The largest FIFA World Cup in history is days away from its opening match on Thursday, June 11, marking the debut of a newly expanded 48-team format. Up from the traditional 32 nations, the 2026 tournament features more countries than ever before, altering the landscape for futures betting and tournament predictions.

European Nations Lead the Betting Landscape

While the United States, Canada, and Mexico are set to share hosting duties—with the U.S. squad beginning play against Paraguay on June 12—European nations currently lead the betting landscape. According to the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, France enters the competition as the slim favorite at +470. Spain closely follows at +480, with England rounding out the top three at +650.

Brazil holds the strongest odds outside of Europe at +800. Meanwhile, the reigning champions Argentina, captained by Lionel Messi, sit at +950 as they attempt to become the first nation to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil accomplished the feat in 1962.

The three host nations face steeper paths to the trophy according to oddsmakers. The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) is listed as a +5500 longshot. Mexico sits just behind the U.S. at +6000, while Canada enters the tournament at +15000.

Mexico’s Chances

SportsLine handicapper and soccer writer Martin Green analyzed the expanded field, specifically highlighting Mexico’s position in Group A alongside South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia. Mexico enters the group stage as the highest-ranked team in its pool at No. 15 globally, with no other group member ranked higher than No. 25.

Green is backing Mexico to reach the knockout rounds, pointing to historical trends where El Tri reached the Round of 16 in seven of the last eight tournaments. However, under the new 48-team rules, teams must first navigate a newly introduced Round of 32 before reaching the Round of 16.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.