The World Cup 2022 began on November 20, with the last match being played on December 18. But first, take a look at the table below to find out the odds for the World Cup 2022 favorites on some of the wagering sites in South Africa.
| Operator Name | Brazil | France | England | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywoodbets Odds | 4.50 | 6.00 | 5.50 | 6.50 |
| Betway Odds | 5.50 | 7.00 | 6.55 | 7.50 |
| Bet.co.za Odds | 5.50 | 6.50 | 7.00 | 8.00 |
2022 World Cup Favorites
The current favorite team to win the tournament in Qatar is Brazil, with the defending champion, France being the close second. According to odds online, the most popular African team to win the World Cup is definitely Senegal, with Cameroon and Ghana not too far behind.
Check out this list of the 2022 World Cup favorites to find out the teams that are most likely to take the stage and win the tournament this year.
- Brazil
- France
- England
- Argentina
- Spain
- Germany
2022 World Cup Underdogs
There is nothing as exciting as an underdog team that manages to surprise football fans across the globe. While the 2022 World Cup favorites are obvious, here are several teams that might exceed people’s expectations.
- Serbia
- USA
- Croatia
- Cameroon
- The Netherlands
Brazil
At this stage, Brazil is without a doubt one of the favorites to win the trophy in Qatar. The five-time world champions haven’t managed to get their hands on the biggest international honor since 2002 when they beat Germany in the final.
For this year’s edition of the tournament, Brazil will play against Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon in the groups stage. Although it is undoubtedly one of the tougher groups than many of their fans hoped for, Brazil is still the bookie’s choice for the leading team.
The World Cup favorite main playmaker will most likely be Neymar, who has enjoyed a great start of the season so far and seems ready for Qatar. Moreover, the Brazilian squad is made up of many great talents, such as their goalkeeper Alisson, and defensive midfielders Fabinho and Casemiro.
Additionally, Brazil’s squad is coached by one of football’s greatest minds, Tite, who’s been coaching the side since 2016. All in all, it doesn’t come as a surprise that bookies chose Brazil as the World Cup favorites. Not only do they have great players in their team, but also a desire to win for their country.
France
France is the second most popular choice for the 2022 World Cup favorites. The French national team is coached by the legendary footballer and coach Didier Deschamps. Les Bleus are the reigning and defending champions of the world, and they will surely look to defend their title.
But firstly, France will compete against Australia, Denmark, and Tunisia in the groups stage of the tournament.
The French squad is captained by Hugo Lloris, the experienced Spurs captain, and goalkeeper. However, their most important players will most likely be the forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. The
French team’s success will most likely rely on these two keeping their club form as they will be the most feared partnership in Qatar.
Benzema scored a whopping 48 goals in the last season and won the Champions League with Real Madrid, while Mbappe managed 42 goals across the last season.
In the midfield, Deschamps is likely to put his faith in Paul Pogba and Aurelien Tchouameni, who will act as the side’s playmakers and holding midfielders. Additionally, Deschamps can rely on a multitude of players such as Antoine Griezmann, Christopher Nkunku, and N’Golo Kante to boost his options.
However, with Raphael Varane retiring from international football, Didier may turn to young players to fill the gap left in defense. It will be up to players like Jules Kounde, Ibrahima Konate, and Benjamin Pavard to step up and seize their place on the field.
Surely, anything less than a win in the final would be a disappointment for the French team as they have both the quality and experience to be the champions.
England
Gareth Southgate’s presence has sparked a glimpse of hope in the English football fans. Going into this tournament, the English has one of the best teams around.
However, England has been handed one of the hardest groups in the tournament. For their opening game, the English will face Iran, then the USA, and finally Wales.
On the goal, they are represented by the safe hands of Jordan Pickford, who is backed up by Aaron Ramsdale, so Southgate’s side isn’t lacking in between the sticks.
Their defense is bolstered by the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the right-back position and most likely Ben Chilwell on the left.
The center-back pairing is most likely to be a partnership between Harry Maguire and John Stones, so England will most likely provide a great defensive play on the field.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this English squad is their attack. Harry Kane will certainly be England’s World Cup goalscorer and will be assisted by Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho on the wings.
As for the creativity in the midfield, many fans expect to see a lot of action from Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. Undoubtedly, Gareth Southgate will look to repeat Alf Ramsey’s success from 1966 and bring football back home.
However, that might prove to be difficult, considering the quality of the other sides.
Senegal
Although countries in Africa are oftentimes overlooked in international tournaments, they are often the favorite underdog of any football competition. This year, perhaps the greatest African team is Senegal.
The “Lions of Teranga” are coming back after winning the AFCON in 2021, and they are currently ranked as the 18th best side in international football. In the group stage of the tournament, Senegal will face Qatar, Netherlands, and Ecuador.
They are coached by the great Aliou Cissé, who has completely reorganized the African team. Their most important players will, without a doubt, be Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy.
The current Bayern Munich forward is also the top goalscorer for the African team, having scored 33 goals, not including the winning penalty against Egypt in the AFCON final.
The Chelsea pairing of Koulibaly and Mendy will surely keep the side from conceding too many goals.
Additionally, the African team has a wide range of other quality players to bolster their sides, such as Mane’s Bayern Munich teammate Bouna Sarr, Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, Everton’s Idrissa Gueye, and RedBull Leipzig’s Abdou Diallo.
Cissé will surely look to guide his team to glory, which would make them the first African team to achieve this goal.
Germany
“Die Mannschaft” will be coached by Hansi Flick for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. The four-time world champions are aiming for the fifth trophy in Qatar, after their most recent World Cup win in 2014. The Germans will have a tough schedule ahead of them with an aging but experienced squad.
They are set to face Japan in their opening game and Spain and Costa Rica in the group stage of the tournament. Their side’s captain will be the veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, with Antonio Rudiger and Niklas Sule most likely to form the center-back pairing.
In the midfield, Flick will have tons of options available such as Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos, Chelsea’s Kai Havertz, and the reliable Joshua Kimmich. In the attacking department, Flick will most likely rely on the goal-scoring ability of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, and the German great Thomas Muller.
Needless to say, Flick will have tons of options in Qatar, but we will see how he uses them. Right now, Germany is one of the World Cup favorites to win the trophy, and with a good reason.
World Cup Favorites FAQ
If you want to know more about the World Cup favorites, check out these most frequently asked questions.
The 2022 World Cup favorites are Brazil, France, England, and Germany.
While the odds of England winning the World Cup 2022 depend on the operator you’re using, most bookies provide odds in the range of 5.00 to 7.00.
Brazil was the champions of the World Cup a total of 5 times, with the last time being in 2002.
Yes. The only two teams to ever win two World Cups in a row are Italy and Brazil. Italy was the champion of the World Cup in 1934 and 1938. On the other hand, Brazil was the World Cup winner in 1958 and 1962.
