World Cup: France leads favorites odds as Round of 16 begins

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its Round of 16 knockout stage, France is the clear favorite to win, according to data website Opta. The French team boasts odds of 30%, with Argentina at 14% and Spain at 13%. France has demonstrated dominant form, winning all three group stage matches and decisively defeating Sweden 3-0 in their Round of 16 clash. Star forward Kylian Mbappé has been in exceptional form, netting 6 goals so far and positioning himself as a strong contender for the Golden Boot. This performance fuels expectations that France, the 2018 champions, could reach the final for the third consecutive time and secure their second title since 2018. Argentina also remains a strong contender, with Lionel Messi scoring his 7th goal of the tournament against Cape Verde. This goal marked his 8th consecutive World Cup match with a score, extending his all-time World Cup goal record to 20. The team is advancing steadily towards a potential consecutive title. The top 10 odds for the tournament are: France (30%), Argentina (14%), Spain (13%), Brazil (9%), England (9%), Portugal (5%), Morocco (3%), Norway (3%), Switzerland (3%), and Colombia (3%).