World Cup Betting Sites | Qatar 2022

World Cup Groups and World Rankings

What Makes a Good World Cup Betting Site?

Licensing

Before you even begin considering your options for World Cup betting sites, a quick and easy way to narrow down the choices available to you is to steer clear of unlicensed bookies. If a sportsbook doesn’t hold a valid license to operate, it isn’t worth a punt. Having a license means that a gambling operator is required to adhere to the rules of a governing body, whether it’s your own state’s regulator or an offshore authority such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). Put simply, you can expect to be treated fairly at a licensed sportsbook, with industry-standard encryption technology employed to ensure secure transactions, and prompt payouts following withdrawals. Fortunately, you won’t come across any rogue betting sites here at Compare.bet — all online bookies on our site are fully licensed.

Odds

Of course, we all want to big on the World Cup — it’s a special opportunity that only comes by every four years. So while it’s here, you might as well get the best prices available for Qatar 2022. The odds on matchday usually don’t vary largely as sportsbooks price competitively, but any slight increase in potential winnings can add up over the course of the tournament. When it comes to odds, it’s a no-brainer — the best price is your best option. Our top World Cup betting tip is to keep an eye on the outright markets prior to the tournament — you’re likely to find some price variation here and could potentially find some great value!

Welcome Bonus

Each time the World Cup comes around, it brings a huge influx of new bettors to sportsbooks. Thousands of first-time gamblers will flock to the web to find the best destination for World Cup betting, which presents an excellent opportunity for sportsbooks to land some new customers.

To sweeten the deal, bookies offer enticing welcome bonuses for new customers, including free bets, huge matched deposits, no deposit bonuses and risk-free bets. You can even expect to find a number of World Cup exclusive bonus offers! These new customer bonuses are understandably a huge part of the decision-making process for bettors seeking a new home for their bets — they can get you off to a flying start when betting on the 2022 World Cup.

Promotions

The World Cup will run for just over a month, so if you pick out a new sportsbook for the start of the tournament, it’s highly unlikely that your bonus offer will be valid by the World Cup final. To keep bettors coming back for more, sportsbooks offer a number of amazing promotions, including free bet clubs, money-back specials, and enhanced odds. Of course, there are a number of World Cup specific promotions too! These are a great way for betting sites to reward loyalty, and for customers to get some great value on their bet slips.

Banking Options

Whether you’re new to the betting scene or an experienced pro, your payment method of choice is always important. When staking your hard-earned cash, you’ll want to know that your money is in good hands. Gamblers want payments that are fast, simple, and secure. The best World Cup betting sites offer a range of payment options that tick all three boxes.

Some of the options you’re likely to find at the best World Cup betting sites are:

• Debit and credit cards – while they were banned in 2020 for use in gambling in the UK, credit cards are still a viable option in the US;
• e-Wallets – there are many different e-wallet providers however the ones you’re most likely to see when betting on the World Cup 2022 include PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill;
• Trustly – another name we are seeing more often at online betting sites that offers an open banking method of payment. Often favored because of the lack of personal information that needs to be submitted in order to set up a transaction, Trustly deposits and withdrawals are swift and direct to your bank account;
• Pay by mobile – another popular option because of its convenience. Paying by mobile allows you to make deposits — but not withdrawals — by adding the amount to your cell phone bill, or deducting it from your pay as you go credit. Boku is one of the main names offering a pay by mobile service;
• Prepaid cards – companies like Paysafecard offer vouchers with prepaid values at local retailers. Because of their relatively low maximum value, this method is not for the high rollers out there, but it’s a great way of limiting your expenditure and is perfect for those who don’t like submitting personal details onto a gambling site. 

While some of the newest sites may only offer debit or credit card support, the biggest names in the industry offer e-wallet options such as PayPal or Skrill.

Mobile Betting Apps

With kick-off times falling anytime between 4am CT (2am PT / 5am ET) and 1pm CT (11am PT / 2pm ET) for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, chances are you won’t be at home to place your bets in time for every game in the competition. You’ll be grateful, then, that the top World Cup bookies offer mobile-friendly sites that allow you to place your bets on the go with ease. You can expect the same top-notch betting experience — the top sportsbooks cater to all your betting needs, even on the smaller screen. Some operators even offer dedicated mobile apps available for download on iPhone, Android, and more. So whether you’re out watching the game with friends, betting from the bed sheets — and who would blame you with some of those early kick-offs — or lucky enough to grab a ticket to Qatar, you won’t be tied to your desktop when placing your bets. You’ll be able to bet anywhere, anytime with the same great bonuses, promos, and odds!

Clear Site Design

With such a lot of competition out there, it’s important that World Cup betting sites are created well, and with the user in mind. In this respect we look for a clear page layout, easy to understand titles, and categories directing customers where they want to be. Creativity is also appreciated, so sites that look attractive to the eye are likely going to be more of a draw to customers than ones that have little theme or style. 

World Cup Betting Tips

Once you’ve figured out where to place your bets, the next task on your hitlist is figuring out who to back. While the sportsbooks have their favourites, there’s no right answer here — instead, there are multiple ways to tackle this tricky question.

History

Many seek out the usual suspects when adding to their bet slips. These are almost always the most decorated teams in soccer history, such as five-time winners, Brazil, defending champions Germany and France. Between them, these three countries have won the World Cup a whopping 10 times. While the distant past may not necessarily have any bearing on future performance, these nations have consistently produced excellent talent decade after decade — from the likes of Zinedine Zidane to Kylian Mbappe. While you’ll find that these nations are usually pretty solid options at sportsbooks, the unpredictable nature of knockout competitions can spring a few unpleasant surprises for favourites — The 2002 World Cup saw defending champions France and odds-on favourites Argentina eliminated in the group stage!

Top-Ranked Teams

Recent form is arguably the most accurate indicator of future performance in soccer and the FIFA World rankings gives you a complete breakdown of how well each team in world soccer has performed in recent times. As many would expect, Brazil are top of the list in the most recent rankings, but there are a few surprise inclusions in the top 10, too. Belgium sit in second position, and the Netherlands, (8) Portugal (9) and Denmark (10) rank among the world’s best after recent successes. While the chances that one of these nations actually go on to win the tournament are pretty slim, you might find some great betting value in backing them to grab huge wins at Qatar 2022.

Dark Horses

Once the tournament is well and truly underway, there are likely to be a few surprise candidates that emerge as ‘dark horses’. These teams are often ranked as underdogs by World Cup sportsbooks but could very well go on to exceed expectations and enjoy great success in the tournament. Spurred on by roaring home crowds, host nations have historically performed well, from the stunning South Korean team of 2002 to 1998’s French squad — the last team to win the World Cup on home soil.

World Cup 2022 Betting Preview: Sportbooks' Favorites

Many punters will enjoy placing an outright bet on who they think will win the 2022 World Cup. After all, this is the ultimate question that’ll be on everybody’s lips, and it can be fun to back a team from the outset and see how they fare.

It’s a tough call this far in advance, but it’s worth bearing in mind that a small number of top-tier teams are always the main contenders, with no underdogs lifting the trophy in recent history. Let’s look at four nations that are hotly tipped to go far in this year’s competition.

Brazil

• Captain: Thiago Silva
• World Cup Group G

Brazil are the most successful World Cup team of all time, though it has been two decades since they last got their hands on the trophy. They were sensationally booted out by Belgium in the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals, which dealt a huge blow to the Seleçao’s status in many pundits’ eyes. And, while they did make it to the 2021 Copa América final, they were ultimately beaten by Argentina. However, things are looking good for the team in 2022. They’ve enjoyed convincing victories in the World Cup qualifiers, including three back-to-back 4-0 thrashings against Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia. With Neymar and Vinicius Junior ready to wreak havoc in Qatar, Brazil may well be poised to bag their sixth world title.

England

• Captain: Harry Kane
• World Cup Group B

England have had a rollercoaster lead up to the World Cup. Just last year, they enjoyed one of the greatest moments in their history by getting to the final of the Euros, on home turf no less. In classic England fashion, they were ultimately thwarted by a penalty shootout, but it was still a major milestone that suggested football might, at long last, have a serious possibility of coming home. However, Gareth Southgate’s side has failed to deliver on that promise since then, with a notably poor performance in the UEFA Nations League. Losing 0-4 to Hungary was their worst home defeat since 1928, so they clearly have their work cut out to regain confidence ahead of the World Cup.

France

• Captain: Hugo Lloris
• World Cup Group D

If you’re looking to make an outright bet, it’s only natural to consider the reigning world champions. Winning the 2018 World Cup provided France with a second world title, following their famous victory in the 1998 tournament, and Les Bleus will be hungry to repeat the achievement this year. However, they’ve had a rocky time of it lately. While France won the 2021 UEFA Nations League, their showing in the tournament this year has been poor, and they’re no longer in contention to win the title. Punters backing France will, of course, be cheered by the reliably brilliant presence of Kylian Mbappe, arguably the world’s best player right now, who’ll be hoping to get his hands on that trophy again.

Argentina

• Captain: Lionel Messi
• World Cup Group C

From their home stadium of Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina are one of the hot favorites to win the World Cup 2022. The team is led by captain Lionel Messi, considered one of the greatest players of all time and famed for multiple awards including seven Ballon d’Or wins. Argentina are set in group C for the initial stages, facing Saudi Arabia, Poland and Mexico. It’s been a while since they raised the World Cup trophy in triumph, last claiming the title in 1986.

Spain

• Captain: Sergio Busquets
• World Cup Group E

Starting the World Cup campaign in group E means Spain will face Costa Rica, Germany, and Japan — this year’s hot contender for the Group of Death. Not only will they face two previous European champions, but also a very strong Japan team who will be looking to take down the favorites above them. Spain has won the World Cup once in 2010, and the Euros a handful of times, most recently in 2008 and 2010 when they were arguably at their best. However, with such strength of history, you can never bet against Spain pulling off the win so it will be interesting to see how they fare in this year’s tournament.

Germany

• Captain: Manuel Neuer
• World Cup Group E

Germany have a tough initial contest in the group stages of the World Cup, facing Spain, Japan and Costa Rica in group E which many have tipped as the toughest group of the competition. However, they are always one of the strongest teams in any tournament, and have lifted the World Cup trophy four times – 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014. Only Brazil with five has achieved more competition wins. However, Germany will have to go some way to achieve another success this year, with disappointing results including a 3-3 draw against England and a 1-0 loss to Hungary in the 2022 Nations League.

Qatar

• Captain: Hassan Khalid Hassan Al-Haydos
• World Cup Group A

Hosting this year’s tournament, the Qatar team will start their campaign by facing Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands in Group A. Led by their Spanish coach Félix Sánchez Bas, the team has been putting in the practice over recent months, drawing 2-2 with Chile last month, losing 2-0 to Canada, and drawing 1-1 with Jamaica at the end of August. It will be a real test for the team but hopefully a great motivator for future tournaments to come. 

World Cup 2022 Betting Markets

Moneyline Bets

There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple — and sometimes that’s the best thing to do, especially if you’re a first time soccer bettor. Simply bet on the team you think will win the match, or bet on a draw.

Futures

Heading to the sportsbook before the tournament kicks off could land you some big wins. Futures markets include group winner, top scorer, best team from each continent and, of course, World Cup winner.

Match Markets

Every match at the World Cup will provide a huge number of betting opportunities. The very best World Cup bookies will offer over 100 markets on each individual game, from traditional options such as match result and over/under 2.5 goals, to newer options such as both teams to score and result.

If you’re new to soccer betting, here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular markets you can expect to find on World Cup betting sites.

Match Result

Always popular with punters, this market is as straightforward as it sounds. You simply back a team to win, or bet on a draw.

Over/Under Goals

Reckon the match will be a goal-packed extravaganza, or a low-scoring snoozefest? You can have your say with this market, which will let you predict whether the total tally will exceed a certain threshold.

Both Teams to Score

Will one team utterly trounce the other, or will both sides plant the ball in the back of the net? It’s your call with the Both Teams to Score market, where you simply tick the box for ‘yes’ or the box for ‘no’.

Both Teams to Score and Result

If you’re feeling confident or bold, you can opt for this market which combines two selections in one. You’ll be predicting the match outcome (win or draw) and guessing whether both teams will bag at least one goal.

First Goalscorer

Another simple market, where you predict which player will bask in the glory of scoring the first goal of the game.

Correct Score

It’s a tough one to get right, but if you manage to guess the precise final scoreline, this market can bring great value.

Request a Bet

The top World Cup betting sites offer numerous markets for each match. But what if you want to create your own bespoke wager that isn’t currently covered? For example, Harry Kane to score from a free kick in the second half. Many bookies will allow you to request your bet, either through their site or on social media using a hashtag.

Bet Builder

A bet builder allows you to easily piece together your own combination bet for a match. Say you’re betting on the Brazil/Serbia game. You might use a bet builder to create one wager, combining the odds for Brazil to win, Neymar to score first in the second half, and over 2.5 goals to be scored by the end.

In-Play Markets

The betting opportunities don’t stop once the match kicks off. There are plenty of chances to win big when betting live! You’ll be able to bet on the majority of the markets that were available pre-match, with odds updating based on how the game unfolds. You’ll also be able to wager on next goalscorer markets and will likely have the chance to take advantage of some great in-play price boosts.

There are many types of in-play bets that may take your fancy. For example, if one team is playing particularly well, you may want to wager that they’ll be the next to score. If a particular player has hit some close misses, they may be the next goalscorer in your in-play bet.

Compare and bet!

Now you’re all clued up, finding the perfect online bookie for your World Cup bets should be a breeze. Plus, armed with our top tips for betting on the World Cup, you should be able to find some great value for your betslip. All that’s left for you to do now is check out our carefully curated list of World Cup bookies. It’s simple — compare, sign up and place your bets!