The ultimate 2026 World Cup betting guide

• Ladbrokes shares it ultimate 2026 World Cup betting guide

• Key football betting markets explained

• Expert tips on how to bet on the World Cup

With the tournament edging ever closer, Ladbrokes shares its ultimate 2026 World Cup betting guide, with live odds, betting tips, and a wide range of markets.

We now know which 48 teams will be battling it out in the States this summer, with all groups finally confirmed, so the stage is set for another unforgettable summer of football - but how do you bet on the 2026 World Cup?

Below, you'll find Ladbrokes' detailed World Cup betting guide, with expert advice and a breakdown of key betting markets.

The beauty of World Cup betting is that there are so many different ways to back your team, whether you're tipping a player to score his first international goal, predicting a reckless opponent to pick up a booking, or even betting on your country to emerge as World Cup winners in July.

Ladbrokes is giving you the chance to use a variety of betting methods this summer, from outright bets and match-by-match markets, to accumulators, bet builders, and even in-play markets - with live odds!

You can place your bets as early as today, or you can wait until a specific match is underway - so there's an option for whatever suits you best.

With odds constantly shifting as the tournament plays out, it's important to stay informed when placing your World Cup wagers, so checking form, analysing performances, and carefully considering each decision is the best way to enjoy Ladbrokes' World Cup betting this summer.

There are so many ways to place your World Cup bets that it can be difficult to know where to focus, but our team of experts is here to give you the rundown on a number of key World Cup betting markets, from outright markets such as tournament winners, to match-specific markets like over/under goals - so you can bet with confidence.

Outright markets

• World Cup winner - Bet on the country you think will win the 2026 World Cup

• Group winner - Bet on who you think will finish top of each group

• Top goalscorer - Back the player you think will score the most goals this summer

• Stage of elimination - Predict how far a certain team will go in the 2026 World Cup

• To reach the final - Back a country to reach July's World Cup final

Match-by-match markets

• Match betting - Back your team to win a specific match

• Correct score - Predict the exact scoreline of any given match

• First team to score - Predict which team you think will score the game's first goal

• Both teams to score - Back both teams to find the net over the course of 90 minutes

• Over/Under total goals - Bet on whether you think there will be more than, or fewer than, a certain number of goals in a game

• Over/Under total corners - Predict whether the total number of corners in a match will be over or under a set amount

• Player to score - Back a player to score a goal at any point in the game

• Player to assist - Pick a player to set up a goal across the 90 minutes

• Player total shots on target - Bet on a specific player to have a certain number of shots on target in the match

• Player to be carded - Tip a player to be shown a yellow or red card in the match

Another way you can enjoy betting on the 2026 World Cup with Ladbrokes is through bet builders, where you combine a number of different bets into one larger wager.

Bet builders are a popular way for customers to build value in their bets, with the odds of each individual market being taken into account. For example, you can combine match result markets, goalscorer markets, and card markets all into one bet - but be sure to do your research.

Ahead of every England and Scotland game at the 2026 World Cup - as well as a handful of other major matches - our team of writers will provide expert bet builder tips in our 2026 World Cup content hub, looking at form, head-to-head records, season stats, and so much more!

On top of this, Ladbrokes also offers customers the chance to build World Cup accumulators, where you can select the result (win/lose/draw) from multiple fixtures, combining them into one bet.

The ultimate goal for every country is to win the 2026 World Cup, and here at Ladbrokes, we've had the outright winner market live for some time - with Spain still leading the way as favourites.

Our World Cup winner odds price France as second-favourites, with Thomas Tuchel's England close behind in third, before a jump in the odds brings in Argentina, Brazil, and Portugal.

Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium are also given a decent chance of having an enjoyable tournament this summer, but the bookies price Scotland among the outsiders for World Cup glory.

Check out the latest betting promotions from Ladbrokes to enhance your betting experience.

All odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.

View the latest World Cup 2026 odds.