Who Do Betting Sites Favour for the World Cup?

After more controversy than a year in the Houses of Parliament, and years of anticipation and build up, the 2022 World Cup, held in Qatar, is finally here.

Now, being from the UK, we know that it feels weird to be watching a World Cup in the middle of winter. Traditionally, the World Cup is a sporting event that takes place in the summer. While we can’t always guarantee BBQ and beer garden weather, we can guarantee that the games are usually watched in daylight, without the need of gloves, scarves, and if you’re feeling very rich, central heating (imagine that. What a luxury!)

Now, we understand there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with human rights, armbands, gestures of solidarity, carbon footprints, and a lack of beer at the forefront of this, but if we can put politics aside and focus on the football, there is a lot to be excited about.

This is the first World Cup of its kind, and although it feels weird to be watching the tournament in winter, the quality of the teams is exceptional.

But what are the odds for the favourites and who do betting sites favour for the World Cup? Read on to find out more.

Some great World Cup offers:

Teams to Watch

Before we can start looking at who the bookies and betting sites favour for the World Cup, we’re going to begin by looking at a few teams we, and other bookies and betting sites, predict will stand out.

Before we go any further, every team playing in the tournament is there for a reason and deserve to be there through qualification, so that alone shows the quality available. As there are only so many hours in the day however, we’re going to look at some teams who we believe will stand out at the tournament for one reason or another, not necessarily because we think they will win.

Brazil

Starting off we have Brazil.

Brazil have been considered one of the greatest footballing nations on the planet for many decades now, and although a decade or so ago they may have lost a little momentum, they are very much looking to be back at their best, and will be looking to make a statement.

Brazil have won more World Cups than any other nation on the planet, winning their first title more than half a century ago, back in 1958. They have won the World Cup an impressive 5 times, and you can bet anything that they’ll be seriously looking to make it six.

Their last title was back in 2002, which included the infamous Ronaldinho free kick, which lobbed keeper David Seaman and helped Brazil knock England out of the tournament.

With Neymar closing in on Pele’s record as all-time goal scorer for Brazil, all eyes will be on the 30-year-old from PSG. As this could be his final World Cup, what better way to go out than by lifting the trophy?

Argentina

Up next, we have Argentina, who are always favourites to win a tournament, and for good reason.

Argentina have won the World Cup twice, once in 1978, and again in 1986. They’ve come notoriously close many times in the past, and have created some iconic footballing moments. Arguably the most iconic moment of all once again came at the expense of England, when footballing legend Diego Maradona executed his infamous ‘Hand of God’ moment to put the ball in the net, in a blatant handball that went undetected by the referee.

While Maradona scored some amazing goals and is considered one of the best ever,  new Argentine legend emerged centuries later, in the form of Lionel Messi.

Messi is widely considered the best, or second-best footballer in the world, and although he is winding his career down at PSG, he is still the 3^rd highest goal scorer at PSG and was instrumental in Argentina’s World Cup qualification campaign.

Germany

Germany, along with Italy, are the second most successful nation in the World Cup, having won the trophy 4 times, with the first win coming back in 1954.

The Germans are renowned for their cool, composed, and methodical style of play, along with their success in penalties, especially against, you guessed it, England.

Under former coach Joachim Low, the Germans enjoyed a very successful stint in the 2010s, winning their 4^th World Cup in 2014. In 2021, Low stepped down and was replaced by Hansi Flick, who will be looking to get his tenure with his national side off to a winning start by helping Germany to join Brazil on 5 World Cups.

With veteran Manuel Neuer at the helm, the Germans are of course a team to watch and could be a real threat in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup.

Portugal

Portugal are another team you have to keep a close eye on, both during the World Cup, as well as during the Euros whenever they take place.

As great as they are, Portugal have never won a World Cup, though in 2016 they did secure the European Championship.

When talking about Portugal for the last two decades, there’s one name that springs to mind right away, and that name is Ronaldo. Considering the fact that the footballing world is still talking about the explosive interview he did with Piers Morgan back in early November, 2022, and there are more eyes on Ronaldo now than ever before.

At 37 years of age, Ronaldo knows this will be his last World Cup, and he will want to finish his career with the ultimate accolade of winning the World Cup as captain of his home nation.

While Ronaldo is still an amazing talent, the simple fact of the matter is that he hasn’t been playing football for Manchester United, and with everything that has gone on this season, his confidence will surely be lacking?

With all eyes on Cristiano, you should never overlook names such as Bruno Fernandes and Andre Silva for Portugal.

England

Of course, any football fans from the UK will have their eyes on England for one reason or another. While the English will b watching for obvious reasons, much of the rest of the UK home nations will be watching the team for different reasons.

England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, as well as the final of the 2020 European Championship. For this alone, boss Gareth Southgate holds the record as being the most successful England manager in recent history. He’ll be looking to do what names like Venables, Hoddle, Eriksson, Capello, Hodgson, Robson, and many more, couldn’t do, and that’s bring football home by winning the World Cup for the second time in England’s history.

The squad looked poor during their Nations League games, with a lot being said about Harry Maguire. Despite this however, Maguire in an England shirt is a force to be reckoned with and Southgate knows this, and has backed him for the Qatar campaign.

Before England’s opening game against Iran, many English fans were predicting the squad to scrape through, before being knocked out in the last 16. After an amazing performance however, bringing back a reminder of why the squad has done so well in their last 2 tournaments, fans have got behind the Three Lions after they thrashed Iran 6 – 2.

When England play attacking football at a fast pace, they’re as good as any team in the world. With Arsenal’s Saka arguably in the form of his career, Sterling keen to impress, youngster Jude Bellingham proving an exciting prospect, and Jordan Pickford looking rock solid in goal, the Three Lions are certainly well worth keeping an eye on in Qatar.

France

Finally, the last team we’re going to be looking at today is France.

France have won the World Cup twice in their history, once in 1998 when they were hosts, and again in 2018 in Russia. The French are looking to be in very good form and with Hugo Lloris as captain, Didier Deschamps’ side will be looking to add a 3^rd World Cup to their tally.

Of course, all eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe of PSG, who, now aged 23, is considered one of the best footballers in the world. Kylian has experience at big tournaments, and this will be his second World Cup, having made his debut back in 2018 at the World Cup in Russia, where he scored his first goal for his country at a World Cup.

His last tournament however, the Euro 2020 tournament (held in 2021 because of the Coronavirus pandemic) was not as successful. Mbappe failed to score in any of France’s games and missed the decisive penalty for France, sending them out of the tournament.

Since then, he has bounced back, and playing alongside two of the best players on the planet (Neymar and Messi) for PSG, certainly won’t have done the 23-year-old any harm at all. Despite this, he has big boots to fill, with France having seen players such as Henry, Zidane, Giroud, and many more, all deliver on the big stage.

Who Do the Betting Sites Favour for The World Cup?

Okay, now the time has come to help you, the fans, get an idea of who could be in with a shot of winning the World Cup, and hopefully win yourselves some money in the process.

Betting on the World Cup can really add an element of excitement to the games and the tournament, especially if you win. While we can’t guarantee you will win, if you gamble responsibly and safely, you can have yourself a very fun and enjoyable time in the process.

Not sure who to back? Why not go with the bookies and betting sites. But who do the betting sites (bet365 in this case) favour for the World Cup? Keep reading to find out.

Brazil 3/1

As of this writing, Brazil are the current favourites to win the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with odds of 3/1.

With Neymar still performing, Thiago Silva as captain, and the squad in general looking sharper than ever and playing as a team, watching them play is like watching the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, decades ago.

Of course, anything can happen at the World Cup, but at 3/1, Brazil are favourites to lift the trophy.

Argentina 13/2

The second favourites to lift the World Cup, with odds of 13/2, are Argentina.

With Messi at the helm, and eager to show that he still belongs on the big stages, Argentina are certainly well worth a punt.

Of course, these odds could change after their shock 2 – 1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening game, but even so, they will always look threatening.

England 13/2

Up next, at 13/2, England are also worth betting on to lift the trophy, and are amongst the favourites in Qatar.

Gareth Southgate has an incredible track record for England at big tournaments, and he seemingly knows how to get the best out of them on the big stage. Providing they can avoid dodgy VAR decisions, and the dreaded penalty shootout, England could finally bring football home by lifting the World Cup for the first time since 1966 when they won it the last time.

France 8/1

At 8/1, France are also favourites to win the trophy in Qatar.

The squad is maturing, Mbappe looks to have put 2020 behind him, and the fans really believe that this could once again be their year.

Golden Boot Odds

As well as the odds for winning the tournament, we also need to look at the odds for who will win the Golden Boot by becoming the tournament’s top scorer.

France’s Kylian Mbappe is the current favourite at 7/1, with Lionel Messi sitting at 15/2, Neymar at 9/1, and England captain Harry Kane at 13/1.

Cristiano Ronaldo is also up there, with 16/1 odds, so he too may be worth a punt.