The 2026 Football World Cup is less than six months away, and attention is already turning to the best World Cup betting sites.
If you want a clear breakdown of leading bookmakers, available markets, and how World Cup betting works, you’re in the right place.
Overview of the best World Cup bookmakers in the UK
Before we properly kick off, here’s a quick overview of the best World Cup sportsbooks in 2026:
| Operator | World Cup Offer | Sign up |
|---|---|---|
| bet365 | Bet £10 get £30 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
| Unibet | Stake £10 get £20 in free bets & £20 casino bonus | Bet on the World Cup |
| Betwright | Get 100 free spins | Bet on the World Cup |
| Sky Bet | Bet anything, get £40 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
| Gentleman Jim | Get 20 free spins | Bet on the World Cup |
| Paddy Power | Bet £5, Get £30 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
| Netbet | Bet £10, Get £20 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
| Midnite | Bet £10, get £30 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
| Matchbook | Bet 10, get £30 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
| Kwiff | Bet £10, Get £30 in free bets | Bet on the World Cup |
Top 10 World Cup bookmakers (February 2026)
Now let’s take a slightly closer look at the top ten 10 World Cup bookmakers for British punters, detailing what makes each of them great.
- bet365
- Unibet
- BetWright
- Sky Bet
- Gentleman Jim
- Paddy Power
- Netbet
- Midnite
- Matchbook
- Kwiff
Some of these brands also feature in our other rankings, such as the best football betting sites, the best football live streaming sites, and the best football betting apps.
The brands featured in all of these rankings are undoubtedly those with the best football offering for those who wish to bet on football in the long term. Here is the list:
- Bet365
- Betfair
- Betfred
- Coral
- Ladbrokes
- Unibet
- William Hill
1. bet365 World Cup betting
Often thought of as the king of the sports bet/ting world by UK users, bet365 is easily one of the best World Cup betting sites. In fact, bet365 is one of the top sports betting all-rounders; there really is no denying that.
5.0/5
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
The platform is super slick and very smooth to use, while the market choice is second to none. Typically, bet365 offers the best football odds for a variety of markets, especially for markets such as ‘Anytime Scorer’.
Outside of the World Cup, bet365 offers markets for the widest variety of football competitions, while it also offers more football live streaming than any of the other World Cup bookmakers featured in this article. The bet365 sign-up offer is one of the most generous in the industry, making it an ideal choice for new customers looking to bet on the World Cup.
2. Unibet World Cup betting
With a clean, simple design, Unibet lets you place World Cup bets with ease. For big football matches, like those at the World Cup, the market choice is deep, and each match features at least one chunky odds boost.
5.0/5
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days. Opt in for £20 in free bets and £20 Casino Bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply.
One of the key features of Unibet is its competitive pricing, especially during big football events such as the World Cup. Time after time, Unibet offers odds that are either in line with the industry best or better. In more niche player markets, such as Player Assist or Player Shots on Target, Unibet frequently offers the best odds.
New customers can take advantage of the Unibet sign-up offer, which provides excellent value for those looking to get started ahead of the tournament.
3. Betwright World Cup betting
When it comes to a clear layout and easy navigation, Betwright is among the best. The website's design offers very good usability, even for someone with little experience looking to bet more on the World Cup.
5.0/5
One account per customer, verification required. T&C apply. 18+.
Great for casual players who prefer to keep it simple, Betwright’s desktop site is about as clean and straightforward as it gets, and the same can be said for the mobile app, available on both Android and iOS.
Betwright also offers a nice array of existing offers, many of which focus on football, so it's easy to assume there will be exciting promotions for existing customers during the 2026 World Cup.
In other words, it's worth joining ahead of FIFA's showpiece event. While there's no specific Betwright promo code at launch, the operator frequently rolls out targeted promotions for major tournaments.
4. Sky Bet World Cup betting
One of the biggest brands featured on this list, Sky Bet has made quite the name for itself, and it’s easy to see why. The SkyBet website has a more refined style, as does the mobile app, and let’s face it, we’re talking about a bookmaker that continues to be hugely popular, so customers are clearly pleased with what they’re getting, part of which is a top-quality user interface and support.
Free bet stakes are not returned. Free bet is non-withdrawable. No free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions apply. Further T&Cs apply. 18+.
One pleasing feature found at Sky Bet is ‘RequestABet’, allowing customers to get in touch with Sky Bet using social media, for example, tagging them on X with #RequestABet, to build their own special bet. If you don’t feel like going to this extent but still want to get in on the ‘RequestABet’ action, you can find popular, pre-built RequestABets on each football match’s betting page.
Secondly, Sky Bet offers a decent range of specific World Cup outrights, slightly more than the average bookie, as well as specials which pop up occasionally – for example, at the time of writing, Sky Bet are offering 6/4 on England to win all three group games, which is not something that you'll find everywhere.
Using the Sky Bet promo code, new users can also get up to £40 in bonus funds after placing a bet of any amount.
5. Gentleman Jim World Cup betting
Next we have one of the newest operators on the list. Founded in 2024, Gentleman Jim has emerged as a leader in its sophisticated approach to betting.
5.0/5
18+. Full t&c's apply.
The best feature when it comes to this bookie is the competitive odds. It is very pleasing to see that the odds for the World Cup outrights are very competitive, often up there with the best in the market.
For example, the chaps at Gentleman Jim are offering Argentina at 8/1 and the Netherlands at 20/1. Both sit in line with the current industry best prices.
The biggest downside to Gentleman Jim is the absence of a welcome bonus. In fact, there's a lack of promotions in general. For obvious reasons, this isn't ideal for customers, new or existing, though we may see this change when the World Cup comes around.
At present, there's no Gentleman Jim promo code available, though the operator may introduce special offers closer to the tournament.
6. Paddy Power World Cup betting
Another big name that should definitely be considered as one of the best betting sites ahead of the World Cup, at least for UK bettors, is PaddyPower. Known for their specials and promotions, PaddyPower offers not only one of the best desktop sites but also a high-class sports betting app, perfect for those looking to get stuck into the World Cup on the go.
4.5/5
New customers only. £10 minimum Bet Builder bet on football at odds of 1.5 (1/2) or greater required. £50 in Bet Builder free bets credited after settlement of qualifying bet. Free bets valid for 90 days. Payment method restrictions apply.
Paddy Power: UKGC licence number 39426
18+ only. Gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
At the time of writing, we are still months away from the World Cup, yet Paddy Power is already offering odds and markets on the first 19 games. Not only have they priced up the match winner, but they have other popular bets already, such as over/under markets or the team to score first.
Paddy Power offers customers daily ‘Power Prices', with specific bets receiving enhanced odds to potentially provide a higher payout.
When it comes to the World Cup, these ‘Power Prices' will be out in full force, so be sure to check those out. The Paddy Power sign-up offer is particularly attractive for new customers, providing substantial bonus funds to get started.
7. Netbet World Cup betting
Another really user-friendly World Cup betting site worth trying is NetBet, not just because it’s easy to use, both on desktop and in the mobile app.
4.0/5
New players only. Bet £10 min. odds 1/1 (2.00) to get 4 x £5 Free Bets: 1 x £5 Football Bet Builder, 1 x £5 Football Acca, 1x £5 Horse Racing Acca & 1 x £5 Tennis In-Play. Valid for 7 days. Exclusions and T&Cs apply.
The player markets at NetBet are great in that there’s plenty of choice. While some sportsbooks only offer a limited number of player markets, typically offering only scorer markets, NetBet offers a wide variety of player markets, which is excellent news when the World Cup rolls around.
One thing to really like about NetBet is the fact that Asian Goal markets are offered. While most of the World Cup betting sites featured in this article offer Asian Handicap markets, not many offer Asian Goal markets.
Asian Goal markets are great for bettors who like the option of a refund, win or lose, when betting on goals, so this is a really great addition from NetBet. New players can use the Netbet bonus code NETGROUND to access their welcome offer.
8. Midnite World Cup betting
Another of the new arrivals to the sports betting table, Midnite has become more and more popular among UK bettors in recent times, and it’s not terribly difficult to see why. Appealing more to younger players thanks to a quirky marketing approach, Midnite offers a slick website that looks great and is nice and easy to use.
4.5/5
New Midnite customers aged 18+ from the UK or Ireland: Bet £10 at minimum odds of 2.0 within 14 days to receive £30 in Free Bets. Free Bets last 7 days and exclude stake from returns. One per customer. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Midnite also offers competitive odds on a number of player markets, which should interest many World Cup bettors. Each high-profile football match that features on Midnite comes complete with a number of bet boosts, allowing users to place popular bets at bigger odds. First-time users should look into the Midnite sign-up offer for bonus funds.
9. Matchbook World Cup betting
As a betting exchange, Matchbook is an outlier in this article, and that’s a positive as far as we’re concerned. Due to its person-to-person nature, the odds available at Matchbook, both for World Cup outrights and bets on the individual games, are likely to be higher.
5.0/5
New Players Only. Sign Up with Bonus Code: NEW30. Bet and Settle 1x£10 Bet on Matchbook Exchange at odds of 2.0 or more. Bet and Settle 1x£10 Bet on a Bet Builder or Multiple at odds of 3.0 or more, with min 3 selections. Within 72 hours of Qualifying Bets settling user will receive 1x £10 Exchange Free Bet, 1x £10 Multiples Free Bet, and 1x £10 Bet Builder Free Bet. Users making their first deposit by Skrill, Neteller or PaySafe card will not qualify for this promotion. 18+ Only. T’s and C’s Apply. Be Gamble Aware.
Another selling point here is that users can also lay bets, meaning they can adopt the role of the bookmaker and bet that something won't happen by offering another bettor odds on the outcome. For example, if you’re of the opinion that a certain player to score is a bad bet ahead of a specific World Cup game, you can bet against this option by laying the bet using the Matchbook exchange.
In addition to a few sportsbook accounts, when betting on a major event like the World Cup, it's a good idea to have an exchange account as well. The Matchbook bonus code gives new users access to their welcome promotion.
10. Kwiff World Cup betting
An easy-to-use sports betting site that offers plenty in terms of football betting, including a well-stocked ‘Trending Bet Builder’ section for each match.
Qualifying bet of £10 at min. odds 2.0 within 5 days of registration, E/W excluded. Get 3 x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Football, 1 x £10 Racing, 1 x £10 Acca (Min 4 selections). 7-day expiry. New selected customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Full T&Cs apply.
What’s really great about Kwiff is the ‘Supercharged Bet’ feature. This feature comes into play at random, which will only add to the excitement of the 2026 World Cup. Any bet that you place with Kwiff can be ‘Supercharged’, resulting in a markedly greater payout in the event of a win. Very nice indeed.
The fact that the market choices open in a less-than-full-page pop-up when you click a specific football match on Kwiff is also great from a usability point of view, as it saves you having to go back to the main page once you've finished a game. New customers can claim the Kwiff sign-up offer when registering.
Comparing the odds: 2026 favourites
Right now, using the best odds available at the sportsbooks featured in this article, here’s how the outright betting ahead of the 2026 World Cup stands:
- Spain – 9/2
- England – 6/1
- France – 8/1
- Brazil – 8/1
- Argentina – 8/1
- Portugal – 12/1
- Germany – 14/1
- Netherlands – 20/1
- All other teams – 28/1 or bigger.
As we can see from the above odds, the Spaniards are currently favoured by the betting market, which isn’t too surprising following their EURO 2024 success. England reached the final of that tournament and are currently down as the second favourites to go all the way at the 2026 World Cup.
Joint-hosts USA may interest those who like the idea of siding with a bigger-priced outsider. Coached by former Tottenham and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, the Stars and Stripes are currently priced at 80/1 to achieve what would be an unprecedented success.
Only South American and European countries have ever won the World Cup. Will history be made in 2026?
Special World Cup betting features
Ahead of huge sporting events like the upcoming 2026 World Cup, bookmakers put extra special betting features on offer.
Free-to-play
It’s far from uncommon to see free-to-play games featured on numerous betting sites when it comes to something like the World Cup. For example, you can expect to see something like Sky Bet’s famous ‘Super Six’ competition, where, for free, you can pick six scores for the chance to win huge prizes.
Bet builder plus
Some of the betting sites featured in this article will allow you to combine numerous player stats markets, such as ‘Shots on Target’ across several World Cup games, creating a multi-game bet builder.
Early payouts
Bookmakers like bet365 typically extend the ‘Early Payout’ offer to big games, so you can expect to see that load at the World Cup. This offer allows you to bet on a team to win and get paid out instantly if that team goes two goals ahead at any point in the game, regardless of the final result.
World Cup 2026 betting offers 2026
When it comes to a huge sporting event such as the World Cup, bookmakers and online betting sites typically offer lots of event-specific promotions. At the time of writing, we’re still six months out from the 2026 World Cup, so there are no specific tournament promotions available just yet, but here are a few examples of offers to look out for:
The ‘bet & get' welcome offer
The sort of offer that most betting sites present to new customers, the ‘bet & get’ offers, will be ramped up ahead of the World Cup, with many sites offering new players more in bonus funds than at any other time.
If you’re looking to open new accounts ahead of the World Cup, make sure to complete the requirements in time so that you have your free bets ready for the opening game between Mexico and South Africa, which is due to take place at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Thursday, 11 June.
Match-specific offers
When it comes to a sporting event as big as the World Cup, there are always lots of match-specific offers. Ahead of the opening match of the tournament, there will undoubtedly be lots of free bets and money-back offers, and this will remain the case for lots of big matches throughout the tournament, so keep your eyes peeled for those.
Tournament winner each-way offers
In weeks and months before the World Cup begins, you can place each-way bets on teams to win the World Cup, which essentially means placing two bets, one on a team to win the World Cup and another on the team to reach the final. On each-way outright bets, most bookmakers pay 1/2 the odds, which means that you get half the payout if your team reaches the final.
Some World Cup bookmakers, such as SkyBet, have previously paid out on each-way bets if a team reaches the semi-finals, so be sure to check the different each-way terms that are available if you’re looking to place an each-way World Cup outright bet.
Golden boot insurance
You can also bet ‘Golden Boot’ winners each way, which typically means that you’ll get a partial win if your player finishes second or third in the ‘Golden Boot’ standings.
Some sportsbooks, such as PaddyPower, if you bet on the ‘Golden Boot’ winner, will offer a free bet for each goal that your players score throughout the tournament.
What to look for in World Cup betting sites 2026
When deciding which betting sites to use for the World Cup, certain factors must be considered. Think of these are your World Cup betting sites non-negotiables, which are as follows:
Licensing
Licensing is of the utmost importance. This accreditation indicates that a betting site is safe and reliable. Here in the UK, the gambling regulator is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). We only recommend bookies that are regulated and licensed by the UKGC.
Market variety
Market variety is, of course, one of the biggest factors for us to consider when producing an article of this nature. For us to recommend any World Cup betting site, there needs to be a wide variety of markets. All the sites featured here offer a wide range of football betting markets.
Mobile experience
It’s fair to say that the mobile experience is important when it comes to online betting. We want to know if the sportsbooks that we’re reviewing offer mobile betting apps, which they should; let’s be honest.
We’re also asking questions such as: How easy is it to use the mobile app? Does the app facilitate quick, on-the-go betting? Better still, does the app offer live football streaming so you can watch your World Cup bets unfold? That’s a huge plus.
Payment methods
One thing that we’re definitely keen to assess when deciding on the best World Cup betting sites is payment methods.
Payment methods really are an essential ingredient. We want to let our readers know about sports betting sites that offer a range of payment methods, while we’re also keen to find out about processing times, processing fees and withdrawal speed.
Stadium guides and football news
For those interested in more than just the betting markets, stadium guides provide valuable context about the stadium hosting World Cup 2026 matches. Understanding the stadiums where games will be played can inform your betting decisions, particularly regarding home advantage and crowd atmosphere.
Following football news is equally important for World Cup bettors. Keeping up with team form, injury updates, and tactical developments through reliable football news sources can give you an edge when placing bets. Major announcements about squad selections, manager decisions, and pre-tournament friendlies all inform betting choices.
World Cup 2026 stadium & host city guide
The 2026 World Cup will be the first ever to be hosted by three different countries. The three host countries are Canada, Mexico and the USA. Read our content about 2026 World Cup host cities.
Canada host cities
Games at the 2026 World Cup will take place in the following Canadian cities:
- Toronto
- Vancouver
Mexico host cities
The following Mexican cities will host matches at the 2026 World Cup:
- Guadalajara
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
USA host cities
In the USA, the cities listed below will host 2026 World Cup matches:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Dallas
- Houston
- Kansas City
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York/NewJersey
- Philadelphia
- Seattle
- San Francisco
Key host venues to watch
The table below shows some of the key stadiums that will feature at the 2026 World Cup.
| Stadium | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium | New York/NJ | 82,500 |
| Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | 87,500 |
| BC Place | Vancouver | 54,500 |
| Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City | 76,416 |
The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, approximately five miles west of New York City.
Responsible gambling reminder
We always like to remind our readers to gamble responsibly. You should not bet with funds you cannot afford to lose, and if you have any concerns regarding responsible gambling, we urge you to seek help from a professional organisation such as GamStop or GamCare.
Each of the World Cup betting sites featured in this article has a dedicated responsible gambling page, which can typically be found by scrolling to the bottom of the bookmaker’s homepage.
Here you will find lots of helpful information as well as tools such as deposit limits, reality checks and loss limits.
Best World Cup betting sites FAQs
Spain. At the time of writing in February 2026, the World Cup outright betting is headed by Spain. The Spanish are priced at 4/1 to win the 2026 World Cup.
Most of the betting sites featured in this article offer highly-rated football betting apps, but bet365 is arguably the best, at least in terms of all-around quality. Unibet and PaddyPower also have particularly good mobile apps for World Cup betting.
Yes, you can bet on the World Cup qualifiers now. Most of the World Cup qualifying is over, but there are a handful of places still up for grabs, with the final World Cup qualifiers due to take place on Thursday, 26 March 2026. Using something like the bet365 sign-up offer, or the Paddy Power sign-up offer, you can use your free bets to bet on the remaining World Cup qualifying