Operators across multiple markets have shared punter data revealing which nations fans are backing ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Three betting firms contributed to this breakdown: England-focused Bet St George, multinational operator Entain, and Greek international brand Kaizen Gaming, a market leader in Brazil.
Bet St George, which builds its entire identity around English national pride, surveyed 1,000 bettors on whether England can finally win a World Cup.
Four in ten, or 40%, of Bet St George customers firmly believe the Three Lions will return home as Champions of the World this summer.
The most optimistic age group among those surveyed is 25 to 34 year olds, with 67% of them expressing strong confidence in England’s chances at the tournament.
Entain’s data threw up a fascinating cross-border finding, revealing that Scottish fans are more likely to back England than English fans are to back Scotland.
Just 1% of English Entain punters have placed money on the Tartan Army, while 8% of Scottish bettors have backed the Three Lions to go all the way.
Among Entain’s wider European customer base, French fans back their national team at a 29% rate, while 24% of German bettors are backing their squad.
Austrian punters show slightly stronger patriotism than Germans, with 25% of Entain’s Austrian customers backing their national side in the tournament.
Kaizen Gaming has also released figures from its Betano platform, showing Harry Kane holds 12% of top goal scorer bets compared to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 8%.
French superstar Kylian Mbappé leads the Betano top scorer market by a considerable margin, capturing 26% of all bets placed in that category.
The gap between Kane and Ronaldo may reflect the Portugal legend’s age, as this World Cup is widely expected to be his final appearance on the international stage.
Ronaldo’s 2022 World Cup was underwhelming by his standards, with the forward managing just one goal across 290 minutes of football before Portugal exited in the quarterfinals.
On national patriotism, Kaizen’s Betano data places Argentina and Brazil at the top, with 79% and 75% of each country’s bettors backing their respective sides.
Germany and Portugal share joint third place in Betano’s patriotism rankings, with 57% of each nation’s bettors placing money on their own teams.
The tournament itself is already delivering early drama, with South Korea and hosts Mexico registering the first victories of the competition against Czechia and South Africa respectively.
