The race to win the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup took another dramatic turn Wednesday, with England surviving a scare, Belgium pulling off one of the wildest comebacks in tournament history against Senegal, and Team USA advancing while suffering a potentially costly blow.
As knockout-round chaos continues to reshape the bracket, fans are increasingly searching for one question above all others: Who will win the World Cup 2026?
France remains the betting favorite after its dominant win over Sweden, but recent upsets, stunning comebacks and the Americans’ growing momentum have made the title race far less predictable.
Belgium delivered one of the tournament’s most remarkable results, rallying from a 2-0 deficit after the 85th minute against Senegal before the comeback win in extra time. The result instantly became one of the defining moments of the knockout stage and sent Belgium soaring up the latest odds boards.
Team USA is riding the wave with another win — becoming the first U.S. men’s team to win three matches at a single World Cup. However, the victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina came at a high cost, after star striker Folarin Balogun received a red card, leaving the Americans without one of their top attacking threats heading into a Round of 16 showdown against Belgium on Monday.
England also survived in the last few minutes of the game and advanced, keeping one of the tournament favorites alive and maintaining its place among the leading contenders alongside France, Argentina, Spain, Brazil and Portugal, some of which play today:
However, public sentiment in the betting odds shows a slightly different scenario of possible winners.
Across sportsbooks and predictive models, France has pulled away with the most significant lead, followed by Argentina, Spain, England, Brazil and Portugal to round out the top tier. And a second tier of uncertainty follows with USA, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco and Norway.
The Polymarket betting odds for the 2026 World Cup winner is favoring France by the biggest percentage to win with Argentina now also significantly favored over Spain:
The Kalshi markets‘ betting odds for the 2026 World Cup winner are very similar, with France and Argentina gaining the biggest lead and separation at the top tier.
Across prediction models and sportsbooks, France now holds the highest probability to win, with Argentina, Spain and England now trailing while Portugal and Brazil still hold on in the top tier of contenders.
The key takeaway: France is the heavy favorite, while margins between other top contenders remain narrow — making this still one of the most open World Cups in years. The expanded 48-team format is also playing a role, allowing more teams to advance and increasing the chances of upsets once the knockout rounds begin.
Note: Polls and odds are constantly changing. These numbers reflect polling and odds as of 12:45 p.m. Thursday, July 2, 2026.
According to the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, these are the favorites to win the FIFA men’s 2026 World Cup:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup began with the group stage on June 11 and runs through the final championship game on July 19, featuring 48 teams and the new expanded format:
It will be the largest World Cup in history, with matches played across North America.
Brazil remains the most successful nation in World Cup history, with five titles. Germany and Italy are tied for second with four wins each and defending champion Argentina holds three. The record for most appearances in a World Cup final goes to Germany, making eight final matches. Here’s a list of all-time winners:
Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist covering trending and breaking topics across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions for USA Today Network. Reach her at mfrancis@usatodayco.com.