Anticipation is continuing to build for what is expected to be the biggest sporting event in North America's history — the 2026 World Cup.
With 48 teams, 104 matches and the United States hosting alongside Canada and Mexico, fans around the world are already counting down the days until kickoff.
And while we are still anxiously waiting for the action to begin on the pitch, bettors have wasted no time diving into the futures market.
Early betting trends have shown massive action pouring in on France to win the World Cup and Kylian Mbappé to finish as the tournament’s top goalscorer.
According to BetMGM’s World Cup betting insights, France opened at +600 to win the tournament but has since surged to +450, largely because of heavy betting action backing Les Bleus. France currently holds the highest handle at 19.6% of all World Cup winner futures bets. It also ranks second in total tickets at 13.8%, barely trailing Spain at 13.9%.
France, who is tied with Spain as the tournament favorite, won the World Cup in 2018 before falling to Argentina in a penalty shootout during the 2022 World Cup final. However, it has landed in a challenging group this summer, with group-stage matches against Senegal, Norway and Iraq.
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One of the most popular markets for bettors heading into the summer is the Golden Boot, also known as the "Top Goalscorer" market.
France star Mbappé, who captured the award at the 2022 World Cup after finishing one goal ahead of Lionel Messi, is currently favored at +600 to repeat in 2026.
According to BetMGM’s insights, Mbappé is dominating the market with 23.5% of all tickets and a massive 36.8% of the total handle wagered on the Golden Boot market.
The next closest player is Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal, who sits at 13.7% in both categories, a significant gap behind Mbappé.
Mbappé scored eight goals during the 2022 World Cup, including a historic hat trick in the final.
Kylian Mbappé looks to be the top goalscorer in two straight World Cups (Getty Images).
Mbappé also scored four goals during France’s World Cup-winning run in 2018, giving him 12 career World Cup goals before turning 28 years old, which is the sixth-highest in men's World Cup history.
Despite his dominance on soccer’s biggest stage, Mbappé scored just one goal during the 2024 European Championship and has faced heavy criticism during his time with Real Madrid leading into this summer’s tournament.
Can France and Mbappé continue their dominance on the world’s biggest stage and reward bettors this summer?
Sources: Fox Sports
