2026 World Cup Hosts
In 2022, we witnessed Qatar take the responsibility of hosting a unique World Cup held during winter time. However, this time around, the battle for football’s ultimate prize will move to the American continent and will be held during summertime.
That being said, we should make a proper introduction to the countries that will organise the World Cup games in 2026. This way, you’ll get a better perspective and a better understanding of the upcoming World Cup odds that you need to check out on BetBrain.
Remember, our website is the place to go for the biggest odds available on the market. In this sense, our team checks and compares odds from countless bookmakers all around the world in order to ensure that your bets will be as profitable as they can get.
Without further ado, these are the 2026 World Cup hosts:
United States of America
This country offers us the most cities and World Cup venues for the tournament's next edition. After a huge rise in popularity after Leo Messi’s arrival in the MLS, the United States has devoted itself to helping football and creating a bigger and better community for the king sport.
Therefore, the candidature for the 2026 edition of the most-watched football tournament in the world was only natural. With a lot of effort and perseverance, they got a golden opportunity, and we are eager to see how the US will benefit from this when it comes to football. The World Cup matches in North America will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for football fans all over the world.
Canada
Next, in the American continent, another country that is more than eager to get into this dance is Canada. Having the US so close has managed to transfer the football virus to Toronto and Vancouver, the cities that will help organise the next WC.
With so much excitement, chances are the World Cup schedule in Canada will be a priority for football fans, at the site as well as in front of their TVs.
Mexico
Last but not least, we come to a country that has a lot of history in the king sport. Having gotten to the Quarter Finals on three occasions and a lot of passion and history behind it, Mexico was more than qualified to compete for hosting the WC.
Therefore, we are excited for the upcoming World Cup draw, in which football fans will debate the best teams in the world that will compete in Mexico.
2026 World Cup Qualifiers
As mentioned previously, there’s still quite some time until we will witness the best international teams battle their way for Argentina’s World Cup won in Qatar.
However, we can still benefit from the finest World Cup Qualifiers games that can secure us some profitable World Cup odds.
Considering that we will witness a new format for the next edition of the tournament, which will feature an expansion of the participating teams from 32 to 48, chances are some football fans will need to be more familiar with the qualifying system used by FIFA.
Therefore, we will take a look at how the Qualifiers work and how the places are split between federations across the world. Keep in mind that the United States, Canada, and Mexico are qualified automatically as hosts. These three teams will be joined by;
*The Inter Confederation Play-offs for the 2026 WC will feature one team per confederation, except UEFA, as well as one additional team from the confederation of the host countries (CONCACAF). Two of the teams will be seeded based on FIFA World Rankings and will face the winners of the two knockout games between the four unseeded teams.
World Cup 2026 Format
As mentioned previously, 2026 will be the first edition which will feature 48 teams, an expansion of 16 compared with the last tournament played in Qatar.
On top of that, the number of World Cup games will increase from 64 to 104, as well as the number of games played in order to reach the final, which will increase from 7 to 8.
The teams will be split in 12 groups consisting of 4 squads. Therefore, the number of World Cup games played in the Group Stage will remain the same as before.
However, with more groups now, there will be a couple of more teams in the later stages of the tournament. Considering this, the two top teams of each group will advance to the knockout stages, where they will be joined by the by eight of the best third-place teams.
Despite rumours around the fact that FIFA considered implementing penalty shootouts in the Group Stage, the format will stay the same, with 3 points awarded to the winning team and one point in case of a draw.
All things considered, we are more than excited to see what the upcoming 2026 World Cup Draw has to offer and how the increase in teams will affect the overall tournament for football fans.
Speaking of fans, for a better perspective, let’s take a look at the stadiums which will host the WC on the North American continent:
Toronto Stadium - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
BC Place Vancouver - Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
Estadio Azteca - Mexico City, Mexico
Estadio Guadalajara - Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
Estadio Monterrey - Guadalupe, Nueva Leon, Mexico
Atlanta Stadium - Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Boston Stadium - Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA
Houston Stadium - Houston, Texas, USA
Kansas City Stadium - Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Los Angeles Stadium - Inglewood, California, USA
Miami Stadium - Miami Gardens, Florida, USA
New York/New Jersey Stadium - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
Philadelphia Stadium - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium - Santa Clara, California, USA
Seattle Stadium - Seattle, Washington, USA
Best 2026 WC Candidates
This competition has always been the pinnacle of our beloved sport and the finest teams in the world are battling for this trophy.
Therefore, in order to benefit the most from this tournament, we have to take a look to the teams considered to be the greatest candidates at adding a star on their jerseys.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that our specialists at BetBrain will be available and ready to jump in for the best analysis and predictions with the help of our Match Previews.
On top of that, our betting community will also be eager to help out with numerous tips that will grant you a bigger picture of this tournament.
Until then, let’s take a look at some of the best teams coming into the next edition:
Argentina
We start with the current best. Argentina fulfilled Messi’s dream and added a third star to their jersey in Qatar. Therefore, it’s only natural that we take a deeper look into the current World Champions' chances in North America.
Argentina at the World Cup is a story of its own. Despite few chances to see Messi again in 2026, chances are youngsters such as Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez or Alexis MacAllister will continue to defend Argentina’s trophy and will do a great job in the next edition of the tournament.
Therefore, we consider that the World Cup odds for Argentina are naturally a priority for football fans coming into the next WC.
France
Next, we have the team that almost made it twice in a row. With a prime Kylian Mbappe on their side, France was a penalty shootout away of conquering football’s ultimate prize two consecutive times.
However, Mbappe’s career has much more years to come, and only time will tell if the French attacker will be able to seek glory once more in the greatest football tournament.
Nevertheless, we are confident that he and other talented young players such as Kolo Muani, Tchouameni, Camavinga, or Upamecano will put a fight.
England
The country that started it all needs to be mentioned each and every time the WC discussion starts. Led by already superstars such as Saka, Foden, or Grealish, England’s World Cup games will surely be a thing of beauty.
On top of that, the Three Lions' chances are great in the eyes of many experts, and they will have a great test in the upcoming EURO 2024.
Portugal
It seems like the talent does not stop in Portugal. Despite the fact that the most likely scenario suggests Ronaldo’s career to be over until 2026, Portugal can’t complain.
They have managed to pull out another incredible generation of players who are eager to perform and take Portugal’s legacy in football even further by challenging the best in the world.
Brazil
Last but not least, we can’t speak about football without mentioning Brazil. The South Americans are coming to make the best out of the upcoming WC after not so good performance in Qatar.
Despite the fact there’s quite some time still left until we will know how things will turn out and there are chances that some youngsters with potential will make their way up into Brazil’s team, the current squad is still good enough to compete with the best.
On top of that, players like Endrick, the most recent signing of Real Madrid and Vitor Roque, the signing of Barcelona, have all the chances in the world to be superstars until 2026.
Bet Responsably on FIFA WC
We are aware that there are still many things in the world of football before the unveiling of the brand-new tournament in North America. However, we have to make sure that you stick to the most important rules that will ensure betting will remain only a fun activity.
First of all, make sure to never bet more than you can afford. It’s detrimental to set a betting budget before any betting session that you won’t overcome under any circumstance.
On top of that, never chase your losses. This is one of the biggest errors a punter can make and will make a huge difference in how you perceive betting.
Last but not least, don’t forget to ask for help. It might seem basic, but it’s the most important step you have to make to get back on track. These organisations will provide you with professional and anonymous help: