Time and tide wait for no man, goes the saying, and neither do sportsbooks when it comes to getting themselves ready for the biggest events. As the most popular sport around the globe for whatever metric you care to use, whether by social network engagement or TV audience, participants who play the game or fans who fanatically follow their teams, football of the soccer variety remains number one.
Held every four years, the FIFA World Cup is the biggest international football tournament of its kind. This year the big show is taking place in the tiny Arabian Gulf state of Qatar, where eight purpose built venues have been constructed especially for the occasion, distributed throughout five host cities.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be held between 21 November and 18 December this year, which is an unusual timeframe given the World Cup is traditionally held in the summer months. Nevertheless, this is due to the blistering desert heat of the region, which ultimately led to organizers and federations deciding to schedule the tournament for later in the year.
World Cup Draw Favorites
The #FIFAWorldCup groups are set 🤩
We can’t wait! 🏆#FinalDraw pic.twitter.com/uaDfdIvbaZ
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) April 1, 2022
Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup finals is certainly a lengthy path, starting out with 206 international teams from six different confederations. The first qualifiers began on 6 June 2019, while the last two qualification games will take place in June 2022 in Qatar, deciding the last two teams to join the total of 32 participants at the World Cup.
But even though we don’t know the last few participating teams, the leading sportsbooks are already beginning to publish odds for a variety of World Cup betting markets. Of course, the most popular of these is always the outright winner market, as oddsmakers aim to predict which teams will potentially enjoy the most success at the tournament.
There is already an extensive tournament guide from BBC Sport, following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 draw held on 1 April, highlighting all the fixtures and which teams may have the best chances of success. Drawn in Group G alongside Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon, oddsmakers have already marked five-time winners Brazil as the initial favorites.
But as reigning World Cup champions from the 2018 World Cup hosted in Russia, sportsbooks and punters alike are also backing France as the biggest challenger, given the side coached by Didier Deschamps aims to defend their title. The next favored candidate attracting betting attention is England, even though they haven’t lifted a World Cup trophy since 1966.
Then we have a jostle for position amongst several powerful football nations, all of whom are genuinely capable of lifting the trophy. Depending on where you look for odds, there’s little to choose between the ambitions of Spain and Argentina, while Germany and Belgium will both be aiming to make deep runs to the latter stages of the tournament.
Wide Variety of Markets Available
Aside from the thrilling action on the pitch, perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of any World Cup tournament is the diverse range of betting options available. Thanks to technological improvements that monitor and track every element of play, the best betting sites now offer all kinds of interesting markets, eager to encourage our engagement.
Match results and goals scored are typically the most popular football betting markets, although the options these days are practically limitless. SBO has researched the best options, comparing all the most reliable and trustworthy online betting companies, evaluating the full range of markets available and providing unbiased in-depth reviews.
This cuts through all the noise of online betting and saves punters time, pointing them in the right direction to find the bookies that best suit their own preferences. Outright markets are always the most popular, although beyond the tournament winner, quality betting sites also give options to back group winners, while some offer multiple team and group selections.
Individual matchday markets always attract plenty of betting attention, therefore live and in-game wagering options are always hugely popular. Likewise, due to the exciting way games ebb and flow, bet builder and bet editor options are also becoming increasingly available, as the leading sportsbooks add further options to their desktop and mobile apps.
But one market always attracting the punters is the top goalscorer market. Winning the famed Golden Boot award at a World Cup tournament comes with huge prestige. Names blazing a trail in the early betting include Kylian Mbappe of France, Harry Kane of England, along with Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
World Cup Conclusion
Given there will be so many betting options available, it obviously makes good sense to check out all the options available. This is why SBO is a great place to begin your search for the most suitable online sportsbooks, due to all their betting coverage being backed by honest reviews. Whoever you’re backing at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament, have fun and enjoy what promises to be a great showcase for the beautiful game.
