The 2022 World Cup in Qatar promises to be a thriller, with the top 32 international teams on the planet bidding to lift the prestigious trophy. We’ve got all the information you need for wagering on the tournament, starting with a look at the best World Cup betting sites.
Do you want to know how to bet on the World Cup? You’re in the right place! Here’s all you need to know about World Cup betting. World Cup Odds As one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the football calendar, it comes as no surprise to find that World Cup betting is extremely popular. Odds were published soon after Russia 2018 was concluded, highlighting just how important World Cup 2022 betting is to the gambling industry. Reigning champions France are amongst the favourites to retain the prestigious trophy, but they face plenty of stiff competition from Brazil, Germany and many others. Given that only eight teams have ever won the World Cup, it generally pays to concentrate on the top of the market when betting on the tournament. We recommend shopping around to secure the best odds as this will boost your returns if you are fortunate enough to predict the winner. Most Popular World Cup Market You don’t need to wait to choose a winner, as odds are already available at all the leading bookmakers. Previous winners Brazil, France, Spain, Germany and Argentina are amongst the teams most likely to win the World Cup, while England may also be in the mix. Bookmakers never seem to lose their faith in the Three Lions despite their failure to win a major trophy since 1966. Will 2022 be the year they end their drought? Probably not! Other popular World Cup markets include match betting, top goalscorer, group winners and the group that produces the tournament winner. Whether you place singles on each match or attempt to boost your returns with accumulators, you will not be short of betting opportunities at the World Cup. World Cup Team vs Team Betting Bookies offer odds on every match during the World Cup giving you a simple decision to make – which team will win or will the game be drawn? Given the imbalance in rankings across the 32 teams, there are often quite a few short-priced favourites during the group stage. This scenario is ideal for building multiple bets to boost your potential returns, particularly if you don’t get carried away by including too many selections. As the tournament progresses the match betting odds become much tighter as the games are often extremely difficult to predict. It is worth noting that three of the eight matches in the round of 16 at Russia 2018 required extra time, highlighting the competitive nature of the knockout stage. World Cup Strategies & Betting Tips One of our favourite strategies for World Cup betting is predicting which teams will finish top of their group during the opening phase. If you are feeling really brave you can try and pick all eight winners, although that is fraught with danger as some groups are tough to call. However, as highlighted at Russia 2018, if you are a little more selective it is generally fairly easy to identify the winners of most groups. Uruguay, Spain, France, Brazil and Belgium were all odds on to claim the top spot in their respective groups and each team got the job done to deliver a near 7/1 five-fold. Netherlands, England, France, Belgium and Brazil are strongly fancied to top their respective sections at combined odds of 9/2 this time around. World Cup Bonuses & Promotions With World Cup 2022 betting sites guaranteed to be extremely busy, operators will be keen to attract as many punters as possible to their sportsbooks. With that in mind, opening a new betting account in the run-up to the tournament or when the action gets underway is a great way to grab special bonuses and promotions. The best betting sites will offer lucrative welcome bonuses when you sign-up, with matched deposits the most common one they use. This gives you a percentage match on your first deposit – for example, ‘bet £10 get £30 in free bets’ is one of the most popular types of matched deposit bonus. Enhanced odds, Acca Boosts and money back specials are amongst a plethora of other exciting promotions you will see when the World Cup is staged.
To get the most enjoyment out of betting on the World Cup you need to choose the right sportsbook. Thankfully, we can help you with that. Our impartial reviews tell you everything you need to know about online bookmakers and their World Cup 2022 betting. We look at key elements such as odds, markets, bonuses, promotions, betting features, customer support, licensing and more to help you make an informed decision. Given the quality of the bookies we’ve found, you could even consider opening more than one account to get the best odds and grab loads of bonuses. Without further ado, let’s take a brief look at what our recommended World Cup betting sites have to offer.
Our recommended World Cup betting sites have a wide range of features designed to boost your enjoyment of wagering on the tournament. Our favourites are as follows: BetBuilder: A feature that allows you to build bespoke multiple bets from markets on the same World Cup fixture. Acca Boost: Many sportsbooks offer enhanced odds on accumulators during the tournament. Cash Out: Dependent on the progress of a match, Cash Out gives you the opportunity to grab a quick profit or cut your losses. Live Streaming: The top betting sites offer comprehensive coverage of the World Cup via live streaming. Follow the progress of your bets in real time. In-Play Betting: Looking to make more informed betting decisions? Use the in-play markets to wager as the action unfolds.
There are several outright markets available for the 2022 World Cup. These include: Tournament Winner: Bet on which team will win the World Cup. Group Winner: Predict which team(s) will top their group in the opening phase. Team to Qualify: Wager on whether a team will progress to the knockout phase. To Reach the Final: Bet on a team to make it to the World Cup final. Top Goalscorer: Pick which player will score the most goals and win the Golden Boot.
The 2022 World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18. The prestigious tournament, which has been moved from its traditional summer slot, features 32 international teams. There are eight groups of four teams in the opening stage, with the top two in each section progressing to the round of 16. The Knockout Stage Games in the knockout phase are played to a finish, with extra time and penalties used if necessary to determine the outcome. The structure is as follows: Round of 16. Quarter-Finals. Semi-Finals Final.
The 2022 World Cup starts with 32 teams in eight groups of four: Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands. Netherlands are the favourites to win the group, with Senegal strongly fancied to join them in the round of 16. Group B: England, Iran, USA, Ukraine/Scotland/Wales. England will fancy their chances of topping the group, although it would be foolish to underestimate the United States’ hopes of upsetting the odds. Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland. Argentina struggled in the group stage at Russia 2018 but should have enough about them to reach the knockout stage. Mexico and Poland will be competitive. Group D: France, Australia/UAE/Peru, Denmark, Tunisia. France look like a good bet to win Group D as they bid to retain the World Cup. Denmark should also qualify. Group E: Spain, Costa Rica/New Zealand, Germany, Japan. Spain and Germany should have little trouble qualifying from this group. Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia. Belgium and Croatia are fancied to progress to the last 16, but Canada and Morocco could both be troublesome. Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon. Brazil should win the group, but it is impossible to predict who will qualify alongside them. Cameroon may be the value bet. Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea. Cristiano Ronaldo will once again be Portugal’s go-to man at the World Cup. This is a tough group to call, with all four teams in with a chance of making progress.
Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, with the top two in each section progressing to the knockout phase. The first two rounds of matches will kick off at 1.00 pm, 4.00 pm, 7.00 pm and 10.00 pm local time (10.00 am, 1.00 pm, 4.00 pm and 7.00 pm in the UK). Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knockout round matches will be at 6.00 pm and 10.00 pm local time (3.00 pm and 7.00 pm UK time). The final is scheduled to kick off at 6.00 pm local time (3.00 pm UK time). The key dates for the 2022 World Cup are as follows: November 21 – World Cup starts. December 2 – Final set of group stage matches. December 3-6 – Round of 16. December 9-10 – Quarter-finals. December 13-14 – Semi-finals. December 17 – Third place play-off. December 18 – Final. Other League Schedules The move to a winter slot for the World Cup has forced many of the top domestic leagues to adjust their schedules for the 2022/23 campaign. For instance, the Premier League will start a week earlier on August 6 before breaking for the World Cup on the weekend of November 12/13. Fixtures will resume on Boxing Day following the conclusion of the World Cup and the final round of matches will be played on May 28, 2023. This hectic schedule could have an impact on World Cup betting markets, with the increased demands placed on players creating the potential for some shock results.
FIFA’s decision to award the World Cup to Qatar has caused plenty of controversies, with the country’s attitude towards human rights one of the main concerns. Due to the intense summer heat in Qatar, the tournament has been moved to the end of the year – a move which has also been heavily criticised. This will be the last tournament to feature 32 teams, with FIFA confirming that the 2026 edition in the United States, Canada and Mexico will have 48 teams. The World Cup will be staged in eight different venues, with the 80,000 capacity Lusail Iconic Stadium scheduled to hold the final on December 18. The stadiums will be equipped with cooling systems that will aim to reduce temperatures within the ground by up to 20°C. World Cup History 1930 Uruguay 4-2 Argentina 1934 Italy* 2-1 Czechoslovakia 1938 Italy 4-2 Hungary 1950 Uruguay 2-1 Brazil 1954 West Germany 3-2 Hungary 1958 Brazil 5-2 Sweden 1962 Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia 1966 England* 4-2 West Germany 1970 Brazil 4 -1 Italy 1974 West Germany 2-1 Netherlands 1978 Argentina* 3-1 Netherlands 1982Italy 3-1 West Germany 1986 Argentina 3-2 West Germany 1990 West Germany 1-0 Argentina 1994 Brazil** 0-0 Italy 1998 France 3-0 Brazil 2002 Brazil 2-0 Germany 2006 Italy** 1-1 France 2010 Spain* 1-0 Netherlands 2014 Germany* 1-0 Argentina 2018 France 4-2 Croatia *Won after extra-time **Won on penalty kicks
Here are a few interesting facts about the World Cup to help you with your betting decisions: World Cup Finalists During the 21st century, only two South American teams have progressed to the final – Brazil (2002) and Argentina (2014). World Cup Winners The last four World Cup winners have been European, which explains why the likes of Germany, Spain and France are prominent in the outright market. Back-to-Back Winners Brazil were the last team to retain the World Cup in 1962. On that basis, France look too short in the betting to follow up their 2018 success. Top Goalscorers Miroslav Klose is the all-time leading goalscorer in the World Cup with 16 goals. Of the current crop of players, fellow German Thomas Muller leads the way with 10 goals. Golden Boot England striker Harry Kane won the Golden Boot in 2018 with six goals. He is 8/1 joint-favourite alongside France star Kylian Mbappe to repeat the trick this time around.
We predict the 2022 World Cup will be a tournament like no other, with the move to winter dates meaning we are heading into the unknown. This will probably be the last chance we get to see Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the big stage, and both will be eager to go out with a bang. However, neither Portugal nor Argentina appeal as likely winners of the tournament and the same can be said for England. Manager Gareth Southgate is yet to prove he can deliver major silverware and his overly cautious nature could be England’s undoing. Brazil are worthy favourites after an impressive qualifying campaign, but their recent form at the tournament proper makes them a risky proposition. Germany look like a good value bet at the current odds, while Spain are also fancied to give punters a run for their money. We also have a sneaky suspicion that there will be a record number of goals at the tournament, so take the over in the total goals market.
