The 2026 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, and the official Fantasy game should be going live very soon.
The group stage is usually a time when Fantasy points flow more freely. This is when the big guns get the chance to face the minnows, before some harder-to-call, lower-scoring matches later in the tournament.
To help you with your squad preparations, we’ve listed each nation’s chances of winning their group. These are based on a selected bookmakers’ odds (Bet365).
Some mismatches, such as a Brazil v Haiti, are fairly obvious.
However, these odds can help us with some less apparant match-ups.
For example, who are the favourites out of a tight-looking Group A containing Mexico, Czechia, South Korea and South Africa? Who out of Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Qatar will pose the toughest test for Switzerland in Group B? Who are the Netherlands’ easiest-on-paper opponents in Group F: Sweden, Tunisia or Japan?
We’ll have a Fixture Ticker to further help with this planning but for now, let’s take a look at what the bookies think:
GROUP A
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Mexico | 44.8% |
| Czechia | 27.6% |
| South Korea | 20.7% |
| South Africa | 6.9% |
GROUP B
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | 46.9% |
| Canada | 25.6% |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 24.9% |
| Qatar | 2.6% |
GROUP C
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 78.8% |
| Morocco | 13.2% |
| Scotland | 7.1% |
| Haiti | 0.9% |
GROUP D
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| USA | 37.6% |
| Turkey | 32.5% |
| Paraguay | 18.8% |
| Australia | 11.1% |
GROUP E
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Germany | 69.9% |
| Ecuador | 18.0% |
| Ivory Coast | 11.2% |
| Curacao | 0.9% |
GROUP F
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 52.3% |
| Japan | 20.0% |
| Sweden | 16.4% |
| Tunisia | 11.3% |
GROUP G
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Belgium | 66.3% |
| Egypt | 16.5% |
| Iran | 12.9% |
| New Zealand | 4.3% |
GROUP H
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Spain | 74.9% |
| Uruguay | 18.0% |
| Saudi Arabia | 5.3% |
| Cape Verde | 1.8% |
GROUP I
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| France | 64.0% |
| Norway | 23.9% |
| Senegal | 9.9% |
| Iraq | 2.2% |
GROUP J
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Argentina | 67.5% |
| Austria | 16.4% |
| Algeria | 13.9% |
| Jordan | 2.2% |
GROUP K
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| Portugal | 64.0% |
| Colombia | 23.9% |
| DR Congo | 9.9% |
| Uzbekistan | 2.2% |
GROUP L
| To Win Group | |
|---|---|
| England | 70.0% |
| Croatia | 20.0% |
| Ghana | 8.2% |
| Panama | 1.8% |
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Brazil (78.8%), Spain (74.8%), England (70.0%) and Germany (69.9%) have the easiest draws, according to the bookies.
England and Brazil do start the tournament with their trickiest tests on paper, against Croatia (11th in the rankings) and Morocco (8th) respectively. Fantasy picks from the Three Lions especially might be on ice till Matchday 2.
Spain, however, will be popular selections from the get-go. Their hypothetically toughest test, against Uruguay, isn’t till Matchday 3, and they face Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia first.
Germany, too, get underway with a clash with debutants Curacao, one of the tournament’s rank outsiders.
Elsewhere, it’s worth a look at Portugal (64.0%). Their easiest-on-paper fixtures, against DR Congo and Uzbekistan, are in Matchdays 1 and 2. France (64.0%), similarly, have Senegal and Iraq before the clash with Erling Haaland and co. Just don’t bring up 2002…
Argentina (67.5%) and Belgium (66.3%) don’t face their respective group outsiders till Matchday 3, but there are no overly daunting tests before then.
The other four groups look tighter to call. However, Mexico (44.6%) and Switzerland (46.9%) do have their theoretically ‘easiest’ fixtures, against South Africa and Qatar respectively, in Matchday 1. Potential Fantasy squad fillers in the first round of matches, then, before they become disposable thereafter.
