England and Norway Surge in 2026 World Cup Winner Odds
Ethan Moore 
Key Takeaways:
- Norway advances to its first-ever World Cup quarterfinal after upsetting Brazil 2-1.
- A 10-man England squad defeated Mexico, reaching their third consecutive World Cup quarterfinal.
- France remains the betting favorite at +170 odds to win the 2026 World Cup.
England and Norway have significantly altered the 2026 FIFA World Cup winner odds following their Round of 16 victories. Norway secured a 2-1 upset over Brazil behind Erling Haaland's third brace of the tournament, advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the nation's history. Meanwhile, a 10-man England squad held on to eliminate Mexico, handing the nation its first competitive home loss since 2013.
Quarterfinal Matchups and Rising Contenders
Norway and England will meet in the quarterfinals on Saturday, with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Following their advancement, FanDuel Sportsbook lists England at +500 to win the tournament as of July 6, meaning a $10 wager would return $60 total. Norway has surged up the oddsboard to +1600, drawing betting interest comparable to major Copa América betting markets.
England has now reached three straight quarterfinals at the World Cup for the first time since the 1962-1970 tournaments, driving massive volume in World Cup betting markets. Elsewhere in the bracket, the United States holds +3000 odds as they prepare to face Belgium (+5500) in the Round of 16. The American squad would need a victory over Belgium and potentially Spain (+550) to reach the semifinals, where they would presumably face France.
Favorites Navigate the Knockout Stage
France remains the overall tournament favorite at +170 odds after defeating Sweden 3-0 and Paraguay 1-0. The French team is outscoring opponents 14-2 this tournament, driven by superstars Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise. Assuming their dominance continues, France's path to the semifinals requires a quarterfinal victory over Morocco (+3000), part of a packed calendar of football betting markets that also features Chinese Super League odds.
Argentina sits second on the oddsboard at +440 after narrowly avoiding a massive upset against 67th-ranked Cape Verde on Friday. The 66-place gap between first-ranked Argentina and Cape Verde would have represented the biggest knockout-stage upset by FIFA ranking since the rankings were introduced. Argentina will now face Egypt (+25000) on Tuesday in the Round of 16, with the winner advancing to play either Switzerland (+7500) or Colombia (+2500).
