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WC Qual. S.America
round 11
LaLiga
round 14
Clausura Colombia
round 19
A. Koita
F LW
Sergio Ramos
D CB
T. Morena
D RB
Vinícius Júnior
F LW
T. Minamino
F CAM
Mali
CAF Qualifying
Real Madrid
LaLiga
Barcelona
LaLiga
Costa de Marfil
CAF Qualifying
España
EURO
Reading time: minutes
The next FIFA World Cup will be kicking off before we know it – and it promises to be one of the biggest and most global sporting events ever held.
The 2026 tournament in June and July will be the first to be hosted by three nations: United States, Canada and Mexico.
The USA will host matches in 11 cities. Mexico will feature matches in three cities and Canada will have matches in two cities.
In addition, the finals will feature an expanded line-up of 48 teams from across the world, divided into 12 groups of four teams. The top two from each group, with eight best third-placed teams, advance to knockout rounds.
Battling to qualify
The qualification process is already underway. The unpredictable games are attracting unprecedented gambling attention around the world.
UEFA (Europe): Qualifying groups continue until March 2026. Sixteen European teams will secure direct spots.
CONMEBOL (South America): The qualifiers started in September 2023 and are following a round-robin format. Matches are ongoing with the final games scheduled for September 2025.
CAF (Africa): African qualifiers began way back in November 2023! The nine groups of six teams battle it out until October 2025. Group winners qualify directly, runners-up enter an intercontinental playoff.
AFC (Asia): Asian qualifiers are structured in multiple rounds, concluding with final qualifiers by November 2025.
CONCACAF (North and Central America): With three host nations (USA, Mexico, and Canada) already qualified, the remaining teams will be battling to qualify by June 2025.
OFC (Oceania): The region’s qualifiers started in September 2024, aiming for one direct spot with the possibility of an intercontinental playoff for an additional spot.
Intercontinental playoffs are scheduled for March 2026, with teams from multiple confederations vying for the final two spots. The entire qualification process will wrap up by March 2026.
Which teams are favourites at this stage?
Bookies and punters are paying close attention to the qualifiers. Here are the current favorites by each region:
UEFA (Europe)
Competition is strong here. Based on recent form traditional powerhouses France, England, Germany and Spain are considered bookies’ favourites.
Portugal and Italy will also be contenders, while teams like Belgium and the Netherlands are expected to perform well.
CONMEBOL (South America)
Argentina (defending World Cup champion) and Brazil are obvious favorites. Uruguay and Colombia are also showing strong form, while Ecuador and Chile are expected to compete for remaining spots.
AFC (Asia)
Japan, South Korea and Australia are leading contenders, with Iran and Saudi Arabia also looking strong. The expanded format might also benefit promising emerging teams like Uzbekistan and Iraq.
CAF (Africa)
Morocco, who impressed in the 2022 World Cup, is a clear favorite. Senegal, Algeria, and Nigeria are also expected to advance, alongside Egypt and Ghana. Teams like Ivory Coast may challenge too.
CONCACAF (North and Central America)
The three hosts (USA, Canada, and Mexico) automatically qualify. Beyond them, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica are favorites for the remaining places. Teams like Panama and El Salvador will aim for playoff contention.
OFC (Oceania)
New Zealand remains the dominant force in Oceania with some competition expected from the Solomon Islands and Fiji.
Up-coming crunch games
Several crucial matches across different confederations are expected to have a huge impact on which teams make the finals.
With some dates to be confirmed, savvy online sports betters need to keep up to date with the odds for the games. Experienced online players also know to check out bonus.net.nz for online casinos too.
South America (CONMEBOL)
With six direct spots and one playoff slot available, competition is fierce. The big games in late 2024 include: Argentina v Brazil and Uruguay v Chile.
Europe (UEFA)
The group draws have set up some massive battles for lower ranked teams, including: Spain v Scotland and Italy v Ukraine. Scotland and Ukraine would do well to get results which could be crucial for securing qualification.
Africa (CAF)
With only nine direct spots, the qualifiers are heating up. Look out for the battle of two powerhouse teams, Senegal v Egypt which will likely determine the group’s top spot.
Morocco v Nigeria is another key clash with two of Africa’s strongest teams meeting with a direct berth up for grabs.
Asia (AFC)
In Asia’s third round, matches like Japan v Australia are critical for direct qualification, as these teams typically dominate the region.
North America (CONCACAF)
The big games are likely to be Honduras v Costa Rica and Panama v Jamaica. Both fixtures feature top-tier teams aiming to avoid falling into the playoffs.
Excitement is definitely mounting as the qualification games hot up and the finals draw nearer. Online punters are taking huge interest in the process.
With the increase in matches, teams and venues, this World Cup is expected to set brilliant new records for attendances, TV audiences – and betting action.
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