Home of football statistics and historyEngland cantered to World Cup qualification with some ease, thanks to a 100% qualifying record. Meanwhile, Scotland secured their first World Cup finals slot since 1998 with a hugely impressive 4-2 victory over Denmark, landing them top spot in their group.
However, Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to secure their places in the finals, with both teams having to navigate the playoffs if they want to feature in the main tournament.
The World Cup final is the biggest sporting event in the world, with an estimated 5 billion people watching in 2022. Next year’s tournament takes place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and its mix of unpredictable results and global patriotism will see billions bet on the outcomes of matches. It is the most popular betting event globally, and fans will be able to enjoy regular tips as part of the weekly acca from FIRST.com.
Below, we look at the home nations and their chances of securing a 2026 World Cup victory.
England
Although Tuchel and his England team came in for some early criticism, the Three Lions were the first team to secure a place in the World Cup finals, and they did so in style with a perfect qualification record. They won all eight games without conceding a single goal in the process.
Despite their perfect record, England are only the second favourites to lift the cup, likely because of their past record at major tournaments. They have been given odds of 6/1 to emerge triumphant next year, although Tuchel will need the likes of Harry Kane to be firing on all cylinders.
Scotland
It will be 28 years since Scotland last featured at a World Cup when they head to the US next year. They qualified in style, beating Denmark 4-2. The game saw the resurgent Scott McTominay score an incredible overhead kick just 3 minutes into the match, but he’s been forced to share the headlines with teammates Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean scored wondergoals of their own to secure a place in the finals.
However, the country’s past record in the finals doesn’t do them any favours. They have appeared in 9 World Cups, have never progressed beyond the group stage, and have only won four matches. As such, they’re priced at 150/1 to win the tournament – the same odds as The Ivory Coast and South Korea.
Wales
Wales have not yet qualified for the tournament finals, but their 7-1 thrashing of North Macedonia means they are heading to the playoffs and have a reasonable chance of progressing. Their runner-up position in the qualifying group puts Wales in pot 2, and they will have to face one of the teams from pot 3 in the play-off semi-final. That means their most likely opponents will be Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, or the Republic of Ireland.
Victory in that game would take them to the play-off final, where they could face any of eight teams, with possible opponents including Italy, Denmark, Turkiye, or potentially even Northern Ireland. Wales are 250/1 to win the World Cup.
Northern Ireland
The play-off final could see a home nations pairing with Wales, potentially facing Northern Ireland. Michael O’Neill’s team finished third in their group after a 1-0 win over Luxembourg. The result means the country has an uphill battle to reach its first World Cup since 1982.
They will face one of the top nations, with possible opponents including Italy, Poland, Turkiye, or Ukraine. From there, they will have to face the winner of Wales’ side of the play-off, which, of course, could be Wales themselves. Northern Ireland is among the rank outsiders to win the World Cup at odds of 500/1. Only the likes of Curacao, which is the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup, have been given longer odds.
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