The official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with sports icons Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Aaron Judge and Wayne Gretzky assisting in unveiling the groups for next summer’s global tournament.
When the draw concluded, the United States found itself in a promising position. The team was placed in Group D, alongside Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of the European Play-off C, a spot still being contested by Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo. For U.S. fans and oddsmakers alike, the path forward appears more encouraging than expected.
Betting Odds: Spain Lead the Pack
The World Cup is expected to be the most wagered-on sporting event in the world next year, and sportsbooks have already laid out the early landscape. At BetMGM, Spain currently lead as tournament favorites at +400, followed by:
- England: +600
- France: +700
- Brazil: +800
- Argentina: +800
A major storyline entering the tournament remains the uncertain status of Lionel Messi, leaving questions about whether the Argentine superstar will feature for the defending champions in 2026.
Before the draw, Spain attracted the most attention at BetMGM, generating 13% of total wagers, 9.9% went toward England and 9.3% toward France. Spain also led in total money wagered with 17%.
Just behind the top favorites are Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, at 11-1, followed by Germany (12-1) and the Netherlands (16-1). All remaining nations sit at 25-1 or longer, including the United States, who are currently listed at 50-1.
Prior to Friday’s draw, the U.S. had been sitting at 66-1, but bookmakers shortened the odds following the favorable group placement.
Group D Betting Outlook
For their group, the Americans opened as slight favorites:
- USA: +100
- Paraguay: +225
- Europe Play-off C Winner: +375
- Australia: +800
The optimism wasn’t limited to sportsbooks. Ahead of the draw, a notable $5,000 wager was placed at Hard Rock Bet for the United States to win the entire tournament at 75-1 odds. If the U.S. were to claim its first-ever World Cup title, that bet would return a massive $375,000.
USA Opens Its Campaign on Home Soil
The United States will kick off its 2026 World Cup journey on June 12, 2026, facing Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. With home-field advantage and an encouraging draw, expectations are growing as the nation looks to make a deep run on the world’s biggest stage.
