True football fans are always looking ahead and preparing for the next big tournament. The calendar of international events is set up in such a way to guarantee that elite football will be played every year, and between the several top tournaments that are organized in regular intervals, the fans have no shortage of action to follow. In the next 12 to 18 months, there will be a couple high-level events and many online sportsbooks for German players are already accepting futures bets on them – the likes of WoomBet’s sign up page, and others like it, are likely to see an influx of interest for sure.
It’s still way too early and a lot could change between now and late December 2025 when the next African Cup of Nations will be played, or June 2026 when the World Cup is scheduled to start. That doesn’t prevent us from hypothesizing who the favorites may be in each event – and here is how things stand at this point.
AFCON 2025/26 – December 21st – January 18th, Morocco
The most prestigious football competition on the African continent will soon determine the new champion, as well as the representatives for the World Cup. It will take place in six Moroccan cities during a period when temperatures are cooler and conditions for play much better. Twenty four teams will compete in this tournament, which will include a group stage as well as a knockout phase that will culminate in a final match, with the winner becoming the new African champion.
With so many participating teams, it’s not easy to predict who will win – especially at this early stage when we still don’t know which players will show up. Judging by betting odds given at major betting sites, there is a small circle of favorites that stands out from the rest of the field. The hosts are currently regarded as the most likely to triumph, with odds on Morocco to win the AFCON trophy ranging from 3/1 to 4/1. Algeria and Egypt are also seen as strong contenders and have identical 6/1 odds, while Senegal is close behind at 13/2.
The next tier of teams includes some traditionally strong football nations such as Nigeria (current odds at 10/1) and Ivory Coast (12/1 to win). Tunisia and Mali are both in the same group with 12/1 odds, and Cameroon has 18/1 odds to become the next champion. No other team is believed to have a realistic chance to win, as the remaining squads are given odds ranging between 50/1 and 500/1, indicating nearly complete lack of interest for those bets. Still, one of the lower ranked teams could at least make some noise and reach the advanced rounds.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – June 11th – July 19th, USA, Canada & Mexico
The 23rd edition of the world’s most elite tournament will take place in North America with all three major nations on the continent collaborating as hosts. That will result in games being played in 16 different cities, which was necessary because the field was expanded to 48 teams for the first time in World Cup history. New format will dramatically increase the total number of games, thus creating a lot of additional betting opportunities but also making it more difficult to predict the overall winner.
At this stage, qualifications are not yet finished and the full list of participating teams is still to be determined. Despite this uncertainty, major betting websites have posted futures odds for the tournament winner, and they are mostly in agreement about the top favorites. Teams with the best odds to win it all are France, Spain, England, and Brazil – all of which are valued between 7/1 and 8/1. Bets on Argentina to become the world champion are available at 9/1, while you can get 11/1 odds for the same bet on the German national team.
After that, the picture gets murkier. Portugal has 15/1 odds and Netherlands is right there with 17/1, reflecting the belief that these two teams could potentially play the dark horse role. At 26/1, Italy and Belgium are long shots and the same could be said for Uruguay at 29/1. Despite playing at home, North American teams are rated quite low and odds on USA (34/1) and Mexico (51/1) show lack of confidence into their ability to advance far in the tournament.
When Is the Right Time to Make an AFCON or World Cup Bet?
Let’s be realistic – the odds mentioned above are going to change. As we learn more about the teams that will take part in these high-level tournaments and bettors start to make their picks, odds will fluctuate in both directions. That means timing of your bet is quite important and some patience is recommended. If you think the team you intend to bet on is currently undervalued, there is an incentive to act early and place a bet before the markets adjust. On the other hand, some bets could become more profitable closer to the start of the event, for example if a favorite is facing some injury issues or shows bad form in friendlies. That’s why futures betting requires a long-term strategy and continuous following of fresh insights in preparation for the big tournaments.
