The World Cup 2022 is unlike any other. Being played in the desert mi🃏dway through the Europe❀an club season, there are unique challenges for players and managers alike.
Th🏅ere is an element of the unknown with scorching temperatures and many stars already suffering with fatigue after a gruelling first few months of the 2022-23 campaign.
Familiar na𒀰tions are among the favourites to lift the tro🌊phy, though. Let’s delve into the World Cup outright market.
Best odds for the World Cup 2022 Winner
| Player | Odd | Where to bet |
| Brazil | 4/1 | Bet365 |
| Argentina | 11/2 | Paddy Power |
| France | 15/2 | Unibet |
| England | 19/2 | Unibet |
| Germany | 11/1 | Betway |
The favourites: Brazil
Five-time champions and the number one-ranked side in the world, Brazil don’t have the easiest group with Switzerland, 👍Serbia and Cameroon, but they managed to avoid any of the other powerhouse n𒀰ations.
Presuming they win the section, Brazil will face one of Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea ജand Ghana in the last 16.
Brazil head into the competition in great form, with seven consecutive victories. Neymar has been on fire for PSG at the start of the c🍎ampaign, and while their full backs areജ a clear weakness, this is a squad with top-tier talent throughout.
Tite saw his team lose the Copa América final to Argentina last July, but this group has accumu♔lated tournament experience si♏nce their disappointment in Russia with a Copa América triumph in 2019.
And while Brazil deserve to be seen as favourites, the 4/1 price is too short to represent value in a single-matcꦫh knockout.
A contender: Argentina
It is easy to get swept up in the romantic notion of Lionel Messi winning the Worl🔯d Cup at his final opportunity. Argentina are more than a fairy tale story heading to Qatar, however, 💝with a squad possessing better balance than previous tournaments.
They pip🥂ped Brazil in the Copa América final last year, and have continued their exceptional run by failing to win just once in 2022, which was a 1-1 draw with E🍨cuador in March.
An attack built around Messi and Lautaro Martinez, whoꦬ has 21 goals in 40 caps, is lethal. The midfield is solid, and there are decent options in defence, including Manchester United’s Lautaro Martinez and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero.
Three wins are probable▨ from a group with Poland, Saudi Arabia and ꧃Mexico.
Argentina have scored 14 goals in their last four matches, and their attack could have some fun in the first round. They are a 🧔good wager at 13/2 to finish as the competition’s top scorers at Sporting Index.
A contender: France
France’s odds to win the World Cup have slipped in the lead up to𒁃 thꦗe tournament.
A few months ago, the defending champions were neck-and-neck with 🅘Brazil. Injuries to 🐻some key players have contributed to that slide, as have some poor results with just one win in six matches since March.
Didier Deschamps still has a squad loaded with top-tier ♍talent even with Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante ruled out. Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema are the tournament’s most fearsome front two, and plenty of bettors are going to be tempted to back Les Bleus at this price.
Their group isn’t the trickiest, and if they come out on top, they w♒ill likely avoid Argentina in the🃏 round of 16.
England’s chances of claiming the crown
Like France, England’s results ﷽in the Nations League were dis✤appointing.
Other than Reece James, though, Gareth Southgate has 🌠all of his key players available, and the Three Lions have a favourable group alongside the USA, Wales and Iran.
Southgate has his 🅺fair share of doubters, but his tournament recor⭕d cannot be argued with.
This England squad has a mix of players at their pea☂k and ascending youngsters like Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka. The vast majority featured during the run to the Euros final in 2021.
With tournament experience from last summer and Russia four years ago, this looks a goodও price for England to win their first major tournameಌnt since 1966.
The underdog: Germany
Germany have ushered in a new era, moving on from many of the squad which brought World Cup glory in 2014 and looking ahead to a future around talents like ♋Jamal Musiala. This isn’t a naïve group without experience, however, as Hansi Flick ℱstill has Thomas Müller, Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Gundogan at his disposal.
It w𒁏ould be foolish to write Die Mannschaft off this winter, yet their path through the competition is fraught with danger, particularly if they finish second in Group E behind Spain.
On paper, this Germany s𓄧quad is just a bit behind some of the other contenders. This price is a bit too short.
A look at the past winners of the World Cup
The World Cup 2022 will be the 22nd edition of the tournament. Eight different countries have won the World Cup, with Brazil leading the way with five. Th♒e defending champions heading into this year’s tournament are France.
- 1930: Uruguay
- 1934: Italy
- 1938: Italy
- 1950: Uruguay
- 1954: Germany
- 1958: Brazil
- 1962: Brazil
- 1966: England
- 1970: Brazil
- 1974: Germany
- 1978: Argentina
- 1982: Italy
- 1986: Argentina
- 1990: Germany
- 1994: Brazil
- 1998: France
- 2002: Brazil
- 2006: Italy
- 2010: Spain
- 2014: Germany
- 2018: France
All odds are subject to change
