The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just weeks away, and now is the perfect time to start thinking about having a bet on who will win in Qatar. Here we will look at the current favourites who are in with a decent chance and whether there are any dark-horse World Cup betting tips, you should be considering.
| Betting Site: | |||||
 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.50 | 4.90 | 5.00 |
 | 7.00 | 7.50 | 7.00 | 6.80 | 6.55 |
 | 7.50 | 7.00 | 7.50 | 7.30 | 7.60 |
 | 8.00 | 8.50 | 9.00 | 7.80 | 7.60 |
 | 9.00 | 10.00 | 10.00 | 8.75 | 8.60 |
 | 11.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 10.70 | 10.00 |
 | 13.00 | 15.00 | 15.00 | 12.70 | 13.00 |
 | 17.00 | 16.00 | 17.00 | 16.50 | 12.00 |
 | 17.00 | 15.50 | 17.00 | 16.50 | 13.00 |
 | 34.00 | 30.00 | 34.00 | 33.00 | 31.00 |
*Odds are subject to change.
Brazil Sets the Standard![]()
Brazil has won the World Cup five times, made seven finals and 11 semis, so they have a serious World Cup pedigree. Widely available at 5.00 (4/1), you may be able to find odds of 9/2 if you shop around, and they are the clear favourites with the bookies to win the Qatar World Cup.
In 1958, they became the first nation to triumph away from their home continent, a feat they repeated in 1994 and 2002. We have disregarded their 1970 success in Mexico, as we class that as Latin America, even though Mexico is technically in North America. Very few World Cups are won by nations playing outside their own continent. It would be a significant surprise should an Asian side succeed, so history suggests Brazil are best placed to win.
Managed by Tite since 2016, Brazil has a superb blend of experience and youth, plus, perhaps crucially, several players right at their peak. In the former category, we have players such as Fabinho, Casemiro, and Thiago Silva, whilst young players such as Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, and Bruno Guimares are set to really show just how good they are.
Brazil also boasts perhaps the two best goalkeepers in the world in Ederson and Allison. In addition, they have many top players aged between 25 and 29, such as PSG’s Marquinhos, Lucas Paqueta, Richarlison, Raphinha, and Gabriel Jesus. Oh, and a certain Neymar, who at the age of 30 has 75 goals for his country from 121 games!
Under Tite, Brazil still plays an expansive, attacking game, but they are better organised. Tite has changed their style a little, making them, in some senses, more European. He is a student of the game. He is tactically superb, and with so many great players to choose from, he led Brazil to their first Copa America for 12 years in 2019, whilst they lost in the final two years later.
Brazil is a worthy favourite and has every chance of ending their 20-year wait for World Cup number six. They finished top of the pile in qualification, winning 14 of their 17 games and drawing the other three. The odds of 4/1 (5.00) or above seem fair enough, and they are very hard to oppose.
| Betting Site: | |||||
| 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.50 | 4.90 | 5.00 |
*Odds are subject to change.
France![]()
Defending champions France are the second favourites with the bookmakers, priced at 13/2 (7.50). With the hugely experienced Didier Deschamps in charge, they will be hard to stop. Like Brazil, they boast enviable strength in depth, but players such as Kylian Mbappe and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema lend real star quality. Red Bull Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, who made the top 30 for the Ballon d’Or, could be a breakthrough star of this tournament, whilst the side almost has an embarrassment of riches in terms of defence and midfield.
Deschamps, once dismissed as the “water carrier” by Eric Cantona, is sometimes somewhat pragmatic as a coach. A defensive midfielder, he knows the benefit of a strong, powerful and organised midfield and defence. Still, he is beginning to make France a more graceful side, given the players at his disposal.
French football fans were devastated when their side exited Euro 2020 at the Round of 16 stages on penalties against Switzerland. Since then, results have been a little lacklustre, though the Nations League was hardly a priority.
Perhaps more concern will be injuries to some very important players. N’Golo Kante is out, injured, as are possible squad members Mike Maignan and Boubacar Kamara. The injury Raphael Varane recently picked up for Man United will be more concerning, making him touch and go at best for Qatar.
Paul Pogba also has a lot to do to prove his fitness before the squads are finalised, and without Varane, Kante, and the Juventus man, France’s spine is much weaker. They do have some strong options in these areas, but even so, they will be negatively impacted, and we predict they may struggle a little in the tournament’s later stages.
| Betting Site: | |||||
| 7.00 | 7.50 | 7.00 | 6.80 | 6.55 |
*Odds are subject to change.
Argentina![]()
In terms of the odds, there is little to choose between France and Argentina, but the South Americans are available at slightly longer odds of 8.00 (7/1) in places. Argentina has Lionel Messi, of course, meaning that the three favourites for the 2022 World Cup all have attacks spearheaded by a man who plies his trade with PSG.
Argentina finished just behind Brazil in CONMEBOL qualifying but, like their great international rivals, they were also unbeaten. Messi’s men won 11 and drew six to finish well ahead of third-placed Uruguay. They are on an incredibly unbeaten streak that lasted 35 games at the time of writing and began on 6th July 2019.
In that time, they have beaten Brazil twice, including in the final of the 2021 Copa America, and drawn with them once. With seemingly easy games against the UAE and Saudi Arabia ahead, they should match Italy’s incredible record of 37 international games unbeaten. That would make their second game at the World Cup, against Mexico, a potential record-breaker.
Argentine fans will be unconcerned about the record if their team wins a third World Cup after victories in 1978, at home, and in Mexico in 1986. They were runners-up in 2014, and it would be fitting for Messi if he could finally win the World Cup.
With the PSG wizard, plus the likes of experienced centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria, Inter’s brilliant Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala and many more, Argentina has to be feared. Their incredible unbeaten run will see them enter the tournament full of confidence, whilst finally getting over the line at the Copa America will only add to that.
Messi had experienced so many near misses, Argentina losing in the Copa America final in 2004, 2007, 2015 and 20016, plus finishing third in 2019. At 7/1 (8.00), Argentina will attract a lot of support from those impressed by their squad, results and football. However, they may attract as much support from romantics who hope Messi can land the one trophy missing from his collection.
| Betting Site: | |||||
| 7.50 | 7.00 | 7.50 | 7.30 | 7.60 |
*Odds are subject to change.
Best of the Rest
Beyond the three market leaders, there are several teams who have a very strong chance in Qatar. There is very little to separate England and Spain at the bookies, with both available at 9/1 in places, though the Three Lions are generally a shade shorter. Germany (11/1), the Netherlands (13/1), Belgium (16/1) and Portugal (also 16/1) all have to be respected.
Strong cases can be made for all of those, but they all have fairly obvious weaknesses. England will attract a lot of support in the market from their own fans, but it will not just be patriotic money for them. Gareth Southgate’s men are showing a nice upwards trajectory after making the semis at the last World Cup and then the finals of Euro 2020.
A number of their best players represent Man City and Liverpool, two of the world’s finest teams. In addition, they have a world-class striker in Harry Kane. Still, they appear a little fragile at the back, and doubts remain over Southgate and his pragmatic brand of football. In addition, they have some key injury concerns for players such as Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips.
As for Spain, they do not have the class or mesmerising playing style of their great team from 2008 to 2012, but they still have lots to offer. They appear to be progressing nicely under Luis Enrique, and in Pedri, they have one of the best young players in the world. As ever, they have an impressive midfield but perhaps lack a focal point to their attack. At the prices, they are preferred to England, but overall they are not among our World Cup betting tips.
Of the next four teams in the betting, it is perhaps Portugal who is the most tempting. Cristiano Ronaldo remains a fine player. If Portugal can find a way to use him that makes the most of his abilities and doesn’t affect their energy, passing or morale, they will be a threat.
Portugal’s squad is packed with classy players who play their club football with Man City, PSG, Napoli, Man United and other big sides. As well as CR7, they can boast Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Atletico Madrid’s electric Joao Felix. He could be a star of the tournament.
They have a brilliant mix of youth and experience, good options in goal and a nice blend of attack and defence. Drawn in Group H alongside Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea, they have an excellent chance of topping the pile. Despite some injuries to players such as Diego Jota and Pedro Neto, they have a strong squad and could go far.
Danes Dark Horses
The likes of Portugal, the Netherlands, and Germany are all decent dark horses coming into the Qatar World Cup, but for a really long-odds option, we suggest you consider Denmark. They can be backed at 36.00 (35/1), and we predict that is great World Cup betting value.
They are in Group D with France but should be able to at least finish second, with Australia and Tunisia eminently beatable. Boss Kasper Hjulmand knows his side’s strengths, and the Danes are a really united group that will surprise a few people in Qatar. They are physical and organised, as you always get with Denmark. However, they have more than a sprinkling of class in their squad, and in tight games, they may have enough to find a way through.
Four years ago in Russia, they made it to the last 16, whilst they gave England a real scare in the semis of Euro 2020. They have a fully fit group to draw their squad from, and stars such as Sevilla’s Kasper Dolberg and Thomas Delaney, RB Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen, Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, they have plenty of international know-how. Kasper Schmeichel brings a massively safe pair of hands at the back, plus experience of winning and, of course, his family know a thing or two about upsets at the Euros!
