Spencer Toth

by Spencer Toth - 6/10/2026 The World Cup gives countries from around the globe the chance to permanently etch their names into the history books. Only eight nations have ever lifted football’s most elusive prize, but that number could go up if one of these underdogs pulls off a miracle. The nature of the World Cup means that a few defensive performances could be enough to make a deep run in the tournament, as we saw with Morocco in 2022 and Croatia in 2018.

by Spencer Toth - 6/10/2026 The expanded 48-team World Cup format means there are even more countries vying to lift football’s ultimate prize, but it would be a real shock to see anyone other than a handful of nations win the 2026 World Cup. Only eight countries have ever won the World Cup, and six of them are among the favorites this year. Six previous winners are joined by Portugal to round out the seven teams with +1300 odds or shorter.

by Spencer Toth - 6/9/2026 The Golden Ball is awarded to the best player during the entirety of the World Cup tournament. The trophy has been handed out 11 times to 10 different players and is often given to an attacking midfielder or forward. Not to be confused with the Golden Boot, which is given to the tournament’s leading goalscorer, the Golden Ball recipient demonstrates the best overall play and could theoretically be a player of any position.