Almost 20% of the bets on the World Cup 2022 winner through oddschecker this year have gone the way of 4/1 tournament favourites Brazil.
Who are the most backed teams for the 2022 World Cup?
Brazil
The strength of the squad announced this week has consolidated Brazil's position as favourites (4/1) for the 2022 World Cup and the most backed to win the tournament on Sunday 18th December.
Tite and his star-studded squad featuring 12 Premier League players will be looking to bring home the trophy for the sixth time but their first since 2002. In the four World Cups since they have failed to reach the final, making the semis in 2014 before being humiliated by eventual winners Germany.
In charge since June 2016, Tite has guided his Brazil side to a Copa America victory in 2019 and runners up in 2021, both held in Brazil. This will be his second World Cup as manager, with most pundits expecting the ‘Seleção’ to better their quarter-final exit from Russia 2018. Indeed, Neymar is a frontrunner for the Golden Ball at a best price of 14/1 (8/1 with one bookmaker).
At the time of writing, nearly 20% of all bets on the World Cup 2022 winner through oddschecker (19.6%) this year have gone the way of Brazil.
Betfred
- Huge range of regular promotions
- 24/7 live chat service
- PickYourPunt builder for custom bets
Argentina
Brazil may carry the favourites tag, but it's Argentina who hold the longest active undefeated streak of 35 matches - a run which began in 2019 and included their 2021 Copa America success (beating Brazil in the final on their home soil).
Lionel Scaloni will take charge of his first World Cup since taking over from Jorge Sampaoli in 2018, with 35-year-old Lionel Messi (12/1 to win the Golden Ball and 14/1 for the Golden Boot) looking to add the biggest international tournament to his roll of honours in what could be his last World Cup.
The second most backed, Argentina feature in 16.6% of the outright winner betslips.
England
Having bettered their run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 by going all the way to the final of Euro 2020 (held in 2021), England are the third most backed to go all the way and win in Qatar.
Gareth Southgate, who will name his final squad later today, oversaw a comfortable qualification for the tournament before a hugely disappointing Nations League campaign which saw them relegated after taking just two points from six matches. In fact, they failed to score a goal in open play until the sixth and final game (3-3 against Germany at Wembley).
Backed by 10.5% of the oddschecker community, much of England’s hopes rest on the form of star striker and captain Harry Kane (best price 9/1 favourite to win the Golden Boot).
Portugal
If Qatar 2022 is to be Messi’s final hurrah on the international stage, the same can probably be said of his long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo, whose Portugal side are the fourth most backed through oddschecker (5.6%) despite being eighth favourites (16/1) with most bookmakers.
With 117 international goals to his name, you might be surprised at the length of his price to finish the tournament as the top scorer (18/1 with one bookmaker), but that is largely due to his failure in front of goal with Manchester United. He has scored just once in 10 Premier League appearances this season, with only three in 16 across all club competitions.
France
The fifth and final team on our most backed list are France with a similar 5.6% of the tournament backing. Over the last 12 months, most bookmakers have had Les Bleus at closer to 5/1 than their current best price of 7/1, as the holders attempt to become only the second team to win back-to-back World Cups after Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
Star man and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema is an attractive 15/1 to score the most goals at the tournament, but manager Didier Deschamps will be without injured first-choice midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. Like England, France endured a poor Nations League campaign, but unlike Southgate’s side they did avoid relegation to League B.
