Three National Teams to Avoid When Betting on a 2026 World Cup

While the 2026 World Cup is still over nine months away, soccer betting sites already have odds up for this year’s results. Tournament previews and picks are already being released by experts, giving us an idea of who the sports betting industry believes will win the North American World Cup.

Below, we will share the three teams that we will be avoiding when betting on matches and futures for the new-look tournament this summer.

Ghana

Anyone who has been following African football likely already knows to avoid the Black Stars in 2026. The team recently blew a lead that cost them a chance to clinch a World Cup spot, though they remain likely to make the tournament.

While Ghana has had some impressive World Cup history over the last two decades, it appears that era has ended. Manager and former national star Otto Addo is unproven, and he hasn’t shown us anything to suggest that will change. 

Combine that with star Thomas Partey facing serious legal charges, and you can see why we are avoiding the Black Stars this summer.

USA

There has been a lot of hype over the Stars and Stripes' chances to win the 2026 World Cup, which they are co-hosting. Homefield advantage is a big plus, but this team has been broken for years. Fighting between team officials, coaches, and players has shown us that this squad isn’t a true “team.”

We love that the US hired Mauricio Pochettino one year ago. However, we haven’t seen his influence boost the team’s play on the pitch. We attribute this to his limited time with the team and are unconvinced that the 2026 World Cup will feel his impact. The USMNT made a massive mistake by sticking with Gregg Berhalter for far too long, and they will pay for it this summer.

England

The Three Lions World Cup drought will continue through 2026. England is once again expected to have one of the best lineups in the tournament, including Harry Kane and Declan Rice. They helped lead England to the UEFA European Championship Final, where they fell to Spain. This has led betting sites to place the Three Lions among the top five favorites to win the World Cup, but we aren’t buying it.

Since their fantastic run to the Euro Final on July 14, England’s national team has not faced a true challenge. While other European powers have been battling each other, the Three Lions have been beating up on some of the continent’s smallest countries. An easy World Cup qualifying group is nice, but the lack of challenges will be apparent once the tournament kicks off.