FIFA World Cup 2026: Betting Markets Explained

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is to go down in history yet again with so many different betting markets available. Held across the US, Canada and Mexico, this tournament features 48 teams and 104 matches this time around. It’s really going to be the biggest tournament in football history.  

Understanding the popular betting markets can help you plan your predictions and make smarter choices throughout the tournament. In this guide, we will take you through the top 10 World Cup betting markets that are popular at Bet.co.za.   

Popular Betting Markets 

Full-time results  

The full-time results market is when you bet on the outcome of the match at the end of the regulation time, which is 90 minutes. You need to predict if team A will win, a draw, or if team B will win.  

Both Team to Score 

This betting market is the most popular among punters. You basically need to bet on both teams to score, even if it’s with one goal. If one team scores, or both teams don’t score at all, your bet loses. 

With this market, you really need to know both teams, how they’ve been performing, and how likely they both are to score.   

Double Chance 

Double chance allows you to bet on two outcomes in one game. You have options to bet on: 

• Home win or a draw 

• Away or a draw 

• Home win or away win 

Draw No Bet 

In this betting market, you bet on a team to win. If the selected team wins, you win your bet and if the other team wins, you lose. If the match ends in a draw, then your bet is voided and your stake is refunded. In simple terms, you will not win or lose if the match ends in a draw. You will however win if the team you chose wins.  

Tournament winner 

This is the simplest long-term bet in the tournament. You are predicting which team will win the FIFA World Cup and lift the trophy after the final. If your selected team wins the tournament, your bet wins. If they are knocked out at any stage, your bet loses. 

Group winners 

In this one, you bet on which team will come first within their assigned group and move on to the next round. If the team you chose finishes second, they’ll still qualify for the round of 32.  

Golden Boot (Top Goalscorer) 

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals during the tournament. You bet on Kylian Mbappé to score more goals than everyone else, you win. Goals that count are from the group stages, Knockout, and extra time goals. Own goals do not count. 

Golden Glove (Top Goalkeeper) 

The Golden Glove is when you are predicting which goalkeeper FIFA will select as the best goalkeeper of the World Cup. What influences the award is the clean sheets, important saves, penalties, match-winning perfomances and how far the team advances. 

Unlike the Golden Boot, this is not based purely on statistics. FIFA’s technical experts decide the winner.  

Player of the Tournament 

With this one, you bet on which individual player will receive the award (Golden Ball) for the best overall performance. Lionel Messi has won this award in the FIFA World Cup 2022. The player usually comes from the teams to reach the semi-finals or final.  

Bet on the FIFA World Cup 2026 with Bet.co.za 

These markets are among the most popular options available during the FIFA World Cup. You get to follow the tournament beyond individual matches and back the teams you believe will make history. 

Bet on the FIFA World Cup 2026 with Bet.co.za and get to be a part of this history in the making tournament.