france-world-cup.jpg
Imagn Images

As we near the year 2026, there's a lot on tap on the sports calendar, but arguably the biggest event of the year comes in the summer when the World Cup comes to the United States as Argentina aims to defend its title. The majority of the field is set, with six spots still up for grabs, but we know a good chunk of the first-round matchups, including where those matches will be played. 

As we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup, SportsLine soccer experts Jon Eimer and Martin Green have shared their early best bets for the big event, with each picking a winner and a longshot that they like at this point in time. All odds for these picks are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Jon Eimer's best bets for 2026 World Cup

France to win the World Cup (+700)

France is a team that always deserves having some money on them. They have made it to the final the last two World Cups, and after losing in penalties to Argentina in 2022, they'll be raving at the chance of getting revenge. I would make the argument that France has the best current starting XI in the world and are stacked from top to bottom. Kylian Mbappe will lead the charge and being backed by Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Ousmane Dembele, there is not a side on the planet who is stopping this team from scoring. They also have arguably the best depth outside of their starting XI. This team has experience, wisdom, depth and more talent than they know what to do with, and I expect them to make it to the final for the third World Cup in a row. 

Longshot: Turkiye (+15000)

This is a crazy one considering Turkiye is still in the playoffs just to qualify, so bet responsibly! I have a ton of respect for Turkiye's national team. When I look for longshots, I want to find teams that have players with European top flight experience, and Turkiye has a lot of that. Their attack features Kerem Akturkoglu from Fenerbahce, Arda Guler from Real Madrid, Kenan Yildiz from Juventus and Yunus Akgun from Galatasaray. While they don't have the caliber of defense some of the bigger nations will have, their matches will be exciting as this is a team that plays with their gas on the pedal from start to finish. I expect Turkey to make it out of the playoffs, and make some big waves along the way. 

Martin Green's best bets for 2026 World Cup

Spain to win the World Cup (+400)

Spain's players will be full of confidence after winning Euro 2024. They battled to a 2-1 win against France in the semifinals before outclassing England in the final. La Roja are now top of the FIFA world rankings, and they're the favorites to win the World Cup in 2026. They have the best midfield in the world, featuring Rodri, Pedri, Martin Zubimendi, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are sensational in attack, the defense is solid and Unai Simón and David Raya are world-class goalkeepers. Spain has all the necessary ingredients to win the World Cup.

Longshot: Ecuador (+7000)

Ecuador finished second in the South American World Cup qualifying group with eight wins, eight draw and just two defeats from 18 games. They finished ahead of elite teams like Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia, which is an impressive feat. However, it's not particularly surprising when you consider how much quality they have in their squad. Moisés Caicedo is arguably the world's best holding midfielder. Willi Pacho and Piero Hincapié are solid in defense, and veteran striker Enner Valencia is a reliable source of goals. Ecuador are now up to 23rd in the FIFA world rankings. The players should have no trouble handling the heat in North America next summer, and they look well-priced at +8000 to win the tournament.