The World Cup is not only the most prestigious tournament in world football but also an attractive playground for sports betting enthusiasts. The top teams are always the focus of big matches, with their own unique playing styles and typical tactics. To bet effectively, players need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team as well as the odds that suit their playing style. Below, Bestsoccertips.com analyzes in detail the top 10 FIFA World Cup top teams, helping players have a comprehensive perspective before placing bets.
Top 10 FIFA World Cup top teams
Top 10: Croatia
Croatia are a team with a strong fighting spirit, especially in big matches. They reached the 2018 World Cup final and the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, showing their class on the international stage. With Luka Modric as the conductor, Croatia often controls the midfield well, giving them an advantage in tense matches. This makes “Croatia to win in the first half” or “Croatia to have more possession” a reasonable choice when betting on them.
One of the notable points when betting on Croatia is the ability to drag the match to extra time or penalty shootouts. They have won many knockout matches after 120 minutes or on penalties, so “Match with extra time” or “Croatia to win in penalty shootout” bets often have high odds when this team participates in the knockout stages. However, due to the lack of consistent goalscorers, they often rely on individual moments of brilliance, making the over/under goal bet a difficult choice to predict when betting on Croatia.
Top 9: Belgium
Belgium were once considered the “golden generation” with stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois. Although they have yet to win a major trophy, they are still a strong team with an effective attacking style of play. Belgium regularly score many goals in group matches, making the Over Goals bet a popular choice when betting on them. In addition, Lukaku is one of the highest scoring strikers in the team’s history, making the player to score bet on him attractive.
Despite possessing a strong attack, Belgium have problems with their defense, especially against teams with a fast playing style. This makes them vulnerable to conceding goals, making the “Both Teams to Score” bet a bright choice when Belgium face strong teams. However, when facing weaker opponents, Belgium can completely dominate, making the Asian handicap (Belgium handicap) a worthy choice.
Top 8: Netherlands
The Netherlands are a team with a rich history and a beautiful attacking style. With a combination of young players and experienced stars such as Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo, they are always a team to watch at major tournaments. The Netherlands’ strengths are their ability to develop the ball quickly, using sharp counter-attacks to score goals. Therefore, when betting on the Netherlands, the over-goal bet is often a wise choice, especially when they face teams that play open football.
In addition, the Netherlands also owns one of the best defenses in Europe with Van Dijk commanding them. This makes them an attractive choice for the “Netherlands to keep a clean sheet” bet when facing weaker opponents. However, one point to note when betting on the Netherlands is that they sometimes lack consistency in important matches, especially in the knockout stages. Therefore, monitoring pre-match form is essential when betting on this team.
Top 7: Italy
Italy have always been one of the strongest teams in the world with a scientific and disciplined defensive style. Their success at Euro 2020 shows that they are still a formidable force, despite their absence from the 2022 World Cup. The team is famous for their solid defense, often keeping clean sheets against strong opponents. Therefore, when betting on Italy, the “Italy to keep a clean sheet” or “Under total goals” bets are often reasonable choices. Their solid defense helps them avoid many high-scoring matches, which can affect the over/under goals bets in their matches.
Although famous for their defense, Italy also have quality attacking players such as Federico Chiesa and Nicolo Barella, allowing them to surprise with quick counter-attacks. However, their form is not always stable, especially when facing teams with a strong pressing style. Researching the opposition before the match is very important when betting on Italy, as they can be very solid against strong teams but struggle against teams with a large defence.
Top 6: Portugal
Portugal is one of the teams with a flexible playing style, able to adapt to many different tactics. The combination of experienced players and young talents makes them a strong candidate in major tournaments. Cristiano Ronaldo is still the symbol of the team with an impressive scoring ability, especially in set pieces and high balls. In addition, Rafael Leão and João Félix bring speed and suddenness in counter-attacks, making Portugal a dangerous team when playing defensively. When betting on Portugal, the “Score from outside the box” or “Portugal to win by a minimum margin” bets are often wise choices because their style of play tends to be to control the ball but take chances from long range or from lightning attacks.
Alongside the sharp attack, Portugal’s midfield is also notable for the presence of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, two players with excellent game-changing and assist abilities. Both often make decisive passes, making the “Bruno Fernandes assists” or “Bernardo Silva successful passes” bets a reasonable choice. However, one weakness of Portugal is that they sometimes have difficulty when facing teams with a large and well-organized defense. This makes the over-goal bet not always reliable, especially when they face opponents with a tight playing style. Researching opponents before the match is essential if you want to bet effectively on this team.
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Top 5: Brazil
Brazil have always been a top contender at every World Cup thanks to their fiery attacking style and excellent technical players. The team has a tradition of producing world-class strikers and wingers, with the current generation including the likes of Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo and Gabriel Martinelli. Their fast, creative style of play has seen Brazil score plenty of goals in group matches, making the Over Goals bet a reasonable choice. In particular, their attacking players often shoot from distance and perform skillful dribbles, making the “Player to score from outside the box” or “Player with the most dribbles in the match” bets attractive when betting on Selecão.
In addition to being strong in attack, Brazil also possess a solid defense with quality defenders such as Marquinhos, Éder Militão and goalkeeper Alisson Becker. When facing weaker teams, Brazil often completely control the game, making the “Brazil win and keep a clean sheet” bet have a high winning rate. However, when facing disciplined and defensive European teams, Brazil sometimes has difficulty finishing. This can affect the over/under goal bet, especially in knockout matches. Therefore, players need to monitor Brazil’s performance before each match to make reasonable betting decisions, avoiding putting too much faith in matches that are tense and have fewer goals than expected.
Top 4: England
England have made significant strides over the past decade, emerging as one of the world’s top teams. The combination of experienced players like Harry Kane and young talents like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka has made England a well-rounded team. Under manager Gareth Southgate, the team has become more disciplined, with a focus on defensive solidity and attacking efficiency. This makes England a worthy choice for Asian handicaps or corner bets, as they often put a lot of pressure on their opponents. Furthermore, with their diverse play-offs, England can flexibly change their tactics depending on the opponent they face.
One of the bright spots for England is the goalscoring ability of Harry Kane, who is always on the list of candidates for the Golden Boot award at major tournaments. The striker is not only dangerous in the box but also has the ability to shoot from distance and take effective free kicks. In addition, England are also very strong in set pieces, thanks to the excellent heading ability of Kane, Maguire and Rice. This makes the “England to score from set pieces” or “England’s number of corners” bets attractive options when betting. However, the team may have difficulty when facing opponents with a high pressing style and good zonal defense. In such matches, England’s goal tally may decrease, making the over goals bet more risky. Bettors should monitor England’s form and opponents before making a betting decision.
Top 3: Spain
Spain are a team with a masterful ball control style, with their signature tiki-taka style of play allowing them to dominate the game against most opponents. Led by talented young players such as Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal, Spain continue to maintain a football philosophy that focuses on control and short combinations. As a result, they often have superior ball possession, making the “Spain to have over 60% possession” or “Successful passes” bets popular choices. In addition, with the ball being played from midfield and limited long balls, the team tends to create many chances but does not always take advantage of them. This makes the “Shots on target” bet a worthy option when betting on Spain matches.
However, an important factor when betting on Spain is the scoring rate. Although they control the game well, their ability to take advantage of opportunities is not really stable, especially when facing teams with disciplined defenses and fast counter-attacks. Therefore, the under goal bet can be a reasonable choice in some important matches. In addition, Spain often scores goals through small combinations in the penalty area, instead of long shots or high balls, making the “Player who creates” or “Number of key passes” bets more potential. To bet effectively on this team, players should follow their attacking form before the match to assess their ability to score more accurately.
Top 2: France
France is one of the strongest teams in the world and is always among the top candidates at the World Cup. With a series of stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Eduardo Camavinga, this team has a fast, technical style of play and the ability to quickly change states. Under the leadership of coach Didier Deschamps, France often shows stable performance, giving bettors many options when betting on them. One of the popular bets when following the French team is the over-goal bet, because this team has high-class strikers who can score from many different situations.
In addition, France is also famous for its solid defense, thanks to the presence of top central defenders such as William Saliba and Ibrahima Konaté. This makes them a good choice for the “France to keep a clean sheet” bet when facing teams with weak attacks. However, one thing to keep in mind when betting on France is their form in knockout matches, where tactical tightness can reduce the odds of many goals. When betting, players need to closely monitor the squad situation and the form of key players before making a decision.
Top 1: Argentina
Argentina is the world’s top team according to FIFA rankings, thanks to their impressive performance at the 2022 World Cup. With a strong squad and the leadership of Lionel Messi, they won the championship after a dramatic final against France. Argentina’s success comes not only from outstanding individuals but also from the tight tactics of coach Lionel Scaloni. When betting on Argentina, bookmakers often consider the form of Messi, Alvarez, and other key players. In addition, they are also a team with a high ball possession rate and extremely excellent penalty kick ability, helping players consider betting on odds such as ball control, number of shots on target or Asian handicap in important matches.
In addition to the World Cup, Argentina is also a team with many achievements at Copa América and always shows class in major tournaments. The team’s playing style often focuses on ball control and strong attacks, suitable for odds such as over/under goals or betting on the player who scores. In particular, Argentina often plays explosively against weaker opponents, giving bettors a chance to win big if they place a deep handicap. However, when facing teams with solid defenses, their winning rate can decrease, so it is important to research the opponent before the match when betting on Argentina.
In Summary
Football betting is not just about betting on the strong team, but also requires careful analysis of the form, playing style and strength of each team. The FIFA World Cup top teams have their own advantages, creating many attractive betting opportunities. Players should closely monitor statistics, head-to-head history and developments on the field to make the most accurate decisions. With the above information, betting on strong teams will not only be entertaining but also increase the player’s chances of winning.
