Four years after the first historic Middle Eastern edition won by Argentina in Qatar, the Football World Cup returns with a series of regulatory and logistical challenges. It begins with the expansion of the participating teams, from 32 to 48, for a tournament that for the first time will be played in 3 nations: USA, Canada, and Mexico. The different climatic conditions between the cities involved, in addition to the first appearances of several national teams, make the 2026 World Cup Winner Antepost particularly exciting.
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Many variables to consider. Climatic aspects, the complexity of the groups, the presence of debutant teams, call-ups. But also the last slots to fill regarding UEFA, with Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo, Denmark, and Czechia still in the running for the last available spots.
In this guide, we therefore try to analyze both the competition and how the World Cup winner antepost works, which teams offer real value, the possible surprises, and which aspects to consider carefully to bet successfully on football’s main international appointment.
Who will win the next 2026 World Cup at the end of the final scheduled for July 19 at the East Rutherford stadium in New Jersey?
Where is the 2026 World Cup being played?
For the first time in history, the Football World Cup crosses the borders of the host nation, being divided between three organizing countries. Canada, USA, and Mexico will therefore play a pioneering role, given that the subsequent 2030 World Cup will then be divided between Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. Returning to the event scheduled from next June 11 to July 19, 2026, 16 cities will be involved.
For Canada, the facilities in Toronto and Vancouver, with capacities between 45.000 and 54.500, will host several matches up to the round of 16. Mexico will rely on the legendary Azteca stadium, the largest facility of the entire event with over 87.000 seats, but also on the more modern structures of Monterrey and Guadalajara used up to the round of 16. A leading role for the USA facilities in Los Angeles, New York, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, and Miami. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena will therefore be missing, the venue for the USA ’94 final.
What are the groups for the 2026 World Cup?
The draws on December 5, 2025, divided the 48 participating teams into 12 groups of 4 teams. The first 2 of each group qualify directly for the round of 32. Eight spots will instead be assigned to the best third-placed teams.
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Playoff D winner (Denmark/North Macedonia/Czechia/Republic of Ireland);
- Group B: Canada, Playoff A winner (Italy/Wales/Northern Ireland/Bosnia), Qatar, Switzerland;
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland;
- Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Playoff C winner (Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo);
- Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador;
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Playoff B winner (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania), Tunisia;
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand;
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay;
- Group I: France, Senegal, Playoff 2 winner (Bolivia/Suriname/Iraq), Norway;
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan;
- Group K: Portugal, Playoff 1 winner (New Caledonia/Jamaica/Congo), Uzbekistan, Colombia;
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama.
Which national teams are qualified for each continent?
The counts are still to be exactly defined considering the wait for the winners of playoffs 1 and 2. In fact, 2 spots are still up for grabs, sought by Bolivia for South America, Jamaica and Suriname for Central America, Iraq for Asia, New Caledonia for Oceania, and Congo for Africa.
UEFA remains the most represented federation with 16 teams, an increase from the 13 of the previous edition. For a total of 12 world titles. Few surprises, with all the big teams already qualified except, for the moment, Italy. A significant increase for CONMEBOL, the South American federation, which sees its participation grow from 4 to 6 teams, with the return of Colombia after the 2022 exclusion, and Paraguay after missing 3 editions.
Eight teams from the AFC, the Asian confederation, which is betting heavily on Japan and South Korea, as well as debutants Jordan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia reaching its seventh participation.
Africa at full strength, with hopes Senegal and Ivory Coast joining the highly-rated Morocco and Tunisia. First historic participation also for small Cape Verde, in its first World Cup commitment after 3 appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations alone.
Six representatives from North and Central America (CONCACAF). Joining the three organizing nations, USA, Canada, and Mexico, are Panama, returning after the 2018 World Cup, Haiti, absent since 1974, and especially Curacao, a very young federation born only in 2010.
Oceania closes the list, which currently can count only on New Zealand, in its third participation after Spain ’82 and South Africa 2010.
National teams in the running for World Cup qualification
Decisive month of March (semifinals on the 26th and finals on the 31st) to close the list of national teams participating in the next World Cup. In Europe, attention is all on the 4 paths from which as many qualifiers will emerge. Let’s see them in detail:
- Path A: Wales/Bosnia – Italy/Northern Ireland
- Path B: Ukraine/Sweden – Poland/Albania
- Path C: Slovakia/Kosovo – Turkey/Romania
- Path D: Czechia/Republic of Ireland – Denmark/North Macedonia
It is clear that several European national teams will not be able to participate in the next World Cup. At the moment, the favorites for access to the final are Denmark, Wales, Italy, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Turkey, while the challenge between Ukraine and Wales appears very balanced.
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But it is not only UEFA that has to assign the last useful spots. The qualification mechanism in fact reserves another two spots up for grabs between other federations, with matches scheduled for March 26 and 31:
- Playoff 1: winner New Caledonia/Jamaica – Congo
- Playoff 2: winner Bolivia/Suriname – Iraq
Among these, a new first time could arrive, besides Curacao and Cape Verde, also for New Caledonia and Suriname.
Winner Antepost, the favorites
Despite the increase in national teams participating in the next 2026 World Cup, the list of favorites for victory confirms the role of historic teams, offering few valid alternatives. Let’s see in detail the first insights on the main favorites with the main 2026 World Cup winner Antepost odds in comparison between Sisal Sport, Bet365 Sport, MarathonBet Sport, and Bwin Sport.
