World Cup 2026

jacool · 05-06-2026 08:53AM #1

With news firstly that the Racing Post are doing a free pull-out on Tuesday, this is a reminder to me to get to the shops early!

As the Sporting Life is no longer in print, here are their tips, noting that later I will put in their group analysis, where they promise a tip for each country. Lots here to get your head around, but take this as a "brain dump" initially, that you can pick through at leisure!

Sporting Life Tips: World Cup outright

3pts e.w. Portugal to win the World Cup at 10/1 (General 1/2, 1,2)

3pts e.w. Argentina to win the World Cup at 10/1 (General 1/2 1,2)

Football betting tips: World Cup top scorer

2pts e.w. Julian Alvarez (Argentina) to finish as top scorer at 33/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral 1/4 1,2,3,4)

1pt e.w. Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden) to finish as top scorer at 80/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4)

0.5pt e.w. Darwin Nunez (Uruguay) to finish as top scorer at 80/1 (BetVictor 1/4 1,2,3,4)

0.5pt e.w. Luis Díaz (Colombia) to finish as top scorer at 50/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4)

0.5pt e.w. Luis Suarez (Colombia) to finish as top scorer at 60/1 (Betfair, Paddy Power 1/4 1,2,3,4)

4pts e.w. Kylian Mbappé (France) to finish as top scorer at 6/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4)

1pt e.w. Raphinha (Brazil) to finish as top scorer at 30/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4)

0.5pt e.w. Breel Embolo* (Switzerland) to finish as top scorer at 125/1 (General 1/4 1,2,3,4)

Football betting tips: World Cup awards

1pt Pedri to win the Golden Ball at 25/1 (General)

2pts Bruno Fernandes to win the Golden Ball at 25/1 (General)

0.5pt Joao Neves to win the Golden Ball at 150/1 (General)

1pt Kobbie Mainoo to win Young Player of the Tournament at 50/1 (General)

2pts Diogo Costa to win the Golden Glove at 12/1 (William Hill)

Football betting tips: World Cup

2pts Egypt top African team at 7/1 (General)

1pt e.w. James Rodriguez most assists at 100/1 (William Hill, 1/4 1,2,3,4)

0.5pt e.w. Maximiliano Araujo most assists at 200/1 (bet365, 1/4 1,2,3,4)

2pts e.w. Lionel Messi most assists at 12/1 (bet365, BOYLESports, 1/4 1,2,3,4)

0.5pt e.w. Arda Guler most assists at 100/1 (General, 1/4 1,2,3,4)

*Embolo hasn't been able to travel, and may well miss out on the tournament.

Loafing Oaf · 08-06-2026 09:44AM

I'm thinking of lumping on Yamal @ 7/4 for YPOTY. He looks a country mile ahead of the other contenders on paper…

jacool · 08-06-2026 09:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124533027#Comment_124533027

Here is Football365's top 10, 9 now as Karl is out injured

Diomande (Ivory Coast), Nusa (Norway), Cubarsi (Spain), Endrick (Brazil), Arda Guler (Turkey), O’Reilly (England), Zaire-Emery (France), Desire Doue (France), Lamine Yamal (Spain).

Loafing Oaf · 08-06-2026 10:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124533067#Comment_124533067

Zaire-Emery (France), Desire Doue (France

These two guys are second and third with the bookies too but it seems far from certain they will get serious game time. Wondering is there a catch here I'm not seeing…

jacool · 08-06-2026 01:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124533220#Comment_124533220

The only catch is if they feel like they have to give it to a World Cup winner. Looks like they don't

2006: Lukas Podolski (Germany) P7 636 minutes 3 G GER 3rd

2010: Thomas Muller (Germany) P6 473 minutes 5 G/3A GER 3rd

2014: Paul Pogba (France) P5 354 minutes 1 G/1A FRA QF

2018: Kylian Mbappe (France) P7 534 minutes 4 G FRA Win

2022: Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) P7 563 minutes 1 G ARG Win

famagusta · 09-06-2026 04:16PM

World Cup pullout in the Racing Post today FYI.

Haven't even opened it yet but I've a few bets put on at the weekend.

Spain Outright and Ozarabayal TGS 33/1

Netherlands and Gakpo 300/1

then a few Top Team goalscorers, really life this market.

Ueda for Japan

Amoura for Algeria

David for Canada

I think Brazil will go well, Spain obviously, don't fancy Argentina at all. I might have a small bet on Tiago TGS on the exchange

famagusta · 09-06-2026 04:19PM

Have also backed a few teams to finish bottom of their groups

Congo @2.37. Paraguay at 3/1, South Africa at 4/5 and Tunisia at 4/5

Happy punting all, GL

Collie D · 10-06-2026 08:56PM

Not going mad on it this year. Will do bet builders with couple of friends on all of the evening games for an interest and/or excuse to abuse the costly person.

Apart from that have done few freebies accumulated from various bookies below.

€10 goal in every game @ 66/1
€20 Julian Alvarez Golden Boot @ 25/1
€15 goal in each group game @ 20/1
€2 accum all favs to top Groups A-K @ 91/1
€10 Argentina @ 9/1

And my one cash bet with selections stolen from Racing Post is a €1 top team goalscorer Super Yankee with 365.

Teboho Mokoena - South Africa 11/1
Yan Diomande - Ivory Coast @ 7/1
Alexander Isak - Sweden @ 11/4
Callum McCowatt - New Zealand @ 25/1
Eldor Shomurodov - Uzbekistan @ 5/2

€26 to return almost €67.5k

Best of luck!

Loafing Oaf · 11-06-2026 07:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124533220#Comment_124533220

Found the catch with young Yamal

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/spain/world-cup-2026/news/yamal-injury-update-as-spain-sweat-on-barca-stars-fitness-before-group-opener_599004.html

But it doesn't sound too serious, have gone big on him anyway

Also backing Guler, Nusa and Diomande for Ypoty.

Other bets:

Mbappe & Alvarez for Golden Boot

Spain Outright and Ozarabayal Golden Boot

Cesar Montes Mexico TGS

Uruguay highest scoring team

and a few top team scorer accas:

Akturkoglu/Amoura/Shomurodov

Doku/Jimenez/Valecia

Schick/David/McTominay/Ueda

MacDanger · 12-06-2026 01:48PM

Is it worth keeping an eye on daily the daily WC specials? These can be hit and miss at times but often worth a punt. There were a couple of decent ones yesterday but less so today:

WH: Canada to lead at anytime @ evens (from 4/9)

Bet365: none that I can see

Boyles: none that I can see

PP: Jonathan David & Cyle Larin 1+ SOT @ evens (from 4/5)

Betfair: Jonathan David & Cyle Larin 1+ SOT @ evens (from 4/5)

I doubt I'll be backing either of those, maybe something better will pop up later

mailburner · 12-06-2026 10:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124545718#Comment_124545718

A bit hit an miss so far

Was on Mexico to lead at anytime with hills and mexico to score with 365 was hard to see past Mexico in that one

hills had goal in first half of korea game, skipped that as I couldn't watch it but a complete guess of a bet and less enticing.

avoided the Canada one, kinda surprised they were odds on to win that anyway other than it being in Toronto but had

a small bet on Bosnia at the odds.

paddy allowing me 2.88 on their useless boosts so a hard pass on those

Not seeing anything for the usa game but I don't see many goals, maybe 1 or 2 tho tempted to back no goalscorer.

MacDanger · 13-06-2026 01:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124545718#Comment_124545718

Canada bet no good, SOT bet came in, one didn't start though so not sure if that'd void it

Loafing Oaf · 13-06-2026 10:09AM

Added another longshot outright, Morocco lowest scoring team

mailburner · 13-06-2026 01:01PM

hills with 2 crackers in my eyes

Brazil evs

Scotland evs

to score first goal

They allow me 22 on both

365 Xhaka 1 tackle 1 sot 2/1 10 max

switz odds 1/5

MacDanger · 13-06-2026 11:05PM

I'm taking the Scottish bet, will leave the Brazil one.

Missed the Swiss one, did it come in?

MacDanger · 13-06-2026 11:19PM

PP with a Scott mctominay sot bet also

MacDanger · 14-06-2026 12:50PM

Scotland 1st goal came in

Mctominay SOT was settled as a winner, he must have hit the post (that was incl in the bet) as he's showing 0 SOT

MacDanger · 14-06-2026 12:53PM

Harvertz to score anytime @ evens on 365

Dutch to lead at anytime evens on WH

Will take both of those

mailburner · 14-06-2026 01:07PM

pity about Brazil 🤷‍♂️

on the Dutch one also plus Havertz

mailburner · 15-06-2026 08:10PM

Belgium first goal evens Hills

MacDanger · 15-06-2026 09:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124553421#Comment_124553421

Was on that as well ☹️

Loafing Oaf · 15-06-2026 09:30PM

Lukaku, a one-man instant bomb squad

mailburner · 16-06-2026 08:16PM

I didn't take the France to lead at ht bet, these African teams are very good and Senegal looks one of the better

teams

olise sot evens looks alright but didn't take it either, shame it wasn't Mbappe

There'll be better opportunities imo

mailburner · 17-06-2026 08:17PM

suppose England to score first will have to do evens Hills

kane score gordon assit 8.25/1 Hills bosted from 11/2

365 money back as a freebet up to 5 Perisic card Anderson Card 25/1

Paddy are the most miserable cnuts out there on the other hand

Schwiiing · 17-06-2026 09:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124558582#Comment_124558582

Mine was 5 euro. You must be doing far better than I am haha.

mailburner · 17-06-2026 09:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124558897#Comment_124558897

These will probably be 25c if this comes in

Most footie bets are 2.88 like enhanced single, used to get 2 euro betbuilders lol

was 11.50/5.75/2.88 so guessing next stop will be 1.44

Schwiiing · 17-06-2026 10:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124558987#Comment_124558987

Screenshot 2026-06-17 at 22-04-42 Online Betting & Odds Bet with Paddy Power Sports.png

Croatia weren't getting shots in. Cashed after Kanes 2nd for a free lunch tomorrow.

Schwiiing · 17-06-2026 10:48PM

Oh well.

MacDanger · 18-06-2026 03:05PM

WH: Swiss to score 1st at evens

PP: Schick to have a sot and be fouled 1+

Not great offers, I'll pass on both

mailburner · 18-06-2026 04:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124560705#Comment_124560705

Took the Swiss bet myself

Schick bet is poor evens from 4/5 easy pass

MacDanger · 19-06-2026 10:28AM

Scotland to score @ evens with Boyles & WH

USA to lead anytime @ evens on WH

Mctominay 1+ sot @6/4

Will take the USA one, not sure about the others

World Cup 2026

Sporting Life Tips: World Cup outright

Football betting tips: World Cup top scorer

Football betting tips: World Cup awards

Football betting tips: World Cup

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