⚽ FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 · STARTS FRIDAY 12 JUNE
FIFA World Cup 2026 — The Definitive Australian Guide
48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches. USA · Canada · Mexico. June 12 – July 19, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know and bet on.
Short Answer
Spain $5.50 are favourites, France close behind at $5.75. Defending champions Argentina are $10.50. Australia (Group D) face Turkiye on Sunday 14 June — 2:00 PM AEST. Our tips, odds and Socceroos guide are all here.
📌 Key Findings
- Opening match: Mexico v South Africa, Friday 12 June, 10:00 AM AEST, Estadio Azteca
- 48 teams — first ever World Cup with this format. Top 2 from each group + best 8 third-placed teams = 32 qualify for the round of 32
- Australia in Group D with USA, Paraguay and Turkiye — Socceroos play Sunday 14 June at 2:00 PM AEST
- Spain and France are co-favourites. Argentina defending champions at $10.50
- Final: Sunday 19 July 2026, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
🌟 Jump To
🐘 Socceroos Group D Preview
Full preview of Australia’s 2026 campaign — fixtures, players and tips
⚽ Group Stage Tips — Week 1
Our best bets for the opening round of fixtures
💰 Winner Odds — Full Market
All 48 teams, live odds from Australian bookmakers
🥇 Golden Boot Odds
Top scorer market — who punters and bookies fancy to finish as top scorer
💰 Outright Winner Odds — Top 8
| Team | Odds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SpainFAVOURITE | $5.50 | Reigning European Champions. Yammal, Morata, Pedri — arguably the deepest squad |
| France | $5.75 | Mbappé leads a squad with unmatched individual quality |
| England | $7.50 | Bellingham & Saka. Hungry after back-to-back tournament near-misses |
| Brazil | $10.00 | Vinicius Jr. leading a rebuilt Seleção. Five-time champions |
| Portugal | $10.00 | Ronaldo’s last World Cup. Bruno, Leao and a strong supporting cast |
| Argentina | $10.50 | Defending champions. Messi at his last World Cup as title holder |
| Germany | $15.00 | Resurgent under Julian Nagelsmann. Euro 2024 hosts with momentum |
| Netherlands | $20.00 | Van Dijk, de Jong, Gakpo. Dangerous in knockout football |
Odds indicative. Always confirm before placing. 18+ · Full market →
🐘 Australia’s World Cup Fixtures — Group D
| Date | Match | AEST | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 14 Jun | Australia v Turkiye SOCCEROOS | 2:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Sat 20 Jun | USA v Australia SOCCEROOS | 5:00 AM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri 26 Jun | Paraguay v Australia SOCCEROOS | 12:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
Group D qualification: Australia must finish in the top 2 of Group D, or as one of the 8 best third-placed teams across all 12 groups to advance to the round of 32. Full Socceroos preview →
📅 Week 1 Key Fixtures — June 12–14
| Date | Match | AEST | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 12 Jun | Mexico v South Africa Tips & preview → |
10:00 AM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Fri 12 Jun | South Korea v Czechia Tips & preview → |
12:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Sat 13 Jun | Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina | 5:00 AM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Sat 13 Jun | USA v Paraguay Tips & preview → |
11:00 AM | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey |
| Sun 14 Jun | Qatar v Switzerland | 5:00 AM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Sun 14 Jun | Brazil v Morocco MARQUEE Tips & preview → |
8:00 AM | Rose Bowl, Pasadena |
| Sun 14 Jun | Haiti v Scotland | 11:00 AM | Camping World Stadium, Orlando |
| Sun 14 Jun | Australia v Turkiye SOCCEROOS Tips & preview → |
2:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
All times AEST. Week 1 tips and best bets →
🏆 Full Group Draw — All 12 Groups
Top 2 from each group + 8 best third-placed teams advance to the round of 32. Australia’s group is highlighted.
Group A
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇰🇷 South Korea
🇿🇦 South Africa
🇨🇿 Czechia
Group B
🇨🇦 Canada
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇶🇦 Qatar
🇧🇦 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Group C
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇲🇦 Morocco
🇬🇧 Scotland
🇭🇹 Haiti
Group D ⚽
🇺🇸 USA
🇵🇾 Paraguay
🇦🇺 Australia ⭐
🇹🇷 Turkiye
Group E
🇩🇪 Germany
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
🇪🇨 Ecuador
🇨🇼 Curaçao
Group F
🇳🇱 Netherlands
🇯🇵 Japan
🇹🇳 Tunisia
🇸🇪 Sweden
Group G
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇮🇷 Iran
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Group H
🇪🇸 Spain
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
Group I
🇫🇷 France
🇸🇳 Senegal
🇳🇴 Norway
🇮🇶 Iraq
Group J
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇩🇿 Algeria
🇦🇹 Austria
🇯🇴 Jordan
Group K
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇨🇴 Colombia
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
🇨🇩 DR Congo
Group L
🇬🇧 England
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇵🇦 Panama
🇬🇭 Ghana
Group D (Australia’s group) is highlighted in green. Full Socceroos Group D preview →
⚽ Match Previews & Tips — Week 1
Full analysis, best bets and player props for every Week 1 fixture we’ve tipped.
Fri 12 Jun · 10:00 AM AEST
Mexico v South Africa
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
✅ Mexico WIN $1.65
Full preview & tips →
Fri 12 Jun · 12:00 PM AEST
South Korea v Czechia
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
✅ Under 2.5 Goals $1.62
Full preview & tips →
Sat 13 Jun · 11:00 AM AEST
USA v Paraguay
Lumen Field, Seattle
✅ USA WIN $1.75
Full preview & tips →
Sun 14 Jun · 8:00 AM AEST
Brazil v Morocco
MetLife Stadium, New York
✅ Brazil WIN $1.55
Full preview & tips →
🦘 Socceroos · Sun 14 Jun · 2:00 PM AEST
Australia v Turkiye
BC Place, Vancouver
✅ Under 2.5 Goals $1.72 · Value: AUS WIN $5.50
Full preview & tips →
Mon 15 Jun · 3:00 AM AEST
Germany v Curaçao
NRG Stadium, Houston
✅ Germany WIN $1.20
Full preview & tips →
⭐ Banker · Wed 17 Jun · 5:00 AM AEST
France v Senegal
MetLife Stadium, New York
⭐ France WIN $1.50 (BANKER)
Full preview & tips →
Wed 17 Jun · 11:00 AM AEST
Argentina v Algeria
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
✅ Argentina WIN $1.40
Full preview & tips →
Thu 18 Jun · 6:00 AM AEST
England v Croatia
AT&T Stadium, Dallas
✅ England WIN $1.65
Full preview & tips →
🏭 Best Bookmakers for World Cup 2026
These four Australian bookmakers have the best World Cup 2026 markets, odds and features — including live streaming. Betr is our top pick for bonus bets and same game multis.
Sportsbet — Best World Cup Odds
Australia’s largest bookmaker. Deepest World Cup markets — winner, group winners, golden boot, first goalscorer, match result and more. Same game multis on every match.
Betr — Bonus Bets & Same Game Multis
Australia’s fastest-growing bookmaker. Bonus bets for new accounts, same game multis on every World Cup match, and sharp outright odds throughout the tournament.
Ladbrokes — Top World Cup Multis
Competitive World Cup winner odds and a strong same game multi builder. Great daily promotions and odds boosts throughout the tournament.
Dafabet — Live Streaming
Dafabet offers live streaming for World Cup 2026 matches — watch and bet simultaneously. Sharp football odds and a dedicated soccer betting hub for the tournament.
18+ only. Gamble responsibly. Compare all 130+ Australian bookmakers →
FAQs — FIFA World Cup 2026
The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on Friday 12 June 2026 with the opening match — Mexico v South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. In Australia, that kicks off at 10:00 AM AEST. The tournament runs through to Sunday 19 July 2026.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams for the first time in tournament history. The previous format had 32 teams. The expanded tournament uses 12 groups of 4, with the top 2 from each group plus the 8 best third-placed teams (32 total) advancing to the knockout round of 32.
Australia’s three group stage games (all AEST):
• Sun 14 Jun — Australia v Turkiye, 2:00 PM AEST, BC Place, Vancouver
• Sat 20 Jun — USA v Australia, 5:00 AM AEST, Lumen Field, Seattle
• Fri 26 Jun — Paraguay v Australia, 12:00 PM AEST, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Australia are in Group D alongside USA, Paraguay and Turkiye. Full Socceroos preview →
• Sun 14 Jun — Australia v Turkiye, 2:00 PM AEST, BC Place, Vancouver
• Sat 20 Jun — USA v Australia, 5:00 AM AEST, Lumen Field, Seattle
• Fri 26 Jun — Paraguay v Australia, 12:00 PM AEST, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Australia are in Group D alongside USA, Paraguay and Turkiye. Full Socceroos preview →
Spain are favourites at $5.50, just ahead of France at $5.75. England are third at $7.50. Brazil and Portugal are both at $10.00, with defending champions Argentina at $10.50. See the full winner market →
The FIFA World Cup 2026 final is on Sunday 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (just outside New York City). Australian fans can expect kick-off at approximately 10:00 AM AEST.
Tips are editorial opinions only. Always confirm odds before placing. Gamble responsibly. 18+ only.