sports section. Odds update in real time as the game goes, and live stats are available to help your predictions.

World Cup Betting Odds, Payouts & Promotions

To succeed when placing bets on the World Cup you’ll want to first understand how odds work and how potential payouts are calculated. The higher the probability of an outcome, the lower the odds, hence the smaller the payout. Balancing risk vs reward is essential when comparing odds and selecting bet sizes.

Football Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategy

Use available data and statistics to shape your picks. Look at team performance in recent games and review metrics like expected goals (xG) and defensive solidity. Focus on high value markets rather than only popular ones. At Bitsler you'll find a wide range of markets including:

• Match winner
  
• Tournament winner
  
• Total goals scored
  
• Handicaps
  
• Player and game actions
  

Stay current with team news which can affect betting value. Keep an eye on expert previews and insights to stay ahead of the game. 

Bitsler VIP Club & Responsible Betting

When you join Bitsler you’ll also gain access to the VIP program and a range of sports betting promotions. By placing bets you’ll level up your account and unlock perks such as rakeback, reload bonuses and more. As you bet, ensure you practise responsible gambling set limits, know when to stop, and stay in control as you enjoy such a major tournament like the World Cup.